raywest

29th Jun 2020

The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)

Question: With all the cars Jason Bourne crashed in and kept going, why haven't the airbags gone off?

Answer: This would have been an artistic choice by the filmmakers. Having airbags continually going off each time would have slowed the scene's action and pacing, lessening its dramatic impact. It's not realistic, but it's a movie, and it comes down to what makes for a more exciting story.

29th Jun 2020

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

Question: How does all that dirt or whatever it is get on Hermione's pink hoodie?

THE GAMER NEXT DOOR

Answer: From all the activity she was doing, such as being flung around by the Whomping Willow, crawling through the tunnel, being in the Shrieking Shack, running away from Lupin (when he's in his werewolf form) and so on.

But where was it first seen?

It doesn't really need to be seen for it to happen. If it was gained from being hit over by the willow then they're not going to show a close up of the dirt transferring on to her clothes.

It's first really noticeable when they're inside the Shrieking Shack. Before then it was too dark to be seen.

29th Jun 2020

Emergency! (1972)

Question: In quite a few episodes of Emergency there is a character that the doctors and other nurses call Nurse Carol. She is the older nurse with dark hair. I would say she is on at least a fourth of all episodes in all seasons yet I can not see this actress getting credited or listed as uncredited anywhere. I wonder if she was an actual nurse. Does any one know who she was. Yes there also were a couple of other actresses who played a nurse named Carol on one or two episodes and they are listed in the episode guides. She also is the patient with her arm in the cast talking to Dr. Morton in the episode 6:18 Firehouse Quintet.

Answer: On IMDB, actress Anne Schedeen is listed as playing Nurse Carol on six episodes from 1974-76.

29th Jun 2020

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

Question: Why did Norrington let Jack escape?

Answer: He lets Jack go and decides to give him a one day head start before pursuing him again out of affection for Elizabeth, whom along with Will wanted Jack to be spared from execution for his good deeds.

Answer: At no point did he actually "let" him escape on purpose. Jack was always just too witty for Norrington (who is kinda slow). That's counting 3 occasions where Norrington failed to capture Jack, but perhaps you can be more specific as to which escape you are referring to.

The escape is at the end of the movie. When Elizabeth and Will help Jack escape. Norrigton is asked if they are going to go after Jack but Norrigton decides to give him a head start.

In that case then, Norrington is confident that the British Navy can capture 1 pirate with relative ease.

Answer: He is overly-confident that he is more capable than Jack and will easily catch him.

29th Jun 2020

Jurassic Park (1993)

Question: Whilst I appreciate the comedic value of Jeff Goldblum, why has Dr Ian Malcolm been invited to the island? How is his academic knowledge of chaos theory relevant to deciding whether a theme park is safe?

Answer: Malcolm spoke with Hammond about the idea of Jurassic Park prior to the visit. Hammond dismisses Malcolm's math as "codswallop" and "fashionable number crunching," and complains that Malcolm has "never been able to adequately explain [his] concerns..." But why ask him? Malcolm is an expert in complex systems. His particular brand of scientist is known for modeling "the real world" in mathematics. This is why you hear him refer to the complexity of the system in phase space and chaos (as in chaos theory). Gennaro refers to him as 'too trendy." Hammond likely asked Malcom to analyze the idea of the park as a publicity stunt, but got back a scathing paper. Gennaro has picked someone openly hostile to the park to give it a review. The investors want two experts to sign off. Hammond knows that Malcolm is hostile, so Hammond finds a paleontologist and paleobotanist (Grant and Sattler) in the hopes that they will sign off due to sheer awe and excitement.

Answer: Malcolm was there to calculate the probability of what and how the theme park could go wrong. The park's financial backers are aware the dinosaurs pose an extreme danger to visitors that could result in massive lawsuits. They want to know every conceivable scenario of what could go wrong. It's the old adage of, 'If something can go wrong, it will go wrong.'.

Answer: From google: Ian Malcolm was invited to the park by Donald Gennaro as an insurance consultant as Donald apparently felt that Ian, as a fiduciary, would be able to notice any dangerous shortcomings the park had.

Answer: According to the wiki, he is brought along by the lawyer Donald Gennero because he is a parent of several children and thus be able to notice any shortcomings regarding safety to children.

29th Jun 2020

The Godfather: Part II (1974)

Question: What could Fredo get by helping kill Michael?

Answer: He was given a vague promise about backing for possible business opportunities. Fredo naively never believed that Michael would be killed and thought he was only giving information.

29th Jun 2020

The Godfather (1972)

Question: What did Barzini promise Carlo if he set up Sonny to be killed?

Answer: It was never specified, but likely a large sum of money and some sort of business arrangement with the Barzini crime family.

21st Jun 2020

Frankenweenie (2012)

Question: In what decade does this movie take place?

Answer: The movie doesn't appear to be set in a particular decade, probably to give it a more timeless appeal. Styles seem to range anywhere from mid-to late-20th century.

21st Jun 2020

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)

Question: Would the volcano eruption destroy the entire island, or would some buildings escape unscathed?

Answer: It would depend on the severity of the eruption. But given how it looks in the film, with large scale ash ejection and lava flows. It's probably all the buildings.

Answer: As it's a relatively small island, it's most likely every building would, be destroyed, if not immediately. Hot lava tends to creep slowly but steadily, causing buildings and vegetation it touches to catch fire and then spread.

26th Dec 2003

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

Question: Does anyone know if the film has ever been released in colour and if it has was it ever as successful as the black and white version?

