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: Daniel Handler, aka Lemony Snicket, is a born and raised American, he writes books in English. Now why, in this movie, does the letter the children receive in the end contain the text "Groeten Uit Antwerpen" which is Dutch/Belgian? Maybe the answer is obvious if you've read the book, but I haven't.

Answer: The children receive a letter from their parents, who are on vacation in Europe (in this case Antwerp, Belgium - the phrase means "greetings from Antwerp"). They thought it was lost or never sent. It has nothing to do with the author.

Zaphod Beeblebrox

Answer: No. In the first or second episode of the series Kawalsky says he worked with Jack all those years and never even knew he had a son.

scaryterri

Question: Why doesn't the dogs senses dumb down with infection? Obviously human senses degrade when they turn into zombies, but the dogs keep their speed and ability to smell scents.

Answer: First, the T-virus affects humans and dogs differently - zombie dogs look like they've been skinned, but zombie humans just look dead. Second, there's little evidence that human senses have been dimmed, it's just that zombies are stupider without higher brain functions (explained in the first movie) and are slower because they conserve energy for actual attacks, not moving. Dogs are much more efficient predators than humans and don't need to slow down as much because a few bites will take down prey.

Phoenix

Question: What is the idea/situation behind the whole scene at the beginning of the film where the two 'Saints' walk up to the alter?

Answer: The priest thought they were trying to attack or assault the other priest, but since they Saints are very religious and the other priest knows it, he let them be. They kissed the statue to show respect.

Toolio

Show generally

Question: Does anyone have an idea how the Klingons - quite human-looking in the original series - have got their forehead furrows for which they are now famous (and easily recognizable)? I've heard rumors so far that the whole issue would be explained in the current 'Enterprise' series, but so far I haven't caught the clue.

Answer: It was discussed in "Enterprise". The Klingons try to make augments (super-klingons), but to do so they used the human augments DNA. This caused the Klingons whom were tested to look partly human (hence the lack of forehead ridges). It then turned into a virus which spread to many of the Klingon population. Causing them to look 'human-like'.

Craig Bryant

Question: Why does Frank have Donnie burn the guy's house down, when at the end, Donnie goes back in time, dies, and therefore cannot burn the guy's house down?

Answer: Frank tells Donnie to burn down Cunningham's house because then Cunningham's kiddie porn dungeon will be discovered and he will be put on trial. If he's on trial, Kitty must be at his arraignment and cannot escort the dance team to Los Angeles, so Rose goes with them instead. Rose chooses to come home with the team on a different flight than Kitty would have chosen, and if they hadn't been on that flight the flight wouldn't have occurred (we don't know why not, but if it happened anyway Donnie wouldn't be necessary, and he obviously is or Frank wouldn't have called upon him). Because Rose takes the flight, the airplane engine passes through the portal and falls into Donnie's bedroom back in the original universe, closing the time loop.

Phoenix

Show generally

Question: There is a noticeable change in the lighting in the first season compared to the rest of them, does anyone know why this is?

Answer: Normally first seasons of a show do not get the budget that established shows get. It is possible after the huge success of season 1, the show got a better budget and better lighting.

Mark English

Answer: Tenure: the status of holding one's position on a permanent basis without periodic contract renewals. It is frequently granted to professors at universities, and is a valued commodity as you then know you will continue to have your job as long as you like, unless you do something egregious. Escrow: monies put aside, into a third party's hands, to be delivered only upon fulfillment of specific conditions. It ordinarily comes up in the process of buying a house - you place money in escrow to show good faith and the ability to pay your mortgage, and the builder only gets it upon completion of the home.

Rooster of Doom

Question: Does anyone know what Lucy is saying when she is pretending that she doesn't speak English? This is the scene in the diner when Henry is trying to pick her up with the picture he drew of the fishermen on a boat.

Answer: She is speaking Chinese when this happens and is telling to him to go away using vulgar language.

Question: If Donnie was supposed to die anyway, why did Frank call him out of his house at the beginning? Please don't say it was his schizophrenia and the fact that he is "prone to wander at night", because it IS Frank who calls him out, he doesn't get up on his own.

