Question: Towards the end of the film, Dr. Evil kills number 2 yet number 2 is alive in the next two films. Why? I've been told there's an alternative ending on the DVD that changes this. Is that true?
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: Why does Rose say "artists need good light don't they?" when they enter her stateroom, even though she hasn't actually asked Jack to draw her yet?
Answer: She probably had already asked him (he had all of his material with him after all); she just hadn't yet specified *how* she wanted to be drawn.
Question: This may sound like a stupid question but It happens a lot in the Simpson's and Friends shows. What are the purpose of clip shows?
Answer: Clip shows are time savers and budget stretchers. They allow the producers to create a "new" show without having to spend the time and money filming (or animating), editing, and scoring the whole thing from scratch if they feel that their budget is getting spread too thin or their deadlines are getting too tight.
Question: When the turtle first meets Marlin, he talks about how he brought up his turtle offspring and says, "You know, you leave them on the beach to hatch on their own... and coo-coo-cachoo, they find their way back to the big old blue." Coo-coo-cachoo is also mentioned in the song 'Mrs. Robinson' by Simon and Garfunkel in the beginning of a chorus saying "Coo coo ca-choo, Mrs. Robinson, Jesus loves you more than you will know." Does anyone know if there is any connection between the phrases containing coo-coo-cachoo, or what the phrase's possible meaning?
Answer: The actual lyrics are "Koo-koo-ka-choo, Mrs. Robinson", but it most certainly is a part of the song "Mrs. Robinson" by Simon and Garfunkel. There is likely not a connection of any kind, or any hidden meaning, it's just a nonsense sound that is in more than one song.
Answer: Coo-coo-cachoo is not in Mrs Robinson, they actually sing woo hoo hoo and wow wow wow in that song. Coo-coo-cachoo is from a Beatles (and then Oasis) song called I am the Walrus. Other than the aquatic nature of the walrus being similar to that of the turtle there is no connection. The turtle was supposed to be a hipp-esque character prone to use unusual words and phrases like whoa, and like whoa!
"Koo-koo-ka-choo" is from "Ms. Robinson." The line in "I Am the Walrus" is "Goo goo g'joob"
Question: When Neo and Morpheus cross the road at the very start of the "women in the red dress" training programme scene, the short man with the glasses at the centre of the crowd crossing toward them looks up at Morpheus and nods at him. Has this anything to do with the plot or is it a genuine mistake?
Answer: Hasn't got anything to do with the plot, but neither is it a mistake. The simulation is meant to be realistic and plenty of the people in the crowd interact with Morpheus and Neo (bumping into them or moving out of their way). A nod to someone you're passing on the street isn't in any way unusual.
Question: What is parfey, which is supposedly the most delicious thing on the whole damn planet?
Answer: It's parfait. It's a cold dessert made of layers of fruit, ice cream, flavored syrup,sometimes cake and whipped cream. While I wouldn't call it the most delicious thing on the whole damn planet, they are pretty darn good.
Actually, that's the American version. Originally it was a French dish made with cream, eggs, sugar and syrup to create puree.
Question: What did Claire do to get in detention? Andy taped the one guy's butt closed, Brian had a gun in school, the Goth just wandered in, and Bender pulled the fire alarm, but we never hear what Claire did.
Answer: She blew off school to go shopping, in other words she got caught cutting class. Her dad mentions it in the first scene when he is sitting in the car with her.
Question: What is the point of the chinese girl? I've watched the film and can't quite figure out what she does with the plot, especially when Donnie grabs her face and says "Everything will be better for you".
Answer: Throughout the film, themes of alienation and disillusionment are prominent - an illustration of the alternate universe plotline. Cherita is that theme manifested in a very visible sense - people make fun of her, reject her, and she obviously doesn't fit in.
