Question: How was Obi-Wan going to become more powerful after he was dead?
Answer: I agree with Darius Angel's comment. I also think Vader expected a certain sense of satisfaction after defeating his former master. In reality, though, he was still "owned" by the Emperor and was living with the consequences of his choices. Defeating Obi-wan did not change much for him. Obi-wan, however, gained the benefits that Darius Angel mentioned.
Question: What did the trooper mean when he said, "Didn't you know this ain't Saturday"? It always makes me wonder.
Answer: The trooper on the motorcycle had just landed in the water. In older days, the typical day to take a bath, wash hair, etc. was Saturday. The trooper in the car (once he saw the motorcycle trooper was okay and wet) just made a joke about him taking a bath.
It was a redneck joke, playing off the stereotype that hillbillies bathe once a week on Saturday or Sunday.
Answer: I think the trooper makes this joke in reference to Evel Knievel, a popular performer of the day. His shows, which prominently featured motorcycle stunts (particularly jumping) usually occurred on the weekends (i.e. Saturday).
Question: Okay, so the three astronauts are on the run but only James Brolin makes good his escape. What happened to the other two? They're shown as being caught, but what happened after? Anybody know?
Chosen answer: It's never stated in the film, however, as the astronauts have been declared officially dead and therefore cannot ever be allowed to contact anybody, they were most likely executed as soon as they were captured.
Answer: How were they able to fire their flares, then?
Answer: O.J. Simpson would have had time to shoot his flare to show he was caught. With Waterson harder to believe, he had climbed the side of the mountain and was just coming to the top with the planes coming into view. Either he would have been dropped and died on way down, not getting the chance to shoot the flare, or he was grabbed from the edge. Unlikely to have time also to shoot the flare before being intercepted.
It's likely he would have had time. He was no threat and not going anywhere, so the helicopter pilots would have been in no rush to grab him. They were just sat patiently waiting for him. By the time they'd got out and reached him, he'd have plenty of time to grab and release his flare.
Question: Why were the aliens abducting people and why did they bring them back?
Answer: It wasn't definitively answered, but it appears the aliens took people in order to learn more about humans. It's unclear if all those who were returned had originally gone willingly, but the intent was not to keep them indefinitely or harm them, and they were returned to Earth, albeit many decades later. At the end, after the aliens had made contact, a new group of humans, including Roy, went with them voluntarily.
Question: How is Elliott spelt, as I've seen it both Elliot and Elliott on various different Disney memorabilia?
Answer: In the original film, the credits show his name as "Elliott" (with 2 t's). In the remake, his name is "Elliot" (with 1 t). So older memorabilia will have "Elliott". In the original film, Elliott was the dragon's given name, in a manner of speaking. In the remake, Pete names the dragon after the puppy from his favorite book which was called "Elliot Gets Lost". This is the only reason I can find for the spelling change.
Question: What is the name of the song that blasts in Dr. Wentworth's car and causes his ears to rupture? Or was it something created for the movie?
Answer: It was a song written by Mel Brooks for the film. It's called "If You Love Me Baby, Tell Me Loud."
Question: In the scene where the American 82nd Airborne is storming the river bank at Nijmegen, there is a brief shot of one of the German defenders, who looks quite startingly like a puberescent boy. Anyone know whether this assumption is correct, and if so, what's the background to this story?
Chosen answer: The Germans did use some Hitler youth movement in the war.
Question: I couldn't understand the joke in the beginning ("In such small portions"). Can someone explain it to me, please.
Answer: Woody says "There's an old joke - um... two elderly women are at a Catskill mountain resort, and one of 'em says, "Boy, the food at this place is really terrible." The other one says, "Yeah, I know; and such small portions." Well, that's essentially how I feel about life - full of loneliness, and misery, and suffering, and unhappiness, and it's all over much too quickly." The 2nd old lady is complaining about the small portions of terrible food, as if large portions of terrible food would be better.
Answer: It's a buffet.
Question: How does the Liparus explode and sink at the end? After the nuclear subs have been destroyed, the ship just starts blowing up for no apparent reason. Was there any explanation for it?
Chosen answer: When the nuclear subs have been destroyed, there's an explosion in the control room, and one of the men cries out "Fuel tank!" Liparus has numerous internal fires raging after the battle with her crew. These uncontrolled fires eventually spread to her fuel tanks and ammo storages, one of which explodes in a huge fireball and finally causes Liparus to sink.
I thought the final explosions that sank the Liparus were deliberate self destruction after completing the mission in an attempt to destroy any evidence, rather like when Bolfeld manually triggers explosives after being thwarted in You Only Live Twice.
Liparus sinks slowly, and that would leave her crew plenty of time to evacuate. Angry and armed crew with a grudge against Stromberg.
Question: The game in Houston is only 4 innings. If it almost got called after 2 innings, it's obviously pressed for time. Although called safe for the win, if Kelly was called out at home plate at the end of the 4th, the game would have ended in a tie. No extra innings would be allowed for sure this time due to time factor, so how would a winning team be determined to play in Japan?
Answer: 1) The Bears HAD to win in order to go to Japan and thus a tie would mean the Toros played Japan (like a champion retaining his title after a draw in a title fight). Or 2) They played a 2nd game at a later time.
Question: When Brutus and Nero capture Penny trying to run away, Brutus holds her by the straps on her dress. but when returning to the riverboat, Brutus holds Penny upside by her underwear. If it were possible, how would Brutus have managed to turn Penny upside down like that without releasing her and letting her run off again?
Chosen answer: It could be she got loose again when they were heading back and Brutus grabbed her again but this time by her underwear.
Question: Why did God choose Jerry to spread his word around to other people?
Answer: He tells Jerry he chose him specifically because he was an average person. As he put it "better than some, not as good as others."
Question: Why was the CIA agent pleading not to be sent to Detroit?
Answer: Detroit has long been notorious for its high crime, high unemployment, and urban blight. It's just a joke about how it's not a very pleasant place to be. Heck, the city motto is 'We hope for better things' and 'It will rise from the ashes.'
Question: Why did Sterling Holloway quit voicing Winnie The Pooh after providing his voice in this movie?
Answer: It is heavily implied that one who becomes a Force-Ghost achieves an untold level of power upon entering the state. Given that they have become a pure entity of the Force, it seems to back up the statement. Obi-Wan also becomes free to assist Luke in any case.
Darius Angel
In addition to this answer, I think Obi-wan also became powerful because he "let go." He did not feel a need to defeat Vader on this occasion - he was willing to surrender the fight and "move on" to a new state. Something that Vader might not currently understand.