Question: Is there any other way that Hermione could have possibly protected her Muggle parents from Voldemort and his followers besides erasing their memories, like casting a protection spell over them similar to what was done with Harry for the past 17 years or taken them to the Burrow to be protected, or even Grimmauld Place?
raywest
29th Jul 2014
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
4th Apr 2017
The Godfather (1972)
Question: A "war" started when McCluskey and Sollozzo were killed at the diner. Wouldn't the murder of the heads of the other families cause another war that would leave the Corleones outnumbered 4 to 1?
Answer: Perhaps, but it would be a war the Corleones could win fairly easily. The murder of the heads of the other families would also render them leaderless and with multiple potential heirs, and while they fought amongst themselves for control, the Corleones would be able to fill the power vacuum the infighting created. But more likely, outside of a few hotheaded revenge killings, the other families would see this swift and brutal demonstration as a sign that the Corleones are too powerful to take on (Michael's powerful position in the next film would seem to attest to this).
4th Apr 2019
Super 8 (2011)
Question: Alice wants to see her father die for all he did to her. How come Joe doesn't want the same for his father for all he did to him?
Answer: I don't believe Alice said she "wants to see her father die", and I'm not sure what you mean by "for all he [Mr. Dainard] did to her." Alice told Joe that SOMETIMES she wishes her dad would have died instead of Joe's mother. When Joe replied that she shouldn't say that because he is her dad, Alice got his point and did not continue to say anything else, such as that she really meant what she said. What did Alice's dad "do to her"? He did say she wasn't going to Joe's party (which she made up). He told her to go in the house and wanted Joe to leave. After Alice went to Joe's and tried to sneak back into the house after dark, Mr. Dainard told Alice to "leave", just like her mother did. As soon as Alice was out the door, Mr. Dainard immediately followed to get her back and suffered injuries trying to do so (but the "monster" got her). Alice probably didn't know her dad told Joe's dad (deputy) that he did not want Joe seeing his daughter again - she was "off limits."
What did Joe's dad (Mr. Lamb) "do to him"? He tried to get him to go to summer camp, but didn't make him. He said he wished Joe wouldn't hang around a certain friend (Cary) so much because he kept lighting things on fire - but didn't stop him. When Joe dropped a flashlight on the kitchen floor, his dad told him to pick it up. Mr. Lamb told Joe to make sure he fed their dog Lucy. Mr. Dainard made it clear inside the sheriff's station that Joe was not to be around Alice anymore, so when Mr. Lamb caught Joe with Alice on the street, he put Joe in the police car, took him home, and demanded that he stop seeing Alice and said they could not be friends. I don't see any behavior by Joe's dad that would make Joe want him dead.
4th Apr 2019
Super 8 (2011)
Question: Why would Joe and his father hug each other in the end? Mr. Lamb treated his son like dirt and yelled at him for being around Alice, bringing Joe to tears. The ending felt like an unearned father-son moment as well as an unearned father-daughter moment for Alice and her father.
Answer: The ending was rather weak and contrived in that it too quickly resolved the parent/child conflicts. The story's intent is to show that despite both fathers' faults and the conflicts they had with their children, that the dads do love their kids. The adversity brings everyone together, and the kids are able to forgive their dads and would not have wanted to lose them. Hopefully all will have more positive relationships in the future.
Answer: Mr. Lamb was overwhelmed by the possibility he could have "lost" his son that day. Hugging Joe tightly for an extended time and saying, "I got you! I got you!" was his way of expressing how relieved and elated he was seeing Joe was alive and well. Though not very good at expressing his feelings toward Joe, nurturing him, or engaging in positive communication, this demonstration of their deep-down bond suggests or indicates the father-son relationship will grow in a positive direction. Mr. Lamb's interactions with Joe had been more like a sheriff talking to a suspect or offender than a father talking to his son. The "monster", destruction, and chaos in the community (Lillian) created a life-threatening situation - but also served as a catalyst for rethinking one's roles, relationships, and priorities in life. Thinking back to the opening scene when Mrs. Kaznyk was at the wake and told her husband sitting next to her, "I don't think he [Mr Lamb] understands Joe", there is a sign at the end of the movie that this will not be true much longer.
