TedStixon

Show generally

Question: How is it possible the doctors at Arkham can keep being fooled by the likes of Poison Ivy, Two Face, The Riddler, etc., who're only pretending to be cured? Surely they could tell when they're faking.

Rob245

Answer: The problem is that you're trying to force real-world logic into a series with heavy sci-fi/fantasy elements and broad storytelling. Would a real-world psychologist be able to tell when someone is faking? Possibly. But that doesn't make for fun storytelling, especially for a fantasy-heavy series aimed predominately at children. This is one of those cases where the audience is merely expected to suspend their disbelief for the sake of entertainment. And I can tell you that as a kid who watched this show when it first aired in the 90's, I personally never even thought about it.

TedStixon

5th Feb 2023

General questions

How can I get better at spotting movie mistakes on my own? Especially the revealing mistakes and visible camera crew and equipment type ones?

TerrenHurley

Answer: Honestly, what made me start to notice revealing mistakes/visible crew was just learning about those types of mistakes on this very website and figuring out what to look for. Watching behind-the-scenes materials and learning how movies are made also helps. If I'm specifically going through a movie or show looking for mistakes, which I do sometimes for fun, I usually load up a Blu-Ray copy or the streaming service I'm using, and just scan through every shot, frequently rewinding and looking at all the little details. It can be subtle, so you may have to watch the same few shots 3, 4, 5+ times before you notice things. And even then, I'm sure I miss a lot of them.

TedStixon

Answer: First, it's imperative you watch a film or show with the ability to rewind (DVD, On Demand, Streaming, etc). Second, you should be familiar with the different types of filming techniques and procedures so you can visualize how the scene is being shot and where equipment and crew might be that could accidentally get in the shot. A lot of wide shots are going to expose revealing mistake, often time just briefly. While a continuous shot (where the camera doesn't cut) isn't going to have continuity issues. When the camera angle changes, that's when you can pick up mistakes. Finally, you can't be a passive viewer, if you're texting or looking at your phone, you're going to miss mistakes. And if you're really out to find mistakes, you'll probably miss the show (so it's best to look for mistake on your 2nd or 3rd viewing).

Bishop73

27th Jan 2023

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Question: Does anyone know the reason why Tarantino decided to show the events in this film out of order, with the sequence of Jules and Vincent trying to get the stolen briefcase back to Marcellus and the many mishaps they run across along the way shown at the end, even though chronologically that actually happens before Vincent takes Mia out for her birthday dinner, and before Butch's story where he tries to escape town with his father's watch?

Answer: Expanding upon the other answer, the scene in the diner between Vincent, Jules, Ringo, and Yolanda is the clear emotional and thematic climax of the film. Therefore, shuffling the linear progression of the film to put it at the end makes sense from a storytelling point of view. Ending it with Butch and Fabienne escaping (chronologically, the last event in the narrative) would not have worked as a final scene.

Answer: Tarantino felt that telling the stories in a nonlinear structure would make the narrative more engaging since it would keep the viewer on their toes. Basically because you have to really pay attention to what's happening and put it together in your head like a puzzle. I'd also personally elaborate that it changes the way you view certain scenes because it leaps back and forth in time. Ex. We eventually learn that Vincent is destined to die, so the way his scenes later in the film play out hits you in a different way then they would have if the film followed a traditional linear structure.

TedStixon

23rd Jan 2023

General questions

Why do some TV shows have different directors and producers throughout a season? Don't networks order/approve an entire season at once - meaning that a regular director and producers could join the crew? For example, I am currently watching the first season of "Melissa and Joey", and there have been six different directors for the episodes I've seen so far.

Answer: The workload of making a TV show is usually intense, and they often film multiple episodes simultaneously or back-to-back in order to save time. It's basically like filming multiple feature-length films. Having a single director or the same producers working on every single episode would be borderline impossible and would take way too long, especially if the season is more than 10 episodes. They have a schedule to keep.

