Question: Mel Brooks consciously and deliberately filled Blazing Saddles with anachronisms, this was part of the film's humour. But one thing has always niggled at my mind. Blazing Saddles is set in 1874. Quite early on in the film the whites ask Cleavon Little/Bart why African Americans are not singing work songs. The African Americans then begin acapella harmonised version of Cole Porters "I Get A Kick Out Of You" (written for the 1934 musical "Anything Goes"). But in October 1974, shortly after Blazing Saddles had its UK release, an otherwise unknown Australian singer called Gary Shearston had a top ten UK hit with a cover of "I Get A Kick Out Of You." Was there any connection? Did Blazing Saddles revive interest in the song?
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Answer: By the time "Blazing Saddles" used the song, Cole Porter's "I Get a Kick Out of You" had been covered literally dozens of times over the decades, so much so that it was a well-worn standard. In other words, it didn't really need reviving. There is no indication that Australian folk singer Gary Shearston was directly inspired by the song's use in "Blazing Saddles," or he probably would have admitted it for the sake of promotion. When asked about his eccentric cover of the Cole Porter song on the 1974 album "Dingo," Shearston simply replied that he "did it for fun," without elaborating. The acoustic guitar of Shearston's cover seemed more inspired by George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord," and Shearston's vocals were described as "laid-back," while his stage performance of the song (which was a huge hit in the UK) was notable for Shearston's "deadpan" delivery. Shearston also either bungled or deliberately altered the lyrics in places, and he ended the song muttering about his girlfriend, by name. So, Shearston very much made the song his own, and the timing of his cover following on the heels of "Blazing Saddles" would seem to be pure coincidence.
Question: How did the inmates on rooftops manage to get their hands on beer?
Answer: It was given to them by the guards.
But isn't beer banned in prisons?
Andy gives Hadley (the head guard) financial advice on how to keep a large sum of money, which he (Hadley) received as an inheritance. Andy, being an accountant, offers to do all the necessary tax work, in exchange for three beers apiece for his fellow inmates. Hadley agrees, and arranges for the beer to be delivered and given to them. (All of this is shown in the scene immediately prior to that in which the inmates are drinking beer).
Answer: Under all but rare circumstances, alcoholic beverages are not allowed in US prisons, which was also the case in 1949, when this scene takes place; the significance of this scene is to establish that Andy began to enjoy special privileges while incarcerated, which is also how he eventually got the warden to allow him to establish the prison library.
Question: Greg helps the Renegades. How does he learn their routine so fast? It was after midnight. The competition is the next day.
Question: How did Bishop end up with 2 guns during the robbery of Quiles? I'm assuming they edited out of the part where Bishop probably took Quiles' gun from behind the counter. He was holding the 2nd gun in his left hand when they were hiding from being seen by the cops in the store. What do you think?
Answer: Bishop held his second gun when Bishop found Quiles' gun in his convenience store (when Quiles pulled his gun while Bishop and Radames' gang first altercation scene).
The Viewing Party Combustion - S9-E21
Question: How come out of nowhere Leonard decides to not go to the roommate agreement meeting? I know he wouldn't want to but why just decide not to after about 13 years of these?
Answer: He was probably sick of it by that point. He has complained many times about roommate agreement regulations.
Question: When Kirk and Scotty first enters the Enterprise, the hatch is numbered 5. But the computer announces that a travel pod is available at Cargo 6. Would that be considered an error?
Question: After Jack hits his shoulder Nate starts crying, and says they left it in his hands. What is he talking about?
Answer: As I understood it, Nate is feeling the burden of making sure the team won and feels his injury prevented that. "They" are the coaches and players that died in the plane crash. Nate is saying when they died, they left the responsibility of the program in his hands. Jack (his new head coach) replies that they "just left", meaning even though the died, they didn't leave the responsibilities on Nate.
Question: How is it Steve never seemed to notice Diana's absences when she's her alter ego?
Answer: There is no logical reason. Any normal person would notice these type of absences. The show employs a "suspension of disbelief," which is a literary device where the movie audience or a book reader accepts that certain things are unreal for the sake of the story to be told. It is similar to no-one noticing that Clark Kent looks exactly like Superman because he wears glasses.
Answer: Thank you.
Question: What does the ending mean? Does Brooks kill his daughter before she kills again?
