Questions about specific movies, TV shows and more

These are questions relating to specific titles. General questions for movies and TV shows are here. Members get e-mailed when any of their questions are answered.

Question: What kind of car is Bumblebee before he gives himself a "makeover"?

Answer: Bumblebee in his first form is a 1975-77 era Chevy Camaro. After he scans his "makeover car" he becomes a 2009 Camaro Concept car. He stays the same make and model he just upgrades the year and style.

dablues7

Question: Why wasn't Harry punished for using the Cruciatus curse on Bellatrix? The ministry obviously keeps tabs on underage wizardry. Wouldn't there be serious repercussions for using an unforgivable curse?

Answer: The Ministry can keep track of magic being cast, but appear unable to determine who actually cast it - for example, when Dobby uses magic at the Dursley's house during the events of the Chamber of Secrets, Harry is blamed for it, as he's the only known magic-user at that location. At the Ministry, there are something like a dozen adult wizards involved in the fight, including a considerable number of Deatheaters. The Ministry know that a Cruciatus curse was cast, but would have no way to know who actually cast it, letting Harry off the hook.

Tailkinker

Question: In the first scene, Harry is practising his 'Lumos Maxima' spell under his bedcovers. But in film 5 (and the books, for that matter) it is said that students aren't allowed to perform any magic outside of school. So how was he able to perform this spell without being warned/expelled from Hogwarts?

Answer: It's also shown that the Ministry have some discretion in what's allowable. Given that Harry's using a low-level spell, out of the sight of any muggles (the incidents that get him into trouble in books 3 and 5 both take place with muggles present), in a repeated fashion that would clearly indicate practice, it's reasonable to think that the Ministry would exercise its discretion in this instance and choose not to pursue the matter.

Tailkinker

Question: How do the Death Eaters escape from Azkaban when it is very tall where the explosion happened/spell hit, and they don't (or shouldn't) have their wands?

Answer: Quite simply, someone else caused the explosion from the outside. Or for that matter, seeing how the Dementors have changed sides, it is not unlikely that someone was allowed to come in to Azkaban and break the Death Eaters out.

Twotall

Question: If only Harry and Luna can see the thestral creatures, then how do all the others fly them when they go to the ministry without falling off, due to not seeing where they can hold on?

Answer: They have to feel the Thestrals with their hands to know where and how to climb up, and then simply grab hold of whatever they can and hang on for dear life. It is said to be a very confusing and scary way to travel!

Twotall

Question: During a break in the card game Bond slips something into Le Chiffre's inhaler - but I don't recall anything coming of it later. What did he slip in and what was the significance of that?

Answer: It's a tracking device he can use to find Le Chiffre at all times. He uses it whilst in the hotel lift to determine that Le Chiffre is on the 4th floor of the hotel and which room he is in.

Tailkinker

Answer: They're part of the mechanism that Galactus uses to extract the life-force from the planet.

Tailkinker

Question: Specifically HOW would Pai Mei have taught the "five point palm exploding heart technique" to the Bride? We all know she trained with him for months. Bill (and the film generally) makes that very clear. Could someone simplify this for me?

Answer: It is obvious they practiced this on anything but a live person. See the look in her eyes when she completes the move on Bill? She's like, "yes, OK, it works" even though I'm sure she implicitly trusted Pei Mei, she had never seen the technique on a real person. So likely they would have used anything from a piece a wood to a dummy. Also she trained with Pei Mei for years not months. Remember Bill telling her not to sass back at least for the "first year or so till he warms up to her" - they had lots of time together.

Answer: The same way he would have taught her any other dangerous or esoteric techniques. Most likely, he would show her the precise way to position the fingers, precisely when and where to strike and then have her practice until she could do it correctly in an instant. In addition, a training aid such as a dummy would also help her know exactly how much force to use, as well as letting Pai Mei judge whether or not she did everything correctly and correct any flaws. But it really is impossible to do anything but speculate on this, as techniques like this and the teachings thereof are deliberately not shown to the general public (if they even exist, that is), and so the only ones who know how to teach this will not give away any hints or reveal any special training methods they use.

Twotall

Question: What did the Jackal put on the rear handle of his van that caused such a severe and swift reaction on contact?

Answer: It's a shellfish poison that goes straight into the bloodstream and attacks the respiratory system (as stated on the director's commentary).

Jason Riley

Question: Can anybody make out the instructions on the zero gravity toilet on the space craft?

Spaceboy_007

Chosen answer: The wording was spelled out in the "making of" book. Someone took the time to reproduce it here: http://www.ee.ryerson.ca/~elf/aso/zeroGtoilet.html.

Question: Can anyone tell me where to find a list of ALL the music used in the movie? I'm looking for stuff that's NOT on the soundtrack.

Answer: All the music is listed in the ending credits of the movie.

