Best crime movie questions of all time

Please vote as you browse around to help the best rise to the top.

The Town picture

Question: The hair is spread around the crime scene to provide contradictory DNA evidence. I think there was a shot of the bag being emptied. Anyone else remember this?

Answer: Yes, that is indeed in the movie.

Brad

Answer: Yes, when they get out of the car and switch to the other.

Answer: When they ditch the jeep Cherokee and take the station wagon, they empty the bag of hair.

More The Town questions
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle picture

Question: Why does the Thin Man always smell somebody's hair after he rips it off their head?

Answer: It's just a gruesome quirk. Every person has their own scent. He's savoring the moment of his kills.

raywest

More Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle questions
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows picture

Question: In the scene when Moriarty is doing a book signing, his aide sits and hands him a piece of paper with what looks like some kind of grouped numbers together. What is this and does it get referenced later in the film?

Brad Barding

Chosen answer: That's the key code for his fortune concealed in his library. The one Mrs Watson uses to relay to Inspector Lestrade. Like the book reference numbers in a public library.

More Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows questions
Ocean's Thirteen picture

Question: Can anyone give some insight as to what was used to contaminate the hotel reviewer's room?

Answer: I don't think there's any way of providing an exact answer to this question, but I think it's safe to say that whatever materials they used were highly bacterial but not lethal (otherwise the 5 Diamond Award critic would be dead or in serious condition).

filledemot

More Ocean's Thirteen questions
I Know Who Killed Me picture

Question: What's the symbolism behind all the blue in the movie?

Answer: Blue's the color for Aubrey's character, and the red one's for Dakota. If you watch the movie carefully you can notice that Aubrey wears blue clothes the most of the time while Dakota wears red ones. So it's just to represent the diferent characters and make the movie obvious.

More I Know Who Killed Me questions
Den of Thieves picture

Question: Early on we see the crooks put wet cash in a microwave, presumably to dry it. Would that work? I just assume you'd end up with hot wet cash - I would have thought an oven or hairdryer or something would be a better bet.

Jon Sandys

Answer: Considering how microwave ovens work, it seems it would. Microwaves work by bombarding whatever is inside with actual 'microwaves' which works to excite the water molecules within. Paper, and in the case of cash, cotton, wouldn't be affected on its own but the water inside would be. Ever had something wrapped in a paper towel when you microwave it? The cash is not metal, and the water content is what gets heated up inside and evaporated, so I believe it would work.

Quantom X

Answer: There are videos of people drying money in microwaves, but it was a single layer of bills. But it can be tricky because, like wet clothes, it can catch on fire in the microwave if let in too long.

Bishop73

More Den of Thieves questions
Batman and Robin picture

Question: How was Pamela Isley aka Poison Ivy able to fight Batgirl with martial arts-like skills towards the end of the movie? Pamela was a doctor and I highly doubt given her obsession with her research she had the time to take martial arts lessons in her spare time, if she had any during her stay in South America. Even after she transformed into Poison Ivy, her transformation could not have given her martial arts skills since her powers are based on plant abilities.

joshtrivia

Answer: There's no way of knowing whether or not she "had the time" to study martial arts. Regardless of her studies, she could have made time to pursue this as an extra-curricular activity. Universities can have classes, clubs, competitions, and student groups for martial arts on campus that anyone can participate in. She may also have been studying it since childhood. She was also a botanist, so even with a rigorous academic schedule, she would likely have more free time than a medical student.

raywest

Answer: That and they had to have the women fight in here. I mean they couldn't have the guys hit her now could they? So it was necessary for her to fight competently at least.

Rob245

Exactly, and that's a point I make again and again that things happen in movies because it's required to make the plot to work, not because it reflects real life.

raywest

More Batman and Robin questions
Escape from Alcatraz picture

Question: When Frank is delivering books to inmates' cells, he reaches D block, but a guard stops him, and tells him they are not allowed in those cells. Were books really disallowed in D block cells?

Answer: Those were the solitary confinement cells, with no light and no luxuries of any kind. So yes, they did not allow inmates on that block to have books.

This is inaccurate as a light in each cell was turned on at 6:30 every morning in solitary confinement at Alcatraz.

More Escape from Alcatraz questions
Face/Off picture

Question: Why did Castor shoot Dietrich? They were on the same side.

