Question: What's the building the UFO nuts are on top of; it looks very familiar to a building in Grand Theft Auto San Andreas.
Krista
4th Apr 2006
Independence Day (1996)
20th Mar 2006
Where The Heart Is (2000)
Question: Why was the poster of Queen Amidala (shown as Novalee runs out of Wal-Mart) supposed to be taken out of the movie?
Answer: Because Natalie Portman played Queen Amidala, and it would have detracted from the reality of "Where the Heart Is" to see the leading lady in costume for another of her films.
29th Dec 2005
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005)
Question: Did the pair of Levi's used in the movie actually fit all of the actresses, or did they all have their own pair? If it fit them all, did they have multiple pairs?
Answer: It seems nearly impossible that one pair of pants would actually fit four actresses of such different heights and weights. One of the "magic" properites of the pants was that they did manage to fit all the girls in the story, so it's probably safe to assume that different pairs were actually used for filming.
22nd Jul 2005
Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
Question: Why did Trisha's mom force her to go to the dance with Napoleon?
Answer: When Uncle Rico is selling stuff to Tricia's mom, he mentions how Napoleon has had a hard life. (I believe he talks about how Napoleon lost his parents or something to that extent, if I remember correctly.) Tricia's mom feels sorry for Napoleon, and makes Tricia go out with him.
No he tells her he still pee in his bed and gets bullied in school.
There was nothing said about bullying. But she did feel bad.
18th May 2005
Braveheart (1995)
Question: During Wallace's execution, he stares at a child in the crowd, who stares back and smiles. What does the child symbolise?
Answer: I think the child symbolizes purity. Overall, Wallace is a pure man in the sense that he's uncompromising and fights for his convictions without wavering. He's not tainted with compromise, politics, and other things that other men succomb to. By seeing the child, he's reminded that he has to stick to his pure ideals of freedom, and not crack under the strain of torture.
30th Apr 2005
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Question: I don't understand the ending bit. Why did Lupin and Sirius Black want to kill Harry, then when Pettigrew turned up they all became friends? It just doesn't make sense to me.
Answer: Neither Lupin nor Black ever wanted to kill Harry. Black was only at Hogwarts to get Pettigrew (in the form of Ron's rat), who he knew to be the real murderer. Lupin thought Black was evil and had killed Harry's parents until the truth came out that it was Pettigrew. Then he sided with Black, renewing their old friendship.
Answer: Lupin never believed Black was evil or killed Harry's parents. They've always maintained their friendship. When Professor Snape burst in, at the old house, he said, he told Dumbledorf that Lupin was hiding someone on the school grounds. They didn't know who killed Harry's parents until Pettigrew's name appeared on the map.
Yes, he did. Until he saw Pettigrew on the map, Remus was as sure of Sirius' guilt as anyone else was. He says as much in the book.
17th Apr 2005
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Question: When the Beast lets Belle go and she goes back home with her sick father, and "proves" to the village that there really is a Beast via the magic mirror, and Gaston and his posse invade the Beast's castle - How did the anthropomorphic objects and the Beast know that Belle didn't *send* Gaston to kill the Beast? I mean, we know Belle hates Gaston, but the objects and Beast don't know that. For all they know, Belle could have said to Gaston, "There's this beast, and he was keeping me in his castle, and he thinks I like him but I've been faking it."
Answer: I think the simplest answer is that they trust her. Belle showed what kind of a person she was when she volunteered to take her father's place as a prisoner, and also when she returned to the castle with the wounded Beast instead of running away. Plus, the Beast voluntarily released her, and he did treat her kindly most of the time. I think suspecting her of a hidden hatred that would result in sending people to attack the castle would be kind of a stretch.
31st Mar 2005
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Question: Why did they change the geography of Hogwarts (Hagrid's hut, Whomping Willow, etc.) if it would just annoy people?
Answer: They didn't do it with the assumption that it would annoy people; like anything, they knew some people would like it and others wouldn't. But that was one of the things they decided could be changed when Alfonso Cuaron took over as director. His vision was different from that of Chris Columbus, and it was now Cuaron's movie.
1st Apr 2005
Grease (1978)
Question: I can't understand why Sonny hauled Sandy off the dance floor during the dance finale. Sure Sonny was a bit of a jerk, but he idolized Danny and would never disrespect him. Also there was nothing to suggest that he and Cha-Cha were friends. I never truly understood.
