Question: What did the cafe server mean when he said to Marty "I can't give you a tab unless you buy something"? I know that Marty was referring to the Tab soda (which didn't exist then), but what was the other guy talking about?
Gavin Jackson
17th May 2009
Back to the Future (1985)
12th May 2009
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Question: I don't understand why Alex waits until Mrs. Alexander has unchained the opened front door and fully opened it, before he and his droogs break in. I'm sure the four of them could easily have broken the chain off with a bit of force. Is it simply part of Alex's nature to be invited in, before he starts his attack?
Chosen answer: It's part of the "fun element" of the crime to get the victim to open the door themselves.
3rd May 2009
The Greatest American Hero (1981)
The Greatest American Hero (1) - S1-E1
Continuity mistake: In one scene, Ralph is in a phone booth desperately trying to make a phone call. Ralph is nervous and panicky. But when you look at his reflection on the phone, you can see a big relaxed smile on him. When it cuts back to him, he is still acting nervous and panicky.
2nd May 2009
Jurassic Park (1993)
Question: Was there any truth to Hammond's comment that none of the rides at Disneyland worked when the park first opened? I just find that a little hard to believe.
Chosen answer: Yes. The first opening day of Disneyland in California was catastrophic. The pavement was fresh and the sun was so hot high-heeled shoes actually sunk into the walkways. Counterfeit tickets were made, resulting in more people than the park had room for. They ran out of food and drinks. Bathrooms clogged and shut down. Many of the rides broke down on opening day. The Storybook Land Canal Boats had to be pulled by cast members in rubber boots. At the time, there were no guide rails for Autopia; some of the cars crashed into each other, making them inoperable. A gas leak in Fantasyland lead to the land being temporarily closed for part of the day.
2nd May 2009
Jurassic Park (1993)
Question: Does anyone know what exactly what the meal was that was served in the conference room? The look on Ellie's face suggests something bad, but does anyone know for sure?
Chosen answer: It was Chilean sea bass; Ellie went a little green around the gills because she had just watched velociraptors tear a cow apart. I don't think I'd want to eat after that.
27th Apr 2009
The Breakfast Club (1985)
Question: This has baffled me for ages. Instead of tolerating John Bender, why doesn't Richard Vernon simply get him expelled? Vernon must have realised that Bender was not only uncontrollable and a potential threat to him, but also someone who didn't care about his education and was disruptive to others. So why didn't he take the simpler option of getting him out of the school, as opposed to giving him countless detentions?
Chosen answer: Vernon secretly cares about the kids. Pay attention to the scene where he talks to the janitor. He would rather see Bender stay in school and learn something instead of ending up in prison.
23rd Apr 2009
Jurassic Park (1993)
Question: Wouldn't John Hammond be just a little bit worried at how animal rights activists may react to his park feeding live animals (like goats and cows) to the dinosaurs, and the damage it could do to the park's future?
Chosen answer: There are several factors to consider. First, zoos do feed live food to some exhibit animals that will not otherwise eat, like feeding live mice to some types of reptiles. Also, Jurassic Park is still top secret and is not yet open to the public, and therefore Hammond and the staff are, at this point, unconcerned about that and may change their practices later. Another consideration is that the park is in a foreign country that may have less stringent rules and regulations regarding zoo and aquarium practices; Hammond is likely paying them well to establish his park there and is bringing in tourism dollars. Finally, Hammond simply may be unconcerned about it, convinced that his fantastic park will be such a huge success and public demand to see the dinosaurs so great that it will overrule objections by animal rights groups.
Answer: In Jurassic World they still use animals so this isn't a concern.
What happens in a later movie is irrelevant to the question.
13th Apr 2009
Octopussy (1983)
Question: Why is someone as wealthy as Kamal Khan using loaded dice in the casino? I mean, what does he actually gain from cheating?
Chosen answer: The satisfaction of knowing he'll win, the thrill of pulling one over on someone; maybe like Goldfinger, he just doesn't like to lose under any circumstances.
10th Apr 2009
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
Question: I realise this has been brought up many times, but can it be considered a definite continuity error in the whole series that Obiwan Kenobi is trained by Qui Gon Jinn in this film, despite saying in Empire Strikes Back that it was Yoda who trained him? Some have argued that Qui was working under Yoda, but in Empire, Obiwan said to Yoda, "Was I any different when you taught me?" which to me pretty much says that Yoda was his direct teacher. I'm guessing that Lucas changed the background stories a bit, but I would like to know for sure.
