Question: Who is Conrad Mulaney and how did Lonnie steal his candy?
TedStixon
31st Aug 2024
Halloween Kills (2021)
Answer: He's another kid, and Lonnie probably just picked on him and stole some of his candy... it happens.
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.)
5th Aug 2024
Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
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.)
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.
18th Jul 2024
Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
10th Jun 2024
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
Question: Is it true that Peter Serafinowicz, who voiced Darth Maul, is furious with George Lucas?
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.
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.
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?
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.)
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.
19th May 2024
The Changeling (1980)
19th May 2024
Halloween Kills (2021)
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.)
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.)
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.
Answer: From what I recall, there's nothing in the movie to indicate that this is the case.
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.
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.
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.
Thank you. That is the movie.
11th Jan 2024
Malcolm in the Middle (2000)
Question: I vaguely remember one or two promo ads for this show, which quoted reviews by critics, basically saying that it was better than "The Simpsons" and a refreshing change. However, many sitcoms have come and gone throughout the run of "The Simpsons." Is there some reason why this particular show was being promoted as an alternative?
Answer: I wouldn't read into it too much. It's not uncommon for a few critics to really love a particular film or TV show and compare it to other works in their reviews. ("It's better than XXX!" or "The best show/movie of its genre since XXX!") And since it makes for a great piece of promotion, a lot of times commercials will use these quotes in advertisements as a way to get publicity. Again, something that happens all the time. I've seen plenty of commercials for different films, TV shows, video games, etc. like the one you're describing.
5th Jan 2024
Spider-Man (2002)
Question: Why doesn't the Green Goblin use his vaporising bombs against Spider-Man in the burning building, since he used one at the World Unity Festival?
Answer: You could make an argument that the Goblin didn't want to quickly kill Spider-Man, so he's toying with him by beating him, throwing the razor-bats at him, etc. Goblin is psychopathic and petty... he's absolutely go for the longer death after Spider-Man turned down his offer to team up. (But of course, the actual reason behind the scenes is that the vaporizing bomb was just meant to be a cool little one-off moment to show how much of a threat Goblin was. And it'd make the movie very boring if he kept using it, especially given how overpowered it was.)
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.
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