Question: When is Nikko's name (leader of the flying monkeys) actually stated in the movie?
raywest
16th Aug 2023
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
16th Aug 2023
Where The Heart Is (2000)
Question: Ruth Meyers told Willy Jack that it would take two years to get his song on the radio. Why does it take so long, at least when this movie was filmed?
Answer: He's an unknown singer. It takes time to groom and refine a novice entertainer's raw talent, shape their image, build their career, book gigs, get a record contract, generate publicity, get a song recorded, and so on. Most radio stations are not going to play a random, unknown singer's song.
15th Aug 2023
My Name Is Earl (2005)
Question: Why'd they cancel the show?
Answer: Details are sketchy, but apparently NBC had renewed the series for a 5th season, but after unresolved contract disputes, the network canceled the show. 20th Century Fox, who produced the show, attempted to get other networks like FOX, TNT, and TBS to pick it up, but the studio was unable to reach favorable terms that would protect the show's artistic content.
15th Aug 2023
War of the Worlds (2005)
Question: Why does the first tripod kill every human in sight if that just leaves the others with not so many humans to harvest? The only purpose of the heat ray would be in defense.
9th Aug 2023
Closer (2004)
Question: How did Alice get her waitressing job? Would she need some sort of paperwork or license with her fake name?
Answer: "Alice," whose legal name was later revealed to be Jane Jones, had a valid passport. She could have used that to get the job and said she preferred being called "Alice." An employer is not going to discuss an employee's credentials with anyone. Being that she was an American, she may also have been working illegally and was paid "under the table," getting less money than a regular employee.
12th Aug 2023
The Santa Clause (1994)
Question: Why were the elves happy to see Scott and Charlie on their return to the North Pole? Their presence obviously meant that the old Santa was dead.
Answer: Unbeknownst to Scott, Charlie, and the viewer, Scott became the new Santa the moment he put on the Santa suit on his roof. Because of this, the elves don't even see him as Scott, but as Santa. His arrival also meant another successful toy delivery and the continuation of Christmas itself.
Answer: As the various Santas periodically are killed or die by other means, the elves appear unsurprised and are happy and relieved that they don't have to worry about having a replacement. They also seem pleased to see young Charlie, who wasn't expected. I haven't seen the movie in years, but I seem to recall that the previous Santa wasn't particularly liked or was somewhat incompetent.
12th Aug 2023
Silent House (2011)
11th Aug 2023
How Do You Know (2010)
Question: Why did Jack Nicholson quit acting after appearing in this movie?
8th Aug 2023
Signs (2002)
Question: What did Colleen mean when she told Graham to "see"?
Answer: She meant for him to see, when the moment came, that he would see and understand swinging his bat at the glasses of water would affect the aliens and save their lives.
Answer: In the context of the film and its message, it could be interpreted as her exhorting Graham to "see" how her death and what follows is all part of God's plan, which he rejects at first but then comes to believe is borne out by subsequent events and the film's conclusion.
8th Aug 2023
Heathers (1988)
8th Aug 2023
Inside Man (2006)
Question: Because Collins stated that the gunmen screamed "in a foreign accent," and because the police might have thought the robbers were terrorist in nature, why wasn't the FBI called in to help resolve the issue?
Answer: From a movie standpoint, it would complicate the storyline and take focus away from Det. Frazier and his interaction with Dalton, which is a big part of the plot. Also, someone having a foreign accent does not prove it was something other than a bank robbery/hostage situation. The police know that calling in the F.B.I. immediately complicates matters, as once the Feds are on the scene, they take over the operation, relegating the police to a minor role. That can lead to conflict and resentment. I would say there was some artistic license being employed in how the operation was shown to be handled.
3rd Aug 2023
Dirty Dancing (1987)
Question: Baby's dad comes by to check on Penny after her botched abortion and confirms she can still have kids in the future... Wouldn't further tests have been needed to establish this? Not just a house doctor examination?
Answer: It seems unlikely that the doctor could confirm that Penny could have children without her having a complete medical exam to ensure there was no internal injury, infection, complications, etc. I think this was merely a plot device known as "suspension of disbelief." It's meant to tie up that part of the story so the audience isn't left wondering what happens to Penny. The movie can then focus back on Baby and Johnny and the rest of the story.
Question: What would have been the correct thing for Luke to do in the cave?
Answer: I'm sure there will be many interpretations about this, and I can't wait to read them. My take was, Luke's mistake was ignoring Yoda's instructions to leave his weapons behind before entering the cave. Rather than using calm reason and logic, he confronted his fears with force and attacked an enemy that turned out to be something else entirely.