27th Jun 2016
General questions
From what I vaguely remember it's about a woman in a fancy big house. There is a party going on. This guy is being nice to her and they are flirting. She says she has to go somewhere. He begs her to stay with him - she promises to come back, then she goes off, races back, and when she comes back the house is old and some person tells her no one lived there for over 100 years. I think if she had stayed the spell would have been broken. If someone has any ideas please put me out of my misery.
Chosen answer: It sounds like you're thinking of "Brigadoon". A Scottish village is under a spell where it only appears for one day every 100 years (which was done to preserve the way of life of the villagers.) When two men find it, one falls in love with a woman villager and if she were to leave the village, the spell would be broken and the village of Brigadoon would disappear forever, along with everyone in it (if he stayed he'd have to leave the real world behind). There's been a lot of adaptations of the story, so not sure which version you saw. Two versions I know of are a 1954 film and a 1966 TV movie.
The movie described in the question is not "Brigadoon." For one, the entire village disappeared and there was no old house with someone in it that remained in the intervening 100 years. Also, in Brigadoon, it was the man who came upon the village, not the girl.
Possible, but I've noticed when people only have a vague memory of things, they confuse what they saw with another film or mix up some points. The key points of 1 day and 100 years and a broken spell pointed to "Brigadoon." But there's been adaptations of the film that the person might have seen which may have alternate minor plots that I'm not familiar with, which I mention so the person could have a reference to look for in case I was wrong in guessing what they saw. I've noticed with these general questions that the original posters sometimes reply if the suggest film is not what they were thinking of.
4th Apr 2019
Killer Klowns From Outer Space (1988)
Question: Who played the teenager that got killed at the gazebo? It looks like Michael J. Fox but, when I checked IMDB, there's no name listed for who played him.
Answer: The actor is Randy Doke. He's uncredited for the role, but IMDB lists him as "Puppet Show Dude."
Answer: I checked the Internet and read up on the Killer Klowns production and there is no mention of Michael J. Fox being in the movie. I do not know who the actor in the scene is, and while it's possible that it was Fox, it does not really resemble him, in my opinion.
11th Nov 2015
General questions
Looking for a movie from the 60's about a blonde married woman with a son that has an affair with a service man. Anne Francis plays her friend. They play the game Jenga and there is something about the swallows of Capistrano. She thinks she kills him, they dump his body but he is still alive.
Answer: I'm sure this is the 1966 movie, "Moment to Moment." It starred Arthur Hill, Jean Seberg, and Honor Blackman.
7th Jun 2017
Star Wars (1977)
Question: What's wrong with Greedo shooting first? I agree changing it is pretty pointless, but what difference does it make? How does it affect the movie?
Chosen answer: This has already been asked and answered on this site, in the past few weeks in fact. But again: It doesn't affect the movie, but it affects the character of Han Solo and how he is meant to be perceived by the audience. If he shoots first, he's an outlaw, a rogue, and, in the classic Western tradition, quicker on the draw than Greedo. If Greedo shoots first, Han is just killing in self-defense, which does nothing for his character and makes the whole scene superfluous, other than establish that people want to kill him.
Answer: Also, Han shooting first places doubts about his motives in the viewer's mind early on. It establishes Han as ruthless, willing to do whatever it takes to survive. Might he turn Luke and Ben over to the Empire if he decides it's in his best interests? But having Greedo shoot first turns Han in to just another generic good guy.
