Question: I wanted to ask that, when James had bitten Bella, then the venom/poison was left in Bella's arm and Edward had to suck it out later, but why didn't Edward leave the venom in Bella's arm? They both (James and Edward) sucked Bella's blood and James left venom, but Edward did not. How is that possible?
raywest
4th Jan 2009
Twilight (2008)
10th Oct 2023
A Perfect Murder (1998)
Question: How would killing Emily have helped Steven right away? He needed money quickly, and her hundreds of millions were in a trust fund. Could he even receive all the money right after she died?
Answer: He wouldn't be able to access it immediately, but if his creditors knew he was inheriting a large fortune, they'd likely be willing to work out a deal. Also, as Steven said, he would just go onto to something else to make more money.
Another thing, there was probably a life insurance policy on Emily.
10th Oct 2023
A Perfect Murder (1998)
Question: Near the beginning of the movie, why does Steven call the museum event an "inbred" soiree?
Answer: The way I always thought that it was Steven's way of putting David at ease, by making a joke.
I was curious about the meaning/definition of his wording, though. What did he mean by calling the event an "inbred soiree"?
This was Steven's way of being incredibly rude and offensive whilst knowing that he'd be sure to get away with it. Likely, he didn't much care for the attendees and he wasn't being shy about expressing this.
9th Oct 2023
The Martian (2015)
Question: After 400 days, the stranded astronaut's original, on-board, food ran out. After that, he lived on just potatoes for two or three more years (or something like that). He says, himself, "I have to grow three years' worth of food." The only food he grew was potatoes. Starch only - no lipids and no protein. For two or three years, to live on just potatoes? Is that even physically possible?
Answer: I've seen the movie a few times, but did some additional Internet research. Watney was spreading out his 400 days of rations with the potatoes. I seem to recall him opening a small packet of a powdery substance and putting it on his food. Presumably it was vitamins, minerals, or other supplements. Of course, he was still severely malnourished when rescued.
9th Oct 2023
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
Question: For the memories that show young Lily, why did the filmmakers not use an actress with the same eye color as Harry, nor edit the eye color afterward? Multiple people note that his eyes are like his mother's.
Answer: In the movie, it was never mentioned that Lily and Harry had the same eye colour. It was instead implied that Harry's eyes had a similar shape and look to Lily's. Ultimately, it's more important to cast an actor who best suits the part, rather than matching the eye colour.
Also, they tried using green contacts, but Daniel was allergic to them.
2nd Oct 2023
House, M.D. (2004)
Question: Why can't House be a doctor again after faking his death? I always assumed you can't be a doctor with a criminal record. And maybe you can't in real life, I'm not entirely sure. But in the House universe, it seems like you can, because House and Thirteen were still doctors after going to prison. So after Wilson dies, why can't House just go back to jail and then be a doctor again?
13th Nov 2018
General questions
I remember seeing a movie on Hallmark that had three brothers, a little girl and a lighthouse. I can't remember the title.
Answer: Possibly "Three Wise Men and a Baby" (not the 1987 film "Three Men and a Baby") but more likely, "Christmas With Holly." Both are Hallmark movies. The latter involves three adult brothers caring for their deceased sister's young daughter. It is set in Friday Harbor on San Juan Island in Washington state. San Juan Island has two lighthouses. (The movie was actually filmed in Nova Scotia.)
29th Sep 2023
Moonstruck (1987)
Question: When Grandpa is walking his dogs, you can hear a boy say, "Keep your dogs off my lawn," then laughs. You hear his laugh again in the beauty salon. What was that about?
Answer: The laugh does seem out of place because it sounds more like kids than the ladies at the salon. But it didn't sound like the same laugh to me. But it does sound like the same person recorded both laughs. It also seems like the kid's line was added after filming the shot. So it wouldn't surprise me if an adult (perhaps one of the production sound mixers) recorded a couple different lines and laughs in a pretend kid's voice. Then one of those laughs was added.
Answer: I tried to find a clip of these scenes but didn't find exactly what you're referring to. If it was the exact same laugh that was heard, it may be a sound effect added to the film during the post-production editing. Foley artists add all types of sound effects to movies, including laughs, groans, coughs, etc. Sometimes one particular sound gets used more than once. One famous example of a repeated sound is the "Wilhelm" scream. This particular scream has become a tradition that many editors add to movies.
