Answered questions about specific movies, TV shows and more

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Question: This actually applies to all the Matrix movies. I began thinking about it one afternoon when I had nothing better to do. What is the significance of sunglasses in the three movies? The characters only ever wear them when they're in the Matrix and, to me, it makes them look more like the machines they are warring with; possibly because it conceals their eyes and our eyes are the "window to the soul", the soul being one of the things that makes us different from the machines. Is this a deliberate tactic on behalf of the directors to make the characters stand out from everyone else in the Matrix? Is it a deliberate tactic on behalf of the characters to present a powerfully uniform front? Or is it simply to make them look cool? I just wondered whether anyone else had given it as much thought as I had and what conclusions they had reached.

Answer: From the commentary: The sunglasses actually have a lot of meaning. They represent power and confidence etc. etc. that is why they are removed during fights and more meaningful moments. Especially in Reloaded you''ll see the glasses are removed during the talk with the oracle, when Morpheus is fighting on the truck (he is weak and vulnerable here) and during Trinity's "death", and in the first movie notice the first time Neo effectively hits Smith (as he begins to believe) he breaks Smith's glasses. One other tidbit, notice all the good guys have circular glasses and bad guys have square ones.

Answer: He just used the name as a joke, since she was very excited and "knowledgeable" about bribing the waiter. Somewhat of a throw-back to the old mob days in New York.

Ral0618

It is a reference to Grace O'Malley, an Irish pirate. Here's the story: https://www.libraryireland.com/HealyEssays/Grania4.php.

Question: What does it mean when Bruce is live from the Maid of the Mist and one of the audio guys says "We've got a Walt Disney"? (00:15:10)

Answer: There is an urban myth that Walt Disney froze himself so he return unfrozen in the future. At the Maid of the Mist, Bruce is frozen from shock. If you listen to another audio guy after the first one says we got a Walt Disney, he says he is frozen solid, telling what it means to have a Walt Disney.

T Poston

Question: This film was called California man in the UK, I'm guessing the reason it was changed was because the UK wouldn't know what Encino man meant, which (in my case) is true. What does Encino man mean?

Kara

Chosen answer: Encino is a city near L.A. in California.

SanDiegoDeputy

Question: What is sweeps week (to do with new studios)?

Answer: It's explained quite well here. http://homepage.mac.com/ijball/ratv/FAQL/section-3.6.html.

Grumpy Scot

Question: If the rebels have an ion cannon that can disable a Star Destroyer in orbit, why not use it on the AT-ATs instead of sending pilots to their death? I know it wouldn't be as cool without the ground combat with the snowspeeders, but it is a good question, I think.

Charles Fraser

Chosen answer: The ion cannon is designed for taking out large capital ships in orbit. It's not precise enough for use in ground combat situations. It's also highly likely that the Imperial forces would have detected the ion cannon from orbit, and would send in their ground troops from a direction where the ion cannon couldn't target them, just in case the Rebels were nuts enough to try it anyway.

Tailkinker

Question: What are those blades (the ones used at the end on the caviar factory) used for in real life?

shortdanzr

Chosen answer: We see them in the movie when Bond first arrives to meet Electra - they're used for cutting trees in a straight line. Google "helicopter tree trimmer" to see dozens of examples.

Jon Sandys

Chosen answer: Mr. French was the butler on a TV show from the late 60's, called Family Affair. He was played by Sebastion Cabot, a rotund actor.

Super Grover

Question: Does anyone know the name Bastian screams out the window during the storm to name the Childlike Empress? It doesn't matter how many times I've seen the movie (too many to count), I can never make out that name.

Answer: According to the book, he names the Empress "Moon Child" and this is what he appears to be shouting, although I admit that it isn't likely that his mother was named Moonchild. Although it was a popular name during the Flower Power period.

Zaphod Beeblebrox

Question: What happens to Haldir, right before he dies? I've watched it several times, but still can't figure it out.

Answer: The first stab Haldir gets in his side, when two orcs come at him at once. The second blow, from what we can see, Haldir receives from above by an orc sword. The orc swings it downward, and from the jerk of Haldir's head, it apparently cleaves downward through the back of his skull, or his neck. Either way, it's enough to sever a vertebrae (or whatever elves have). Peter Jackson was gracious enough not to show it.

Question: After Frodo has been stabbed by the Morgul blade and Arwen is taking him to Rivendell, right after she uses the river to sweep the Ringwraiths away, Frodo makes a wheezing noise and begins to look radically worse. Why does Arwen get off the horse, lay him down on the bank, and cry? Why doesn't she just speed off to her father who can cure Frodo? Why the delay?

Kaite13

Chosen answer: If she had started riding off w/ him, he could've died on the way there. Instead she stopped and got off the horse and prayed to the Gods to "give him the grace you have given me." Basically to save his life was what she was asking for.

Question: Isn't it common knowledge that Nicole found Tom's mask and put it on his pillow? I always wondered why Tom freaked out so much when he finds it. Is he afraid that Nicole knows where the mask is used? Or that someone else placed it there? And unless I missed something, how come this was never discussed between the two? You'd think Nicole would be asking why he left this in his safe?

Ral0618

Chosen answer: I think someone from the freaky orgy broke in and put the mask on the pillow to warn Cruise's character to keep his mouth shut. That's why Cruise's character is so upset-they got into his home and his safe.

