Question: What did Harry and his friends come across when they were trying to escape from Filch?
raywest
18th Oct 2021
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
Answer: In addition to raywest I will add that at this point in the book, the Harp isn't playing and Fluffy is awake. It is also not known at this point that music puts Fluffy to sleep.
True, although the question only relates to what the trio came across while evading Filch, not about knowing what any particular object is or does. (I just added an explanation as an aside.) However, I'm not sure now the harp had been installed yet when they first found Fluffy, so it was probably about the floor hatch.
14th Oct 2021
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
Question: Why did Palpatine ever want an apprentice? If I am correct, he always intended to dispose of Darth Maul, Count Dooku, and Darth Vader when they were no longer useful to him. And probably Luke, if Luke had accepted his offer. Why not work alone?
Answer: Because an Apprentice does the emperor's bidding, dispatches orders, acts as an emissary, intimidates enemies, is a spy, and so on. Having minions at one's disposal is a show of power, and supreme leaders would not do those things themselves. It dilutes their authority, and they would look weak and ineffective. As you pointed out, when the current apprentice is no longer as useful or obedient or becomes too powerful and poses a threat, they are replaced.
That's the rule of two for the Sith, there's always a Master and an Apprentice. No more, no less. In order to remain a Sith Master, Sidious must have an apprentice.
Answer: Succumbing to the dark side comes with it a megalomania that has you wanting to display proof of your omnipotence by training a skilled and powerful apprentice who starts out THINKING he's going to kill you and take your place someday but in the end is forever your obedient slave (or so you think.) Likewise, Sith apprentices all have an unspoken desire to eventually pull the ultimate power move by killing their master and taking their place as head honcho when they least expect it (or so they think). This of course results in Sith relationships always becoming weird and twisted, vaguely BDSM-like mind games.
13th Oct 2021
Friends (1994)
The One With Monica and Chandler's Wedding, Part 1 - S7-E23
Question: Who was the woman that Rachel thought was Chandler's dad, and what was she doing at Monica and Chandler's rehearsal dinner?
Answer: The woman was just a random family friend or Geller relative invited to the rehearsal dinner. Because the woman was in a black outfit, Rachel mistook her for Chandler's dad (played by Kathleen Turner), who Monica had described as wearing a black dress. The character, named Amanda, is merely a plot device to set up a humorous bit where Rachel messes up and embarrasses herself.
12th Oct 2021
Die Hard (1988)
Question: Can someone explain what the one Johnson agent meant to the other one when he said "it's like Saigon, ain't it slick?"
Answer: I don't remember the exact quote, verbatim, but using your wording, the proper punctuation would be "It's like Saigon! Ain't it, Slick?" The older Johnson is referring to Army Helo Ops in Vietnam. He's calling the younger Johnson "Slick", as a nickname. I believe the younger's response was something like "I was just a kid then" or something similar.
The younger one says "I was in junior high, dickhead". :-) Clearly not holding the older Johnson in especially high regard, or keen to make it clear he's not as old.
Answer: The elder Agent Johnson is a Viet Nam vet who excitedly says, "It's just like f***in' Saigon, eh Slick? The younger Johnson mockingly responds, "I was in Junior High, dickhead!" meaning he was too young to have served in that war. The older Johnson is comparing shooting at the terrorists (or just John McClane) atop the Nakatomi Tower to killing enemy soldiers from a helicopter in Nam. He is macho, has lost objectivity about the hostage situation, and is treating it like an arcade game. As pointed out in another answer, "Slick" is just a nickname, like calling someone "Dude."
Answer: "Like Saigon" could mean that under the circumstances, they were not likely to win or be successful in what they were trying to accomplish. Largely in the 1960s, the U.S. military was stationed in Saigon. While there, parts of the city were ruined or demolished by fighting. There was a lot of destruction in the Die Hard movie, and the situation seemed dire.
12th Oct 2021
Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
12th Oct 2021
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Question: Is it true that Viggo Mortensen almost drowned during the filming of the scene where unconscious Aragorn floats in the river?
5th Oct 2021
Secret Window (2004)
Question: Why is there a Barbie doll on Mort's desk in the final scene in the house?