TedStixon

9th Jan 2023

General questions

There was a movie about a girl who entered a gaming competition. While playing, she has an energy drink that slows down everything around her, and she wins the competition. As her boyfriend congratulates her, the energy drink is knocked to the ground causing her to suddenly find herself twenty years in the future and married with three kids. When she walks outside of the house she sees the entire world is practically desolate.

Answer: Doing some research, it appears you are referring to an episode of the science fiction black-comedy series "Dimension 404." It's an anthology series where every episode told an original story. The sixth and final episode, "Impulse", seems to match your description almost 100%. The show was produced for Hulu (where it is still available to stream, at least in the US) and seems to only have one season.

TedStixon

Thank you.

8th Jan 2023

The Punisher (2004)

Question: Would Castle's life have really been saved by jumping into the bathtub before the grenade went off?

Answer: In Season 9, Episode 20 of "Mythbusters," Adam and Jamie tested whether a person could survive a "toilet bomb" (recreating a Lethal Weapon 2 scene) by jumping into a cast iron bathtub and being covered with a bomb blanket. They used 1 kg of C-4 explosives that created a blast with a peak lethal pressure of 180 psi outside the tub. The pressure inside the tub was recorded as a survivable 8 psi, though with probable hearing damage. From what I read, a grenade has a much lesser psi force than what the C-4 explosion produced. Depending on the circumstances, it seems plausible that a person could survive the force and shrapnel while inside the tub.

raywest

Answer: It's plausible but highly unlikely. Assuming it's an old metal bathtub (which seems to be the case), it's possible it might have deflected enough of the percussive shock and shrapnel to save him, but unlikely that it'd stop everything. It's one of those things where it probably wouldn't work 90% of the time... but there's that 1 out of 10 chance it could possibly work if he got really lucky and no big pieces of shrapnel came his way. (Plus, stranger things have happened in real life).

TedStixon

7th Jan 2023

General questions

I watch a lot of 80s and 90s shows. I've noticed that when two characters sit on a couch, they often sit close beside each other, in the couch's center. It's not so unrealistic for a dating/married couple, a parent and young child, or times when a character needs to hug and comfort another. But in real life, if there is plenty of room on a couch, many teens and adults don't choose to sit so close together. Is this done for a filming reason? Or is my real-life experience odd?

Answer: It's usually done that way for framing/composition reasons, since it looks more aesthetically pleasing to the eye to see two people beside each other than on opposite ends of a couch. Things that may seem more natural, like sitting on opposite ends of a couch, just don't often look good on camera. Plus, it subtly indicates that they are close in some way, making it a good storytelling shorthand. (It's kinda similar to how in TV shows, if a scene is set during the morning, there's usually a giant, ornate breakfast out on the table that nobody actually touches, save for maybe grabbing something before they run out the door. Totally unrealistic, but it looks good on camera and is a visual shorthand to indicate it's the morning).

TedStixon

I'd imagine with older 4:3 ratio TV screens if people were at opposite ends of a couch the camera would have to be quite far back to see them both (easier on 16:9 widescreens), so it's easier to have them in the middle with a bit of space either side to make it symmetrical.

Question: Why doesn't Roy ever kill Vic? The last we see of him, he is sitting in the back of the police car. It seems odd that the person who actually killed Roy's son is allowed to live. Granted he is in police custody so it would be difficult for Roy to get to him, but I'm sure the filmmakers could have come up with some creative way to make it happen.

Answer: I think you answered your own question - Vic was in police custody. A regular coroner is likely not going to be able to kill someone who is being held for murder. Additionally, in a more meta behind-the-scenes sense, I would assume they also didn't show Vic getting killed because it could potentially be too much of a hint/hat-tip towards the killer's identity. We already saw the Roy the coroner disturbed by Joey's body, so having Joey's killer get murdered would probably give away the twist that Roy was the killer.

TedStixon

1st Jan 2023

General questions

I remember seeing a movie about 10 years ago, I think. I wanna say it was a heist movie or something along those lines, and it may have been a British film, but I was honestly deathly ill at the time and can't remember too much. All I remember is that there was a team of criminals, and one of them was an amateur adult-film actor, and I think there was a scene where he was tortured (and possibly threatened with castration if not castrated?) and killed for information. Ring any bells?

