Question: How did the CIA find out about the plot at Ft. Knox from the note Bond put in the "late" Mr. Solo's pocket after he was crushed inside the car and brought back to the farm to be "separated from the gold"?
raywest
9th Jun 2024
Goldfinger (1964)
9th Jun 2024
The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Question: In the part with the Harry Potter book, how did Andy copy two books from the original copy, also put the book's cover in one hour and deliver it to the twins on the train? How did she know the time of departure or what train? Also, why didn't she connect herself, the designer of the book cover? Her boss said that they know everybody in the business. Also, Andy said that author J.K. Rowling couldn't help, why is that?
Answer: The whole comic point was Miranda assigning Andy an impossible task just to fire her. Of course, IRL Andy could never have accomplished it, but it shows her resourcefulness in thwarting Miranda. The premise is, Christian obtained the unpublished manuscript from the graphic artist designing the U.S. book cover. Andy then rushed to a nearby photocopy shop to get it express-copied. The photocopies were bound with simple plain covers. Miranda was being sarcastic that Andy "knew" everyone in the business. The HP book publications were such a top-secret, high-security operation that Andy facetiously implied that even J.K. Rowling could not help her. Christian saying "one hour" was just a generalization. Also, Andy would know the twins' nanny, so a quick phone call would provide their travel plans so she could arrange a messenger service to deliver the copies.
19th May 2024
Commando (1985)
Question: I know that Wings Hauser was originally supposed to play Bennett. Why was he fired?
Answer: Director Mark Lester replaced Wings Hauser the first day of shooting because he didn't think Hauser clicked as a maniacal counterbalance to Schwarzenegger's larger-than-life portrayal of Matrix. Last-minute cast changes are not unusual when an actor fails to meet certain character expectations. A classic example is Michael J. Fox replacing Eric Stoltz in Back to the Future because Stoltz portrayed Marty too intensely for a humorous sci-fi film. Viggo Mortensen replaced Stuart Townsend as Aragorn in Lord of the Rings because Peter Jackson felt Townsend wasn't properly preparing for the role.
Also, Peter Jackson thought that Stuart Townsend was too young to play Aragorn.
19th May 2024
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Question: The Beast accuses Maurice of coming to "stare at the Beast", as if people know about him. So why do the townspeople not believe there is a Beast, until Belle shows them with the mirror?
Answer: The Beast is self-absorbed, selfish and cannot see the good or innocence of people (hence why he was changed into a beast). He assumed that the only reason Maurice would be there is to stare at "The Beast" (after all... EVERYONE must know about "The Beast" in the Beast's mind).
19th May 2024
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (2011)
Question: Is a witch or wizard basically powerless without a wand? If so, could a Muggle, maybe one who has a magical family member, perform magic if they picked up a wand and tried a spell?
Answer: They can perform magic without wands, though on a more limited basis. The books mention wizards performing "wandless magic." Students even received some training in this. Also, a Muggle cannot use a wand to cast any spells. Only a wizard can use magic. The wand itself cannot generate magic but is just a conduit for a wizard's powers.
19th May 2024
Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Question: What place was the Beast a Prince of? Considering that Maurice had to inform the other villagers about a castle in the woods. The village is not extremely far from the castle, apparently. Belle gets there soon enough when she wants to return, after helping her father. Were the villagers not ruled over by the Beast's parents?
Answer: One possibility is that this property belonged to the Prince. This could explain why the witch asked him for shelter, instead of asking a parent.
Answer: It's never specified that the Beast's family were rulers. Until 1789, France was ruled by a monarch. Lower-ranking royals can have titles and live in castles, but it does not mean they hold any political power or position. Some royals or aristocrats may act as an appointed regional governor under the monarch or hold a ceremonial position. For example, Prince William of England is also the Prince of Wales and Prince Harry is the Duke of Sussex, though neither "rule" those districts. Also, this is a fairytale, so details are deliberately vague and generalized.
19th May 2024
Beetlejuice (1988)
Question: Otho says he was a paranormal researcher until "the bottom dropped out in '72." What does that mean - specifically, what happened in 1972?
Answer: In all probability, it has no relevance to the real world. In the world of the film, something unexplained happened in that year.
19th May 2024
Beetlejuice (1988)
Question: Why does Charles insist on referring to Delia as Lydia's mother, not stepmother? Even when he and Lydia are alone. (For example, the moment when he thinks Lydia is wearing one of the bedsheets, pretending to be a ghost.)