Chosen answer: No, it can't. As we see in Attack of the Clones, Yoda is in charge of training the younglings, the Jedi hopefuls, the ones too young to have been selected as a Padawan. Yoda trained Obi-Wan when he was a child, then Qui-Gon selected him as a Padawan as he reached the proper age. They both trained him, taking responsibility for different stages of his education. It is entirely possible, of course, that Lucas did originally intend Yoda to have been Obi-Wan's sole master when he made The Empire Strikes Back and thus your guess that he changed the background stories may well be accurate, however, if this is the case, then he made the alterations in such a fashion that no continuity error exists, because it all fits together.
Also, most Jedi probably had friendships with older Jedi who were not their masters. They could think of any Knight/Master as a teacher, despite not being the official apprentice of that Jedi.
8th Apr 2009
Commando (1985)
Question: When Matrix says to his captors "Why not have Bennett do it, looks like something he will get off on"; did he mean it was something Bennett wouldn't go to jail for (considering he was psychotic), or was it some kind of sexual implication?
Chosen answer: A sexual implication, suggesting that it's something Bennett would find exciting.
Answer: Not sexual but something that he (Bennet) would find immense joy in doing due to his unstable mental nature akin to a sociopathic tendency.
5th Apr 2009
Earthquake (1974)
Question: What was the point of the crazy soldier who shoots the black thieves and later gets shot dead by George Kennedy? Why was he so nutty, and quite frankly what purpose did he even serve in the film?
Chosen answer: Before he put the uniform on, he was a complete nobody, having the respect of no-one. Now that he's in uniform, he demands that people should respect him, and coupled with the powers of Martial Law (where looters can be shot on sight), takes the lack of respect too far and shoots them.
23rd Mar 2009
For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Question: Why does Bond go to Bibi to try and get information about Eric Kriegler? Couldn't he have simply contacted his own department to get a background check on him. After all, it's not like she would have had anything very informative (considering that she had previously stated that he never talks to girls).
Chosen answer: Whether he talked to her or not, Bibi would have inside information simply by being around him so much. She would have overheard things that a background check wouldn't reveal, like planned criminal activity.
21st Mar 2009
Get Smart (1965)
Visible crew/equipment: When Max and 99 have reached the mansion, they both get out of the car to look in the trunk. As they start walking, some lightning occurs. If you look up at the top, you can see where the fake sky ends and the visible back of the stage begins.
21st Mar 2009
Get Smart (1965)
Continuity mistake: At the end when Max is receiving his award, he accidentally immobilises everyone in the room. The chief changes position in every shot, despite being immobilised.
21st Mar 2009
Get Smart (1965)
Washington 4, Indians 3 - S1-E6
Other mistake: When Max tricks the Indian's daughter, he is supposed to say, "Now close your eyes and open your mouth". Instead he says, "Close your mouth and open your eyes". The Indian woman still reacts with closed eyes and open mouth.
23rd Apr 2006
Drop Zone (1994)
Factual error: When Jesse jumps out of Gary Busey's plane near the end, she falls straight down and is able to grab the bar underneath the door. But since she was jumping against high wind pressure.she should have fallen out the door sideways.
9th Apr 2006
The Nutty Professor (1963)
Revealing mistake: When Buddy love and Stella are standing at the lookout above LA, the background is obviously a poorly done painting.
20th Mar 2006
X-Men (2000)
Question: Something I never completely understood about the ending. When we see senator Kelly on the TV at the end, we realize that it is actually mystique in disguise. But when the X-men told magneto that Kelly was dead.he didn't believe them. And since Kelly vaporized into water, there would be no body or any proof that he was dead. So wasn't mystique worried that she might come into contact with the real Kelly at some point?
Chosen answer: You are working under the assumption that Mystique would not believe this either. However, with Magneto in prison and no sign of the senator she could happily take on his identity. Also, even if Kelly was alive, after she gave a press statement backing mutants, it would be unlikely that a politician would change his mind so suddenly again and he would therefore not come clean that it was not him.
24th Feb 2006
Falling Down (1993)
Question: Why does the Beggar throw the apple at D-fens? I found it odd since he just gave him a briefcase and a lunch.
24th Feb 2006
Predator (1987)
Question: Could Hawkins have become a commando (or even a marine) in real life, considering he wore glasses which would have limited him during any battle?
Chosen answer: As long as your uncorrected vision is at least 20/400 (-6.0 diopters), you can qualify for most forms of military service except flying.
Answer: Yes, you can have corrected vision using glasses or contacts to be in a special operations unit. Although you can't be color blind.
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Chosen answer: A tab is the same as a bill. The server guy thinks Marty wants a bill for whatever he's ordered, although because Marty hasn't eaten or drunk anything yet, he can't give him one. Even though a bill for a restaurant meal can be referred to as a "tab", this term is more commonly used in bars. When someone "runs a tab," it means they pay the total cost as they're about to leave, rather than pay for each drink separately.
raywest ★