19th May 2023
General questions
Are there any TV series that were cancelled before a complete first season was even aired? I am mostly curious about sitcoms and dramas/thrillers, not reality shows.
Answer: Honestly, there have been numerous TV shows cancelled before a complete first season was aired. Another great example is cult-favorite sci-fi series "Firefly," which was cancelled before the 14 produced episodes finished airing. "Emily's Reasons Why Not" is another good example. It's a romantic comedy series that was cancelled after only one of the six produced episodes aired. (The remaining five episodes never aired on TV, but were quietly released on a DVD set.) "Viva Laughlin," a musical comedy-drama series produced by Hugh Jackman was cancelled after only two episodes, and none of the remaining episodes have aired or been given a DVD release. "Mockingbird Lane," a re-imagining of "The Munsters," was cancelled after it's pilot was aired as a TV-special, so the remainder of the first season was never produced. There's honestly probably hundreds of shows that were cancelled before a complete first season was aired.
I was wondering if there are contracts that require the entire first season to be shown, before a network can decide not to show another season. I guess not, based on the answers here.
Shows being pulled mid-season isn't indicative of what other shows' contracts consist of. Some shows may have had it in their contracts that the entire season be aired (there are shows that get pulled mid-season beyond season 1). I don't have personal knowledge because that would be a lot of contracts to read to find out. So maybe someone does. But there's plenty of shows that don't produce an entire season prior to being picked up, so it's possible all the episodes produced were aired.
Answer: So, so many. Drive comes to mind - Nathan Fillion thriller about an illegal road race, only had a few episodes before being pulled off air. "Selfie" (2014) with Karen Gillan and John Cho was cancelled by ABC after only 7 episodes. "Do No Harm" (2013) cancelled after 2 episodes. The Dictator (2012) starring Christopher Lloyd only had one episode.
Answer: One of the shortest TV shows ever was the 1997 series "Lawless," starring former NFL player Brian Bosworth. It was cancelled after the first episode. Also, "Cop Rock," a TV show in the 90s, was cancelled after only 11 episodes. "When The Whistle Blows," a TV sitcom in the 80s, also only lasted 11 episodes.
Answer: There was a police drama roughly 10 years ago called Golden Boy. It was about the youngest police Commissioner in NYPD history and kept hinting at a department-wide shootout that led to the man's promotion. It lasted 13 episodes.
Answer: Another show was called "Brimstone" and had actors Peter Horton and John Glover. The show only had 13 episodes.
The 1963 ABC "The Jerry Lewis Show" was originally planned for 40 episodes in the first season. It went off after 13 shows.
Answer: Outlaws 1986, was cancelled after a few episodes. Sitcom In Case of Emergency, with Kelly Hu, was cancelled after only a couple of episodes.
29th Sep 2023
Sesame Street (1969)
Question: Why are so many episodes and segments on Sesame Street lost?
Answer: Over 4500 episodes of Sesame Street have been produced since its debut in 1969. Some of the earliest episodes have been lost for a variety of reasons, such as copies being misplaced or from some type of physical damage, though the amount is relatively small. Some segments were recycled into new episodes, while others were archived and are no longer available. HBO airs later Sesame Street episodes, though they recently decreased the number now shown by over 200. They needed to reduce the amount to free up space for other streaming programs.
9th Jan 2023
General questions
Are there any notable examples of a TV character being written out/killed off because viewers hated them?
Answer: Roseanne Barr was killed off from the second version of "Roseanne" when she became too controversial.
Answer: Nicolette Sheridan, who portrayed Edie Britt in the TV series Desperate Housewives was considered a diva and didn't get along with the shows creator Marc Cherry. Her character was killed off when she swerved to avoid hitting Orson. Unaware that there was water under the car and that a powerline had snapped, Edie gets out of the car, is electrocuted and killed.
Answer: During the season 4 run of "Moonlighting," Cybil Shepherd was pregnant in real life, so it was written into the show. During her paternity leave, her character, Maddie, was having mixed emotions about the baby and her relationship with David. She goes home to do some soul searching. She's still unsure, when on the train ride back to L.A, she meets a man. Walter Bishop, actor turned director Dennis Dugan, on impulse she marries him. Viewers thought this was the dumbest mistake, since the "Dallas" it was all a dream season. Everyone waited with baited breath on how they were going to fix this. Finally the character, Walter, realised the whole thing was a mistake and got an annulment. He says goodbye to everyone and as he walks out the office door, he turns toward the camera and says, "Are you happy now."
