Question: Was the original actor who portrayed O'Neill in the Stargate movie ever considered for the role for the TV show? Or was Richard Dean Anderson picked from the get-go? And if so, why?
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: Where exactly was Dolittle when pearl harbor was being bombed?
Chosen answer: Probably in Washington. He rejoined active duty in 1940, was assigned to consult with industry re aircraft manufacture; also a trip to England on special mission to evaluate other countries' air power. He requested a return to flying status but was refused. He then was asked to assess feasablity of a air attack on Japan from carrier based planes, and when he asked to lead the mission his request was accepted.
Question: If you read the book version of Contact you know that the stuff about transcendental numbers and the Artist's Signature was left out of the movie. This makes no sense to me, since it's not only the real ending, it's the whole POINT of the story. Without this information, the story's fundamental question (does God exist?) is not answered in the movie. Does anyone know why this was left out?
Answer: If anything, I think the film's producers deliberately left godly topics unaddressed (and questions dangling, unanswered) because they didn't want to alienate any particular audience. However, we know the producers of "Contact" certainly did vilify religion through the sinister scenes with Joseph, the evangelical extremist. At the same time, the film created empathy for the president's glib theological adviser, Palmer Joss. So, I don't think the film was shying away from religious topics, and I think it was pretty fair to the religious viewpoint, for the most part. But this movie wasn't about religion; it was about a primitive, materialistic, self-centered and aggressive species (humanity) reluctantly acknowledging the existence of vastly more intelligent and even godlike entities throughout the cosmos. Even the first-contact entities, advanced as they are, acknowledge other entities much more ancient and much more advanced (the virtual architects of the space/time conduit). The implication was that we live in a universe that may be populated with many intelligent entities that answer every human criteria of godhood. Ellie's narrow-minded atheism was surely shaken to its foundation by her experience; and, while she didn't "convert" to archaic earthly religions, she was spiritually a different person upon her return. The film, however, is open-ended and fence-straddling and doesn't presume to definitively answer the question of the existence of god, leaving it up to the audience to decide.
Answer: The film chooses to focus on Ellie's personal journey and how she deals with and comes to terms with what happens - it doesn't really involve God at all, other than the inclusion of Palmer Joss as a religious advocate, choosing to restrict itself to the much less theologically controversial theme of a straight first contact scenario, without the religious overtones. Given the depth of feeling on religious matters in the US, it's hardly surprising that the filmmakers preferred to leave this particular hot topic out. While Carl Sagan died during production of the film, he both co-produced and was involved in the story process, so he was clearly not concerned about this change.
Question: I know the first film had dialogue references to chapters of the book, such as "A Shortcut to Mushrooms" and "A Long Expected Party". Did this film have any such references?
Answer: Not really, no. The chapter titles of The Two Towers tend to be relatively factual, like "Helm's Deep", which, while obviously said during the film, can hardly be considered a specific reference to the chapter title. The closest is probably Aragorn calling out "Riders of Rohan" when they encounter them on the plains - there is a chapter with this title (adding "The" to the beginning).
Question: I know the first film had dialogue references to chapters of the book, such as "A Shortcut to Mushrooms" and "A Long Expected Party". Did this film have any such references?
Answer: Nothing so precise. Like the Two Towers, the chapter headings in the Return of the King tend more to the simple, like "The Siege of Gondor", "Minas Tirith", or "Mount Doom". These do come up in dialogue, obviously, but can't really be considered as references to the chapter titles in the same way as with the Fellowship of the Ring.
Question: What was that first body in the woods that looked like Muffin? It couldn't have been Muffin because she shows up at the end right?
Answer: It never really says what the body is, but I'd assume it were a rabbit or some other small woodland creature. It can't be Muffin because, like you said, Muffin appears later on.
Question: What exactly is the purpose of the inoculation-scar looking thing on the Necromongers neck, if it doesn't keep Vaako and his wife from plotting overthrow of the Lord Marshall, or help suss out the existence of the other remaining Furian?