Answer: I wonder if Luke was supposed to allow the illusion of Darth Vader to "kill" him, similar to how Obi-Wan allowed himself to be killed. A lesson about how you can still lose in the long run, even if you win a fight with weapons. Obi-Wan trusted the Force and did not need to win the last duel with Vader. Vader won, but was still trapped by his choices and his obligations to the Emperor.
6th Aug 2023
Phantom of the Opera (1943)
Question: Did Claude Rains really play the piano here?
Answer: No, Claude Rains was not a trained musician. He was coached on how to play the violin and piano, but Rains' playing was dubbed over in post-production.
2nd Aug 2023
The Village (2004)
Question: Why didn't Lucius try to defend himself after getting stabbed? He just fell down and allowed himself to receive more stabbings. Sure, it was no doubt shock that set in, but human instinct would have been to try to at least push Noah off him and try to get away from him.
Answer: Everyone reacts differently to physical trauma and stress. Lucius appears to be in a physical state of shock, as both arms are shaking, he is unable to move, and seemingly does not comprehend what just happened to him, never assuming that Noah would do something like this. That is when Lucius falls to the floor. It's not unusual for someone experiencing or witnessing something traumatic to become frozen in disbelief as they attempt to process what just happened.
Answer: In real life, sure... 90% of people would fight back. But in the context of the movie, we are meant to assume that he collapsed due to being in shock/pain from being stabbed. Just to add a little extra note, I'm assuming the numerous questions that have been posted for this film and "Signs" over the past few weeks are coming from the same person. You really do have to remember that these are stylised movies from a director with a very quirky style. Shyamalan's films (both his good films and his bad films) often have a sort-of unique sense of logic to them, and almost follow fable-like rules at times. Trying to force too much real-world logic into them or wanting too many answers to kind of undermines their point. It'd be like trying to apply real-world logic to Grimm's fairy tales or a Wes Anderson film.
2nd Aug 2023
The Village (2004)
Question: How did Noah know about Ivy going on her mission in time enough for him to grab the creature costume from underneath the floorboards of the quiet room, bust out of the room, and head into the woods to lie in wait for her?
Answer: He probably overheard his parents discussing it. The mission wasn't a secret, and enough time would have elapsed while Ivy and the two other boys prepared for and left on their mission. Noah understood things much better than anyone realised, and he was able to act quickly. He may also have seen Ivy and the two boys leaving the village, then he quickly got the costume and followed them into the woods.
2nd Aug 2023
The Village (2004)
Question: Wasn't it very unloving and cruel for Edward Walker to send out Ivy? She was the one person who was blind. The village is all she has ever known. She had never even heard a siren before until she hopped over the wall. She went there (quite literally) blindly, not knowing what to expect. I don't believe he couldn't have gone with her. He could have walked her to the wall (ironically covered in ivy) and just told her, "I can't go beyond this point," and could have told her exactly what to say.
Answer: That would have been the logical thing to do, and it is yet, among many, another plot hole. However, it could be argued it was because Edward had solemnly sworn never to leave the village. Even going to the reserve's perimeter was violating that oath and put him too close to the modern world. Ivy was chosen because she was blind and would be unable to see anything of the modern world and bring that knowledge back to the younger villagers. It was his intention that the other two boys would escort her to the wall, but they became too frightened and left her on her own.
1st Aug 2023
Twister (1996)
Question: When Jo and Bill drove through Wakita after the twister came tearing through moments earlier, she saw a family that looked just like hers from when she was a little girl standing in the wreckage. Was that an actual lookalike family who were victims of the Wakita tornado, or was her mind playing tricks on her because of the mixture of lack of sleep, stress, and her childhood trauma/PTSD?
31st Jul 2023
Signs (2002)
Question: How did the aliens drop down from their ships that were shown on TV? Did they land and drop them off, or did they have some kind of teleporting device? Also, why didn't the Air Force attempt to shoot down any of them?
31st Jul 2023
Twister (1996)
Question: At the beginning, why did Jo's dad try to hold the storm cellar door against the raging winds of a tornado when he could have just scooted them into the farthest corner of the cellar – and even shielded them with himself if necessary? It was almost foreseen what had happened when he held the door.
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Answer: I don't believe it ever was mentioned. However, the character can still be credited in the cast list to differentiate him from the lesser flying monkeys. There could also have been a deleted scene where his name was mentioned.
raywest ★