Answer: I would include Jennifer Love Hewitt, who replaced Jeanne Tripplehorn in "Criminal Minds" after season 9. Love Hewitt wasn't well received by viewers. The official reason given for Love Hewitt's departure after one season was that she was pregnant. Despite the show's claim that viewers had "warmed" to her character, she was permanently written out.
Answer: I think the character Seven was written out of "Married with Children" because viewers disliked him so much. He was an example of "Cousin Oliver Syndrome" - an annoying younger child character who is added to a show after a few seasons. He basically disappears. The neighbors mention that he is staying at their house, but eventually, he is never mentioned again.
26th Sep 2023
Live Free or Die Hard (2007)
Question: Why did the bad guys go to 'Plan B' about 15 seconds after arming Matt's computer? He could've been sitting on the toilet for all they knew, so why such a short amount of time?
22nd May 2023
General questions
Why do a lot of modern movies/shows include jokes and "quirky" comments in otherwise serious, intense scenes? I am not a Marvel fan but I've heard that this is a common complaint. Is there some reason why creators don't think viewers can sit through a completely sad, scary, or angry scene anymore?
Answer: In the case of Marvel movies, they are directed at a very wide audience. Most ages, both sexes. It is meant for people who enjoy action, sci-fi, comedy and adventure, all of them. These movies are not meant to be heavy, emotional, scary. They are meant for fun for the entire family. If a movie is specifically made as a horror movie for example, jokes and quirky comments are misplaced of course, since it would spoil the horror people are expecting. But in the case of Marvel, they want everyone to enjoy it.
Answer: This is a literary device known as "comic relief." Even in the most intense, dramatic movies, TV shows, or books, the author or screenwriters will inject moments of well-timed humor to give the audience a brief respite from the ongoing suspense. It is difficult to maintain non-stop tension throughout an entire story. By giving a few moments of humor or lightheartedness, the suspense can momentarily be relieved, then rebuilds to carry it through to the climax. It has, IMHO, become an overly-used trope in today's mainstream movies.
6th May 2023
General questions
When movies or TV shows are filmed on location, how do they manage to film a scene without interference from the local public?
Answer: They will typically have areas closed off. If it is filmed in an area with heavy pedestrian traffic, there will be notices displayed that anyone in the area could end up on camera and is giving consent to be filmed by being in the area. The film crew will have security measures in place to prevent people from disrupting the production.
Your description is accurate, though I once wandered into a scene of the TV show, "Northern Exposure," that was filming in Seattle. I didn't realise I was in the shot. The film crew didn't notice me. When the director yelled, "Action", I just walked away. I've also driven by several movies filming on the street with traffic passing through, such as "Sleepless in Seattle." I drove by Meg Ryan who was in a car. Tom Hanks was on the beach. Was commuting to work as "Fifty Shades Freed" filmed a car chase on the now-gone Alaskan Way Viaduct. Traffic was temporarily stopped during filming.
Answer: Some big budget shows like the Law and Order franchise have recorded outside scenes with green screens to block out the public but keep natural lighting, building exteriors, sidewalks etc. They add a nondescript city background later.
11th Jul 2023
General questions
It seems to me that older shows, for the most part, had more "stand-alone" episodes: you could easily watch them if you missed the previous episode or two. If I am correct, this is why characters often had new love interests for just one episode. Nowadays, a show is often called a "series" and all episodes must be watched, even a "Previously on..." recap doesn't cover everything. Any thoughts on why this is?
Answer: Well, in the old days, people couldn't really watch whenever they wanted or even record what they wanted to see. So trying to follow a continuing show was a lot harder. That's why there were way more shows where every episode was standalone, as you didn't have to bother watching every single one to be able to follow it. You could skip a few without a problem. These days, watching all episodes is a lot easier because of recording and digital releases. You can watch whenever you want, in the right order.
