Questions about specific movies, TV shows and more

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Question: Malcolm asks Roland why he'd kill a T-Rex. Roland proceeds to tell a story about a guy that went up a mountain and came back barely alive, and when asked 'did he go up there to die', responded 'no, he went up there to live'. I sort of get the point of the story, but could somebody clarify it for me?

Answer: It's basically about facing one's own mortality. Many humans feel that they 'feel the most alive' when facing (and overcoming) dangerous situations, the more challenging, the better. Roland is a big game hunter, to him, the ultimate challenge would be to hunt the biggest and (presumably) most dangerous predator ever to exist. Facing the danger of the T. Rex would make him feel better and mightier than he had ever felt in his life.

Twotall

Question: Is it me, or is there a different cut between the theatrical and DVD versions regarding the birth scene? I remember more shots of the baby children. Specifically, one of Leia, who has her eyes wide open. This shot is mentioned in the Making-Of book. The shot is important series-wise, because this is how Leia is able to remember her mother (as mentioned in RotJ). However, it is absent from the DVD.

Answer: There is no difference in the two scenes.

Ryan Grubb

Question: What happened to Jack the dog? Last she was seen was when Jack showed up at Kate's boyfriend's work. The boyfriend said "I know you." and looked back at Alex walking away. I assume that's how Kate got the dog. But Jack isn't really seen in Kate's time much, after the chess game.

Answer: When Kate and her boyfriend broke up and Kate was living at the apartment (2510 N Racine), the dog is there with her. It is assumed that the dog remained with her from 2006 onward.

Question: When I watched both films in succession, I noticed the same person played both the man on desk at the morgue and Newton, the video store owner in the second film. Is there a reason for him being in both films?

Answer: The person in question is actor/comedian David Cross. In the first MIB film, Cross is listed in the credits as "Morgue Attendant," and he ends up glued to the morgue ceiling, presumably killed by The Bug. If he had survived, the Men in Black would have certainly neuralized him, anyway, and he would have no memory of the alien encounter or the Men in Black. In MIB 2, David Cross is listed as "Newton" (the video store nerd) who apparently recognizes K, because K had asked Newton to reserve a videotape for him at some time in the past. K made this video request before he ever met J, and then K neuralized himself after leaving a trail of clues leading to the video store. Newton remembers K, so Newton hasn't been neuralized in years. Therefore, Newton in MIB2 cannot be the same character as the Morgue Attendant in MIB.

Jazetopher

Answer: David Cross plays Newton in both movies. In the first he is attacked by the Bug but survives and something went wrong with his neuralyzing as in the sequel he knows small things about the men in black like how they appear and he recognises the neuralyzer from his previous encounter with it, which isn't a coincidence. It appears J's neuralyzing of Newton did work and we don't see him in the 3rd movie (probably because he is in jail for the murder of his mother).

lionhead

Question: What's the name of the song that is played very often, at the beginning and throughout the movie, it's very slow and calm?

Answer: It's most likely "Kissing You" by Des'ree - the love theme from the movie.

Thisbe

Answer: If you get the this version of Sin City, on the special features you can watch the whole movie speeded up to 15 mins, in its green screen version. http://www.amazon.com/Sin-City-Unrated-Two-Disc-Collectors/dp/B000BCKFWK. That will show you which actors were actually together and which were just composited in later.

Question: Why does Director Gordon (the headmistress) say that the damage Tyler did was the cost of a child's tuition, he has cost someone their future? It seems that, if anything, the school would accept that student and use their tuition to pay for the damages, thus helping the child's future.

Answer: Money that could have been used for a scholarship must now be used to pay for the damages. Scholarships aside, the tuition a student pays goes to pay the staff and the normal upkeep of the school, adding a student does not create "free" money.

Myridon

Question: What kind of animal is that thing that wants to eat the chickens? He is supposedly on the 'good' side (not a coyote).

Answer: The character is named Freddy the ferret.

Answer: The name of the song is "Make Your Own Kind of Music" by Mama Cass Elliot.

Angela Wilbourn

Question: Does the sniper on the roof that Nemesis blows up with the rocket launcher have a name?

Answer: No, he is not referred to anyone from the video games, nor does anyone call him by his name. He is just known as "the sniper".

Jason Riley

Question: Why was the American Special Edition recalled?

Answer: The Deluxe Edition that was supposed to come out on 8/1 has been delayed to 10/10 due to MGM changing their distributer.