Answer: The Barbie doll is blonde, like Amy. Mort might have found the doll somewhere and handled it roughly because of his urge to hurt Amy.
Answer: One possible answer is that this may be an inside joke and a nod to Johnny Depp for being a Barbie Doll collector. He reportedly has a large Barbie collection, mostly of special editions and celebrity versions. He originally bought them for his daughter, but continued collecting even after she became older.
11th Oct 2021
Body Heat (1981)
Question: Matty introduces her friend as Mary Ann, but in the year book, the friend is actually Matty Tyler, and she is actually Mary Ann. Were both girls in on the scam? (00:31:22)
Answer: I noticed the problem of the introduction, also. It seemed like a major plot hole to me. There wasn't any material in the movie to support blackmail, etc by the real Matty. I hadn't thought of her possibly being in on the scam. If not, why wouldn't the real Matty have immediately blanched when hearing herself be introduced with the wrong name? So far, I agree with the OP's suggestion.
The real Maddy was at the house when Ned arrived. Presumably, she had already discovered what "Fake Maddy" was up to. It looked like Fake Maddy (Turner) gave the real Maddy a check, presumably a payoff to keep quiet. The real Maddy may or may not have known exactly what Fake Maddy was planning, but went along with being introduced as "Mary Ann." Also, the movie deliberately leaves details vague because it is a big plot twist at the end when Ned, and the audience, learns that Fake Maddy is really Mary Ann.
No. Maddy found out about Mary Ann taking her identity somehow, and I believe she wanted money. When introduced to Ned Racine, she doesn't seem surprised at being introduced as "Mary Ann." She also apparently witnessed the phony will. However, I don't think she knew or had anything to do with the murder. The two women weren't such great friends since the real Mary Ann murdered her.
Answer: It appears that the real Matty Tyler was not initially in on the plan. It's confusing, and there're many plot holes, but it seems the fake "Matty" (Kathleen Turner) intended for the real Matty to eventually discover that her identity was being used (by Turner). The real Matty was then apparently blackmailing fake Matty to keep quiet. It appears that fake Matty intended to lure and then murder the real Matty, framing Ned Racine for her murder, as well as Edmund's. The real Matty's body was identified as being Edmond's wife through her dental records. Fake Matty probably intended for Ned to be killed in the explosion.
10th Oct 2021
Back to the Future (1985)
Question: In this film, Marty suddenly appears and spends one week in 1955. So, how does Marty freely roam the hallways and cafeteria at Hill Valley High School (even getting into a physical altercation with another student) without challenge from teachers and administrators such as Mr. Strickland? All the kids are talking about Marty, but nobody in authority questions the fact that he's not enrolled, he's completely undocumented, he doesn't attend any classes, and he's apparently a troublemaker.
Answer: High school in the 1950s was different from today, which has tight security and students are more closely scrutinized. Not every teacher, and even Strickland, knows every student, so Marty would not necessarily be immediately suspected as an outsider. And though the students are talking about Marty, that doesn't mean the adults are aware. Teens have their own closed-off society. Being as Marty was only in the past for a week, and he isn't at the school all that much, he could conceivably move about mostly unnoticed. If he was there any longer, the school would eventually wise up about him. Also, it's a movie, and suspension of disbelief is employed here. The audience just accepts the plot's premise.
Thanks. But I also remember (giving away my age) that teachers and administrators back then were very much aware of students "playing hooky" (skipping classes and wandering around the halls and off-campus during school hours). Back then there were even "truant officers" who patrolled the streets looking for school-age kids skipping school. With all of the attention to 1950s detail in this film, I was really kind of surprised that no-one apparently suspected Marty of truancy.
I also remember those days. As I mentioned, since Marty was only briefly at the high school during the one-week period he was in the past, he hadn't yet attracted enough attention to be considered a problem or a truant. It can be seen that Strickland notices Marty, but had not yet considered anything as being amiss.
8th Oct 2021
Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Question: How is it that after sixteen years of living like humans without using magic the fairies still didn't know how to cook or make clothing? Shouldn't they have learned how to do those things by then? What did they do to feed Rose during all the years in between?
Answer: They did, they just couldn't do it right. Like going to school, without proper instructions, they did it hastily, sloppily, and incorrectly.