Answer: I mostly agree with the other answers about Han, but his shooting first is integral to the plot and not about showing any ruthlessness. Greedo cornered Han and intended to turn him over to Jabba the Hut to collect the bounty on Han's head. Greedo told Han, while holding him at gun point, that he wanted the money Obi Wan was paying Han, then implied he was going to kill Han before turning his body over to Jabba for the reward. Han's only option was to kill Greedo right then and there. He basically is shooting Greedo in self-defense (or for self-preservation). As well as establishing what his character is like, the scene also serves as exposition that shows Jabba had put a price on Han's head, Greedo was a deadly adversary, that Han leads a dangerous and illegal life, and he was desperate to resolve his dilemma of living under a death sentence.
As a child of the 70's, I grew up with the notion of Han shooting first. Never gave it much thought, to me he was in a situation of kill or being killed. The debate seemed over a moot point to me.
19th May 2017
The Godfather (1972)
Question: What was Fabrizio saying in Italian to the Italian soldiers when they were driving by?
Answer: They weren't Italian soldiers, they were American. He was jestingly suggesting they take him with them back to America, as well as a few names of famous Americans. He says: "Hey, hey, take me to America! G.I.! Hey! Hey, hey, hey, take me to America, G.I.! Clark Gable! Hey! America, America, ha! Take me to America, G.I.! Clark Gable, Rita Hayworth!"
This foreshadows Fabrizio's treachery. He badly wants to emigrate to America, so he betrays Michael for money to get there, only to be executed on Michael's orders some years later.
In what movie is Fabrizio murdered?
Strangely enough, Fabrizio is killed in in both Godfather 1 and 2! In Godfather 1 Michael calls on the pizzeria Fabrizzio owns and kills him with a shotgun. (In the book this is done by one of Michael's henchmen). In Godfather 2 he is killed by a car bomb planted on Michael's orders. Both scenes were deleted by Francis Ford Copolla, leaving a sense of mystery about what actually happened to Fabrizzio.
26th Mar 2019
Super 8 (2011)
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).
2nd Apr 2019
Wild Wild West (1999)
Question: After the Wanderer leaves Rita at the train station, there's a quick clip of the train out in the open country. It is obvious that the train is quite a distance from the station. but in the next instant, the roof of the passenger car opens up and she falls into the chair. How does anything explain that?
Answer: As soon as the train left the station, she ran after it, jumped on and climbed onto the roof, most likely hoping to stowaway, but James heard her footsteps.
2nd Apr 2019
Misery (1990)
2nd Apr 2019
Jurassic Park (1993)
Question: When the 2 tour jeeps arrive at the Tyrannosaurus fence, they bring up the goat. Anyone wonder how they got the goat there, how they feed and care for it to stay healthy and alive? Did they dig an underground tunnel for miles through rough hills just to walk the goat through? Would they risk the other side of the fence in T. Rex territory with a goat? It's such an odd possibility because it's just not possible without extreme costs, risks and efforts, just to get the goat there.
Answer: The goat was not how the T. Rex would normally be fed. The keepers put it there as bait to lure the T. Rex to that specific spot at that particular time in order to present it to Dr. Grant and the others. Hammond invited them to the island to evaluate Jurassic Park so he could then assure his investors that it was safe. Hammond is pulling out all the stops to impress them. Also, the paddock would have to be designed to have designated zones that can be opened and closed off and have tunnels running throughout so the keepers can have access to it for maintenance and to corral the animal when needed.
28th Dec 2018
Elf (2003)
Question: Has anyone noticed what looks exactly like a Buddy Elf doll standing on the kitchen counter during the breakfast scene where Buddy is pouring syrup for the mom? If you pause when the camera pulls back to show Buddy pouring syrup and the back of the moms head, you'll see the elf doll on the right side of the scene (our right, Buddy's left) facing away from the camera. It's on the counter directly below the cabinet knobs; behind the back of a chair and in front of what looks like a radio that sits against the counter wall. Ideas? Looks just like a Buddy doll to me.
Answer: It might just be a regular elf doll that, coincidentally, is dressed in real elf clothes.
