Question: I know it's never answered in the film but is it explained in the book just why the truck driver takes such a dislike to David Mann - he behaves this way after just a couple of overtakes?
raywest
28th May 2017
Duel (1971)
28th May 2017
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
Question: Why was Quidditch taken out of this movie entirely since it plays an important enough role in the book?
Chosen answer: It wasn't important enough to include it in the film. As the series overall plot line became darker and increasingly complex, adding the Quidditch scenes would only lengthen the movie's overall running time, it is repetitive, and would slow the action. Film makers can not include every detail from a book into a movie script. Characters, plot points, themes, are entirely eliminated, reordered, or incorporated in other ways.
24th May 2017
Jaws (1975)
Question: Here's a question that's never been answered. After Captain Quint addresses the Amity city council, he bids them good day and leaves, and a dog and a little guy wearing a cap obediently follow Quint down the hall. For a split-second, we also see this little guy's cap pass before the camera inside Quint's dock-front quarters. Who was this little guy, Quint's first mate? We don't know, because that little guy is never seen again after the dock quarters scene.
Answer: I believe you see the same person helping prepare the Orca before it starts setting out. He has Quint's M1 slung over his shoulder.
Chosen answer: The man is never identified. It is never stated in the movie that he is Quint's first mate or that he works for him. He could be or may just casually know Quint, and is probably also a local fisherman.
He is Quint's deckhand/first mate. The fellow who was cast was not an actor, just a local character, whose dog followed him everywhere (Spielberg got a kick out of him and cast him). This was clarified in a scene where he quits rather than go on the boat after Jaws, which was cut out of the film but can be found on YouTube.
Question: The scene where Will and Elizabeth are sitting together tending to Elizabeth's cut (after the scene where Will has rescued Elizabeth from Barbossa and the pirates in relation to the Aztec Gold). I don't really understand what's going on with the scene where they are alone below deck, they seem to have a moment where they're about to kiss and they randomly stop and she pulls his hand to the medallion on her necklace. I know that scene's quite cute but I just don't understand it properly. Can anyone explain?
Answer: Elizabeth is a high-born lady while Will is a lowly commoner. Elizabeth is conflicted over her feelings for Will while she is technically engaged to Commodore Norrington, who is considered a far more suitable match than Will. In this time, people were expected to marry within their own social class.
23rd May 2017
Alien: Covenant (2017)
Question: During the movie we learned that David felt some passion for Elizabeth for being kind to him before. So why use her body for his experiments after her death? Surely not to learn about human anatomy, which should be known to him already.
Answer: Regardless of his android passions, David was already experimenting with the bio-goo, and he deliberately used it to impregnate Dr. Elizabeth Shaw with a proto-face-hugger in "Prometheus." In "Covenant," we learn that David later killed Shaw and is experimenting with her body because her body tissues contain human-alien antibodies that are essential to David's work (which is creating a new generation of xenomorphs).
22nd May 2017
The Karate Kid (2010)
Question: Why does Meyeing seem to only wear blue fluffy socks?
22nd May 2017
Brave (2012)
Question: When Merida runs out of the castle, was she crying because of Elinor burning her prized bow, or that Elinor "was never there for her?" Also, Merida is shown with another bow later on. If it's the same bow that was burned, how was the bowstring fixed?
Answer: Merida was upset and crying over everything her mother had done. Also, that was the same bow. Bowstrings are commonly breakable and can be easily replaced. Merida may have had an extra stashed away or knew where to get one.
Also if you look carefully the bow has a circle on either side of the bow which looks like extra bowstring even then she probably has a stash somewhere.
19th May 2017
The Godfather (1972)
Question: Why was Sonny the only one dealing with Carlo's abuse to Connie? Michael and Fredo never intervened, and I'm pretty sure that Vito and his wife must've known as well.
Answer: This is better explained in the book. Vito knew Carlo was abusive, but he had very old-fashioned and outdated morals and ideas, including non-interference in another's marriage. In that era and culture, spousal violence was often more tolerated. Vito worried that his intervention would make Carlo fearful and unable to perform his "husbandly duties," driving an even deeper wedge between the couple. Vito expressly forbid his sons or anyone from interfering. However, Vito was having Carlo secretly watched. Unfortunately, the family's seeming non-action only emboldened Carlo to become even more physically abusive, unaware of Sonny's seething wrath. Sonny finally lost control and, disobeying his father, beat his brother-in-law. Carlo never harmed Connie again until the plot to murder Sonny.
19th May 2017
The Godfather (1972)
Question: Why did Barzini rip the picture that was taken of him? Sure he's one of the heads of the 5 families which I guess you can say brings a lot of heat to his family, but all he's doing is attending Connie's wedding.
