Question: Why is the character called Shazam instead of his original name, Captain Marvel? The character first appeared in DC comics in 1939 so, shouldn't the name belong to him and not the Marvel universe?
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: How were the special effects of the miniature people in the glass displays accomplished?
Answer: From "Behind the Camera - Bride of Frankenstein": "Special effects experts John Fulton and David S. Horsley spent two days shooting Dr. Pretorius' miniature beings. The actors were placed in full-sized bell jars set against black velvet. These shots were meticulously lined up to match them with shots of Ernest Thesiger, Colin Clive and the interior set."
Question: How did others find the trident's location? We know Arthur is the first person to see the clue to the trident's location, so why are there dozens of skeletons of past victims, how did so many others magically stumble across the trident?
Answer: You said it yourself some might have stumbled upon it, others could have used the map, which is why it was hidden in the first place.
How could they use the map when Arthur was the first to find it...quite frankly to stumble on it is impossible, you would have to randomly travel to the trench, go through the entire kingdom, see a tornado of death and decide to go in, get spat out and not eaten, get to shore, check behind a waterfall and follow it down...bit much?
Question: How old is Atlantis? They say king Atlan was in charge at a time when most thought the earth was flat, well that's less than 2000 years ago, however the Sahara has been a desert for a whole lot longer than that and it was said to be home to one of the 7 kingdoms, but them the Karathin says it has guarded the trident for 1000 years, so which is it? 1000, 2000, 10000?
Answer: No, Vulko said they had unlocked the secret of unlimited energy whilst the rest of the world still thought the earth was flat. Atlantis was already old by then, so it's definitely older than 2000 years. Atlan ruled over Atlantis for thousands of years. To say Atlantis is over 10000 years old is probably the most accurate.
Question: Dora Skirth briefly mentioned to Eddie Brock and Carlton Drake about her family. Did she have a husband and/or children? Was she worried about what The Life Foundation would do to them? If she had a family, did they get compensated for being killed by Drake?
Answer: She told Eddie that she couldn't go to the police out of fear for her family, and Drake had kind of ominously mentioned her children when she said they weren't ready for human subjects. If it could be proved that Drake murdered her, they might have grounds for a lawsuit, especially if they could prove he was acting on behalf of the Life Foundation.
Question: Why did Meg's mother want her to write an apology letter to Veronica after she left a mean note on her locker and call Charles Wallace crazy? It sounds like she's teaching her daughter that sticking up for herself and her family is wrong.
Answer: Meg's mother is actually teaching her to show compassion and to understand that there is reason behind Veronica's bullying. She suffers from extreme low self-esteem, and has developed an eating disorder as a result. She bullies others to validate herself. Just because Veronica is a bully is no excuse for Meg to retaliate in the way she did.
Question: Why did Arthur need to go to Atlantis to meet Vulko? We see Vulko coming to the surface multiple times, would it not have been easier to meet Arthur on land?
Answer: Because what they're looking for is in the ocean. The maps, the ancient texts and markers leading to the trident. It would seem odd to search for Arthur on land then return to the ocean.
Question: Why would Wade be upset at Sorrento for killing his aunt when she and Rick abused him?
Answer: Just because they were lousy at parenting and treated him badly doesn't mean you want them dead or aren't upset they are murdered.
Question: Why does Alice suddenly like Joe after tearing him apart for being "the deputy's kid"?
Answer: Alice "borrowed" her father's car without permission and was driving without a license at age 12. She didn't want to get caught, but Joe - the deputy's son - saw her and she was afraid that Joe would tell his dad. Joe said she could trust him and his father would never know. Alice may have already liked Joe or spending time together made his attraction grow. They also had something in common that caused them sadness and could relate to - neither had a mother around anymore. They apparently were an "only child", which was not relatively common in 1979; both were left "home alone" when their fathers were at work or elsewhere, signifying they may have been lonely and in need of a friend who could relate to these circumstances.
Answer: Their initial dislike stemmed from their fathers' mutual animosity over the fatal accident that killed Joe's mother. Alice may have come to understand and accept why Joe blamed her father, who was indirectly responsible for his mother's death. This eventually allowed them to grow close.
I didn't get the impression that Joe and Alice initially disliked one another. In fact, Joe's eyes lit up with excitement when he found out that Alice was going to be driving them to film the movie - Joe was already infatuated with Alice. Moreover, I don't think that Joe initially knew that Alice's dad played an indirect role in his mother's death. Alice eventually told Joe that her father works at the place where his mother worked and later told Joe that her dad was supposed to work the day of the accident but called off (and Joe's mother filled in for him, thereby putting her in the position to have an accident at work when it was supposed to be her day off).
Question: What's the name of the song the woman is singing at the restaurant in Stony Creek?
Answer: It was either Southern Night or Boogie Woogie Saturday Night.
Question: Where did the Hawks go to high school?
Answer: The fate of the Hawks after the first movie is never mentioned, besides of course Adam Banks.
Question: Ann was mentioning to Eddie about suing. Who was she or Eddie planning to sue?
Answer: Carlton Drake's The Life Foundation was being sued for unethical testing on human subjects. Ann Weying was one of the foundation's defense lawyers. Ann's fiance, Eddie Brock, an investigative journalist, happened to see some of her documents related to the case.
Ballrooms and Biscotti - S4-E1
Question: Why didn't Lorelei and Rory just give Luke the biscotti from their trip?
Answer: Probably because Luke is such a health freak and partly because they wanted it.
Question: If Scott was under house arrest how could he have paid bills?
Answer: If you mean how did he afford to pay his bills, he makes money from his security firm.
Answer: Online.
Question: Why were members of John's former team given new identities?
Answer: Possibly so any surviving enemies they encountered on previous missions and or tours of duty couldn't hunt them down and kill them for revenge.
Question: Did White Castle sell cheeseburgers in this time period?
Answer: Absolutely. White Castle is credited as the first "fast food" chain in the United States. The company began its traditional brick and mortar, fast food burger operation in 1921 but had operated as a food cart company since 1916.
Answer: There is no double level bridge out of New York city.
I'm not sure what this comment is a response to, but it's not an answer to this question.
No Laughing Matter/No Spoilers - S2-E21
Question: After Lola thinks that Luan made a doll pun, and she laughs, why does her response anger Luan? Was Lola not really amused?
Question: If the Mayor's death is only in the extended edition, then why was there no mention of it in the theatrical edition? Also, why wouldn't the town stand up to Berringer for killing their Mayor?
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Answer: Fawcett Comics originally published Captain Marvel, not DC. DC sued, claiming the character was too similar to Superman, and Fawcett stopped publication in 1953, and sold the rights to DC in 1972. But in the intervening period Marvel had started their own "Captain Marvel" character and got the trademark for it, as Fawcett's had expired. So while the character remained technically called Captain Marvel, DC used the trademark "Shazam" in marketing, and in 2011 renamed the character to Shazam officially, as people generally thought that was his name anyway.
Jon Sandys ★