Question: Why were the elves happy to see Scott and Charlie on their return to the North Pole? Their presence obviously meant that the old Santa was dead.
Invader_Gir
12th Aug 2023
The Santa Clause (1994)
Answer: As the various Santas periodically are killed or die by other means, the elves appear unsurprised and are happy and relieved that they don't have to worry about having a replacement. They also seem pleased to see young Charlie, who wasn't expected. I haven't seen the movie in years, but I seem to recall that the previous Santa wasn't particularly liked or was somewhat incompetent.
21st Feb 2023
The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
Question: If Marie was dead when Bourne took her body out of the car in the river, why did her body sink to the bottom instead of floating after being let go? And how did Jason make sure she was dead?
Answer: The density of the human body is similar to the density of water, and what keeps us floating is the air in our lungs. Once this air is replaced with water, people will sink to the bottom. Jason probably recognized that she drowned from his training. To add to the other answer from a scientific standpoint. Bodies do resurface once putrefaction begins. Microbes will start to eat bits from inside the body that results in a lot of gas. As a result, this causes the density of the body to decrease, as the gas is light, and the body will float up to the surface of the water.
Answer: We only see her sink to the bottom. We never see her surface. Also he checked her pulse before letting go. Just in a way we couldn't see. Her body would have surfaced eventually but by then we were more focused on Bourne and his escape.
17th Feb 2023
The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
Question: Did Frank actually die when he cut the rope? Did they not find another way into the Galleria to check on him in case he only had a fractured leg, or did they just decide to leave him?
Answer: Frank fell several stories through the skylight of a mall. Even if he somehow survived the fall, Jack and Jason would have no way of rescuing him as the mall was buried under several meters of snow and the glass roof was precarious at best. Frank sacrificed himself so Jack could go to New York and rescue his son.
7th Sep 2022
Resident Evil (2002)
Question: At the end of the movie Alice fights the Licker. The licker falls through the hatch, is dragged across the tracks and begins to burn. How is that possible?
Answer: Per Wikipedia, the third rail is a metal railway track that is placed on either side of a train track to provide electrical power to trains traveling along the tracks. The third rail is extremely dangerous as they provide hundreds of volts in a current that contains very high amps. Thus, the licker falls onto the tracks, is dragged along the third rail creating sparks, and then ignites when enough heat and sparks are generated.
4th Jan 2007
Pleasantville (1998)
Question: At the end, David (as Bud) leaves Pleasantville by using the remote control. Why didn't he do this in the first place when he realised that they were in Pleasantville? And where did the remote control come from?
Answer: Upon first being sucked into Pleasantville, both David and Jennifer were angry this had happened and wanted to leave Pleasantville immediately. The repairman was taken aback by this as he stated he spent years looking for the right super fan and believed David would see it as an honor. As a result of this lack of appreciation, he was hurt and essentially left David and Jennifer in the show believing it would be good for them. In terms of where the remote came from, David always had it after being sucked into the TV. When Betty Parker came into the living room and saw David [as Bud] in front of the TV [trying to get back in touch with the repairman] David stuck the remote behind the leg of the sofa when he realised they were stuck there.
Answer: The repairman is essentially the architect of the whole show. He doesn't allow them to leave at the beginning because he thought Tobi and Reece would be a good fit for those characters, it is never really explained why he wanted to change things because supposedly everything in Pleasantville stays the same, but who knows, little kid with a magnifying glass and a bunch of ants theory, maybe a god complex?
Answer: Because he didn't want to go back to his real life. By the end of the movie he's decided he wants to return.
He did want to leave at first, he even told the repair man to let them leave.
14th Dec 2015
30 Days of Night (2007)
Question: Towards the end of the movie, since everyone knew that it would be sunrise soon and since Stella was comfortable enough under the car, why would Eben inject himself and become one of them? Had he waited until dawn Stella could still be waiting under the car and everyone else could also be fine in the house.
Answer: It's stated in the movie they'll freeze to death under the car before sunrise. Whether that's true or not, Eben believes it, and that's why he acts.
Answer: The previous answer misses one very important aspect that forced Eben's hand. Prior to him injecting himself with the vampire blood, the vampires had broken apart the oil pipeline and set the oil ablaze to cover up their actions. The fire spread quickly and was nearing Stella's hiding place. As a result, Gail and Stella risked either burning to death or leaving their hiding place and being torn apart by the ten or so vampires who were standing nearby. Eben sacrificed himself so she could make a run for it. He understood - as well as stated in the film - they were in no shape to fight them as they were. The vampire blood was the only chance he had at saving her.
23rd Mar 2022
Boy Meets World (1993)
Question: Why did they switch out the actor of Morgan?
Answer: Per thelist.com: Lily Nicksay told Entertainment Weekly her leaving the show "was a mutual decision between her parents and the producers." At Wizard World Comic Con, Rider Strong provided more insight into the situation by stating Nicksay "was not very happy... At that time, she was a little girl who did not want to be on the show." She was four years old when she filmed the pilot and most likely six years old when they filmed season 2.