Answer: Barzini does not want anything publicly known about his private affairs, regardless of how innocuous or mundane. If photographers can get away with taking pictures of a mafia don at a wedding, then they'll photograph him and other key mob figures in all type of situations, some more compromising than others. Barzini is warning the press to stay away or risk retaliation. Continuing to take unwanted photos could result in a photographer getting killed.
19th May 2017
9 (2009)
Question: Although 9 was upset about 1 sending 2 out to die, why did he prevent 7 from killing 1?
Answer: He doesn't want anyone else to die. One is the part of the scientist that wished that he had never built the machine. The only problem with one is that he wants to run away from his problems while nine wants to fix them. No parts of the scientist's soul hate each other. They are all trying to work together.
3rd May 2016
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
Question: I know that I've seen a clip of Narcissa telling Voldemort that he will always be welcome at the Malfoy's house (she does not say this in the book). Is there an extended version of the scene somewhere?
Answer: I have not seen this scene in any version of HP and the Death Hallows 1. Movies often film more scenes than what end up in the final version. If they are seen, it is usually in the DVD "Extras" of deleted scenes, in movie trailers shown in theaters, are posted online, or are added to extended versions of the movie. I suspect this particular scene was shown in a theatrical trailer.
30th Mar 2017
Cast Away (2000)
Question: When Kelly shows Chuck the map on the dining room table she shows him where he was rescued by the ship and where "his island" was located. How was it determined exactly where the island was?
Answer: The dining room map scene conveys a more important message than the location of the island. Kelly had dedicated the entire dining room to charting all activity and information related to Chuck's possible location. Think about it. She has a husband. She has a family. Yet a main room in their house is dedicated to tracking Chuck. Then look at Chuck's expression when he comes to realise this fact. He is amazed and taken back a bit while Kelly acts like it's perfectly normal. Clearly Kelly is still in love with Chuck.
There is nothing in the room that implies that she had dedicated a room in their house to Chuck's disappearance for the entire time. More likely, once he disappeared, she did whatever she could to try and find him. After the search was called off and they had a funeral, she probably packed away these items, only taking them out when new information was learned. once he was found, she probably took it all out again, anticipating he would eventually go there, or she just wanted to label on the map where he was and figure out how close they were to finding him. Ultimately, I would think a husband that has a wife that is SO obsessed with finding her ex-boyfriend for multiple years, to the point of constantly needing the search materials on a table out and visible to all - he would be insane to put up with that. At first, sure...but no way he is putting up with it for that long, taking up the only dining room table they have.
Chosen answer: The island's location could be determined by compiling pieces of information, including the dates and locations of where the plane crashed into the ocean, when and where the cargo ship found Chuck, and how long he was adrift to and from the island. Chuck, an experienced sailor, was obsessed with tracking time. He knew when he left the island because he had created an analemma, a type of calendar that charts star movement throughout the year, seen on the cave wall. Wind factors, weather conditions, and ocean currents would also be on record for those times and locations, and, depending on how long Chuck drifted on open water, his course could later be calculated by computer modeling and the island's (or its approximate) coordinates determined.
Also, I am sure that he was either shown, by FedEx or the freighter, a map of where the ship found him on the raft. After living on the island for so long; mapping it and trying to find any way to escape, he probably would be able to easily identify the island, especially after being shown a map with tide charts.
26th May 2014
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
Question: When Hagrid says that he went to Knockturn Alley for flesh-eating slug repellent (after Harry asks why he was there), he seems to hesitate first. Is he lying?
Answer: He was being evasive rather than lying. Hagrid was there to legitimately buy the flesh-eating slug repellent, and he was alarmed to find Harry in such a dodgy place, but he was not above engaging in "under-the-table," business transactions, particularly when dealing with magical creatures. He'd previously come into possession of a dragon's egg, resulting in a hatchling that was illegal to own. Hagrid was also seen quickly covering up another one of his creatures (in Prisoner of Azkaban) when Dumbledore and Fudge arrived at his hut. It wasn't illegal to be in Knockturn Alley, but judging by Hagrid's reaction, he'd probably conducted some unknown business that he didn't want Harry or anyone else to know about.
11th May 2017
Horrible Bosses (2011)
Question: Harkin didn't even eat the peanut butter. If so, why'd he get an attack?
Answer: Severe reactions can be real, hence you see on some food packaging that the food was made in the same kitchen where they might have prepared nuts in their cooking.
12th Mar 2015
Monk (2002)
Question: Why aren't there any more Monk reruns on TV after the 5 day marathon last Dec? I can't find a show anywhere.