4th Oct 2021
Twilight (2008)
Question: In the car with Edward driving, Bella tries to turn off the heater saying "Okay, I think I'm warm enough now." and she reaches to the heater, but Edward blocks her hand. Why is that? Do vampires like heat because their skin is so cold? I thought they rather liked it cold.
Chosen answer: Edward wasn't blocking her hand. He, being a gentleman, was merely reaching over to turn the heater off at the same time as Bella and their hands bumped. It's really just a plot device to act as a clue to Bella that Edward is somehow different. She later works out that he is a vampire and his icy cold skin is just one trait.
29th Sep 2021
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
Question: I watched the scene where fake Moody takes Harry away from the crowd after Cedric Diggory's death. I noticed that Weasley twins were looking at them when it happened. Is this possible that they informed Dumbledore about it offscreen and this caused him to realise that "Moody" was an imposter?
Answer: It's not specifically known if the twins informed Dumbledore, but it's implied that they probably did, or else they told McGonagall or Snape after Harry was suspiciously absent. No one else appeared to notice Moody leading Harry away.
Answer: It is explained better in the book. Dumbledore asked Harry to stay where he was and tasked Moody to look after Harry. When Dumbledore saw that they were missing, he knew something was up and told Harry after he blasted into the office, "The real Moody wouldn't have moved you." He knew there must be something off as Moody wouldn't have disobeyed him.
26th Sep 2021
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)
Question: I could swear when I saw it it had a different ending. The one I saw at the end Jeff Bridges dies in the car. And Clint Eastwood pushes him out of the car and leaves him on the side of the road, then drives away. But I can't find anything on that. Has anyone else seen that version?
Answer: You must be thinking of another movie, because as far as I know there is no different ending.
I totally agree with your answer. Sometimes movies do film alternate endings that may be used in different markets (i.e. Europe or Asia). Also, alternate endings are sometimes filmed after a test audience reacts negatively to the original one and they may show up in the DVD or director's cut. I didn't find any indication that another version was ever filmed for this movie.
I concur - I can't find any evidence of this alternate ending existing beyond some people claiming it does. Like other examples (Wizard of Oz ending with a shot of the shoes under Dorothy's bed, etc.) I suspect this is just a false memory, although no doubt some will argue that, trouble is there's no way to prove a negative.
You are absolutely correct. Just watched this film again for the first time since the 70's. Thunderbolt leaves Lightfoot sitting (respectfully) by the roadside before driving off! Hope you come across this comment one day.
Answer: I remember the scene of pushing Jeff Bridges out of the car as well. I recently watched the movie on Cable, and Eastwood just kept on driving with Bridges (dead) slumped in his seat. I could have sworn he pushed him out in some alternate version.
Answer: I saw the film on VHS tape 30 years ago and the ending on the tape had Clint Eastwood throwing Jeff Bridge off the cliff.
Answer: Mandela effect.
Answer: The one thrown out of the car was red pushing his friend out of the trunk of the car after he was shot Clint saw his friend die, and he drove off with him still in the car.
27th Sep 2021
Robocop (1987)
Question: Why is Old Man unnamed?
Answer: I did a little research on this. According to Wikipedia, the Old Man was based on MCA Inc. CEO Lew Wasserman, who was considered to be a powerful and intimidating individual. I suspect the character was left unnamed to generally represent the cold, ruthless, detached nature of corporate America.
27th Sep 2021
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)
Question: Why did Sterling Holloway quit voicing Winnie The Pooh after providing his voice in this movie?
27th Sep 2021
Secret Window (2004)
17th Sep 2021
Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)
Question: Couldn't they move dinosaurs to Isla Sorna?
Answer: There are probably many reasons they didn't. There was extensive debate on whether dinosaurs should be allowed to exist as they had naturally gone extinct and artificially brought back to life, nor were they true dinosaurs. They are basically "invasive" species that affect the island's ecosystem. The costs and resources to move the animals would be enormous with no clear source on how to fund it. Also, Isla Sorna and Isla Nublar are not owned or governed by the United States, so the U.S. government's involvement would be restricted and controlled. Another factor, dumping a large amount of dinosaurs onto an island that is already populated by other dinosaurs would have further severe ecological consequences. As seen, private enterprises might finance the relocation, but they would do it for profit.