5th Apr 2004
Black Hawk Down (2001)
Question: Sgt. Eversman says that none of it would have happened if Blackburn hadn't fallen. I don't understand in what way his fall started things.
Answer: If he hadn't fallen they wouldn't have had to send men down to retrieve him with the stretcher etc., and they would have gotten out of the area immediately.
Answer: To add to the previous answer. Following Blackburn's fall, they brought him to the target building to be brought back to the safe zone, which was done by Struecker and three Humvees. From the way it is portrayed in the film, it looks like Super Six-One was providing roof-top level over watch for the Humvees when it was shot down by an RPG. SSgt. Eversmann was then ordered to secure the crash site. Eversmann believes Blackburn's fall set everything in motion. This is also why Hoot gives him the speech on "it just being war and there was nothing he could have done differently that would have changed anything."
26th Jan 2022
50 First Dates (2004)
Question: When Henry is doing his kidnapping gig to meet Lucy, he sees a car coming and says false alarm and sits up. The car has her dad and brother in it, and they tell him to come by the house when he's finished, and once there he says she only paints on days she meets him. She's there painting and singing. Based on how it unfolded, it seems that he hadn't yet met her that day, so what's that about? He's still wearing the same shirt so it's the same day. (00:44:23 - 00:45:28)
Answer: It was implied she was developing some memory retention, as she changed her daily routine with something new. The father and brother surmised this change was due to her meeting Henry. As a result, they gave him their blessing to continue seeing her as they hoped she would continue to improve.
21st Sep 2020
Collateral (2004)
Question: When Max met Flexi, Flexi tells his guys "if he messes up kill him". Apparently the last target wasn't killed and Flexi's guy recognized Max as Vincent, then why didn't his guys kill him?
6th Jan 2019
Collateral (2004)
25th Oct 2021
Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
Question: What was the point of court martialling Doss? They said he couldn't go to war if he didn't use a gun, and they gave him the option to quit. So why wouldn't they just kick him out?
Answer: Doss faced a court-martial because he refused the direct order of handling a rifle from camp commander Colonel Sangston. If the Army simply kicked him out, it could inspire other men to follow in his footsteps and refuse to carry a rifle. While Doss could not live with that shame, it can be assumed many others would not have that same problem.
8th Dec 2021
Octopussy (1983)
Question: Why was the Walther P5 used in this film, instead of the PPK? Bond refers to it as the PPK, when he informs Q he 'misplaced it' but, the prop used was the P5.
Answer: From what I could gather online, it was simply done to appease Walther who wanted to promote the new firearm.
27th Dec 2021
The Santa Clause 2 (2002)
Question: Charlie complains that he can't tell anyone his dad is Santa, and he tells Lucy she can't reveal that either. Why though? In the third movie Scott tried to keep Carol's parents from finding out the truth, but he eventually relents as they are his family, and he doesn't want to keep secrets from them. Can't Charlie be allowed to do the same with Danielle if it makes him feel better? Sure she might not believe him at first, but he could show her the snow globe like he did with Carol.
Answer: This falls in with the theme of believing is seeing. Santa's Christmas magic works because children do not need to see him in order to believe there is a Santa. By telling people, it defeats that purpose. If people know something is real, there is no need for belief as it is a fact. The Christmas magic will disappear. By the third movie, Carol is Scott's wife and Mrs. Claus. Her parents share a much greater bond than Danielle has to Charlie. Carol may fight with her parents, but they stay her parents and part of Scott's extended family. Danielle is a just a friend/girlfriend. A fight/break up could have catastrophic consequences. Telling her isn't worth risking the secret of Santa Claus and the magic of Christmas.
True, but then that logic completely falls apart with the third movie as Jack Frost decided to just open the north pole to the public to profit from Christmas and the magic didn't disappear then. And like you said, it does fall in the theme of believing is seeing, but Charlie also tells Lucy that most people stop believing when they get older but people like him, Lucy, and the rest of the family get to believe forever since they know he exists. Not so much fact, but more people can believe.
16th Dec 2015
The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Question: When Bruce escaped the pit, did he throw the rope down so the rest of the prisoners could escape? I know they helped him, but isn't letting them go free a bad thing (they're prisoners for a reason, some of them could've been rapists like the ones that killed that little girl's mother)? And how did Bruce get to Gotham so fast? Do we know what country the pit is in?
Answer: Yes, he threw the rope to let the prisoners out. It may have been a dumb move on his part, although there is the potential that numerous prisoners there were also wrongfully imprisoned by Bane, and Bruce is intimately familiar with the criminal world and mindset - he may have simply judged that the remaining prisoners in the pit were worth freeing. Bruce has connections all over the planet, any company, or one could have dropped off billionaire Bruce Wayne back off at the states. It is never mentioned where the prison is located.