Answer: There's a lot of factors that go into this. I think the biggest one is that seasons in general have gotten shorter, meaning there is less room for stand-alone episodes. It used to be the norm for shows to have 20+ episodes per season, whereas now, seasons with 13 or fewer episodes are more common. (This is for many reasons, including higher production costs, viewership fluctuations, streaming making shorter seasons more in vogue, etc.) And as a result, many shows now just basically feel like one big movie that's split up into chapters/episodes since there's less time for side-stories or stand-alone episodes. There's good and bad to this. On one hand, it means shows need to be more efficient and concise, and there's likely to be fewer dull moments. But on the other hand, it also means that there's slightly less time for side-characters, sub-plots, world-building, etc. So it's a double-edged sword. Also, "show" and "series" have always been used interchangeably. That's nothing new.
I don't remember what year it was, but if I understand correctly, one of the results of one of the writers' strikes a while back was reduced episodes to make a complete season or a half season (with some exceptions, like daily shows).
Yeah, from what I recall, during the 2007 writers' strike, a lot of seasons had to be produced with fewer episodes due to lost time from the several months the strike lasted. And that did help set a certain precedent that many shows could be successful with fewer episodes per season. Although, I think it wasn't really until about five years later that you started to see shorter seasons becoming more widespread.
Answer: I also think another point is, there's just so many more shows being produced today, so we see more examples of these types of series shows. And, if more shows are being produced, there's more competition to get viewers to watch live (as opposed to recording to a DVR or streaming). Companies that buy ad time during a show know if viewers are recording, they can skip their ads (which is why we see more countermeasures to this).
Answer: Adding to the other answers: In TV's earliest days (from the 1950s), shows had more episodes per season, over 30. During the summer hiatus, fewer reruns were shown until the new Fall season. That resulted in self-contained episodes and one-time characters or situations that were rarely mentioned again. Episodes could be shown in any order, without losing continuity. The half-hour sitcoms were like extended skits. Many early TV shows were written by radio-era writers when maintaining a consistent, non-visual storyline was more challenging. It was just a different way of doing things. As TV evolved, plots became extended throughout a season with fewer episodes. Keeping viewers involved and guessing what happens in the next episode helps ratings.
26th Sep 2023
Cliffhanger (1993)
25th Oct 2018
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
Question: After finishing the game, did Spencer, Fridge, Bethany, and Martha still have detention or did changing the timeline prevent them from their punishment?
Answer: They still had detention. The only thing that changed was Alex. But since they had become such close friends, detention would hardly be a punishment for them anymore.
It seemed like they just simply walked out of detention. I mean, did they finish their detention or did they have to continue on a Saturday?
The movie doesn't explain. But regardless, it also really doesn't matter.
They probably didn't go back on Saturday. When they go back to school, Spencer acts like he hasn't spoken to Martha since their adventure, while Bethany says she's been texting Martha 'all weekend'.
22nd Sep 2023
Casper (1995)
Question: What kind of hairstyle is Fatso wearing when he pretends to be Amelia?
Answer: The style looks similar to an updo with the Rockabilly Curl or Victory Roll at the top.
It doesn't look like any pompadour I've seen.
19th Sep 2023
The Little Mermaid (2023)
Question: In this version, when Ariel becomes human, she loses her bra. What happened to it? Did it just come off?
Answer: Her long hair covered her up.
There are a couple of shots after her transformation where you can tell she's no longer wearing her bra. However, I rewatched her transformation scene, and her bra is never seen coming off. It's just gone.
19th Sep 2023
Twilight (2008)
Question: When Bella discovers Edward has snuck into her room and reveals he's been watching her, Bella has no pants on - just a shirt and underwear. Wouldn't Bella be upset about being seen in her underwear? She doesn't try to cover herself.
Answer: Apparently she wasn't bothered by it. One thing I find so amusing about our culture: If a woman is wearing a bikini at the beach, no-one thinks anything of it. But a bit of underwear showing raises eyebrows.
As a woman, one slight difference is that I would intend for people to see me in a bikini. Underwear can be more "ugly." I wouldn't want most people to see me in an old bra with polka-dot panties that don't match. But I understand your point - it's still sort of funny.
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Answer: Edward wants Bella to remain human and experience life from the human point of view. As for them sucking her blood... James actually bit Bella, thus causing venom to enter to blood stream. Edward did not bite Bella; he simply sucked on the open wound to remove the venom from Bella's system.