TedStixon

9th Nov 2024

Predator (1987)

Question: After the Predator gets out of the water and walks past Dutch, it sees some small animal (not sure what) and kills it. Since it kills for sport, targets experts with weapons, why kill a defenceless animal? (01:20:00)

oobs

Answer: The creature it shoots at is a Coati. It shoots at it as it’s looking for Dutch using infrared and mistakes the animal for Dutch, possibly thinking the rest of him is obscured by the log, knowing Dutch is trying to hide. It misses the animal, though.

lionhead

Answer: It simply might have seen killing a different animal as yet another "trophy." Especially if it hunts for sport and is on a different planet. I know a few people who hunt for "sport," and many of their targets are non-dangerous, defenceless animals that could not realistically fight back. It's just... a thing for some people.

TedStixon

Except that the Yautja only kill people who have weapons. The animal was defenceless, and it wouldn't have been very, what the Yautja perceive, as being honourable.

The issue is that you're going by logic established in sequels/spin-off material and trying to retroactively connect it. Nothing in the original movie explicitly states this. Even the name you're using, "Yautja," wasn't coined until a spin-off novel that came out seven years later. Sometimes sequels and spin-offs will "rewrite the rules" and retcon from the original, thus creating small inconsistencies. You just have to accept that it's something that happened in this movie, even if it contradicts future series "lore." You can't really fault it for not lining up with sequels they didn't even know would exist when they made it.

TedStixon

8th Sep 2024

Deep Rising (1998)

Question: Finnegan put only one torpedo through the hole in the side of his boat. Would only one be enough to destroy the whole cruise ship?

Answer: According to some good old Google Fu, a single torpedo hit could absolutely destroy and sink a cruise ship since they're not as fortified as a warship would be. They're meant to carry passengers, not go to war. Granted, it probably wouldn't be quite as dramatic an explosion, but you could also argue that any other explosives on Finnegan's ship, plus the cruise ship's fuel, could have been ignited in the blast. You also have to factor in that the ship was already heavily damaged from the monsters attacking and was in a more fragile state than it would otherwise be.

TedStixon

31st Aug 2024

Halloween Kills (2021)

Question: Who is Conrad Mulaney and how did Lonnie steal his candy?

Answer: I always thought that Conrad was the guy with those two girls who steal Lonnie's candy. And Lonnie could have just pickpocketed the candy from Conrad. It's never explicitly stated in detail.

ChristmasJonesfan

Answer: He's another kid, and Lonnie probably just picked on him and stole some of his candy... it happens.

TedStixon

14th Aug 2024

Hulk (2003)

Question: Would Bruce, standing in front of the Gamma Sphere, have really saved Harper's life?

Answer: It's fictional sci-fi movie technology, so it's honestly up to the writers. In the case of the movie as depicted, it seems to have worked. (While there is a real Gammasphere that was used as the very loose basis for the one seen in the movie, its function is entirely different, so it can't really be used as a valid comparison.)

TedStixon

Question: When Seymore is having the final confrontation with the plant, the plant sings, "You can keep the Thing. You can keep the It. You can keep the Creature, they don't mean shit!" I get that "the Thing" is a reference to the monster from "The Thing From Another World" and "the Creature" is a reference to Gillman from "The Creature From The Black Lagoon", but what is "the It" a reference to?

Answer: Most likely it is referring to It! The Terror from Beyond Space (1958) or possibly It Came from Outer Space (1953).

Answer: I'm assuming that "it" is simply a vague reference to non-human creatures. (It most likely wouldn't be a reference to "It" by Stephen King, as "It" came out after the song was written.)

TedStixon

Answer: He was speaking in general. It being used as a subject, direct object, or indirect object of a verb, or object of a preposition, usually in reference to a lifeless thing.

Answer: Seems like "It" is the titular creature from Stephen King's novel "It." It was a shapeshifter, but mainly took the form of Pennywise the Clown. The novel was released 3 months prior to this film's release.

Bishop73

Question: Why does Alice team up with Carlos after he points a gun at her in the school?

Answer: The movie quite literally explains it. They've both been contacted by the same person with the same offer, so even though their initial meeting is tense, they quickly team up. As the phrase goes... strength in numbers. It's easier to complete a difficult task with more allies.

