Best movie questions of 2008

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The Reader picture

Question: When Michael & Hannah begin their affair Michael is 15 years old - in the courtroom scenes, the judge states that Hannah is now 43 years old and also states that the events at Auschwitz took place 20 years prior, which would've made her 23 at the time of Auschwitz and possibly around 23 when she left Michael - meaning that when they had the affair she was only about 7 years his senior. Therefore, when she's 43 in court, that makes him 36 years old when he's at university watching the court proceedings - but surely that's too old for what the film is trying to portray? It seems like he's in his 20's when he's at uni. I don't get it. Surely they couldn't have gotten their timelines so incorrect?

ljpom1

Answer: It is confusing in the movie because it seems like she went from the ticket taking job to the SS job after refusing the office job promotion, which would require literacy. When actually her SS job was prior to the ticket taker job. Was muddled in the movie.

Chosen answer: Where do you figure she was 23 when she left Michael? She had been working at the dispatch office for several years before she meet Michael (as indicated in the scene where her boss promotes her for her long service) -- so this is years after she was at Auschwitz. So she was in her mid-30s when she began the one-year affair with 15-year-old Michael. Then, while at university about 8 years later (when she is in her early 40s), he attends her trial. The timeline is fine.

MovieFan612

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Wanted picture

Question: Why would the filmmakers cast an English actor who tried to do an American accent badly when they could have just cast an American actor instead?

Answer: There's rather more to acting that getting the accent spot-on accurate. The filmmakers would have looked at many possible actors and picked the person that they thought was best. A better question would be "Why would the filmmakers cast an American actor when they knew that there was a Scottish actor out there who would be better in the role?" Has a simple answer - they wouldn't.

Tailkinker

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Valkyrie picture

Question: Why did all of the officers and high-ranking officials put out their cigarettes when Hitler's plane landed at the airfield?

Answer: Hitler was fanatically anti-tobacco: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/07/the-nazis-forgotten-anti-smoking-campaign/373766/.

Brian Katcher

Answer: They are supposed to stand at attention when he arrives and salute when he walks past them. It is considered bad form to salute the Führer (or any leader) with a cigarette in your mouth or hand.

lionhead

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Chosen answer: Apollo 440 - Stop The Rock.

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Speed Racer picture

Question: Who is Sparky? Trixie's constant presence already means the future family model is pretty weird, but, why is Speed's "operator" living as part of the family? Is he an employee of Racer Motors, or what?

Answer: They're a close-knit team. Sparky's a close family friend as well as an employee. It's rather like Race Bannon living with the the Quests as part of the family, even though he is employed by Dr. Quest.

Phixius

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Quarantine picture

Question: At the very end of the film when Angie is dragged, in the background it doesn't look like any figure dragged her? Shouldn't we have seen at least the upper body of a figure grabbing and dragging her? It looks like she was dragged a long way, so why isn't there any evidence of her being dragged by any human figure?

Answer: Purely done for suspense reasons. Seeing the figure of something walking up behind her, grabbing her and dragging her away would have less of a "jump" factor than what happened in the movie, which is her being suddenly dragged away into the darkness.

Manky

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Answer: She did apply for adoption, but because she's a single woman, "it can take about 5 years to get an adoption" and would cost $100K. She didn't want to wait that long for a child.

Bishop73

Answer: She had attempted to adopt, but was denied. Unmarried people often have more difficulty in adopting children. It can also take years before a child becomes available and the cost is high.

raywest

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Defiance picture

Question: When Tuvia executed Arkady for his defiant mutiny, why did Tuvia have to turn his body to pull his weapon, instead of just drawing his gun and shooting him dead on the spot right there?

Answer: For two reasons: one, to let him think Tuvia was going and let down Arkady's defenses; and second, Tuvia was quickly and truly debating whether or not to shoot.

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Made of Honor picture

Question: I am a pianist, and have played Debussy, Arabesque no.1, so often. I have seen the movie "Made of Honor" three times, and every time failed to locate the Arabesque in the soundtrack. It is mentioned in the credits. Please tell me at which time in the movie it plays.

mifrankdk

Answer: When Michelle and Tom meet up with the three bridesmaids at the hotel, while they're seated at the table we hear the Arabesque No. 1 performed on the harp as faint background music. (Approx. 00:34:05).

Super Grover

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Tropic Thunder picture

Question: At the beginning of the film we're told that four people came back from the rescue mission, three wrote books and two had their books published. Later on we find out Four Leafs made the whole thing up. So how do the other three survivors fit into the whole thing, did they just make it up too? Or was the opening statement just meant as a joke all-together?

Answer: There were 3 other survivors. Only they presumably told the truth. Since Four Leafs made up his version, his more than likely seemed more entertaining. So his book was chosen to be made into a movie.

