Answered 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: Correct me if I'm wrong, but the plot of this film is to show Michael's consolidation to power. My question is, what's with the thing with Hyman Roth and Cuba? Like what are they trying to invest in? Why did Roth want Michael killed?

Answer: They were investing in hotels and gambling in pre-Castro Cuba, trying to extend their empire to what was then a lucrative market for rich Americans. Michael, however, saw the revolution coming, and started to pull back from the deal as he realised that the Communists would win and nationalize all those businesses. Roth, oblivious to this, tried to have Michael killed because he was worried that Michael's reticence would influence the others involved in the deal and ruin the investment for him.

Answer: Roth wanted Michael killed because he had Moe Green killed.

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.

raywest

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.

Question: If his father was a monster, why didn't Britt make that clear to everyone at the funeral and let them know he didn't deserve that statue? Also, why couldn't Britt tell his co-workers that he cut the statue's head off?

Answer: While Britt held a childhood grudge against his dad, his father wasn't so much a "monster" as he was a hard-nosed, dedicated publisher (who was, in fact, trying to expose organized crime). Britt has a change of heart when his father dies unexpectedly, and Britt makes the decision to take more responsibility in his life. Britt's old grudge only re-emerges when he and Kato get intoxicated and vandalize the statue, which Britt later regrets doing when he is sober.

Question: So, just to make this clear, neither Britt nor Kato win Lenore's heart by the end?

Answer: Any romantic tangent between Lenore, Britt or Kato was derailed when she discovered their true identities. Lenore was furious with both of them. By the end of the film, we only get the impression that she is joining the Green Hornet team, presumably to return as a trio in any sequels. Which, due to low boxoffice and poor reviews, never happened.

Charles Austin Miller

Question: How exactly did Leslie initially intend on crossing the Bering or Chukchi Sea from Alaska into Russia? I know he and Professor Fate end up floating on a large mass of ice to do so, but that's not exactly something you can plan for.

Phaneron

Chosen answer: The cars and drivers were supposed to make the trip by ship from North America across the Bering Strait to a Russian port, where they would resume the race. As it happened, Leslie and Fate were stranded in a blizzard on the North American side before they reached the ship. The ice beneath their cars unexpectedly broke away and drifted across the Bering Strait, improbably arriving at the intended destination port in Russia. As they drift into port, we see Leslie's right-hand man, Hezekiah, waving at them from the Russian dock, which is only possible if Hezekiah made the journey by the very ship that Leslie and Fate missed.

Charles Austin Miller

Question: When Scarlet Witch attempts to mind control Hawkeye, he turns it back on her and says something like "Already done the mind control thing...didn't enjoy it the first time." Was this supposed to be an in-joke reference to the fact that Jeremy Renner was publicly bitter about having to spend most of the first film being mind controlled by Loki (which almost got him fired)?

Answer: It's not an in-joke about real life. It's just a direct reference to Loki mind controlling him.

Greg Dwyer

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.

raywest

Question: What does going to the mattresses have to do with war?

Answer: "Going to the mattresses" means they will find a place for their soldiers to live during the fighting, a place that the enemy families do not know about. The novel explains it a bit more, saying that the apartment would be outfitted with enough mattresses for everyone to sleep on, as well as basic cooking supplies.

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.

raywest

Question: What is the significance (if any) of the symbol Paul drew on Connie's body?

Answer: There is no significance, the script just says it is a "little doodle".

Sierra1

Answer: If you remember it was a flower or a heart with an arrow pointing down. You can figure it out. I think it was just something Paul did for fun to Connie.

Answer: My only thought is for her husband to see the drawing.

Question: Although 9 was upset about 1 sending 2 out to die, why did he prevent 7 from killing 1?

Answer: 9 was not seeking revenge. Someone may do something wrong to another person, but that does not automatically mean you would do the same to them.

raywest

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.

YellowBird

Answer: "Mah koreh, mah mah koreh": Hebrew for "What is happening?"

Chosen answer: There are no words. It's just strange alien music.

Question: If Frank got Anthrax by eating the egg in the monkey's mouth, shouldn't that monkey have been dead anyway?

Answer: We are never told that the monkey was sick with the disease. The egg does fall out of the monkeys mouth and onto the ground where the virus could have easily been on the ground and it just happened to come into contact with the egg.

Answer: There are viruses that are specific to humans that will not infect chimpanzees and vice versa. Thrax is species specific to Homo sapiens.

It should be noted that anthrax isn't a virus but a bacterium. Anthrax can spread from infected animals to humans.

Bishop73

Question: If you have to burn the superbill to find out it's real, wouldn't it technically still be considered a real bill? If this is the case, why hold a casino front to launder the money when the Triads could just print an unlimited supply if they just wanted to make money?

Answer: Burning was not the only way to tell if a superbill was real, it was just the quickest way to demonstrate these particular bills were counterfeit. There were no doubt several different ways a trained eye could tell the bills were fake. The nature of counterfeiting means criminals must constantly update their methods as new security measures are developed, hence the casino front. The bills must be put into circulation as quickly as possible in an attempt to prevent exactly what happens in the film: the entire organization is brought down as the bills were traceable back to one person.

BaconIsMyBFF

Question: Where would the monster get the fuel for his vehicle? Surely he wouldn't be fueling up at the gas stations.

Answer: There's no reason he couldn't use a gas station. In the dark he just looks like a guy with dark skin, unkempt hair, and a trench coat. Even if somebody does get close enough to get a good look at him, he would easily kill them to keep his secret.

BaconIsMyBFF

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.

raywest

Question: I had to watch Reloaded a few times to understand the plot. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the whole plot of Reloaded is that Zion is under threat and to find the key to that threat is to get the keymaker? My question is, what's the plot of Revolutions exactly?

Answer: The war between the Machines and Zion has been stepped up due to Neo's refusal to take the Architect's offer that all previous Ones have accepted. Neo and Trinity take Niobi's ship to 01, the Machine City, to try to negotiate peace. Because Agent Smith is taking over the Matrix, the machines are willing to deal if Neo can destroy him.

Captain Defenestrator

Question: At the end they talk about how Eve was from Ukraine, wouldn't Calvin still be pissed since that was part of the USSR?

Answer: Not necessarily. Most Soviet bloc states were not members by choice. The Ukraine especially was grievously harmed by Russia and the Soviets.

Greg Dwyer

Chitty Chitty Death Bang - S1-E3

Question: In the flashback where Lois gives birth to Stewie. The doctor says they aren't done, and she says "Oh my God, is it twins?" With this episode being made in the late 90s, would it even be possible for a twin to go undetected until birth?

Answer: Parents can request to not know the results of an ultrasound if they want to be surprised about the baby's gender. The doctor still would have let them know whether or not to expect twins, though, so the doctor is just as puzzled as Lois to find something else in there.

Captain Defenestrator

Answer: The doctor says we aren't done as a joke meaning, there was a historical map that came out after Stewie was born and because he said that, Lois asked if it was twins.

Question: Why does Keaton ask Soze/Verbal in the opening scene what time it is? I read somewhere that in the DVD commentary it's said that Keaton placed a bomb somewhere on the ship set to midnight, but the scene was cut. But if this is true, why was the time 12:30 when Keaton asks and why even keep the line where he asks the time if they didn't keep the scene with the time bomb?

DolphinGirlLJ

Chosen answer: I believe it's simply to show the gold watch, which Verbal gets back at the end, same as the gold lighter they show in the beginning.

shanex

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.