TedStixon

18th Jul 2024

Lethal Weapon 4 (1998)

Question: Mel Gibson used what looked like an AK-47 to shoot Jet Li. Is a rifle like that watertight and able to fire underwater?

Answer: It can be fired underwater, yes, although its effective range is tiny since the water instantly slows the bullet down. It'd definitely be able to kill Jet Li as demonstrated though, since it's pushed right up against him, thus the bullets would have very little resistance from the water. Although I don't know if it'd get quite as many shots off before jamming up. There are plenty of videos of people firing them underwater, but they always only fire a single round, presumably for safety reasons. Either way, the scene is more or less realistic.

TedStixon

Answer: The AK47 is known for its simplicity and durability, with a design that is easy to use, maintain, and repair, even in harsh conditions. It can function in extreme temperatures, dusty and sandy environments, and even when it is dirty or partially submerged in water. "How far can an AK-47 shoot underwater? - Not very far. Besides having to push water out of the barrel, bullets don't go very far through water even when the bullet exits the barrel at full muzzle velocity. Bullets hitting the water travel about 3-feet before stopping."

18th Jul 2024

The Incredibles (2004)

Question: Why did Mrs. Incredible look at herself in the mirror? I never did understand that.

Answer: She sees her reflection and notices her thighs and rear-end look a little big, before letting out a slightly disappointed sigh. It's there to indicate that she has minor body-insecurity issues, much as Bob did earlier in the film. She hasn't been a super in a while and has had kids in the meantime, so she's put on a little weight... it's a nice moment to remind us that despite being a superhero on the surface, she's also a normal person with normal worries deep down inside.

TedStixon

Answer: She was noticing her larger hips/butt thanks to the skin-tight super suit. As with a lot of people, she gained weight as she got older, and she was no longer a superhero, so she didn't get the exercise she had in her youth.

BaconIsMyBFF

23rd Jun 2024

Ghostbusters 2 (1989)

Question: What is the device that Ray uses to scan Vigo's painting?

Answer: In the context of the movie, it's simply a piece of Ghostbusting tech that's nature is never really revealed. In real life, it's a modified version of a camera called a "Globuscope." It was invented in the early 1980s and was used to take panoramic-style photographs. So far as I can tell, only a handful were ever produced, and somehow one of them ended up in the movie.

TedStixon

Answer: Serafinowicz apparently hated working on "Phantom Menace" because it paid poorly, he was given limited direction, and he felt Jar Jar Binks was a racist caricature upon watching the film on release.

TedStixon

Also, Serafinowicz was annoyed that he wasn't invited to the film's premiere and had to pay for his own tickets and travel expenses.

9th Jun 2024

Twister (1996)

Question: During the hilltop tornado scene, Preacher mentions "the cone of silence." What exactly is that?

Answer: In the context of the movie, I believe they're referring to a moment where it appears everything is over, but is about to start up again. In real life, the term is evidently a term for a specific area that weather radars can't necessarily pick... usually very close to the radar since being overhead would mean they're outside of the radar's angle.

TedStixon

Answer: In the TV series "Get Smart", there was a device called the "cone of silence." It's used so that no one could hear private conversations, but it never worked properly. It was most likely a cultural reference.

26th May 2024

Fantastic Four (2005)

Question: In the finale, when the team is spraying Doom with water, when Ben closes the fire hydrant, the same noise made when Sue gained powers is heard. Was this on purpose?

sunfox35

Answer: I've just watched the scenes back-to-back and the similarities are pretty vague, so I can only assume you're referring to some subtle background noise I didn't notice. Regardless, chances are if they reused the same sound, it was just because it was some sort of licensed music-library sound they thought worked well in both scenes. This actually happens all the time. I've seen movies where, if you listen very closely, you can hear the same sound clip 2, 3, 4 or more times mixed into the background noise. (Ex. "Wes Craven's New Nightmare" reuses the same "pottery breaking" sound about a half-dozen times if you pay attention during the earthquake scenes.)