Answer: When using IMDB, make sure you are using the "full site" and not the mobile version. At the top, above the movie/show title, click "more." Under "did you know?" click "soundtracks" (this list all the recorded songs used in the film, not just the songs on the soundtrack album). However, it often does not include incidental music, which is the background music or song created just for the film to create a mood, tone, or theme. Although often theme music that is later recorded and released will be listed on IMDB's page even though they didn't appear in the original credits, the same way (uncredited) actors are listed on the site.

Bishop73

Answer: You can also find the titles of the songs at IMDB. An online movie database.

Question: Is one born with a deranged tear duct or is it acquired? Also, why does Le Chiffre have a clouded and faded iris, is that part of the disorder? Can he even see out of that eye? The scar above and below his eye must also be related, or could someone have inflicted it upon him?

Jason Riley

Chosen answer: It is possible to be born with this affliction, but his injury to the same eye suggests he wasn't.

Phixius

Answer: He is credited. In the beginning, the credits read Will Farrell, then Blades of Glory, and THEN Jon Heder shows up.

Answer: I don't think we're ever told. You just see him being tied up and hear Son of Mine in the voice over.

Question: In the scene where Lovell's wife is watching an interview of Lovell, he is asked if he can recall a moment when he experienced fear. Lovell proceeds to talk about a time when he's in a fighter jet and gets lost. Is this story a real life experience of the real Jim Lovell, or did they make it up for the movie?

Answer: It's a true story. I read it in Lovell's book Lost Moon. Great book.

William Bergquist

Question: What exactly was in the envelope that Costigan hands to the therapist? Was it the tapes that Frank had recorded of himself?

Answer: That, and other evidence of Matt Damon's guilt.

pross79

Question: Why doesn't Adam kill Kate? Is it because at the start of the movie she said that she would dance with him later or simply because she is his girlfriend?

Answer: He doesn't kill her because she was the only nice one, whereas her friends( Paige, Lily, etc.) were all mean to him at the beginning.

cameron_eats_lemons

Answer: Plus, Kate was his biggest crush. She was the only one who didn't testify against him and blame him about what happened with Dorothy too.

Question: I don't get how the 'baby' or the 'dire mother' died, all you can see is the mum feeding the overgrown baby.

Answer: These are from the Ghost files from the DVD: The Great Child; One of the strangest ghosts I caught had to be Harold Shelburne, The Great Child. His 3-foot tall mother, Margaret Shelburne, was wildly overprotective of her son, smothering and spoiling him from infancy, and never stopping as he grew. Harold could barely care for himself and as a result, remained in diapers his entire life. Mocked at every term, they sought refuge with a traveling freakshow runned by a man named Jimbo. But even the life in the circus was no escape, as they were continuely taunted and tormented by their own twisted kind. One night, some of the freaks kidnapped Margaret as a cruel joke. In a panic-fueled rage, Harold destroyed the entire carnival in search of his mother. When he finally found her, she had died of suffocation. Filled with hatred, Harold grabbed an axe and had his revenge on the freaks. Displaying what was left of them in the carnival for every paying customer to see. When Jimbo found out what had happened, he had Harold mutilated beyond what you and I can comprehend. Well, maybe you. And you thought your family was weird! The Dire Mother Margaret Shelburne, The Dire Mother, was a shy woman who could never stand up for herself, partly because she rose to only a mere three feet in height. Since childhood, she was stared at for her pint size. Her own mother would even sometimes dress her like a doll. Margaret didn't care, aslong as she found some perverse form of acceptance. A carnival barker named Jimbo put her on display in his freakshow. Life was horrible, being an attraction for people to gawk at. One night while sweeping up a donkey pen, she was raped by the "Tall Man". She spawned a beastily offspring of her own. Oh, she loved her dear son Harold, more than life itself, never letting him out of her sight. The circus workers teased and tormented them relentlessly, a conflict that played itself out with a bloody resolve that left nearly the entire circus free of life.. including poor Margaret and Harold. Well, as they say, "there's no business like show business."

Hamster

Answer: The 'baby' was an abused mentally disabled man named Harold Shelburne who was abused so much at an old timey circus that when his mother the Dire Mother, who raised him poorly, was kidnapped and killed, he slaughtered the circus. With an axe. Soon after a mob torn him to shreds.

Question: Why does Lorraine suddenly call Marty by his regular name not Calvin Klein, did I miss something?

Answer: During the scene where Lorraine sees Marty's underwear and assumes Calvin Klein is his name, Marty tells her most people call him Marty. She still thinks his name is Calvin, but she tries to make him happy by using his preferred "nickname".

Question: Why is the right field foul pole named after Johnny Pesky?

Answer: Popular Boston Red Sox lore credits the nickname to pitcher Mel Parnell who later became a sportscaster. Pesky had only 6 homers in Fenway Park and all were hit near the right field foul line pole, but never off the pole. The pole is only 302 feet from home plate. The left field foul line pole is named after player Carlton Fisk.

ChiChi

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