Answer: Watched that scene again now and I just think it was poor writing (in what's still a classic film regardless). How none of the judges noticed that Cha Cha took another girl's (Sandy's) place even after she'd already been "tapped out" is another huge plot hole. Plus a lot of people in America were watching the dance on TV and it's not mentioned by anyone after this scene. 35 years later and that scene still bugs me (haha).
Answer: He's fall-down drunk, that's why. He's drinking during the entire dance.
Answer: Because in real life Olivia was late for work, as a result Annette had to take Olivia's place because she was her understudy.
Answer: He is so upset about Marty liking Ed Byrnes, he just drinks all night.
Answer: I think it was because Sonny was drunk and wanted Sandy to talk to Marty for him since she dumped him for Vince Fontaine at the beginning of the dance.
Answer: It's a terrible moment in the story because it exposes Danny as being thoughtless. After already burning Sandy once (at the pep rally) you'd think he'd be mindful of not doing it again. This time, though, he humiliates her in front of the entire school, as well as on television. Unsure how Sandy's sitting with him in the next scene at the drive-in only slightly miffed. Imagine how this plays as a story to their children: "Hey, kids, did I ever tell you about how your dad embarrassed me in front of everybody?" I guess it's meant to be partly motivation for Sandy to change her image and outlook in order to keep Danny, but it's a terrible message (even back then). She's nothing but thoughtful and considerate, and Danny repeatedly treats her badly, but she decides she needs to reinvent herself. (Danny's makeover doesn't count given it lasts about three minutes.) It would've been better had Danny and Sandy came second because of Sandy's dancing, and that could've played on her mind.
Answer: Well my theory is maybe since Sonny wants a girl, Cha-Cha promised him a date with a girl if he agreed to her plan.
5th Feb 2005
Shallow Hal (2001)
Question: Who are all the people dancing around in the credits?
Answer: The crew. As the names come up those people are shown. Just a guess, but I think they were going along with the theme that there's more to people than what you see at first. With most people on film crews you only ever see their names on screen (if you haven't left the theater already!) So this took the extra step of showing that they're real people.
22nd Jan 2005
Back to the Future Part II (1989)
Question: Why was old Biff seemingly in agony when he returned to 2015 after stealing the almanac? Did this have to do with this not being his future anymore?
Answer: There is a cut scene of old Biff disappearing after returning the DeLorean.
Answer: I saw a behind-the-scenes special about this, and it said the intention was that after giving the book to himself (thereby changing his future) something then happened to Biff after 1985 but before 2015- possibly being killed by Lorraine while they were married. This is why, after changing his past, Biff shouldn't exist in 2015. This incident was never scripted or shot, but that was the idea. Something similar happened to Marty in the first movie. As he faded from existence, he became sick and weak.
17th Jan 2005
General questions
In film production, there are different levels of producers from "producer" "co-producer," "executive producer," and even "executive co-producer." What is a producer, and what separates the different levels?
Chosen answer: A producer is the person responsible for acquiring money to make a film. They talk to investors and deal with the studios for big films, or sometimes have invested their own money on smaller films. They are basically the business end of filmmaking, while the director and on-set crew are the creative side. The executive producer is head producer; the buck stops with him. Other producers work under him just like in any company, and there are various "co-producers" or "associate producers" that sometimes have little or nothing to do with the film itself. Sometimes it's someone who just writes a check or gives money to the production. IIRC, in the film "State and Main" they offered the mayor of the town they were shooting in an Associate Producer credit if he allowed the town hall to stay open late for them, or something to that extent. So someone credited as a "producer" can be a huge part of the production, or essentially have nothing at all to do with it.
6th Jan 2005
Twister (1996)
Question: When Jo and Bill seek shelter in a barn and see a lot of sharp objects, Jo asks, 'Who are this people?' and Bill replies, 'I don't think so!' Is there supposed to be some meaning to this?
Answer: No double meanings. Jo just sees the lethal-looking farm equipment (which is ordinary equipment that many farmers have) and in her panicked state wonders who would have such dangerous things in their barn, as though they were serial killers or something. Bill's "I don't think so!" just means they're not hiding in the barn where they could get impaled or decapitated at any second.
6th Jan 2005
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
Question: I read in the trivia section that Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy) had his pockets sewn shut to prevent him from taking food on the set. Why couldn't he take food on the set?
