Question: After having so many disappointments over the way that Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was filmed, Roald Dahl swore he would never be involved in any movie that was based on one of his books. How then was the rights to turn the novel "The Witches" into a movie acquired? Wouldn't the director have needed Roald's permission?
Questions about specific movies, TV shows and more
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Question: When Stewie is talking to Brian about songs not addressing baby issues, Brian says to Stewie "Well how could they address baby issues? Children's songs are written by adults. And dollars to donuts, white adults." Stewie then replies saying "Who are you mad at, Brian?" and Brian then says "How much time you got?" Did I miss a joke or something? What exactly was "And dollars to donuts, white adults" supposed to mean?
Chosen answer: "Dollars to donuts" is just a colorful expression meaning you're pretty sure about something (similar to saying "100 to 1" which in betting terms mean I'll put up $100 I'm right and you put up $1 that I'm wrong). Brian is just suggesting baby songs are written by white adults because he's saying white people don't have real problems.
Question: When Stewie says he is going to write a song and that Brian can help, Brian replies saying "Well, I did write a musical about Alexander Hamilton." Stewie then looks puzzled by what Brian said and Brian says to Stewie "Not that one." First, who exactly is the Alexander Hamilton that Brian was talking about? And second, what exactly was Stewie supposed have been thinking of after Brian said Alexander Hamilton, but before Brian pointed out it "wasn't that one"?
Chosen answer: There's a Broadway musical called "Hamilton", which is about Alexander Hamilton. It's been very successful and won countless awards. Stewie gives Brian a look of disbelief that he wrote the popular "Hamilton" musical, so Brian is saying the musical he wrote is not the famous musical, but a different one.
Question: Why was Meredith so enthusiastic to make Tom "lose everything"? All she wanted was for him to be transferred or quit so he didn't find out about the changes on the production line, but she is asking him to see pictures of his family and trying to send him to Austin which would be sold, instead of another place. The book even mentions that Meredith was the one who was aiming to sell Austin. Why not just transfer Tom to another place and job in Digicom?
Answer: She needs to heavily discredit him in order to cover up her own mistakes. She wants to transfer him to Austin and then sell it so she can do it quietly and without ado.
Question: After Pigeon Toady finds Junior and Tulip with the baby girl, he returns to Conservatoire to make the report to Hunter. While Hunter strategizes in tracking down Junior and Tulip, Toady points out that they don't know where they going. That reduces Hunter in planning to change the address of the baby's homing beacon. Why doesn't Toady use his phone to call Hunter once he finds Junior and Tulip, and why doesn't he continue to follow them?
Chosen answer: Toady is intent on impressing Hunter by reporting Junior and Tulip to him. He was likely so eager to report Junior and Tulip to Hunter that he forgot all about where Junior and Tulip were going off too, but instead to let Hunter know about what was happening and likely be given some recognition from him.
Question: McCoy joins Kirk for a drink, revealing a bottle he found in Chekov's locker. Firstly, what was he doing in Chekov's locker? Secondly, what's with the two of them clinking glasses with a third drink? The locker and the clinking might suggest Chekov was dead, as they might have to fill in if Anton Yelchin had died before filming was complete, but that's not what happened. Chekov is very much alive in the next scene.
Chosen answer: Why Bones might have been going through Chekov's locker is addressed in another answer. The third glass is not for Chekov - who, as you point out, is alive - it's in memory of Jim's dad, George Kirk, who (as Bones mentions in this scene and as shown in Star Trek 2009) died on the same day Jim was born. Because of this fact, Jim's birthday always reminds him of his dad's death, so they pour a glass, and raise a toast, in his honour every year.
The director reportedly said the 3rd glass was a late addition. Perhaps it can serve both purposes, the scripted intention as well as a subtle tribute. See #7 in https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/star-trek-beyond-justin-lin-simon-pegg/.
Question: On the way to Starbase Yorktown, McCoy joins Kirk for a drink; Kirk is already drinking something illegal. McCoy shows him something he found in Chekov's locker, and they both enjoy it tremendously. Exactly what was McCoy doing rummaging around in Chekov's locker? Was it some sort of contraband check?
Chosen answer: This scene from "Star Trek: Beyond" is an alternate-timeline version of the scene from "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" in which McCoy brings Kirk an illegal bottle of Romulan Ale as a birthday gift (so we know that McCoy isn't above bending or breaking the law a little in obtaining a gift for Kirk). In "Beyond," this scene was re-imagined with Kirk already drinking illegal Saurian Brandy for his birthday, and McCoy surprises him with a very old bottle of Scotch Whisky from Chekov's locker. More than likely, McCoy knew very well that Chekov kept a prized bottle of Scotch in his locker, and McCoy simply took the bottle. What was Chekov going to do, report the Chief Medical Officer to the Captain?
Or in the future it is not above humanity to be willing to share things more than now. Maybe Chekov had given his approval for anyone to partake in a drink that he may possess, as it is no big deal.
The point is made in Beyond that McCoy "took" the scotch from Chekov's locker. If Chekov freely shared his prized bottle of scotch, McCoy should have said, "Here's a gift from Mr. Chekov, and he sends best wishes." To me, the larger question is why was Chekov hiding a bottle of liquor in a "locker" when he could have more easily kept it in his personal quarters? Perhaps because the contents of personal quarters were easily monitored, so Chekov had to HIDE it in a less conspicuous area.