Answer: Frank calls Donnie out because the airplane engine has fallen through a portal into an alternate universe, and at some point during his sleepwalk Frank guides Donnie through another portal to move him to the alternate universe (from the movie theatre we know that Frank can make portals at will). Frank appoints Donnie to be the guardian of the engine and make sure it falls through the alternate universe's portal into the original universe. Donnie cannot be allowed to die until the engine is escorted into the second portal, but if he dies before then the engine never reaches the second portal and remains in the alternate universe, causing the original universe to unravel. Once he and the engine return, he must die because his experiences of the alternate universe predict the future, potentially causing paradoxes.

Phoenix

Question: In the scene where Rolfe is throwing stones at the window, Captain von Trapp catches him and after trying to explain, Rolfe says Heil Hitler. I was just wondering why he says that seeing as all three there are Austrians (esp. von Trapp) and Germany hasn't taken over Austria yet.

Answer: Rolfe sees Max, who he knows is at least loosely involved with Nazi affairs, and then exclaims "heil Hitler." Being merely a child foot soldier for the Nazis, he wouldn't know the extent of Max's involvement with the Nazis, but knows enough to say "heil Hitler", just in case.

Answer: Some Austrians (such as Rolfe) had already been converted to the Nazi cause as a political/social/pseudo-religious movement rather than as an expression of German nationalism, just as you can live in a democracy and be a communist.

Myridon

Question: If no one is permitted to use magic outside of Hogwarts, then what is the point of teaching it?

Answer: Only underage wizards are not allowed to use magic outside of Hogwarts, much the same as underage people are not allowed to drink or smoke here. They aren't mature enough to do so, but once they come of age they can do it permitting no Muggles see them.

shorty30490

Question: When Lupin asks 'Can anyone take a guess as to what is inside' someone says 'That's a boggart that is.' who says this?

Answer: It's Dean Thomas that says that. He stands between Seamus and Harry, with Neville behind him.

Super Grover

Question: Is there a naked couple when Mufasa dies and Simba creates a cloud of dust?

Answer: No, but there is speculation about the cloud of dust/pollen that Simba kicks up when he flops down on the edge of a cliff (mid-movie, after Simba is grown). Some say they see letters that spell S-E-X, but Disney says it was S-F-X, in tribute to the special effects team.

Macalou

Adding to this, It is only on the original VHS tapes. They edited it for DVD release.

Question: What is the song played in the trailer for this movie at www.apple.com/trailers?

Answer: "In the Hall of the Mountain King" by Edvard Grieg.

Tailkinker

Question: When the police break into Tran's parents house-he mouths something to them, anyone read lips?

Answer: To me, it looked like either "What are you doing in my house?" or "Get out of my house!"

Ryan Andersen

Question: What was the name of the music piece during the final car chase, the one where Bourne smashed Karl Urban's car into the wall, killing him and is it on the soundtrack?

Answer: The final car-chase music is called 'Bim Bam Smash' and yes, it is on the soundtrack.

Shipper

Answer: They're cardboard cut-outs of two actresses from Joey and Chandler's favourite show, Baywatch, Pamela Anderson and Yasmin Bleeth. Monica and Rachel's heads were just placed over the faces.

SexyIrishLeprechaun

Question: Why do we never see Gandalf praise Merry and Pippin for their taking part in the destruction of Isengard? He just doesn't seem to act very grateful.

Answer: When they initially arrive at Isengard, he's rather more concerned with his upcoming confrontation with Saruman. He presumably talked to them about it later, off camera.

Tailkinker

Question: What does Hu Li say in Chinese near the end, when she is holding the bomb that is about to blow up?

Answer: 两个王八蛋 (You two bastards), 你不就要我们死 (You wanted us to die), 现在我自己来,我来了! (Now I do it myself, I am here!) 我现在主动来了! 我来了!(I am doing this on my own now!).

Answer: She says 'we'll go together, inspector'.

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