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?
TedStixon
7th Jan 2023
General questions
1st Jan 2023
Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning (1985)
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
28th Dec 2022
Paranormal Activity 2 (2010)
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.
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.
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).
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
18th Dec 2022
Krampus (2015)
Question: Omi never lost her Christmas spirit, so why did the toys in Krampus' bag attack her?
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.
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)
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).
26th Nov 2022
The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014)
Question: Why wasn't Chris Cooper credited for his role as Norman Osborn?
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.
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?
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.
8th Nov 2022
Halloween 4 (1988)
Question: Jamie is Laurie's daughter and also Michael's niece in the movie. How is this possible? Michael killed his sister at the beginning of the first movie and Laurie isn't even related to him.
Answer: There are multiple timelines in the "Halloween" series, and in this particular timeline Laurie is, in fact, related to Michael. In the original "Halloween II," it is established that Laurie is Michael's long-lost younger sister, who was adopted sometime after he killed their older sister Judith. This movie is a sequel to that film, thus Jamie is both Laurie's daughter and Michael's niece. While the most recent trilogy (starting with the 2018 film) has ignored this fact, most of the sequels have Michael and Laurie as long lost siblings.
5th Nov 2022
Friday the 13th Part 2 (1981)
Question: This question applies to this movie and all the other movies where Jason is the killer. Whenever Jason is unmasked, why does his face always look different from the previous film?
Answer: Quite simply, different crews and effects teams worked on different movies, and they wanted to put their own stamp on the character and do their own interpretations. They also understandably wanted to make him look more and more monstrous and scary with each film to try to "outdo" the last one.
5th Nov 2022
Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2020)
Question: Is the 1989 Ghostbusters II film still canon or does this film retcon it?
Answer: Yes, it is still canon. Director Jason Reitman has confirmed it is, and there are actually lots of easter eggs referencing it in "Afterlife." For example, Ray still has his bookstore from "Ghostbusters II." The "dancing toaster" is in the farmhouse. Etc. They chose not to directly reference it in dialogue since it didn't have much to do with the plot, but there are plenty of hidden details confirming it is still canon. Reitman has also said that there are plans to possibly bring back more plot/characters from "Ghostbusters II" in the future. (It just depends on what direction the sequel ends up going in).
19th Jul 2022
The Crow (1994)
Question: We all know Brandon Lee was shot and ultimately died of his injuries. The death was recorded and has ultimately been destroyed. But does anyone know what scene it is where the accident happened? I've read that it was the scene where he jumps on the table and is shot off before popping up, and I've read that it was a scene with just Funboy shooting him with a revolver. There have also been articles where it's described as an "unknown scene"
Answer: To add, there are other websites besides Wikipedia, that also confirm that Brandon's death occurred while filming the scene of Shelly's rape.
Answer: This is from Wikipedia: On March 31, 1993, at EUE Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington, North Carolina, Lee was filming a scene where his character, Eric, is shot after witnessing the beating and rape of his fiancée. Actor Michael Massee Funboy fires a .44 Magnum Smith and Wesson Model 629 revolver at Lee as he walks into the room.
As we are all aware, Wikipedia isn't the best for credibility. Is there any other source for this information? As like I said originally, I've read articles where it's the scene where he falls off the table, and others where it's just "an unknown scene".
That Wikipedia entry is cited with a source to an official news article, so it's totally legit. I've never seen an article where it says it was the scene where he fell off a table. I've only ever heard it mentioned as the scene where he finds Shelly being beaten and raped. But here are some other articles about the incident: https://ew.com/article/1993/04/16/brief-life-and-unnecessary-death-brandon-lee/ and https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-04-01-mn-17681-story.html.
25th Sep 2022
Transformers: The Last Knight (2017)
Question: This movie seems to end on a cliffhanger. Are they making another movie or are they done?
Answer: At this point in time, there are no plans for a direct sequel to "The Last Knight." The movie "Bumblebee" was originally made to serve as a prequel/spin-off, but the studio subsequently decided to treat it as a sort-of "soft reboot." The next movie, "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts," will be a direct sequel to "Bumblebee" and will be set in the 1990's. And I believe at this point in time, the current plan is to continue the "Bumblebee" storyline instead of continuing the storyline of the original five films. It should also be noted that the original five movies got increasingly negative critical/fan reception with each film, and this film performed poorly at the box office... whereas "Bumblebee" got the best reviews of the series from both critics and fans, cost significantly less money, and turned a decent profit. It makes more sense businesswise to make a "Bumblebee" sequel than a "The Last Knight" sequel.
Answer: I think that they are done with this series. Especially considering the fact that The Last Knight was a complete failure.
Answer: As far as I know there is none, the last movie was not well-received by the critics and the audience.
25th Sep 2022
Van Helsing (2004)
Question: When Van Helsing turns into a werewolf, what fur color is he supposed to have? When he turns into a werewolf, he has black fur. When he fights Dracula, his fur is brown and after killing Dracula, it's black again.
Answer: His fur is black the entire time. What you're noticing is simply a trick of the lighting. Throughout the scene, there's a lot of warm, chaotic light from all the flame and sparks. When that chaotic, fiery light hits his sleek black fur, it gives his fur sort-of an amber glow, which kind of makes it look like his fur is brownish. But you'll notice that whenever he's in an area where there's less fire/sparks, that hue goes away. It's just the ambient lighting of the scene reflecting off his fur.
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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.