MikeH

Chosen answer: Although they were on the same side, Troy is currently posing as Archer, which means he would have to do everything that the FBI would expect Archer to be doing. The whole point of the raid was to take out Archer, as well as Troy's gang. He would have rather risked killing part of his own gang than risk exposing his identity to anyone else.

Casual Person

That doesn't really make sense. In the scene, he goes out of his way to shoot him and smiles while doing so, carefully and slowly. Was not a collateral damage situation. The question is why he deliberately goes out of his way to kill him.

Answer: If you watch closely, he saw Archer, went out of his way not to shoot him, instead was aiming for his own son that he didn't know was his, to further traumatize Archer.

More Face/Off questions

Answer: There's no way of knowing what was in the case. It is a plot device called a "MacGuffin," a term coined by director Alfred Hitchcock. It doesn't actually matter what the object is but is just something that drives the story. It can be any type of object or device such as a "secret formula," "enemy war plans," a "nuclear weapon," a "treasure map," and so on that the characters are either searching for or protecting. There was never any intention to reveal what it was. Its purpose is to motivate the characters' actions and tell the story. Most likely it was intended to be a McGuffin just to keep the audience guessing and thinking about the movie long after it ends.

raywest

More Ronin questions
Matchstick Men picture

Question: Why is there a scene where the fake detectives are trying to listen to Roy's conversation with his doc? They weren't really cops, the fake hospital room didn't need microphones, etc.

Answer: They needed to get the password for Roy's safety deposit box. They planted the camera and microphones so that they could listen in on the conversation and know what the password is.

Casual Person

More Matchstick Men questions
Judge Dredd picture

Question: Why do some Judges have a sort of eagle on their armour, when some are just symmetrical?

Answer: The 'Full Eagle' and 'Half Eagle' are badges of status amongst the Judges.

Moose

More Judge Dredd questions
National Lampoon's European Vacation picture

Question: What was up with the kissing of Kent Winkdale (the host) in the game show "Pig in a poke"?

Answer: Kent was a parody of Richard Dawson and other classic game show hosts; Richard Dawson was well known (and somewhat notorious) for kissing all female contestants when he hosted "Family Feud" in the 1970s and 1980s.

zendaddy621

More National Lampoon's European Vacation questions
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre picture

Question: What has happened by the time the police footage is shown? After Erin escaped and killed the "Sheriff", police footage of the area is then shown (at the beginning as well), such as the police collecting evidence and filming a walk-through, as if the house has been abandoned for years, but it's only a day after. What has happened to the rest of the Hewitt family (Luda May, Monty, Tea Lady etc.), with the exception of Leatherface who escaped? How did the police only find out about the Hewitts then?

Answer: Erin must have led the police back to the house and then the Hewitt's were taken away so that way evidence could be collected. They must have thought that Leatherface had escaped and was no longer in the house.

More The Texas Chainsaw Massacre questions
The Sting picture

Question: What horse actually won the race that Lonigan bets on Lucky Dan to win?

Speedway

Chosen answer: I watched this the other night and specifically listened for what horse won the race that Lucky Dan was running in. It is never revealed who the winner is, because while the fake announcer in the back room is calling the race, the F.B.I. agents raid the building. During the ensuing chaos, shouting, and gunfire, it is impossible to hear the broadcast over the noise.

raywest

More The Sting questions

Red (2010)

Red picture

Question: Why is Marvin wearing a plastic sheet over his suit in the scene where he, Frank and Joe are interrogating Alexander Dunning? (01:04:15)

Chosen answer: Intimidation. The implication is that he's going to be spilling Dunning's blood during the interrogation and doesn't want to get his suit dirty.

Captain Defenestrator

More Red questions
The Interpreter picture

Question: Am I mistaken, or did Sylvia say she was born in the US before moving to Africa? I'm just puzzled as to why she was deported in the end even if she has dual citizenship.