TedStixon

Answer: The Bank Job (2008) based on a true story. A femme fatale, Saffron Burrows, convinces Jason Statham and his crew to rob bank full of safe deposits, not knowing it's a cover to retrieve some photos of a royal family member in a "Fifty Shades" situation. It takes place during the 1970's. Unfortunately, the other boxes belong to the mob. They capture and torture the adult film actor for information and as a hostage.

Thanks! That seems to be the one.

TedStixon

28th Dec 2022

The Addams Family (1991)

Question: When Gordon (also Fester), Abigail and Tully are trying to get to the vault by pulling some of the chains of Booby traps but fails, Didn't either of them notices something different between the chains? Some of them is the tiny wooden handles but when Gomez enters earlier with Fester he is pulling one and slides down to the Vault.

Trainman

Answer: The idea is that there are so many chains, that they don't realise which one is the right one to pull. Fester has only been in the area once, so he can't remember exactly which one it was.

TedStixon

Question: How did Hunter get back in the crib since Ali was locked out of the house? Security video showed him being lifted out of the crib but doesn't show how he got back in. When mom and dad got home he was back in the crib and Ali was outside the house.

Answer: More than likely the demonic spirits placed him back in, since they were shown to be frequently interacting with him.

TedStixon

28th Dec 2022

Saw II (2005)

Answer: Since he was still only a teenager, it's likely he would have left the experience traumatized and needing help. At the end of the day, I don't think Daniel woke up thinking he was gonna take someone's life. In The Scott Tibbs Documentary, after Adam's disappearance (the bathroom game in Saw), Scott Tibbs nearly manages to interview Daniel against his will, but is stopped by security.

hsssjusuh

Answer: From an article on the Saw-wiki: After being found and rescued by his father's fellow officers, Daniel was taken to the Saint Andrews Hospital to recover. During his stay, Daniel was nearly interviewed against his will by Scott Tibbs for his documentary in his obsession to find out more about Jigsaw's motives following his best friend Adam Stanheight's disappearance. To do so, Scott futilely tried about being Daniel's cousin and, after refusing to sign the papers to prove it, tried to sneak into Daniel's room, but a nurse and a security guard came across him and demanded him to leave so he would not disturb Daniel and other patients, which Scott reluctantly did. (The Scott Tibbs Documentary).

Ssiscool

Answer: It's never explained in any of the movies, so any answer would be pure speculation. Likely, he was sent back to his mother since his father vanished. And I'm assuming he'd have some sort of trauma/PTSD and would likely need therapy.

TedStixon

25th Dec 2022

General questions

I remember seeing a sketch show in the US in the late 90's or early 2000's. There was a sketch that was parodying James Bond where the villain was going to kill the Bond character, but realised Bond always had an out for everything. (Ex. "I can't feed you to alligators because you'll just run across their heads like a bridge!" etc.) At the end, the villain got so frustrated, he just killed himself by grabbing onto an electrified panel. Does anyone know what sketch show this is from?

TedStixon

Answer: I found my answer. Evidently it's a skit by Hale and Pace, an English comedy double-act, and it's on YouTube if you search "Hale and Pace Bond." Some of their skits were shown in the US in the 90's as part of the "Ohh, Nooo! Mr. Bill Presents..." comedy show, which was a show that aired comedy skits and shows they licensed from overseas, and were introduced by the character "Mr. Bill." (A little man made out of clay who would comedically be injured and squashed in every episode while screaming "Oh nooo!"). That's where I saw it.

TedStixon

Answer: I don't know about a sketch, but in an episode of "The Simpsons," a character Frank Grimes gets so frustrated that Homer is so dumb but yet archives so much acclaim, becoming an astronaut, winning a Grammy and becomes friends with celebrities. He sets Homer up to fail, but yet wins an award. Frank throws a tantrum, doing dumb things like Homer but ends up electrocuting himself. There have also have been several episodes spoofing James Bond.

Definitely not that. This was a live-action sketch show specifically parodying James Bond.