Answer: I think Delia actually is Lydia's mother, at least in this movie. They don't get along, so Lydia rebels by pretending that Delia is a stepmother.
19th May 2024
To Kill A Mockingbird (1962)
Question: Given that they live down south in Mississippi and it's Summer, when the judge walks up to Atticus' porch, he's fanning himself and Atticus says, "It's rather warm, isn't it?" If so, why is Atticus wearing a suit (OK) and a sweater? I get the suit, it's his work clothes, but a sweater?
Answer: The film is set in Maycomb, Georgia. There's no explanation, so any answer is speculation. However, Atticus usually wore a three-piece suit, so it was a vest, not a sweater. The suit was likely a lightweight material and was a typical style of the era. Atticus probably considered it a more professional look for a lawyer. Most likely this was a movie wardrobe decision, giving Atticus a scholarly appearance and persona throughout the film, even if in reality, it wasn't practical.
19th May 2024
Jurassic Park III (2001)
Question: Why didn't Dr Grant hide the eggs somewhere where the raptors could've sniffed them out? It would've bought them some time as the raptors would then have spent their time looking for the eggs.
Answer: Grant does think about dropping the eggs out of a window but decides to keep them. Paul asks Grant: "What if they catch us with them?" to which Grant replies: "What if they catch us without them?" He's implying that the eggs will stop the Raptors attacking them as the Raptors wouldn't want to risk damaging the eggs. If they didn't have the eggs with them, the Raptors wouldn't think twice about attacking them.
Answer: That probably would have made more sense, but it would have been a less dramatic ending where the raptors confront everyone. The whole concept of the raptors hunting down a few missing eggs out of a large clutch is ridiculous. It's all about storytelling, not reality.
Also, I would like to point out that people don't always think of an obvious, practical solution when a situation is actually happening: "Hindsight is 20/20." This might be a sci-fi movie but it happens in reality. It's easy to analyze a situation as an outsider and say what should have been done.
19th May 2024
Jurassic Park III (2001)
Question: When they return to the plane, Alan and Billy start questioning Paul about when he climbed the mountain and then realized that he was lying about Kirby Enterprises. How did they figure out he was talking a complete load of rubbish?
16th May 2024
The Little Mermaid (1989)
4th May 2024
General questions
Why do modern movies have such a "dark" tone/look, compared to the generally brighter look (sometimes called "blue skies" feeling) of movies from the early 2000s and before?
Answer: Interesting question, so I did a little digging. Here's an article (too long to paraphrase) that might shed some light (pun intended): https://www.scrippsnews.com/entertainment/movies/why-are-today-s-movies-so-dark#:~:text=There%20are%20many%20technical%20reasons, to%20studio%20executives%2C%20and%20more.
4th May 2024
Star Wars (1977)
Question: What does Luke think happened to his mother before he meets Obi-Wan and learns that his father was a Jedi? Has this been mentioned anywhere?
Answer: It's never mentioned in the original movies what Luke believed about his mother's demise. His foster aunt and uncle probably never knew her identity, and Obi-Wan likely provided little information other than Luke's name. They apparently learned at some point that Vader was the father. Lars and Beru probably told Luke that his mother died from natural causes shortly after his birth.
According to the recent series about Obi-Wan, Obi-Wan didn't even know, right away, that Anakin became Darth Vader. He thinks that he left Anakin to die after their fight on Mustafar, and Vader is literally a separate person. Only ten years later does he find out that Anakin became Vader. If you think this change is weird and unnecessary, you're not the only one.
It is rather weird, though it kind of explains why Obi-Wan, believing Anakin was dead, would reveal Luke's real name to Lars and Beru. Even so, it would have been wiser to use a false surname. Of course, it also makes little sense that Obi-Wan, after learning about Vader, wouldn't tell Lars and Beru to change Luke's last name to protect him and themselves. It sounds like a typical plot point revision after people notice inconsistencies in the storyline.
Good point. But I thought Force users could sense when someone close to them dies. Anakin could feel his mother's pain, and later, Vader says he felt that Padme was still alive.
Just more plot inconsistencies, though Obi-Wan, the one who inflicted the pain, would have been sensing as well as witnessing Anakin's agony in the moment, leading to him assume Anakin would quickly die. He could have dismissed any later Force disturbances he felt regarding Anakin, believing him dead.