I always assumed that she was a member of the orgy party. She was letting him know that she was there.

No, she wasn't.

Show generally

Question: In the very beginning of the series Zach, Lisa, Screech and Mr. Belding all live in Indiana and attend the same junior high. Somehow they all end up in Malibu, California attending the same high school. Does anyone else find this a little odd?

Answer: The show that took place in Indiana that you are referring to was titled "Good Morning Miss Bliss." This show only lasted one season. The kids on the show, however, were popular so they decided to create a spin-off titled "Saved By the Bell," that aired on Saturday Mornings. I'm sure they changed the location because they thought the California setting would make the show more fun and watchable for pre-teens and teens.

ACertainShadeofGreen

Question: Right when Marty gets back to Doc before he goes back to 1985, he's praising his dad's actions of the night. One line that's bothered me ever since I can remember is "My dad laid out Biff. He's never stood up to Biff in his life." And then the Doc pauses for a second and gets a strange look on his face and says, "Never?" To that, Marty says, "No, why?" and the Doc shrugs it off saying, "Nevermind." What's Doc thinking? The best I can come up with is that he's wondering what effects it'll have on the future, but that's a rough guess. If anyone out there knows, I'd be happy to hear it.

DenizenZERO

Chosen answer: I think that is *exactly* what he is thinking. He realizes that by standing up to Biff, George may have irrevocably changed his personal future, and therefore affected Marty's future as well. This is exactly the sort of thing Doc was so eager to prevent by refusing to hear any information about the future.

Phil C.

Answer: It would have had to be something that would have happened anyway without the interference, otherwise Marty wouldn't have originally existed.

terry s

Answer: In the novel Marty adds that George is also thinking about college now. Doc says that this might delay Loraine and George having kids for awhile and adds that Marty might find himself like 10-14 years old when he gets back to 1985.

Spooky Space Kook - S1-E15

Question: We never found out what the ham and chicken bones had to do with anything. They were ham and chicken until Scooby ate them. Afterwards, Shaggy wonders why the ghost would keep ham and chicken in the fridge. This was never answered in the episode. Why were they important?

Piemanmoo

Chosen answer: A ghost wouldn't have to keep any food in the fridge - they don't need to eat. So it is one thing that proves the ghost is not a ghost.

In Excelsis Deo - S1-E10

Question: This is as good a place to ask as any. In various US TV shows (including this one, and this episode), someone says "I could care less", when they always seem to mean "I couldn't care less", ie. they have no interest in what's going on. Surely if they COULD care less that means they actually care a reasonable amount? Is there any logic to this, or is it just a really annoying innate lack of sense?

Jon Sandys

Chosen answer: A really annoying innate lack of sense. My friends and family say the same thing all the time, and I'm endlessly trying to correct them. I think people just don't know any better and (ironically) couldn't care less that they're speaking incorrectly.

Answer: It's an endlessly annoying dropped negative, and it's been a common colloquialism for far too long. I believe it comes from an original (and now omitted and merely implied) "As if" preceding the statement. "As if I could care less." (Meaning "As if it were possible that I could care even less than I do.") But there's really no way to know.

Question: In the beginning of the scene with the dodos, there is one dodo who shouts "Prepare for the ice age." Does anyone know who he is or what other movies he's been in? His voice is so familiar that I'm sure he's done another cartoon character's voice, but I can't remember who it is.

Answer: There are four people who do the voice for the dodos. They are Peter Ackerman, P.J. Benjamin, Josh Hamilton, and Chris Wedge (who also voiced Scrat and directed the movie). I checked their backgrounds, but I did not see any previous cartoons done by them. Also, of the four, it is possible you have seen Josh Hamilton or heard him before, because he has been in quite a few films, but I am not sure he is the one who voiced the dodo who said prepare for the ice age.

T Poston

Question: When Mark is watching a video in which he views himself being swallowed by a random monstrosity, he says, "I love you Eddie." Now, I took it as a reference to the "Eddie" that was part of a famous Iron Maiden stage show back in the eighties. A friend of mine took it as him (Mark) being thankful for his friend, Eddie, giving him the drug inbibed brownies that he was eating. Which was it?

Answer: I'm pretty sure it was the Eddie that gave him the brownies, because the band we see that is onstage at the time is Gwar, if I am not mistaken. They were famous for having a monster onstage that would 'eat' fans.

T Poston

Yeah, cause Eddie gave him the pot brownies that made him hallucinate being in a Gwar show, so he's thanking him.

Question: When Neo and Trinity are flying towards the machine city, a sentinel hovers in front of the hovercraft and flies directly into the windshield. In later scenes the glass is not broken so it couldn't have gone through the ship (no physical damage either) but it flies through Neo in the "Matrix vision" and it obviously affects him. I don't understand what happens here.

Answer: He felt its 'consciousness', or rather its life force. When the Sentinel was destroyed, its machine essence remained suspended, and Neo felt it.

furious1116

Question: Does anyone out there speak German? What does Nightcrawler say in the cathedral when he's 'porting around the rafters?

jle

Chosen answer: Ich bin der Bote des Teufels. Die Ausgeburt des Boesen. Ich bin ein damon. I am the messenger of the devil. The spawn of evil. I am a demon.

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