20th Sep 2021
Field of Dreams (1989)
Question: Maybe someone with agricultural expertise can answer this. Ray's entire cornfield is large and obviously worth a lot of money. How much would the small section of corn that he plowed under for the baseball field have been worth in comparison to the rest of the crop once sold?
Chosen answer: In modern times (say, over the last 10 years) corn crops yield about $240 in profit per acre. In the mid-to-late 1980s (when this movie was made) the profit yield was far less, maybe only $150 or less profit per acre. Today, most farms produce about 1100 acres of corn per season; but, back then, most farms produced around 600 acres per season. Of course, these are all just average figures. So, let's say Ray had an average Iowa farm of 600 cultivated acres in 1989, expecting to profit $150 per acre. Optimistically, Ray would profit about $90,000 on his total crop. Meanwhile, the acreage of a large baseball field (with 90-foot baselines) is only about 5 acres. Which means Ray plowed under only about $750 worth of his crop profits to open up land area for the baseball field. It doesn't sound like much of a sacrifice at all, in terms of corn. Ray could still potentially profit $89,250 on his remaining crop (assuming he had the farm hands and heavy equipment to harvest it).
Thanks! The plot seemed a bit far-fetched by implying that he would go completely bankrupt because he sacrificed five acres to build a baseball field. And it appeared that not all of those five acres near the house were previously being used for growing corn. Factoring in the other incidental building costs would be a different consideration, however.
Yeah, the 5 acres of corn was not a bank-breaker. My impression was that Ray probably cut down the corn himself at no great loss; but he then mortgaged his farm to have that one small piece of the cornfield leveled and professionally developed with ballpark-quality turf, baselines, stadium lighting and fencing, et cetera, not to mention the bleachers and professional-grade field equipment...all of which would total, what, a half-million bucks (or more) in the 1980s? Ray's brother-in-law rightly thought it was an insane risk that would result in bank foreclosure.
I just watched it again. It's mentioned they paid for building the field using all their savings, so presumably nothing more is owed. Another year passes and there is another crop of corn to be harvested, but the bank is threatening to foreclose.
Maybe it's a plot hole or a deleted scene; because, if the bank was threatening foreclosure, then a mortgage of some kind existed somewhere.
He did spend a lot to build the field, and those profit margin numbers are best-case, no?
Yeah, all the figures I provided were just averages for the year 1989; but the figures do demonstrate that cutting down 5 acres of corn didn't significantly impact Ray's profit on the whole crop. It wasn't cutting down the corn that cost him money (as the original question inquired); rather, it was developing the cleared 5 acres into a level, professional-standard baseball field that cost him a ton of money.
17th Sep 2021
Hogan's Heroes (1965)
Question: Who was "Nimrod"?
Answer: Nimrod's actual identity was never revealed in the series. It was only known that he was a British intelligence agent. Nimrod was not Colonel Klink. Hogan had only implied it was him as a ruse to get Klink returned as camp commandant, not wanting him replaced by someone more competent who would impede the Heroes war activities. The term "nimrod" is also slang for a nerdy, doofus type of person, though it's unclear why that was his code name.
"Nimrod" is originally a king and hero mentioned in the Tanach and taken into the Bible and the Koran. His name is often used in the sense of "stalker," "hunter," and sometimes figuratively as "womanizer" as in "hunter of women." I've never seen it used to denote a nerdy person, and although I cannot disprove that connotation, I think given his role, the traditional meaning is more likely the intended one.
It's widespread enough that Wikipedia has an entire section on it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nimrod#In_popular_culture
16th Sep 2021
Beetlejuice (1988)
Question: How is Lydia able to see Adam and Barbara along with Beetlejuice? Did she have some sort of near death experience or maybe inherited something from her family?
Answer: Presumably you are referring to when the trio come upon "Fluffy," the three-headed dog, that is kept in the restricted area of the castle. Inside the room there is a magical self-playing harp that keeps "Fluffy" asleep when it's playing. Hermione also noticed Fluffy was lying atop a floor hatch, which leads to where the Philosopher's Stone is hidden.
raywest ★