Question: Usually a cheerleader team has a coach. Where is the coach during practices?
Answer: We always lacked coaches for sports at school and just did our own practices, maybe this film reflects that aspect also?
Question: Was Baby a virgin before she was with Johnny?
Question: Is there a connection or special meaning when Dan asks 'Alice' during their last fight who she really is, and 'Alice' answers him "I'm nobody," and the fact that she is hiding her true identity as Jane Jones?
Answer: Anna says that Alice has "had quite a life" (after she read Dan's book that was based on Alice). Presumably Alice has been through difficult situations: abuse, neglect, etc. She considers herself a "nobody" and enjoys lying as a form of control. Which is why she never told Dan her real name, or everything about herself. She could never trust anybody completely. She also says "I'm the one who leaves." She prefers to leave men before they can leave her.
Question: Why did the SWAT team start shooting when they enter the room? Shouldn't they just hold for a second to see if everyone is unarmed before they start firing?
Answer: At this point they believe they are dealing with a team of mass murderers, possibly terrorists. It is perfectly reasonable they would shoot on sight to stop the threat. This particular group (at least based on what they know) has no problem gunning down an entire police station.
Question: Why didn't those purge people just go find someone else? Why waste all their time on one house and why did the girls go around in flimsy dresses and barefoot on a cold night?
Answer: These purgers are pretty crazy. They were hunting this person, a homeless man, and they wanted to kill him specifically. They wanted their prize, the trophy of their hunt. And they won't let anyone stop them as it's their right. So being blocked from their target only increases their desire.
Answer: Shortly after letting the black guy into their house, the gang leader tells James that he (the black man) killed one of their members, and they wanted revenge.
Answer: One reason is that Harry Potter's Uncle Vernon Dursley absorbed his hatred of wizards from his wife, Aunt Petunia Dursley. As the Harry Potter books progress, we find out that Vernon's wife, Petunia, was a "muggle" (not a wizard) but her sister, Lily, Harry's mother, had magical powers. Lily was invited to study at Hogwarts: here Lily refined her magical powers and wizarding abilities, and met James Potter, her future husband (and Harry's father). Petunia was jealous and resentful of Lily, and, because of this, Harry Potter and the whole wizarding world. For all his faults, Vernon loves Petunia, and so he shares her hatred of wizards. It appears that Vernon and Petunia know a lot more about the wizarding world than they would admit. They cannot tolerate the thought that Harry Potter is a wizard with powers and abilities greater than theirs, so they put Harry Potter (and the wizarding world) down at every opportunity.
Question: Whatever happened to the bus used in the film?
Question: What was the purpose of the government officials arriving at Elliot's house in astronaut suits? I never really understood the purpose behind that.
Answer: Forgive my ignorance they just looked like space suits to me.
Question: At the end of the movie, how did Kevin's decision to not represent Getty's make him lose his case and how could he possibly be disbarred for making such a decision?
Answer: In short, a lawyer may not withdraw from a case if doing so will adversely affect the interest of client. At this point in the trial, if he withdrew, it could prejudice Getty in the eyes of the jury (i.e. they might think he's guilty because his lawyer doesn't want to defend him anymore). Source: Florida RPC 4-1.16 Declining or Terminating Representation.
But, could his refusal to represent Getty any longer allow Getty to get him disbarred?
The State Bar Association would be the entity that would determine if Kevin will be disbarred. All Getty could do is bring grievances to the Association, but it would be a matter of public record that Kevin withdrew in the middle of trial that and it would be more likely that the Judge reports Kevin to the Bar. Getty's recourse of action would be to sue Kevin, but that wouldn't result in disbarment.
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Answer: Thank you for that. So there was no direct connection. Maybe the song was going around in "the collective consciousness" (whatever that might be) in late 1974. A small bit of extra trivia: Cleavon Little/Bart sings the line that mentions cocaine. When Cole Porter wrote "I get a kick out of you" for the 1934 stage musical "Anything Goes" he wrote the line "some get a kick from cocaine." When the musical was adapted for the 1936 movie the Production Code Administration objected to references to drug use in popular songs, so Cole Porter re-wrote the line as "some like the perfume in Spain." Cleavon Little/Bart has redressed the balance in "Blazing Saddles."
Rob Halliday