Answer: This was probably deliberately added to the scene. Movies often add in-jokes like this. I believe it was "HP and the Chamber of Secrets" that while Harry, Ron, and Hermione are in Diagon Alley, the entire Harry Potter book series can be seen on a shelf in the background. In "Raiders of The Lost Ark," there are a little C-3PO and R2D2 carved into the stone hieroglyphs in the Well of Souls. "Jurassic Park" openly displayed JP merchandise, the same merchandise that was sold in stores. Filmmakers love to add little "Easter eggs" like that for audiences to find.
26th Mar 2019
D3: The Mighty Ducks (1996)
26th Mar 2019
Venom (2018)
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.
29th Mar 2019
A Wrinkle in Time (2018)
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.
29th Aug 2004
The Village (2004)
Question: Maybe I am being too analytical, but why do the villagers wear yellow robes? Taking into consideration the colour wheel and the red robes of the "things," wouldn't it make more sense to wear green as the safe color because green is the opposite of red?
Answer: They used the color yellow to represent caution, the red color means danger it does not have to do with the color wheel, but it is more psychological.
Answer: It would probably depend on the colourings available to the villagers. Maybe it was easier to make yellow dye and paint than green. Also, if green was a safe colour, then the 'creatures' wouldn't have been able to walk on any grass and there wouldn't have been as much fear of them entering the Village.
Answer: Red attracts colors. Planes, onlookers. If they are trying to keep a low profile in the forest, avoiding red is a good idea.
Answer: Plot wise, there was no practical reason for yellow being used because it was just part of the elders' scheme to "sell" the fake beasts story to the younger villagers. The youngsters were conditioned from childhood to believe that red attracted the creatures, and the village was protected as long as no-one wore or displayed it. The "safe" yellow color was probably an arbitrary choice by the elders, though it is also associated with "caution." From a movie-making perspective, the color choice probably had to do with what visually worked best on film. Green or blue would blend into the forest and meadow background, while yellow stands out, making the characters more visible.
Answer: Blood! Red was the bad color because it was the color of blood. Remember, all the elders were trying to avoid violence. The father in the movie was a psychologist. It just makes sense, knowing what he knew of society, to use red and yellow (being caution) as cultural guidelines.
The father was a history professor.
Answer: Just a word about this: opposing green to red makes sense only if you think about light. If you think about paint for example it would be yellow... kinda (actually 3 primary colors blue, red and yellow / 3 primary "light colors" blue, red and green).
Answer: I would think yellow is a color of passive/yielding to notify the "beasts" they are inferior to them.
26th Mar 2019
101 Dalmatians (1996)
14th Mar 2019
The Fugitive (1993)
Question: Kimble's wife suffered from severe head trauma. Wouldn't his defense attorney demand her 911 transcript be stricken, as her serious brain damage could have caused her to say anything?
Answer: His attorney could have done that, but I doubt such a strategy would have been successful, for two reasons. First, proving that she was just "saying anything" would be difficult at best, given that she wasn't just spouting random nonsense...she was speaking directly about what had happened. The prosecutor would have pointed out that she had been coherent (i.e., in control of her thoughts/speech) enough to a) dial 911, b) stay on topic, c) relay information, and d) name her killer (or so they believe). And second, given this high burden of proof, going with "this murder victim was just babbling as a result of the brain damage she suffered when she was brutally clubbed to death" probably wouldn't have gone over well with a jury.
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.
Chosen answer: Any of those options would provide some degree of protection, but, should Voldemort ultimately triumph, it's extremely likely that those measures would eventually be circumvented by his forces, leaving her parents entirely at his mercy. By erasing herself entirely from their memories, they cannot be used against her, as they cannot be linked to her (it's reasonable to assume that Hermione would also have arranged for any files linking her to them or that address to be destroyed or altered as well). Erasing their memories also has the side effect of sparing her parents from grief should she fall in the ensuing conflict.
Tailkinker ★
In the book, in addition to erasing their memories, Hermione also sent her parents to live in Australia, further removing them from danger. She not only erased their memories to prevent them from being tortured and divulging any information, but if she was killed, they would not grieve the loss of their only child for the rest of their lives.
raywest ★