TedStixon

25th Dec 2022

General questions

When animated shows are recorded, do all the voice actors record lines together, as the plot happens? Or does each person record all their lines at once? And if a character only says a few words in an episode, is some of their previously-recorded dialogue just re-used (if the script would allow it)? If it matters, I am mostly thinking about half-hour shows like The Simpsons, King of the Hill, South Park, Family Guy, etc.

Answer: To add to Bishop's answer, some shows occasionally do have multiple (or all of the) actors working together, but it's typically pretty rare for that to happen. As for the second part of your question, audio clips and lines do get reused sometimes. It just depends on the circumstance of the episode.

TedStixon

Answer: Generally each character's lines are recorded separately where the voice actor reads all their lines at once. There may be other voice actors in the studio with them to read their lines as a prompt so the actor being recorded has something to play off. Also, in the examples you give, one actor voices multiple characters. It would be very difficult for even a seasoned voice actor to have to switch between characters in a scene if the lines were recorded together. And impossible to do if two characters voiced by one actor were both talking at the same time.

Bishop73

18th Dec 2022

Krampus (2015)

Question: Omi never lost her Christmas spirit, so why did the toys in Krampus' bag attack her?

Answer: Krampus was specifically conjured by Max losing his spirit. Krampus came to claim his family - including Omi - to essentially punish him for it. It doesn't matter if Omi never lost her spirit in the present... that's not why Krampus came.

TedStixon

11th Dec 2022

Halloween (2007)

Question: Why did Michael take his mask off and show the picture of them, not wanting to hurt her? Can someone explain?

Answer: Michael is trying to show Laurie that they are siblings and that he (presumably) means her no harm. Since Laurie was a baby, she didn't mistreat him like everyone else does, so she seems to be the only person he is not driven to kill. (Similar to his mother, who treated him well.) However, Laurie doesn't understand and tries to kill him, causing him to then interpret her as an enemy.

TedStixon

5th Dec 2022

Gone Girl (2014)

Question: Why does Amy whack herself in the face with a hammer? Her plan is working at this point. She's achieved anonymity and escaped her life. What possible good could cover from hitting herself in the face with a hammer? (01:13:04)

applejackson

Answer: To my knowledge, the purpose of hitting herself was two-fold. First of all, a facial injury would support the idea that she was abused or in some sort of bad situation. And secondly, to help mildly alter her appearance, so she could blend in more. (Especially considering people were looking for her).

TedStixon

Answer: Cooper's role was a cameo. And often, when well-known or well-respected actors appear in surprise cameo roles like this, they go uncredited. Usually to either try to maintain the element of surprise, or try not to overshadow the rest of the cast.

TedStixon

8th Nov 2022

Batman Returns (1992)

Question: It is never explained why Catwoman hates Batman enough to attack him during their first encounter. A day or two earlier, when she was just Selina Kyle, Batman had actually saved her from one of the thugs rioting in Gotham City, so there is no reason for her to be so aggressive towards him (other than the fact that the audience expects them to be enemies, which is no explanation at all). Why does she?

Gibson Rickenbacker

Answer: Not to be rude... but did you somehow miss the part where she just blew up a building and Batman is trying to catch her for it? Of course, she's gonna fight back and be aggressive... she doesn't want to get caught. (Although she is also very seductive to him).

TedStixon

Answer: She was in a rage against all men, her boyfriend dumped her and her boss threw her out of a window. She attacked a mugger and felt hatred for the female victim for being afraid. She felt invincible after blowing up the building and was not going to let a man in a bat suit stop her. After falling off the building, he saved her life. That's when the sexual attraction began.

8th Nov 2022

Halloween Ends (2022)

Question: Michael dragged Corey into the sewers with the intent of killing him. Why did Michael let him go?

Answer: The implication seems to be that there is some sort of subliminal connection between the two that they both pick up on. I personally took it as Michael somehow subconsciously feeling the "evil" brewing within Corey... almost as though he sees his own evil in Corey. Thus, he lets him go and subsequently "teams up" with him later on. They're a twisted form of kindred spirits.

TedStixon

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