Answer: Cherita's seemingly small role has larger implications and can be used as a contrast effect to Donnie. Cherita liked (loved?) Donnie, but she could never be with him because they are from two "different worlds." But this does show that people with "mental problems" can be and often are attractive to others. Many teens feel alienated but for different reasons. Cherita and Donnie didn't fit in well. Cherita was teased/bullied by teenagers who went to a private religious school. Surely they have heard the expression "do unto others..." Why is this bullying behavior not viewed as mental illness while some other behavior is? Donnie told Cherita things would get better for her. After the teenagers graduate and mature, they will outgrow the behavior and the teasing should cease. Cherita doesn't need to change in order to have a better future. The same is not true for Donnie - he is not likely to outgrow his mental illness, and unless there are major changes in him, he will have no future.
Question: Does anybody know how old Shelob is, is she older than Sauron?
Answer: Shelob's date of birth is not recorded, but is believed to be sometime in the First Age, which would make her at most seven thousand years old. Sauron is much older, having been around since the creation of the world.
Question: What is the significance of the penguin as Ed Norton's "power animal"?
Answer: If you listen to the commentary the producer explains that the whole ice cave scene is himself reminiscing about some childrens' book series.
This is simply wrong. What the answer may be referring to is the director's instructions to make the penguin move like the ones in Mary Poppins.
Answer: Author Chuck Palanuik (who wrote the book) stated that he did a similar meditation practice where he was supposed to picture a "power animal," and a penguin popped into his head and told him to "slide." People have theorized that a cute, innocent animal telling him to "slide" in a childlike voice was meant to symbolize the narrator's (and presumably Palanuik's if his story is true) need to let go and relax and not let things get him down so much. (Represented by the penguin gleefully sliding away giggling like a child with not a care in the world).
Answer: Very good question. I was wondering that myself. Here is how I see it, and maybe I am not really right. But the one word used by his power animal was 'Slide'. It was repeated again when Marla Singer 'invaded' his conscious and unconscious manifestations as we find her in the cave. The movie is all about ripping him from ideological assumptions of the things Tyler wants his to see doesn't really matter in life. So here is the line of the movie: The ability to let that which does not matter truly slide."Here the word slide again.
Question: If the radio antenna was cut, how in the world did they get communication? It seems they were working on the radio on the sub, what good would that do if there was no antennae?
Chosen answer: The ship has a second antenna, but the radio is damaged during the torpedo attack. Therefore they have to fix it in order to use the backup antenna.
Question: I've seen the full-screen version of the film several times on television now, and I'm wondering why the very last shot before the closing credits shows the wide-screen shot compressed into the full-screen viewing area (making everyone look tall and skinny). Is it because all five characters wouldn't be able to fit, or is it because the closing credits are about to be shown?
Chosen answer: It's probably the former. Pan and scan isn't possible in a static scene like that one, of course. Just another reason why "fullscreen" is misleading.
Question: I'm sure I have seen this film in colour. Does anyone know if it has ever been shown in colour?
Chosen answer: I've seen it colorized several times on TNT and FMC.
Question: Where did Sam get the potatoes for the "coney stew"? Not having enough food is a big issues for the hobbits yet it seems he has more than enough ingredients to make a stew with the rabbits that Gollum brings to him. And, if he just dug up the potatoes, why is running out of lembas bread such a tragedy?
Question: Can anyone tell me why switch wears white clothes when inside the matrix when all the other rebels wear black? Is there a back story to this?
Question: At the end of Revolutions, Smith's body (or bodies I should say) is destroyed in the same manner it was destroyed at the end of the first film. But after he was destroyed the first time, he simply came back and started spreading. What's stopping him from simply returning the same way he did after his first "death"?
Answer: The answer to this comes from Reloaded. Smith says that after he died, he was supposed to go back to the source, to be deleted (this is clarified by the Oracle). However, he didn't and in effect became a virus in the system. When he infected Neo, who was connected to the source, the source destroyed him.
Join the mailing list
Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.
Answer: Number 2 doesn't get killed. It is obvious from the attempt to kill Mustapha that the fire/chair thing is faulty, this is demonstrated in the second film by the fact that number 2 has a large burn scar on his face to show that he wasn't killed, just burned.
Kara