Question: When Iracebeth takes Mirana back in time to when a young Mirana ate the tarts and lied about it, why would the adult Mirana continue to deny having eaten them?
Answer: The way I interpreted the scene is that Mirana subconsciously altered her own memory to convince herself that she had not eaten the tart to avoid the guilt of the resulting accident. This is a real phenomenon, so it's perfectly plausible. If my assumption is correct, this scene shows Mirana realizing for the first time that she is in fact responsible for everything that has happened since due to a single lie she told.
Answer: I don't think she was actually denying it at that point, just reciting the answer she knew she'd given originally.
Question: How did Stine find the kids and the Abominable Snowman at the ice rink?
Chosen answer: He found the book in his house, saw the title, and just naturally assumed that they were there because the snowman needs to be in a place where it is cold.
The book was with the kids not in the house.
Well my guess is that he followed the destruction that the abominable snowman left behind. He also must have checked his books over as well and saw which one was missing because there were some books on the floor.
Question: After Hunter falls off Stork Mountain and Junior and Tulip survive the fall, Jasper shows up with blankets which he suggests the storks use to deliver the newly produced babies. If Jasper was at the factory by the time Hunter caused Junior and Tulip to fall, why doesn't he fly down to save them?
Chosen answer: There were hundreds of other storks who were there who chose to not fly down, Jasper was not the only stork who didn't fly down to help Junior and Tulip. The other storks were standing there looking over the edge, to see if anyone from the collapsing building would come back. Since the storks can fly, they all likely, including Jasper, assumed Junior could just fly back to the other section of the building, or perhaps were unsure if Junior and Tulip would still be alive, so did not want to risk themselves getting killed.
Question: There was an episode, where the only thing I remember is an autistic woman in court and it had something to do with having sex or having a baby with her autistic boyfriend. Anyone know what this episode is called?
Chosen answer: "Thursday's Child" (season 4, episode 2, October 8th, 2002) : The parents of a sexually active mentally disabled 17-year-old (Lynsey Bartilson) come before Amy to request control of their daughter's reproductive rights. [source : TV Guide on-line.].
Question: Was a lot of the dialogue dubbed? It seems that a lot of the actors' voices don't seem to match up with the movements of their mouths.
Question: What is Eugene stabbed with in the movie, a piece of glass or a knife?
Chosen answer: It's a long knife, or a medieval dagger called an athame. After she stabs him, she holds up the weapon, revealing what it is. Here's a screenshot of it: http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/villains/images/1/1b/Mother_Gothel_demonstrating_her_evil_power.png/revision/latest?cb=20131028164601.
Question: If Frederick picked the party members himself, without his wife's input, how did Dr. Trent (spoiler alert, his wife's lover) manage to get Frederick to pick him?
Chosen answer: Frederick knew that Trent was his wife's lover. That's why Trent was invited. The party was supposed to be an opportunity for Frederick to take revenge.
Question: Tommy was executed for killing Billy Batts - but Jimmy and Henry tried to help cover the killing up. How come they'd didn't get punished for that?
Answer: Tommy was the only one who actively participated in Billy Batts' murder, so although Henry and Jimmy were accessories to the murder, they were probably overlooked given Tommy's reputation and because Tommy was "above" them within the hierarchy of their family. It's also implied within Henry's voiceover that Tommy was basically handed over by his family to Batts' family because Batts was a made man, ie. untouchable, and Tommy was not "made" to avoid further violence between the families and possible full-blown gang war; Jimmy and Henry's involvement was either unknown to or overlooked by Batts' people.
He was killed by a hit man for trying to rape Karen while Henry was in prison. The whole time she was sleeping with Paulie to pay the bills. Paulie was keeping him away from Gotti's crew as long as possible. The attempted rape was the end. Real life.
Question: When Anakin and Padme get married, Anakin is wearing an outfit that is often seen on Jedi and is displaying a Jedi Padawan's hair braid. Do he and Padme not care that the man who performs the wedding is seeing him (as Jedi are not supposed to have relationships and marry)? Why not disguise him? It's a huge risk to let even one person see a Jedi getting married.
Answer: Agolerga, who officiated the wedding, would have known who both people were, especially Padme. Remember they were also keeping the marriage secret because of Padme's position as Senator. Assuming Agolerga was aware a Jedi can't marry, he may simply not care or agree with the rule. Also, as a holy man of Naboo, Anakin and Padme may have trusted him with their secret.
Question: In the military warehouse scene at the beginning of the film, the huge sliding doors are designated "51" in numbers 30 feet tall, on the inside of the warehouse doors. If you were already on the premises of a top-secret government base, and already inside a top-secret government warehouse, why would you need a 30-foot-tall numerical designation inside the building?
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Answer: "The Witches" was made twenty years after "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory", and in that time television adaptations had been made of "The BFG" and "Danny the Champion of the World" of which Dahl approved, so presumably he had relaxed his view of adaptations of his books - however he did hate the ending of The Witches film.
Sierra1 ★