Answer: As far as the country the Pit is in, it's never stated in the film, only that it's in the ancient part of the world. In the comics, Bane was born and lived in the prison Peña Duro, although it doesn't share much with the Pit other than being where Bane was in prison. Peña Duro Is located in the fictional country of Santa Prisca, which is located in the northern part of the Caribbean.
Answer: It should be noted that the Pit was now Bane's. While it's a prison in the sense that the people can't escape, it wasn't specifically filled with criminals convicted of a crime in a legal setting. They were Bane's enemies who had been put there to be tortured. While it's likely some of Bane's enemies were criminals, they were probably free before Bane put them there. Remember, before Bane bought or took over the Pit, Ra's al Ghul had killed the prisoners as revenge for the murder of his wife. Although they also might not have been criminals convicted legally and would have been the Warlord's enemies.
Answer: While the actual pit was a set and Hollywood magic, the exterior of the prison [once Batman escaped] is Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, India. A set of circular stones mark the supposed "entrance" to the pit. However, the interior of the prison, which had all of the wall/stairs, have a real life inspiration. Chand Baori, was built in the ninth century, and has 3,500 steps across 13 stories. Apparently, the priests who lived there also liked to chant as they descended the steps to reach water, which sent vibrations through the stairs. (Per Cracked. Com, "5 Mind-Blowing True Stories Behind Famous Movie Locations).
Although this is interesting, this not an answer to the question. I'd recommend to post this again as trivia.
I originally wrote it to answer the second part of the question, as I also wondered where it was set in, but I went overboard with the details. I submitted it to trivia.
4th Dec 2021
The Santa Clause (1994)
Question: When Scott and Charlie are at the North Pole the first time, why did the elf with the pole ignore Scott's talking? Is he deaf?
Answer: The elf on top probably ignored him as he was in no position to answer him. The elves seem to have a stratified society [i.e. some make toys, Judy provides food/beverage, some do security etc.] so it was most likely his job just to punch in the code so the sleigh would descend. With Bernard being the head elf, and probably the most knowledgeable on all things Santa related, he would be in the best position to talk to Scott and answer all of his questions.
5th Apr 2004
Windtalkers (2002)
Question: I can understand why they would use code when talking about positions, objectives, etc. but when they call in the air strike from the battleships, what's the point of using code? Also, later in the film, when the same situation arises, they don't use the code. Seemed like it was just a silly way to introduce the whole premise for the movie.
Answer: The point of using the Navajo code to call in air strikes was to encrypt what the Marines were requesting without the Japanese being able to decipher what was said. This is critical because during the Battle of Saipan, the Japanese made extensive use of caves and reinforced earthworks to support their artillery positions and machine gun nests. The delay between requesting artillery support and the act of carrying it out allowed the Japanese to withdraw their infantry to relative safety before the fire mission could commence. By using PVT Yahzee and PVT Whitehouse, they were able to circumvent this and request attacks without the Japanese knowing what was coming. The only time Yahzee does not use the code is when he uses the Japanese radio to call off the artillery strikes that were falling short and hitting Marines. This situation required immediate attention and it would not have been appropriate to use the code.
Answer: They used the code to call in the strike so the Germans couldn't get the U.S. to bomb their own troops. I don't know why it wasn't used in the other situation.
7th Sep 2021
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003)
Question: Was this series cancelled or simply ended?
Answer: Per Wikipedia, the series originally aired in the US on Fox for its first six seasons from February 2003 to October 2007. However, the main storyline of the series ended after season five. Following this, the show was retooled with a new art style, comedic tone, as well as a new storyline. The show moved to the CW for its final season and aired from September 2008 to March 2010. However, it would not officially end until the broadcast of the TV movie Turtles Forever, which was produced in celebration of its 25th anniversary, and served as a series finale for the show.
15th Sep 2021
Dawn of the Dead (1978)
Question: Wouldn't the mall staff have removed any gas from the car parked inside the mall?
Answer: Not necessarily, there are many instances where cars are parked inside of malls or even stadiums for promotional purposes. It is a lot easier to have gas in the car if it needs to be moved or replaced for any reason.
17th Sep 2021
Family Guy (1999)
8 Simple Rules for Buying My Teenage Daughter - S4-E8
Question: Why didn't Stewie want a Portuguese person for a babysitter?
Answer: Stewie is referencing the kidnapping of Madeleine McCann who was three years old at the time of her disappearance in 2007. She was taken from her bed, in a holiday apartment, at a resort in Portugal. To date, she still remains missing and the case is remains ongoing.
This episode aired Jul 10, 2005, almost 2 years before the McCann kidnapping.
My mistake. I did not look at when the episode aired. I have no idea then. That answer made the most sense considering the premise of the joke.
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Answer: Unbeknownst to Scott, Charlie, and the viewer, Scott became the new Santa the moment he put on the Santa suit on his roof. Because of this, the elves don't even see him as Scott, but as Santa. His arrival also meant another successful toy delivery and the continuation of Christmas itself.
Invader_Gir