4th May 2024
Aladdin (2019)
Question: Why did the Princess not have money with her at the market? She could easily disguise herself as a lower-class person who has some amount of money with her, like the other shoppers.
Answer: Despite being a princess, Jasmine likely did not have access to money. Royals are known to never carry cash in their possession. Everything in Jasmine's life is controlled, and whatever she needs or wants is provided. She is young, naïve, and has been so pampered and sheltered from the real world that she'd probably never consider how currency works.
4th May 2024
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Question: Sidious/Palpatine killed three of the Jedi who came to confront him in his office, fought Mace Windu until Anakin arrived, and later, Yoda could not defeat him. Considering this, why is Luke such a big threat to him years later?
Answer: Probably because Luke is Vader's son. Palpatine knows it creates complications and a conflict of conscience and loyalty with Vader, who becomes torn between serving the Emperor and his underlying feelings for Luke. Despite Vader's assurance that Luke will join them or die, Palpatine remains wary.
28th Apr 2024
Demolition Man (1993)
Question: Why did Nigel Hawthorne dislike both Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes?
Answer: Several reasons. Hawthorne was reluctant to accept the role, but thought the story had some merits and hoped the movie would help him professionally. The script was constantly being revised during filming, and he found the overall production unpleasant. Hawthorne didn't directly clash with Stallone or Snipes but their enormous egos and being constantly late, often keeping cast and crew waiting, was irritating. Stallone and Snipes were self-involved and showed little interest in Hawthorne, offending him. He also found Stallone's acting style annoying. Hawthorne also thought director Joel Silver was quirky.
17th Apr 2024
General questions
When scenes take place in restaurants, a character will occasionally order something like "the chicken", "the salmon", or "the steak." In my experience, most restaurants have more than one option that involves chicken, steak, etc. Is there a reason for doing this on-camera, or have I just not found such a restaurant?
Answer: Someone ordering food isn't particularly interesting. "I'll have the t-bone steak, medium well, with a baked potato—hold the chives—and broccoli" would slow down the movie's pacing more than "I'll have the steak."
Answer: Totally agree with the other answer but would add that movie scenes are filmed multiple times over many hours or even several days to get the best result. In a restaurant scene, if an order is being served, it's easier with simpler food, like a T-bone steak, that won't make a mess, spill, smell, or wilt under hot lights. It also keeps the audience from being distracted by hearing some fancy menu item being ordered and then wondering what it is. Realistic-looking prop food may also be used, so simpler is better, easier, and more efficient.
21st Apr 2024
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
Question: On Cloud City, why did Vader surprise Han and the others in a dining room? Lando says that the Imperials arrived before Han's group. But they've had time for Leia to change clothes, change her hair style, and for her to ask people about C3PO when he is missing.
Answer: No answer is given. Maybe Vader needed more time to negotiate with Lando and wanted to ensure the group would feel "safe" and then be caught off guard. It's more about plotting, though. The scene is constructed to build suspense and doubt. Han thinks the friendly and charming Lando is trustworthy, but Leia is wary, especially after C3PO disappears. The group, and the audience, are lulled into believing Lando is an ally, then are taken by surprise when Vader is revealed and Lando's true character and motive is exposed.
21st Apr 2024
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Question: Ron's wand gets broken, and for the rest of the year, he has to use it even though it doesn't cast spells properly. Why doesn't the school just get Ron a new wand? His parents can't afford one because of how expensive they must be, but surely one of the teachers could take him to Ollivander's and help him get another one.
Answer: I agree with what RayWest said. Another possible factor is that Ron damaged his wand when the flying car crashed into the Whomping Willow, which upsets the Hogwarts staff and Ron's parents. I can imagine Mrs. Weasley wanting him to deal with the consequences of his actions for the rest of the school year.
Good point, and Ron, in addition to being in trouble with the school, also got his father into hot water with the Ministry of Magic over the flying car. I can't imagine, after all that, Ron asking for a new wand. I doubt he even told his parents that he broke it, which would further anger them.
Answer: It's not the school's responsibility to provide equipment for students. It can be humiliating for a student and the family to receive charity. It also sets a precedent for Hogwarts having to supply any number of things for students, and creates a situation where they could be taken advantage of. Realistically, this is a book plot point. It may not be logical, but the story would not play out and end as it does if Ron had a proper wand.
Answer: This is actually addressed in the movie itself. When Felix asks James: "What made her call Washington?"
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