Question: Can someone please tell me why Kurt Russell is playing his own father in the flashback scenes. I just don't understand why.
Question: What exactly is a chafing dish?
Chosen answer: A chafing dish is a large metal pan or glass container (either is called a "dish") that is used to serve hot food at a buffet. The dish fits into an elevated metal stand that has one or more holders on the bottom for small sterno containers. The heat from the lit sterno keeps food warm.
Question: Why does Gary Oldman speak with a Russian accent when Lee Harvey Oswald was from New Orleans?
Answer: Lee Harvey Oswald was very sympathetic to the communist ideal, and lived in Russia for a while. He probably adopted the accent as an affectation towards that end.
Question: At what point does the suitcase with the money in it get placed in the trunk of the White BMW? It's clear that when Hallenbeck and Jimmy are running out of the rich white guy's house and take his car, you can see Jimmy putting the (money) briefcase in the car with him, and at no time in the trunk. Then, when they get back with the other briefcase containing the bomb, Jimmy also puts this case in the car with him, in the backseat. So when did anybody put the money briefcase in the trunk?
Answer: You're right, I reviewed the clip. You see Joe holding the briefcase and Jimmy run out of the rich man's house, then get directly into his car. At no time do you see him putting the briefcase anywhere. It's most likely a bad editing job.
Question: Why in the world would Lothar's tether be long enough for him to slam into the gondola at the bottom of the Zepplin? If the Hindenberg is 135 feet at it's widest point, half the circumference of a cross section is ~212 feet. Even if it was a Goodyear blimp (50 feet), the cable would have to be at least ~78 feet in length. That is really long. Also, what is Lothar made of to survive that kind of impact?
Answer: The tether was designed to allow Lothar to be lowered from the zepellin and recovered later without requiring it to land (very tricky for an airship) hence it was hundreds of feet long.
Question: Can anyone give a reason as to why he was made younger after being hit with that gas tanker with the lips? It's true that he was once again immortal, but that doesn't mean that he should've reverted to the age he was in the first film.
Answer: Killing another immortal grants you their life energy. The energy returned his youth and powers.
Question: Did Tia Carrere use a body double for her nude scenes, such as getting into the hot tub and getting frisky with Dolph? You didn't actually see her face in those scenes.
Answer: It was a body double. She was a young and inexperienced actress who was uncomfortable doing nude scenes. However, she did pose for Playboy many years later and said, "She felt comfortable being nude."
Question: Was there a specific reason why Dan Aykroyd and Macaulay Culkin never appeared onscreen together throughout the whole movie except after Thomas J's death?
Chosen answer: Most likely because there was no reason for a scene of them together to tell the story. It is assumed that because Thomas and Vada are friends, that Harry has interacted with Thomas many times before. There could have been scenes filmed with the two actors together that was later cut from the final film. This often happens to quicken the film's pace, shorten the running time, etc.
Answer: Harry seemed to ignore Vada a lot of the time, would suspect her friends were included in him doing that also.
Question: So how exactly did Max Cady slip past Kersec's security system and get into the house? Did he kill the maid outside and then just walk in disguised as her?
Answer: He snuck in during the day and hid, before Kersec's teddy bear security system was set up. Sam Bowden realises this when he wakes from a nightmare. Its how he was able to poison the dog which hadnt been let outside. Max Cady killed the maid in the pantry with the same piano wire he later attacks Kersec with.
Answer: Kersec suspected that Cady might attempt to break into the Bowden house if he thought it was empty. His plan was for Cady to break in and then be shot dead as an intruder. He likely lessened the security to allow Cady to break in. Cady killed and then impersonated the housekeeper to get in.
I like your answer but I'm a little confused by the "lessened the security" part. If I'm not mistaken, every possible point of entry into the house at least from the ground floor was connected to the bear via the fishing line, so Kersec would know if a point of entry was disturbed by the bear moving. Where would Kersec lessen the security from that standpoint, especially since his setup was supposed to be foolproof?
Kersec wanted Cady to be able to break in so that there would be a plausible reason to shoot him dead. The idea is to make it look like his death was a result of self defense. I'm only speculating that Kersec made it easier for Cady to break in into the house. Being as it was his security system, he would know how to make it possible for Cady to get in.
Question: Gary Busey (Angelo) is supposed to be keeping an eye on the bank, the one that he and Johnny Utah expect the Ex-Presidents to rob. Instead, he is reading Calvin and Hobbes comics and not watching the bank at all. As a result, he doesn't see the Ex-Presidents pull up and enter the bank to rob it. Why was he not doing his job? Is he simply an idiot?
Answer: Probably not an idiot, but perhaps a big disappointment to FBI higher-ups. Having Angelo distracted was designed to make the movie more exciting, but there's a good chance this could have happened (and does happen) in real life. Stakeout work is typically long and boring, and may be non-productive because the agents can't know with certainty if/when (or where) the robbers will show up. After years/decades of conducting boring stakeouts where no-one came or robbers arrived after several hours, agents' experiences may lead them to believe nothing is going to happen right away - it will be a long wait. A false sense of security leads to slacking off, and opportunities for robbers to be more successful increase. While it might be required that FBI agents give their undivided attention on the job - no matter how boring - it is unrealistic to expect that all agents stay alert at all times. Reading comics to pass the time isn't impressive, but being able to laugh is a stress reducer.
Question: Did Jim Morrison really go around falsely telling reporters that both his parents were dead? Or was that just an Oliver Stone embellishment?
Chosen answer: That is actually true. Morrison grew up in a military family and his stern parents harshly disciplined their two sons by verbally assaulting them until they broke down in tears, were utterly humiliated and admitted to wrong-doing. Morrison broke off almost all contact with his family after graduating from college.
Question: Why do the Owens go to the doctors to have their mail read? Even a small town like Grady would have a librarian, not to mention they certainly have friends who can read.
Answer: That's just the long-standing relationship they had with Doc Hogue and assumed it would continue with Dr. Stone. Hogue was more than a doctor to the town folk. He was a strong father-figure that everyone felt they could go to for a variety of reasons. Also, this is a comedy film, so the characters and their situations are deliberately cliched and quirky.
Question: When Sue Ellen is shown heading to work, wouldn't she be headed into the city, since Kenny says they live in "the boonies"? But she is shown leaving the city, envying the group of teens in the car next to her, who appear to be headed to the beach (also leaving the city).
Answer: People in LA commute in all sorts of directions for work. And the freeway you see is the 405 in West LA (not the "city" - or Downtown where she worked). This freeway would not even be her direct route anyway. All just made up in the film.
Question: Is Ninny Threadgood (Jessica Tandy) really Idgie? It seems so at the end, when Evelyn finds the honey at Ruth's grave. Both Ninny and Evelyn share a sly smile, but nothing is said for sure. Anyone know?
Chosen answer: No, Ninny is exactly who she says she is. It's clearer in the book because Ninny dies and Evelyn finds the honey and the note for Ruth when Evelyn goes to see Ninny's grave.
It's common for screenplays to take liberties from their source material. In the book they are two separate people but in the screenplay, they've changed it to make them the same person.
Answer: As in the book, they are separate people. Ninny introduced herself to Evelyn as Idgie's sister-in-law, that she was married to one of Idgie's brothers: Cleveland or Theo.
Chosen answer: Why not? There's no reason why an actor couldn't play his own father at the same age - indeed, it can serve to emphasise a family resemblence between father and son. It can also serve as a swift way of letting the audience know that this is the father, rather than having a different actor come in and have to have the relationship established through dialogue.
Tailkinker ★