Answer: There is a DVD with colour and black and white.

Answer: There have been three colorized versions of the film. Determining whether the colorized version or the original black and white film is more successful is difficult. The original B&W film, released in theaters in 1946, flopped at the box office and the studio lost money. It was only after it started being shown on TV (in B&W) decades later that it became popular. The first colorized version came out in the early 1980s and was released on VHS. Most sales would have been the colorized version, so in that respect, it could be considered more successful. The B&W version is available on DVD.

Answer: There are two colourised versions. See for more information.

22nd Jun 2020

Friday the 13th (2009)

Question: How could Whitney have lived at Jason's underground hideout for 6 weeks without food?

Chosen answer: When Jason brought her brother's backpack, you can see a small table next to the mattress with some bottles and cans, there is also something what looks like bag of chips (or maybe marshmallows?). I'm sure that he knew that she needs food, and brought her something from campers or cabins.

Answer: A young healthy person can live without food for 30 - 60 days "if" they have a regular source of water. They would be severely malnourished and probably barely functional, however.

12th Mar 2020

Cast Away (2000)

Question: Why did Chuck and Kelly not get back together at the end? Yes I know she's with that other guy but they still have feelings for each other. She didn't move on by choice, she had to move on because she thought he was dead.

Answer: She hadn't seen Chuck in years, she's married to another man, and had a child with him. Just because she still cares for Chuck (and maybe wishes things had turned out differently), doesn't mean she doesn't love her husband or wants to leave him.

And if I recall, they didn't meet because the new husband told her that Chuck didn't want to see her.

Chuck and Kelly didn't reunite at the FedEx hub because Kelly was too overwhelmed emotionally. The man she truly loved is lost to her, and she knows she cannot hurt her current husband by tearing their family apart for her own desires.

Answer: Jack and Kelly were going to be engaged around New years. So no commitment yet, whereas she was married and had a daughter with new relationship.

That would be Chuck and Kelly, not "Jack."

21st Jun 2020

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

Question: How did the inmates on rooftops manage to get their hands on beer?

Answer: It was given to them by the guards.

But isn't beer banned in prisons?

Guards can be bribed to bring in contraband.

Part of Andy's agreement with Hadley for helping him with his taxes is that the prisoners working on the roof are given some beer as a reward.

Andy gives Hadley (the head guard) financial advice on how to keep a large sum of money, which he (Hadley) received as an inheritance. Andy, being an accountant, offers to do all the necessary tax work, in exchange for three beers apiece for his fellow inmates. Hadley agrees, and arranges for the beer to be delivered and given to them. (All of this is shown in the scene immediately prior to that in which the inmates are drinking beer).

Answer: Under all but rare circumstances, alcoholic beverages are not allowed in US prisons, which was also the case in 1949, when this scene takes place; the significance of this scene is to establish that Andy began to enjoy special privileges while incarcerated, which is also how he eventually got the warden to allow him to establish the prison library.

21st Jun 2020

The Village (2004)

Question: Why did the people on the modern side not want to cross the border?

Answer: If you mean the security staff, they were not permitted to ever enter enter the area, being told it was an experimental nature preserve. They are only employees and follow orders, which was to patrol the perimeter and keep anyone from entering. The head security man apparently knows what is inside, but his subordinate staff do not, though the one guy, after meeting Ivy, now has an idea that people are living inside. The preserve is privately owned by the Walker Corporation, and the security staff work for them.

21st Jun 2020

Sex and the City (1998)

Question: So was Kim Cattrall ever serious about Sonia Braga or was it just a fling for her?

Answer: It doesn't appear she was. Samantha was sexually adventurous and experimental to just about any type of relationship and had briefly sworn off men. She may have liked Braga, but she was too controlling and overbearing for Samantha, and ultimately, she only preferred men.

12th Jun 2020

Knowing (2009)

Question: Why did the grandmother get the codes if only kids will go to the new earth and not her?

Answer: She was never intended to go; she was only the messenger that the alien beings chose as a means to save the children who would one day rebuild humanity.

15th Jun 2020

Bring It On Again (2004)

Question: Greg helps the Renegades. How does he learn their routine so fast? It was after midnight. The competition is the next day.

Answer: Some people have a photographic memory and can memorize instantly. Realistically, unless he had this type of ability, or had some previous knowledge of the routine, it's unlikely he could learn it so quickly.

15th Jun 2020

Mr. Brooks (2007)

Question: What does the ending mean? Does Brooks kill his daughter before she kills again?

Answer: There is no clear meaning about the ending but he does not kill his daughter, Jane. When Brooks dreams that Jane murders him, it seems to indicate he fears she is destined to become a serial killer like him.

15th Jun 2020

Wonder Woman (1976)

Question: How is it Steve never seemed to notice Diana's absences when she's her alter ego?

Answer: There is no logical reason. Any normal person would notice these type of absences. The show employs a "suspension of disbelief," which is a literary device where the movie audience or a book reader accepts that certain things are unreal for the sake of the story to be told. It is similar to no-one noticing that Clark Kent looks exactly like Superman because he wears glasses.

Answer: Thank you.

15th Jun 2020

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

Question: When Kirk and Scotty first enters the Enterprise, the hatch is numbered 5. But the computer announces that a travel pod is available at Cargo 6. Would that be considered an error?

Answer: Possibly, or there could also be another travel pod that is available at Cargo 6, and that is what is being announced.

Join the mailing list

Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.