Chosen answer: They say it in the film, it is one pain that helps to ease another. It is like an initiation and a branding all in one. It is the Mark of the Necromonger.
Question: What's the relative timeline of this movie? It's stated that it starts in the year 10,191 but there don't seem to be any other dates besides that.
Answer: The entire DUNE universe is much more complicated than any movie. For a relatively useful timeline, see www.smirnov.demon.co.uk/Arrakis/timeline.htm.
Question: One of the trivia entry's mentions something about Go-Bots, who are they?
Answer: Go-Bots were transforming-vehicle toys from around the same period, competition for (or rip-off of, depending on your opinion) the Transformers.
Question: How does Sammael get across the world? If whenever you kill Sammael, two shall arise, it would be impossible to kill them?
Answer: Not if you collect all the eggs and destroy them, as was done in the movie. That way no more Sammaels can hatch. As for transportation, the freaky bald dude probably took care of that.
Question: What if they were to destroy the Matrix, then all the humans would be free but the problem is where would billions of human beings go? Zion, the last city, can't hold them all and they can't live in the tunnels or above the earth's crust because there is no food or water there. The whole war doesn't seem to be well thought out and seems like a big plot hole on the Wachowskis part.
Answer: The inhabitants of Zion seem to have little problem with killing off dozens of 'real people' during their constant gunfights inside the Matrix. This suggests that they would be willing to sacrifice the bulk of humanity. Remember, it's supposed to be difficult for adults who spent their entire lives in the Matrix to survive being suddenly removed from it anyway.
Question: I know that Jennifer Beals is not exactly a big star right now, but I was still surprised to see her in such a tiny role...does anyone know if she originally had a bigger scene that was cut?
Answer: Jennifer Beals' role is a bit of a misdirection towards the viewer, a little like Janet Leigh in "Psycho". It misleads the viewer into beleiving she might be crucial to the plot.
Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo - S10-E23
Question: When the fish offers Bart 3 wishes, what is that a take off of?
Answer: Pretty much any fairy tale where somebody gets offered wishes by a genie or other similar character. It's always three wishes (and, nine times out of ten, the last one gets used to undo the damage caused by the first two).
Question: Are there any Easter Eggs on the normal (not extended) DVDs of any of the three films?
Answer: No. All of the easter eggs are on the extended edition of the films.
Question: What do the castle guards pour on Mongo's head that gives him the foamy hair style and eventually causes his arms to break off?
Answer: Steamed milk.
Question: What does Dragon turn into?
Answer: According to the filmmakers, Dragon turned into a talking Pegasus.
Question: Is the name Roger Bannister significant? Roger Bannister was the first man to run a four minute mile, is this a coincidence?
Answer: He was the first man to run a sub 4 minute mile,but there doesn't appear to be anything more than coincedence.
Question: What is the true origin of the Constructicons? "Heavy Metal War" claims they were built on Earth by Megatron, but "The Secret of Omega Supreme" shows them already on Cybertron before the war on Earth began. Is this a legitimate mistake or is there a reason behind it?
Answer: This was actually one of many errors in Transformers, the Constructicons MUST have been built on Cybertron, the only transformers genuinely built on earth were the dinobots, reason being Vector Sigma has to give personalities to each and every robot, else they end up like the dinobots, very simple and dumb. For reference watch the episode "The Key to Vector Sigma" which introduces the Stunticons and Arielbots - both Megatron and Optimus Prime have to go to Vector Sigma to get decent personality traits installed, prior to this the new robots are controlled by remote controllers and have no AI.
Question: I read somewhere that Dolph Lundgren, who was Grace Jones' boyfriend at the time, has a small part in the film, however I can't spot him. Can anyone tell me who he is?
Answer: He plays a KGB agent helping General Gogol. It's real "blink-and-you-miss-him" stuff.
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Chosen answer: Anderson is one of the producers of the show, so I guess right from the start he wanted the role of Jack. (I believe he was instrumental in making the show happen) Nor do I see Kurt Russell wanting to do a weekly TV show.
Kenneth Brown ★