Question: Do the earphones Ryan Reynolds uses at the beginning actually exist? I don't think I've ever seen wireless earphones that small.
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: When Jack saves Elizabeth from drowning, why is the Governor's first reaction to have Jack shot before he even discovers he's a pirate? He didn't know Jack was a pirate because he's shocked a moment later when Norrington reveals Jack is a pirate.
Answer: Jack's just stripped Elizabeth down to her underdress and, while Swann may not know that he's a pirate, it's pretty easy to tell that Jack's not exactly the sort of person who should be stripping governor's daughters. Swann's over-protectiveness and sense of social outrage might be a bit extreme, but given that he's just seen his daughter fall from a high cliff, nearly drown, then be dragged from the sea by a ruffian, a degree of over-reaction isn't entirely unreasonable.
Question: Why does John stand with his arms open when Cecil's trap breaks? Was it some kind of challenge so he would charge at him and fall into the barbed wire or something else?
Answer: It appears that this is the case. The first trap failed, so by challenging him, John is simply giving Cecil an improvised second test. If Cecil had stopped to think it through, he may not have been hurled into the razor wire. Of course we are never given an official explanation, so it is up to debate, but this seems to be the most reasonable answer.
Question: After explaining why it is illogical to play the lottery, Charlie asks the FBI agent if he ever plays craps. I didn't get the joke. Any help?
Answer: Craps is a casino game where players bet on the outcome of a dice roll. It deals heavily with probabilities and is a favorite of math experts like Charlie. Whatever the odds, though, your chances of winning are much greater than winning the lottery.
Question: When the first golden ticket is found, it seems like the news reporter has antlers on his head. Did they intentionally do that, or was it an accident?
Answer: It is almost certainly on purpose; it fits the kind of comedy of the movie, and the editors would had to have been really dull not to notice it if it was an accident.
Question: I know that the condition Lucy suffers from in the movie does not really exist. But what about the condition suffered by 10-second Tom, who loses his memory every 10 seconds. Does that condition really exist?
Answer: Yes it is called anterograde amnesia.
Answer: You might be interested in reading this. Clive Wearing looses his memory after 7 seconds https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clive_Wearing.
Answer: Actually, there is a British woman named Michelle Philpots, whose story might have inspired the movie. She was in a motorbike accident and later, a car accident. She wakes up every day and believes that she is still in the year 1994. Unlike the Lucy character, however, she can unexpectedly forget things during the day, instead of being "reset" over night.
Question: What was the fate of all five series' captains?
Answer: According to on-screen text visible in one episode, Jonathan Archer served as Chief of Staff at Starfleet Command, then was appointed Federation ambassador to Andoria. He then served on the Federation Council, before finally holding the office of Federation President for eight years. According to additional biographical text that ultimately never appeared on-screen (and therefore may not be canon), Archer died peacefully at home in 2245, the day after attending the launch ceremony of the Enterprise NCC-1701. James T. Kirk died on Veridian III in 2371, 78 years after he was believed killed on the Enterprise-B, as seen in Star Trek: Generations (although novels written by William Shatner have resurrected the character for further adventures, these are of uncertain canonicity at best). Jean-Luc Picard remains in command of the Enterprise-E; while a future version has been seen as an ex-Federation Ambassador suffering from the lethal irumodic syndrome, this remains only a possible future. Benjamin Sisko was taken into the Celestial Temple by the Bajoran Prophets; a series of follow-up books reveals that he eventually returns and lives on Bajor with his family, but, as with Kirk, the canonicity of these novels remains unclear. Kathryn Janeway was promoted to Vice Admiral upon Voyager's return from the Delta Quadrant and, when last seen, held a position at Starfleet Command.
Question: Steve Zahn's character avoids being in the prison population by repeatedly hitting the prison guards and ending up in solitary confinement. Wouldn't assaulting a prison guard also add time to his sentence?
Chosen answer: It could, but they would have to bring charges against him, and have a new trial for that crime. It would most likely prevent him from getting a early parole.
Question: It is said in the movie that Japanese legend claims that when someone dies violently their spirit haunts the place where they died and kill anyone who enters that place (or something like that). Was this made up for the purpose of the movie or is this an actual Japanese legend? If so, is there a place on the Internet where I can read about the legend?
Chosen answer: A bit of both. A variation on a traditional legend. Check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onryou.
Question: Why was Thomas Gates' name on that page?
Answer: Gates' name was added by Wilkinson to get Ben to do all the work in finding the treasure (as that would prove Thomas's innocence).