Myridon

Question: What is the song at the beginning of the movie when Tripp is getting dressed? "Not Bad at all" is part of the lyrics, what is the song called and who sings it?

Answer: It's called "Not Bad at All" by Steven McDonald.

Myridon

Question: According to the credits, Suicide Kings is based on a short story by Don Stanford called "The Hostage". Where was this story published, and is it possible to read it?

Answer: I found a google hit showing it was released as a short story for Cosmopolitan in Aug 1953.

Question: What is the meaning behind the Morton salt and other groceries that Mort buys at the end of the movie?

Answer: Mort Rainey buys the salt, butter, and napkins for eating the corn he grew in the garden above Ted and Amy's graves. The "Morton" brand of salt uses the advertising slogan, "when it rains, it pours." Mort Rainey's name can be translated to "raining death." The "Vanity Fair" napkins could be a refernce to Mort's personality.

raywest

The term Vanity Fair was coined (I believe first) by John Bunyan in 1678, as a place in a story called ‘The Pilgrim's Progress'. Mort is referred to as ‘Pilgrim' by a few different characters in the film, including himself, without much explanation until the serviettes. Brilliant. Vanity Fair in John Bunyan's story is a never-ending fair of frivolity, which is similar to Mort's charade of denial. Found this info when I searched the meaning of Vanity Fair on vocabulary.com.

Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress was also the inspiration for William Thackeray's 1847 novel, "Vanity Fair."

raywest

Question: One of the doctors Phibes blames for his wife's death during an operation is Dr. Hargreaves, whose head is crushed inside a frog mask during a costume ball. But earlier, while introducing himself to Phibes, Dr. Hargreaves says he is a psychiatrist ("headshrinker"). Why would a psychiatrist be present during an operation to save someone's life?

Answer: A psychiatrist is still an M.D., and still went to medical school. Perhaps this one had some knowledge of the case, or was simply on hand to provide assistance.

wizard_of_gore

Answer: To treat anticipated shock.

Question: What happened to the Aunt that lives at the lake house?

Answer: We never find out. But, if I remember correctly, in the graphic novel, the aunt is killed prior to the (O')Sullivan's arrvial (although not by Maguire; that character was created specifically for the film).

Cubs Fan

Answer: I don't know about the book, but in the movie, I have to assume McGuire killed the aunt before they arrive, and the dog was hers. When Michael leaves, he takes the dog.

Answer: My guess is that after she got off the phone with Mike S. She either died or caught wind of what happened to Mike S. Family and hauled ass.

I thought that too. But the dog was left behind.Unless that wasn't their dog.

Answer: There were counter attacks in Washington and New York along with the L.A. squadron. Only the L.A. scene was shown because Will Smith is a main character. The guy with the headset on in the command center that was coordinating the attack alongside the general and the president mentioned that the Washington, and New York squadrons were locked on as well as with L.A. As you could imagine their efforts were futile, along with the one shown with Will Smith, and were only worth mentioning. Also when they reached Area 51, the General told the secretary of defense that they should have told them about this place before they launched an attack that cost them the lives of hundreds of American pilots. The L.A. battle seemed to only show maybe 4 or 5 dozen aircraft, not hundreds.

Answer: Most likely because the military "deciders" didn't know what to expect from the aliens and the ship Will Smith's unit attacked was in the least populated area, thus minimizing any potential civilian casualties. They were testing the waters, so to speak, before committing too many resources on a tactic that may prove futile.

Phixius

Show generally

Question: In which episode is it stated how long Sam spends bouncing around in time in between leaps? I have watched the lot and never heard this.

Answer: The amount of time Sam is away between leaps isn't constant, but in "Genesis" Al tells Sam that it's been around a week between Sam leaping out of Tom Stratton & into the baseball player even though from ours & Sam's perspective it happened straight away.

Question: In the jail cell, as Richard Harris dies, he tells Jim Caviezel not to commit the crime he now serves. What's the point of this? Telling him not to be an honest man and have a good life and be framed for high treason?

Answer: That's not what he was telling him; Jim Caviezel did not do what he was imprisoned for. Richard Harris is telling him not to do that thing after he gets out. Harris was trying to keep him from trying to get revenge because it would consume him and make him even more bitter.

Phixius

Question: What is the story about Miho's victory-cross-shaped shuriken? Any relation to her later shooting the likewise-shaped tattoo out of the head of a henchman?

Answer: Miho's shuriken is an actual Japanese weapon, whereas the symbol on the henchman's head is a swastika. There is no relation between the two.

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