Question: I realise that a lot of US schools look similar but would this be the same school used in Ferris Bueller's Day Off (by the same director)?
J I Cohen
14th Jan 2004
The Breakfast Club (1985)
12th Jan 2004
Minority Report (2002)
Question: Why all the build up of John having sent the Russian eye-surgeon guy to jail, suggesting that he will hurt John; only to have him successfully complete the operation, and take care of John afterwards?
Answer: Because subverting the expectations of the viewer makes it more interesting. The audience (and potentially John) are set-up to expect bad things, which don't happen. Once the "bad thing" happened, the suspense would be gone and everyone could relax. Expecting something bad but knowing when it might happen maintains the tension.
Chosen answer: It's what's known as a McGuffin; a plot element that seems to be important when introduced, but serves no purpose other than to intrigue/distract the audience. The term was popularised by Alfred Hitchcock.
That's not *quite* what a MacGuffin is. A MacGuffin not only seems important, it *is* important; in fact, one of its two diagnostic characteristics is that a MacGuffin is something around which the entire plot revolves. The other property fundamental to what makes something a MacGuffin is the fact that the origin, purpose, function, and, in some cases, even identity of the object is left either vague or completely undefined. The briefcase in Pulp Fiction is a classic example (although there *is* a compelling argument that the object in the briefcase is in fact a specific artifact).
Well, according to the doctor when the operation is beginning, the doctor reveals that in prison, he spent all of his time in the library, including books on medicine and technology. As a result, he found his "true calling", and is thankful to John for helping him see that.
2nd Jan 2004
Galaxy Quest (1999)
Question: At the end of the film, Malthazar says "The ship was a model as big as this - a very clever deception indeed." Does he mean that the Thermians now accept they were decieved by the "historical documents", or does he still believe the "documents" were real and the Captian was deceiving Sarris by pretending to admit they were false?
Chosen answer: He thinks that the Captain was just tricking Sarris and the "documents" were real.
2nd Jan 2004
Scrubs (2001)
Question: The title music. Is this a proper song, or was it someting written for the show? If it is a proper song, what is it called, and who is it by?
Chosen answer: It's called Superman, and it's by Lazlo Bane, from their album All The Time In The World (see http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/lazlobane).
26th Nov 2003
The Simpsons (1989)
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Chosen answer: According to the IMDB, the answer is yes. Both movies used the same two high school locations: Glenbrook North High School, Northbrook, Illinois; and Maine North High School, Des Plaines, Illinois. The director, John Hughes, directed both movies and decided to use the same school. He also uses the name Shermer for the name of the high school in Breakfast Club and for the name of the suburb in which the Bueller's live.
J I Cohen