Answer: There's the danger of getting food on your wardrobe, spilling or getting crumbs on the set and props, and of course getting food in your teeth, all of which take time to remedy before filming can begin. Film sets always have food set up nearby, but it's for breaks between setups. No one wants to deal with food between takes, when the camera is about to roll.
6th Jan 2005
Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
Question: What was Napoleon putting in his mouth in the restroom during the dance? It looks a chewing tobacco pouch that he takes it from, but since he swallows it seconds later, this seems implausible.
Answer: On the DVD commentary, they say it's Big League Chew, that shredded bubble gum that comes in a pouch.
2nd Jan 2005
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Question: Is Merry in love with Éowyn? In the Extended Edition, the first scene with Merry and Éowyn on Disc 2, the things he says and how embarassed he seems to get, make it seem that way.
Answer: I think it's more that he's embarassed to be speaking so frankly and personally with a royal lady than anything else.
14th Dec 2004
The Incredibles (2004)
Question: Why is Violet's hair black when her parents have brown and blond hair? None of them obviously dyed their hair, Dash and Jack Jack have blond and brown hair respectively.
Answer: Violet could dye her hair; I don't think it ever said she didn't. Come to think of it, either one or both of the parents could conceivably dye their hair, too.
Answer: Would Violet be able to turn her hair invisible if it's dyed?
That would depend on the nature of her ability. If she is generating a skin-tight field of invisibility around herself (including her hair), then yes, that would effectively cause her hair dye to become invisible. If she is somehow only changing her own molecules to be invisible, then no. However, if this were the case, her hair wouldn't become invisible either, since it's dead material.
I'm in love with this question. This would mean that one of the parents has to dye his/her hair, Helen probably. Or, Helen cheated on Bob (probably with Gazerbeam).
My guess is that Violet's powers work like those of the Invisible Girl/Woman of the Fantastic Four by bending light in her immediate vicinity in such a manner that she appears invisible to the naked eye; this would explain why her clothing becomes invisible as well despite not being part of her body. If this is the case, then there's no reason her hair wouldn't turn invisible as well, dyed or otherwise.
Answer: Judging by the slight blue tint of Violet's hair, it's probable that she dyed it.
14th Dec 2004
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)
Question: Is the portrayal of the historical figures and their respective surroundings accurate in any way?
Answer: Yes and no. The basic premises are all right; the years are accurate, and maybe the costumes. Napoleon was at war in 1805, and Joan of Arc was undoubtedly in church at some time during 1429, etc. But everything with the mysterious King Henry and his two teenage daughters in the middle ages is completely fabricated. Although there were four King Henrys during that century, none of them fit the age or family situation seen in the film.
Answer: Not entirely, especially Beethoven. He was supposed to be in the early stages of his deafness, and he showed no signs of resentment towards Napoleon, whom he once admired, until he crowned himself Emperor of France. This caused Beethoven to despise him and rename his Third Symphony to Eroica, which was originally titled "Bonaparte Symphony" when he admired Napoleon.
25th Oct 2004
The Village (2004)
Question: Why was everyone standing up in the last scene of the movie? Did not make too much sense to me, but it was very apparent so it must have been some intentional directional move.
Answer: One of the elders asks if they all want to continue the village the way it is by telling the younger members that Noah was killed by the creatures in the woods and keeping the truth about the village from them. Standing up was the other elders' way of saying "yes."
18th Oct 2004
Jurassic Park (1993)
Question: Someone said Tim and Lex were altered so that they played equal roles. So Lex got age and computer skills and kept sport interest, and Tim got belief in qualities he did not possess. Plus, in the second movie, the boy kid was ruled out, even though he saved them many times in the book. Where is the equality?
Answer: In the book, Tim had the dinosaur knowledge and the computer skills, whereas Lex had nothing. Since she was the rather useless scardey-cat in the movie, they gave her the computer skills so she could help out at the end. In the second movie, both kids were ruled out; they essentially just had cameos.
You missed what he was saying. There is a boy in the second book who is kinda like Rain-Man and saves everyone's hide on multiple occasions. Just like how Dodson was supposed to be the one trying to get the dinos off the island, not more Ingen people.
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Answer: Now it's the US Bank tower, the tallest structure in downtown Los Angeles, although at the time of filming I believe it belonged to IBM.
Krista