TedStixon

25th May 2024

Predator (1987)

Question: Right after the battle with the guerrillas, why does Dutch get pissed off and yell at Dillon? He says something about them being set up. However, Dutch and his men already knew they were going into a combat situation. What was Dutch so angry about?

Answer: Dutch is upset because Dillon lied to his team about the objective. Dutch and his team don't take on assassination-type missions, and he doesn't view his team as expendable... whereas Dillon needed a skilled but expendable hit-squad to take out the guerrillas. It was basically just a large-scale assassination mission. So Dillon lied and said it was a much more noble rescue to lure them in and make them think it wouldn't be as dangerous.

TedStixon

19th May 2024

The Changeling (1980)

Question: Carmichael died at his home. Was it his ghost or something else that John saw in the house as it was burning?

Answer: It was implied to be his "spirit" or "soul" that John saw.

TedStixon

19th May 2024

Halloween Kills (2021)

Question: Where were Lonnie's friends from the first movie and why didn't they appear in the 1978 flashback?

Answer: The flashback occurs some time after the ending of the first movie. They likely just separated in the meantime.

TedStixon

17th Apr 2024

Beetlejuice (1988)

Question: What ever happened to Maxi Dean and his wife after Beetlejuice hammered them up into the ceiling?

Answer: It's never explained. It's entirely possible they were both killed considering they were launched through the ceiling, since that would have likely caused catastrophic head injuries. But it's also possible that given the cartoonish nature of the film, they were just ejected out of the house. It's up for the viewer to decide. (I personally am leaning towards them being dead given how violent Beetlejuice is.)

TedStixon

I also wonder if they died, because they could go back to New York and tell others about their experience at the house. They are wealthy and probably have a good-sized social circle, so they could attract some attention to the town. Depending on what exactly Beetlejuice is planning (after he marries Lydia), he may not want that yet.

17th Apr 2024

Bean (1997)

Question: Why did David get back in the shower with Mr Bean after hanging up the phone?

Answer: In the context of the movie, the "damage" has already been done, so-to-speak... he's already in the shower with Bean. And since he's also in a big rush to get to the museum, he decides to just keep showering. (In a meta, behind-the-scenes sense, it's also just funnier for him to stay in the shower rather than get out and wait for Bean.)

TedStixon

17th Apr 2024

The Village (2004)

Question: Ivy says some people have a colour. Do you think Noah had a colour and she knew it was him in the woods? If so, did she intentionally let him die knowing he may have killed the man she loves?

Answer: Don't disagree with the other answer, but Ivy could have sensed it was Noah. While Ivy claimed to "see" someone's color, more likely she recognized people by their individual sounds, smells, movements, etc. which she interpreted as their "color." She knew Noah attacked Lucius and, in his unstable state, might kill her. She knew the "monsters" were fake and no-one else had a motive to harm her. I don't think she intended to let Noah die. She was protecting herself and could do little to save him once he fell into the pit.

raywest

Answer: From what I recall, there's nothing in the movie to indicate that this is the case.

TedStixon

15th Feb 2024

Inside Man (2006)

Question: Why did the FDNY respond to a hostage situation?

Answer: Firetrucks and firefighters are quite often dispatched to non-fire emergencies. They're typically well-trained in emergency and medical aid, and also very quick and efficient, so a lot of the time, they will arrive at emergency scenes before police and paramedics.

TedStixon

Answer: In a hostage scenario, there's always a high probability of injuries and other situations arising that police are unable to handle. Paramedics are part of the fire department and tend to medical needs. Firefighters respond to any possible fires, explosions, gas leaks, etc. They may also have to cut off water to a specific building, extract hostages, or carry out other rescue operations. Fire departments regularly work hand-in-hand with police.

raywest

7th Feb 2024

General questions

I can't remember the name of this horror movie. It's from the late 2000s or early 2010s. A high school girl has a crush on her married teacher. She is a stereotypical quiet "loner." Somehow she dies, then comes back as a more sexy type with powers. At one point, after returning, she tells the teacher's wife "I died for him!" and the wife says "As would I!" (or something similar).

Answer: That sounds like the 2005 horror movie "Tamara." It was technically in theatres, but was primarily a video release.

TedStixon

Thank you. That is the movie.

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