Question: How did Captain Von Trapp know that Maria sat on a pine cone?
Answered questions about specific movies, TV shows and more
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Question: Why did Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sharon Stone dislike each other when making this movie?
Question: Why does the fuel tanker truck not explode or burst into flames after it crashes down the mountainside?
Answer: Vehicles do not typically explode in collisions, even a fuel tanker, which may have been empty. Car and truck impact explosions are mostly an overused movie plot device. The Mythbusters covered this in a movie myths episode. Spielberg avoided a clichéd fiery ending, instead showing the truck's destruction with close-up interior shots and focusing on Mann's quiet reflection in the aftermath. Also, this was a low-budget, made-for-TV movie. Explosive special effects are expensive, dangerous, and do not always go as planned, requiring multiple takes.
Question: What did Kevin's parents do for a living to afford that house and a trip to Paris for nine people?
Answer: Adding to the other answer, it was a trip to Paris for more than 9 people; it was Peter's brother Rob who paid for a total of 15 plane tickets to Paris. Two tickets were purchased for 2 of Rob's kids: Heather and Rod (3 other siblings are in Paris), as they were still in school in the States. Six tickets for Uncle Frank, Aunt Leslie, and their 4 kids. Seven tickets for Peter, Kate, and their 5 kids: Buzz, Megan, Linnie, Jeff, and Kevin (his unused ticket was accidentally tossed in the trash during the pizza dinner mess).
Answer: It's never revealed in the film, but director Chris Columbus recently did an interview in which he said that he and John Hughes had discussions about it and imagined Kate is a "very successful fashion designer," and Peter worked in advertising (though Columbus said he couldn't remember if they had a specific job in mind for him).
Question: What is the episode where a man discovers that the computer he created has fallen in love with him?
Answer: "From Agnes—With Love" (s05e20). However, the man (James Elwood) didn't create the computer (Agnes); he was just brought in to fix a problem with it.
Answer: There is an Outer Limits episode, "Mind Over Matter," S02E05. Sam Stein invents an AI computer which allows a person's mind to connect to another person in a VR world. The AI, named CAVE, learns about human emotions each time Sam's mind is connected. It learns he is in love with co-worker, Dr. Rachel Carter. After a traffic accident, she is in a coma. Dr. Stein hooks her mind into the machine and observes her in the VR. He also enters the VR to calm her and explain what happened. Each time they are together, another Rachel Carter figure appears and tries to get between them. Stein and Carter theorize it's CAVE. The AI has developed a jealousy emotion. They believe killing AI Carter would end the infatuation. When she attacks again, Stein strangles her to death. At that moment, Carter's real body dies. CAVE explains she has been the Carter talking to him and the Carter chasing them was the real one. CAVE tricked him so he could get rid of her competition and have Stein to herself.
Question: How did the Joker's henchmen get to the top of the church? We don't see them enter the building. The only thing I can think of is they were dropped off by the helicopter, but then why wasn't the helicopter still there when the Joker, Batman, and Vicki Vale reached the top?
Question: What did Robert Philip mean when he told Giselle that she's acting like she escaped from a Hallmark card?
Answer: Hallmark is a fairly common greeting card brand that is known for being extremely good-natured. He's basically saying she's acting almost unnaturally... perhaps even annoyingly... sweet and kind.
Question: Why did the officer in the flashback beat Michael to the ground?
Answer: Because they were all angry and frustrated, Michael killed multiple locals and was also responsible for the death of their fellow officer, McCabe. They were taking out their rage on him. Completely unprofessional, but also arguably understandable. Additionally, this question is a duplicate entry; it was posted twice today.
Question: Why wasn't Daniel Radcliffe hired to play young James Potter as well? It was stated numerous times that Harry was similar to his father, so why did they hire someone else to play young James?
Answer: I think it would have been too confusing to use the same actor, who plays the main character, to play a younger version of the father. Similar is also not the same as identical, and to put Daniel Radcliffe through hours of make-up would be too cumbersome if one can simply hire another actor.
Question: Before the Jackal makes an impression of the Paris apartment key, he deliberately rubs the key against his chin. Why?
Answer: Chins have sebaceous glands (natural oils). He rubs the key on his chin to lightly coat the metal key as a lubricant, so it does not stick to the mould. It will make a perfect impression in the mould to create a flawless cast.
Question: Just what is it with them always relying on each other in the police department or the D.A.'s office? They don't trust anyone else?
Answer: It is an NYPD Detective Bureau lapel pin. If you zoom in on a pic of "Danny Reagan," you will see the letters DB on the pin.
Question: In the film, Manny is in jail for safe-cracking and Buck is in for statutory rape (he didn't know the girl was underaged). Aren't these crimes pretty minor for both men to be in a dangerous maximum security prison in Alaska?
Answer: Manny is a career criminal. He's been in and out of prison his whole life. That latest crime was his last straw. He is beyond rehabilitation. Besides, he and the warden butted heads during his sentence. Manny was getting a following, and the warden reminded him who was in charge. Which is why he was welded into his jail cell. As for Buck, statutory rape, an underage girl. He's been labelled a rapist, child molester, and put on the sex offender list for life. The standards have not changed.
Question: Why can't Mr and Mrs Parker go next door to the Bumpus and tell them to control their dogs, so they won't bother them?
Answer: Who's to say they didn't? Ralphie describes the Bumpuses as 'hillbillies' so they might not care too much about controlling their animals or what they neighbors thought, and apparently the old man was the only one the dogs ever bothered so it would be hard to prove they were a general nuisance. Of course, the turkey incident might have tipped the scales.
Answer: You'd have to go back and watch a movie called *It Runs in the Family*. It's sort of a summertime Christmas story. All the actors are different, but it's Ralphie during the summer, and they actually go over to the Bumpass house and have more interaction with them.
It Runs in the Family is a completely different movie and has no connection to A Christmas Story. The movie you're referring to is called My Summer Story. It Runs in the Family was a tagline on the movie cover.
It is the same movie. It was released under both titles.
Question: When Miles goes to the gang's apartment, how does Robert know to find him there? Seems like he goes straight there.
Answer: Most likely, Robert McCall would have done his research in that area and knew where the gangsters and drug dens were. If not, he could have taken the address from the number plate that we saw earlier on in the movie. He seems to have the tech to have done it.
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Answer: Apparently, it was a prank the children had previously pulled on other governesses, which Captain von Trapp knew about.
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