Answer: There are so many TV shows in syndication now, that not all old series can be regularly shown. It also depends on ratings. A TV channel will not continue running a show if it does not garner enough viewers for them to charge higher prices for advertising time. Often channels show different series in cycles, so it may well be that Monk will be on again in the future.
The entire series is available on Amazon Video. That's where I discovered it and am now a major fan.
I am on season 6 started from 1st on Apple.
Monk is currently airing weekday afternoons on Cozi TV.
Answer: It's on Heroes and Icons channel every day at 3 and 4.
Answer: It is available to stream on Peacock now.
Answer: You can watch it on the air channel Heroes and Icons, H&I. It's on Thursdays 10:00 am to 7:00 pm.
3rd May 2017
Flightplan (2005)
Question: Why did Kyle want to sit in the courtyard with her husband at the beginning? She looked quite serious. What is the significance?
Chosen answer: He's not really there. On the plane, she tells the psychologist that she saw him, but that was her mind coping with his death. She imagines him helping her onto the train, walking home with her, sitting in the courtyard, but you can see there's only 1 set of footprints.
Answer: There's no explanation, but there seems to be some sort of tension or discord going on between them that may be putting some strain on their marriage. They may have wanted a more private place to discuss something where they knew their daughter could not overhear. They also acted this way when they're in the subway station, communicating that all is not right between them.
11th May 2017
General questions
Why don't the new Star Wars and Marvel films feature a Disney logo at the beginning? Not saying it has to be the traditional Cinderella castle one. Just something mentioning that it is Disney owned.
Answer: Even though Disney is the parent company, Marvel is a separate studio. It may also be partly for public relations purposes that they choose not to include the Disney logo. If their logo is attached to a Star Wars or Marvel project, people might be confused about its content, expecting a certain type of movie that is different from what it actually is. This is similar to Disney's "Touchstone" films, which have more mature themes and content. Similarly Columbia Studios is owned by Sony, but there's no Sony logo before their movies. Several of the Disney-owned Marvel superhero films have Disney branding included in the scripts. In the Iron Man and Avenger sequels, the Ant-Man film, and in Dr. Strange, for examples, you will notice allusions to Disney standard songs inserted into the storylines: "There Are No Strings On Me," "When You Wish Upon a Star," and "It's a Small World, After All," as well as other Disney easter eggs, have popped up in Marvel films.
11th Jan 2015
Friends (1994)
3rd May 2017
Flightplan (2005)
Question: At the very beginning of the movie, Kyle sits on the bench alone in the empty subway station. She looks very shocked or frightened. Why is that? Because at that time, her husband David is not dead. He walks up to Kyle and they get on the yellow subway train home.
Answer: I believe he isn't really there. She's on her own on the way to the morgue but she's too scared to do it; that's why she's upset and why she takes long time to get on the train but he appears in her head to give her the courage to get up and get on the train to the morgue. It's done to set the scene.
Answer: He's not really there. On the plane, she tells the psychologist that she saw him, but that was her mind coping with his death. She imagines him helping her onto the train, walking home with her, sitting in the courtyard, but you can see there's only 1 set of footprints.
11th May 2017
Where Eagles Dare (1968)
Question: Mary's attire looks more like 1960s than 1940s. Any info on this?
Chosen answer: This is not unusual in older films. Earlier costume designers were less attentive to historical accuracy and freely incorporated current fashion trends into period movies. It was just an accepted practice and movie audiences back then were often less discerning and/or unaware of inaccuracies. Today's costumers have greater access to historical information, do more research, and strive for authenticity.
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Chosen answer: That is never answered for the film, and not knowing adds to the mystery and intrigue. No mentally stable person would target someone just because they overtook their vehicle on the road. It appears that Mann happened to cross paths with a psychopath. Steven Spielberg has commented that the multiple out-of-state license plates attached to the truck's front bumper may be "trophies" that indicate that the trucker is a serial killer who has run down other drivers. This could be a deadly game to the truck driver.
raywest ★
I just wonder why the driver's door on the big rig was open while it took a dive over the mountain.
Perhaps a hint that the truck driver escaped. You notice that the truck doesn't explode on impact, although the studio insisted it must; Spielberg fought the studio over the inclusion of a cliched fiery finale, as he wanted the crash to convey an ambiguous ending, suggesting that the driver might not have died. Spielberg even explained that the red liquid seen in the truck cab was not blood, but was some sort of automotive fluid. This all lent to the mystery of what actually happened to the driver, whose body we never see.
Charles Austin Miller
The stuntman driving the truck had to jump out of the truck right before it went over the edge, and due to equipment issues barely made it out, without having time to shut the door.