Carl Missouri

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The Duchess picture

Question: When the Duke says that he "cannot" ask Lady Bess to leave his home (after the Duchess discovers their affair), does he simply not want to or is there some reason that he feels he cannot?

Answer: He is ignoring the Duchess' request by saying that he cannot ask her to leave. He does not want her to go, nor does Lady Bess wish to leave.

raywest

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The Machine Girl picture

Question: I don't fully understand how Ryugi dies. He simply runs away after the gun ejects itself and is impaled by about a half-dozen rods. What happened and where did the rods come from? Are they the gun-barrels?

Answer: I will have to answer my question after another viewing of the film. The gun is shattered by the "special" bullets that Miki gave to Ami, which were too powerful, causing the gun to fragment when it was yanked off her arm. The gun barrels fall of and impale Ryugi.

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Journey to the Center of the Earth picture

Question: In some theaters, the film is shown in 3-D. When the film is released on home video, will it also be in 3-D?

Cubs Fan

Chosen answer: Yep. The DVD comes in 3-D and 2-D versions. The 3-D versions come with (if I remember correctly) four pairs of 3-D glasses.

Cubs Fan

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Star Wars: The Clone Wars picture

Question: Are the events in this movie going to be considered canon for the time between Episodes II and III, or will the events in the Clone Wars TV show be considered canon, or both (if the events in the movie possibly take place after those in the show)?

Answer: Canon in the Star Wars universe is a somewhat complex term as it has several levels ordered in a hierarchy of precedence. Facts stated at a certain level are considered as canon, unless contradicted by something at a higher level of canonicity. The uppermost level of canonicity are the six live-action films. Lucas has stated that the television episodes (which include the Clone Wars movie, which can be considered as the first episodes of the TV series) are to be considered as the next level down in canonicity, so below the films, but above any other releases (books, comics and so forth). So, basically, yes, they're to be considered canon, except in any case where they contradict something established in the live-action films.

Tailkinker

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Repo! The Genetic Opera picture

Question: When Rotti is outside of Marni's tomb, he says 'You forced my hand and made me do'. What's he referring to?

erikvduyn

Chosen answer: Marni "forcing" him to kill her when she rejected him for Nathan.

Phixius

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Death Race picture

Question: I'm not sure about this, but didn't Grim's tires get blown out? If so, right after the next scene, where 14K hits Grim's car, the tires appear intact. It also looked new despite getting blown by a missile.

soptter

Chosen answer: Yes the tires do appear to be shot out so that would make it a mistake.

Ssiscool

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The Haunting of Molly Hartley picture

Question: Exactly what happened at the end? I didn't get it. She stabbed herself and then commits her dad. What did it mean?

Answer: Molly attempts to commit suicide to avoid having to join the Devil. Unfortunately for her, the clock strikes midnight before she can kill herself, and thus, having reached her 18th birthday, her soul now belongs to the Devil, who preserves her life. Molly, now one of the Devil's minions, has her father committed to the asylum, presumably having framed her father for her self-inflicted injuries, leaving her free to continue her life working for her new master.

Tailkinker

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Be Kind Rewind picture

Question: How does being magnetised give you the power to delete tape footage? Wouldn't that work for DVDs, but not for VHS? Also I noticed in the scene where Jerry walks into the video store magnetised, the screen on the tv got all staticky every time I watched it. Was the static intentional?

Answer: VHS is data magnetically encoded on tape. A magnet will wipe them out. DVD/CD's are data encoded in plastic with a laser. Magnets won't hurt them in the slightest. Yes, the static was intentional, magnets can interfere with televisions.

Grumpy Scot

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Sex Drive picture

Question: After Rex finds out the key to the Judge is missing, he goes back home on a motorbike. He pulls up the garage door and finds the Judge is not there. He snaps and begins to punch, kick and swear. Breaks down the door, has stuff sprawled out all over the ground, and smokes a cigarette. In both versions of the movie including the deleted scenes, it never shows how Rex was able to find Ian at the motel. How was Rex able to find Ian at a motel in Knoxville, Tennessee?

Answer: LoJack.

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The Bank Job picture

Question: If so many famous, high-ranking people were involved, and many of the records of the heist are classified, how did the complete story become known? It would seem no one should have known about the photographs and such.

Answer: The complete story isn't known. There was a bank robbery, and after a few days of press coverage there was a gag order put in place to keep the press from talking about it. No one knows for certain why other than the people who were involved. This film is speculation, a possible reason for why there was a gag order. The producers of the film claim to have been working with an inside source who knew the truth for the gag order and cover-up. Whether the producers really did have an inside source, or that the source was telling the truth, will likely never be known for certain.

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