I disagree, Gate's name was always on the page. Presumably the investigation of the page would have revealed that it was a recent addition not a contemporary part of the text if this were not the case. Perhaps a simpler explanation is just that the conspirators needed to consult gates due to his deciphering skills, hence his name on the page, which explains the name "mastermind" as well.
Thomas Gates was on the page listed as "Artifex" which just means a practitioner of a craft. Mitch tries to say it's a "mastermind" but that's not 100% true, it could be but also just an expert at something. The museum curator who says, "we'll have this authenticated" was paid off by Mitch, so Mitch could very well have added the name and the curator lied.
Mitch says in the movie that adding Thomas's name to the page was the only thing he could think of to get Ben "in on the hunt." He says it at the end of the movie when he is apologizing for smearing Ben's "great great granddaddy's" good name.
Why does finding the treasure prove Thomas Gates' innocence anyway?
Question: When Linguini brings Remy to his apartment for the first time and Linguini falls asleep on the couch, there is an old movie playing on the television. Is this little segment we see about dreaming in Paris a nod to an actual movie or is it just something the Pixar team made up?
Answer: The film is 1945's "Brief Encounter" - see: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt0037558/.
Question: Is there any reason why the sushi chef bothers haggling with Deckard in his native language when it's revealed not two seconds later he actually speaks perfect English?
Answer: Why shouldn't he? Just because he speaks English, it doesn't automatically mean that he must therefore bow to the linguistic preferences of others and use it. Many people take pride in their native tongues and prefer to use it. And if it puts Deckard at some small disadvantage in the haggling, so much the better.
Question: Is there any reference to where Annie Wilkes goes at night when she is angry or depressed?
Answer: According to the book, she goes to what she calls her "laughing place", itself a reference to the Disney movie "Song of the South", in which Brer Rabbit sings about having a "laughing place" where he goes when he's feeling blue, to cheer himself up. We can presume Annie has some cabin or clearing in the woods where she has made her own "laughing place."
Question: When Yoda tells Darth Sidious that his faith in Vader may be misplaced, is it because he thinks, at the time, that Obi-wan can bring Anakin back?
Question: When they're singing "Professional Pirate" to Jim, the bald human says, "And me, I could have been a contender." Everyone laughs, and the crustacean gives him a dirty look, they even cut to him to show it. Am I mishearing? What's he saying, what's the joke?
Answer: You heard it right. "I coulda been a contender." is part of a famous, often quoted line spoken by Marlon Brandon in "On the Waterfront."
Question: I don't know New York's geography, so I'll not post this as a mistake. But is it possible that after 3 years there are deers and tigers and lions roaming around the city? Where could these animals come from?
Answer: New York has a number of zoos from which these animals could have escaped.
Question: Is Brian's line "Hey, is that a beer hall?" a joke on how tour guides seem to be obsessed with beer halls? I was on a tour in Salzburg, Austria, and the tour guide just wouldn't shut up about the Salzburg beer hall, so I was wondering if this was a common thing amongst tour guides.
Chosen answer: While I am not sure whether it's a common thing, the joke was Brian trying to change the atmosphere of the situation he just created. Brian was trying to get the tour guide to admit to the fact that the history missing in the pamphlet was during the Nazi regime. Due to the Denazification in many European countries, it is generally an area that is still very controversial. The fact that the tour guide made such lame excuses on what had actually happened and then blew up when Brian continued on about it meant it was an issue he should just leave well alone.
Actually, it refers to the "Beer Hall Ptsch in 1923, where Hitler initially tried to grab power. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beer_Hall_Putsch.
Question: Can somebody please tell me the joke that Lynn keeps trying to tell.
Answer: The grandmother takes her grandson to the beach and falls asleep, while she is sleeping a huge wave comes in and sweeps the boy out to sea. Grandma wakes up to find the boy gone and begins to pray "Lord, if you bring him back, I will do anything you want." Another huge wave comes in and deposits the boy safe and sound in front of the grandmother and she looks to heaven and says "he had a hat on, you know!"
Question: The movie does not have a soundtrack at all, yet during the end credits, music is heard. What is the name of that music?
Answer: "Blood Trail (end titles)" By Carter Burwell, the Coen's frequent composer. The Film does not have a soundtrack, but you can listen to it in Carter Burwell's website: http://www.carterburwell.com/projects/NCFOM.html.
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: The closest thing to them available in reality appears to be these: http://www.sennheiser.com/sennheiser/icm_eng.nsf/root/press_releases__07.01.2008.