Question: I've never understood how the humans have such hi-tech technology. All of the hovercraft, APUs etc. How did they get them in the first place? The way I understand it is that the machines and the humans had a massive war at some point in the early 21st century (according to Morpheus) and, although the war is still going on now, the machines have effectively won. Humans forced into one city underground and the machines with all their...machines. I don't understand how the humans can use hovercraft, guns, etc. when surely they would have all had to have been made while they were in their little city.
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: Some people have said that J.R.R. Tolkien wrote the "Rings" novels to make a point regarding 20th century society. What is it?
Chosen answer: The people who have said such a thing are incorrect. Tolkien stated that the work's inspiration was primarily linguistic in nature, and strongly disagreed with the meanings that other people saw in the books - the Ring as allegory for the nuclear bomb, et cetera. Tolkien's exact words, from a foreword to one of the editions of the books: "As for any inner meaning of 'message', it has in the intention of the author none. It is neither allegorical nor topical....I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done so since I grew old and wary enough to detect its presence. I much prefer history, true or feigned, with its varied applicability to the thought and experience of readers. I think that many confuse 'applicability' with 'allegory'; but the one resides in the freedom of the reader, and the other in the purposed domination of the author."
Question: What does Whoopi mean at the end when saying she is a 'headliner'?
Chosen answer: A headliner is someone who receives top billing for a show or concert. She is the main attraction, and probably has a lesser known band/act perform before her, or "open for her".
Question: When Stanley is driving the old banger of a car he got while his was being fixed, it is running very badly, but you see it keeps braking and the tyres screech. Why would the car keep braking like that?
Chosen answer: Its just a sound effect. A car can brake like that if it has worn, uneven pads.
Question: Could someone please explain the end to me? Why was Julie a different person at the end when she was in her father's office?
Chosen answer: Julie was not the publisher's daughter. Julia, who we see at the end, is the real daughter - given that Sarah doesn't seem very surprised to see Julia at the end (and the reaction of the secretary proves she's known to everyone), the most likely explanation is that the entire sequence in France is in fact the content of Sarah's book, and never really happened.
Question: After J neuralizes the video store guy he says 'Hey Ma' and then picks up a shovel. What was he going to do with that, kill his mom?
Answer: Yes. That was the joke. He was told something like 'get rid of your mother, and get on with your life'.
He was not told to "get rid of your mother, and get on with your life"! He was told to "move your bum ass out your mother's house."
Answer: It gave you the assumption that he was gonna kill his mom in order to leave her house. Maybe even inherit money to go to Cambodia. People say the neuralizer influenced the man. What people forget is, the shovel was there the whole time. He didn't go looking for a shovel. He already has it in front of him.
Question: Relating to the question about Apocalypse, what were his/her powers?
Answer: According to UncannyXmen.net, Apocalypse's powers are metahuman strength, speed, endurance, and reflexes, megamorphic power which allows him to assume any human form, grow to tremendous size, or reshape his body composition at will, the ability to discharge concussive plasma blasts, teleportation, and the ability to absorb outside sources of power to increase his own abilites.
Question: What is the name of the Monet painting that Thomas Crown loaned to the museum?
Answer: It's not actually a Monet. The painting is called "The Artist's Garden at Eragny", painted in 1898 by the French painter Camille Pissarro.
Question: Is the tea ceremony a real tradition or was it made up for the movie?
Answer: It's real. The tea ceremony was orignally used as a way to relax Samurai who were about to go into battle. It's very complicated and has many rules to remember and the participants are only allowed to speak about the tea itself. The point is to keep the Samurai's mind off the battle as much as possible.
Question: When Reese finds Sasha's body, you can hear Sasha's voice saying something over and over again, as if on a loop. Does anyone know a) what she's saying and b) what's causing it?
Chosen answer: She is saying "I'm not stuck, he is!" which was what the caller was saying when she was disconnected.
Question: What are the name and artist of the song that is playing after Ali is driving to Staines, near the beginning of the film? The lyrics are repeatedly "wicked" or "wickit" or something like that.
Answer: It's called Incredible, by M-Beat featuring General Levy.
Question: Is Leatherface based on a real person? If so, how close did they stick to the source material? Did he wear other peoples faces?
Answer: He's loosely based on Ed Gein, who made household objects and clothing out of human skin (mainly from corpses stolen from graveyards, but also from at least two murders that he committed). Gein also inspired Norman Bates of Psycho, and Buffalo Bill of Silence of the Lambs. See http://www.houseofhorrors.com/gein.htm.
Question: What happened to Frodo's Mithril vest? After the orcs remove it at the borders of Mordor we never see it again. Surely Frodo would not leave something behind that is 'worth more than all the Shire', as Gandalf said in Fellowship.
Answer: In the Extended cut, we see what happens to it. It is taken by the orcs and paraded in front of Aragorn's forces at the Black Gate by a character known as the Mouth of Sauron (effectively a spokesperson), taunting them that Frodo has failed in his mission. It was retrieved after the battle and returned to Frodo after his rescue from Mordor.
Question: Who Is Annette? Two Quotes: "Nobody's Jugs Are Bigger Than Annette's" and during the Sandra Dee song "Would you pull that crap with Annette"... My question is who is she?
Answer: Annette Funicello, a movie star from the 50s who was known for her bosom and roles in beach/surfer themed movies. She was also one of the original members of the Mickey Mouse Club.
I was teased about that all my school years - my name is Annette.
Question: Can anyone please tell me what Tony says to Rebenga as he is stabbing him in the prison camp? It sort of sounds like, "I'm gonna pay you f***." But that doesn't make sense.
Answer: He said, "From the friend you fu**ed."
Answer: I thought he said "for the free you f**k." would that not make more sense? They're chanting libertad and he was a top brass in a communist government.
Question: Has the cause of Rex's headaches been explained and does he still have them?
Answer: They haven't mentioned them in a long time. Once they stopped trying to make him look guilty his headaches suddenly disappeared. It may still be explained later as the SK storyline is supposed to not be tied up till early 2005.
Question: Sgt. Eversman says that none of it would have happened if Blackburn hadn't fallen. I don't understand in what way his fall started things.
Answer: If he hadn't fallen they wouldn't have had to send men down to retrieve him with the stretcher etc., and they would have gotten out of the area immediately.
Answer: To add to the previous answer. Following Blackburn's fall, they brought him to the target building to be brought back to the safe zone, which was done by Struecker and three Humvees. From the way it is portrayed in the film, it looks like Super Six-One was providing roof-top level over watch for the Humvees when it was shot down by an RPG. SSgt. Eversmann was then ordered to secure the crash site. Eversmann believes Blackburn's fall set everything in motion. This is also why Hoot gives him the speech on "it just being war and there was nothing he could have done differently that would have changed anything."
Question: Why is the pale blond man not considered a deserter? He looks old enough to fight, and not too old not to, but I don't understand why he didn't go to war.
Answer: He was part of the "homeguard" which was the group of men who stayed behind to guard their towns during the war. It was basically a legal excuse to not fully participate in the battles.
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Chosen answer: If you watch the Animatrix it explains the whole plot, half of the machinery was constructed in Zion, while all the hovercraft's are what remains from the day before the war, and the APUs look like they have been constructed in Zion and used for construction, the guns and ammo packs are mountable.
Kirill Ostapenko