Jason Feng

Chosen answer: Dual citizenship is complicated, and it does not guarantee a person equal rights, privileges, and obligations in both countries. Nor does one country or the other always recognize dual citizenship. Since Sylvia's main residency has been in Africa, the US would consider that her primary homeland and could legally deport her there. Basically, the government is giving Sylvia a way to avoid prosecution in the US by allowing her to leave the country.

raywest

More The Interpreter questions
Body Heat picture

Question: Matty introduces her friend as Mary Ann, but in the year book, the friend is actually Matty Tyler, and she is actually Mary Ann. Were both girls in on the scam? (00:31:22)

Answer: I noticed the problem of the introduction, also. It seemed like a major plot hole to me. There wasn't any material in the movie to support blackmail, etc by the real Matty. I hadn't thought of her possibly being in on the scam. If not, why wouldn't the real Matty have immediately blanched when hearing herself be introduced with the wrong name? So far, I agree with the OP's suggestion.

The real Maddy was at the house when Ned arrived. Presumably, she had already discovered what "Fake Maddy" was up to. It looked like Fake Maddy (Turner) gave the real Maddy a check, presumably a payoff to keep quiet. The real Maddy may or may not have known exactly what Fake Maddy was planning, but went along with being introduced as "Mary Ann." Also, the movie deliberately leaves details vague because it is a big plot twist at the end when Ned, and the audience, learns that Fake Maddy is really Mary Ann.

raywest

Answer: It appears that the real Matty Tyler was not initially in on the plan. It's confusing, and there're many plot holes, but it seems the fake "Matty" (Kathleen Turner) intended for the real Matty to eventually discover that her identity was being used (by Turner). The real Matty was then apparently blackmailing fake Matty to keep quiet. It appears that fake Matty intended to lure and then murder the real Matty, framing Ned Racine for her murder, as well as Edmund's. The real Matty's body was identified as being Edmond's wife through her dental records. Fake Matty probably intended for Ned to be killed in the explosion.

raywest

More Body Heat questions
Bullitt picture

Question: What character did the actor John Aprea play in the movie? The credits at the end lists him as 'The Killer', but who did he kill? He wasn't one of the two hit men at the hotel.

Answer: Notice: Aprea is credited as "Killer", not "The Killer." I think this confuses reviewers, as they assume he must be one of the hit men. However, the hit men are credited as "Phil" (Bill Hickman) and "Mike" (Paul Genge). Genge is much older than Aprea and Aprea does not look like the grey-haired hit man, as another contributor has pointed out already. There is no other killer in the plot. Perhaps Aprea's scenes were cut.

Answer: The doctor that alerts Bullitt that the grey-haired hitman is in the hospital looks like Aprea. He calls himself Dr. Kenner, and that character is uncredited. Maybe "Killer" was supposed to be "Kenner" in the credits?

Answer: Aprea portrays the Organization hood who shoots wildly at Johnny Ross as Ross' car careens out of the parking lot into and down the alley during his getaway in Chicago.

Answer: In a Bullitt movie clip on the Turner Classic Movies (TCM) website, it identifies John Aprea as the killer who goes to the hospital to murder the witness. Bullitt chases him to the basement toward the end of the film.

raywest

The killer that Bullitt chases is Paul gange (listed in the credits in the role of "Mike") despite the TCM website. Aprea is listed in the movie's credits as the killer, but also lists gange as Mike. Look the name up on IMDB and you can see from his photo that he is the guy Bullitt chases. Why John Aprea - at least 20 years younger than the killer in the movie - is credited as the killer, I have no idea. And I have no idea where in the movie Aprea really appeara.

More Bullitt questions
The Dark Knight Rises picture

Question: When Commissioner Gordon is talking to the crowd about Harvey Dent, he takes out a speech and is about to read about what really happened to him but then chooses not to as he wants the people of Gotham City to remember Harvey as a hero who stood up for justice while letting everybody believe that Batman was a killer. Even though he never read his speech, why didn't he simply tell people that contrary to what many people believed in the second movie, that Batman was innocent and didn't kill anybody? Why not just blame everything on the Joker who was truly responsible for the murders of so many people?

Answer: He was about to admit Harvey Dent is responsible for multiple murders, but he realised that would end his career and probably bring back the old days with the mob and gangs running wild. Even though indirectly the Joker was responsible, the public would still see Dent as a murderer and still cause the system to collapse. Batman was able to be blamed for the murdering Dent and those other people instead of the Joker, who was already in custody and couldn't have killed Dent.

lionhead

This question is about why not just blame the Joker for all of the deaths. Not why he chose to never tell people that Harvey Dent began killing people.

Because it was easier to blame Batman for all the deaths, since he was being blamed for Dent's death already.

lionhead

More The Dark Knight Rises questions

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.