Answered questions about specific movies, TV shows and more

These are questions relating to specific titles. General questions for movies and TV shows are here. Members get e-mailed when any of their questions are answered.

Question: After all of the snow melts, wouldn't it go into the ocean and cause the same disruption as before?

Answer: Who says it's going to melt? The point of the movie is that global warming has upset the ocean currents and triggered a new Ice Age. The snow is going to be there for a long time to come yet - say 10,000 years?

Oscar Bravo

At the end of the movie the astronaut reports that he 'has never seen the air so clear.' Perhaps suggesting that the storm has cleared the air. So maybe it does melt. Also, to create 15 feet of snow on top of 1/2 the world, the air moisture would have to come from somewhere, the oceans. And thus bringing back the pre-storm sea levels when melted.

Maybe it will be there for a long time unless we introduce gases in the northern hemisphere re trapping the heat, and melting the snow.

Question: Why aren't Arwen's brothers - Elladan and Elrohir - ever mentioned? They were, at least, talked about in the LotR books.

Answer: They're very minor characters in the books - there'd be little point in having them in the film unless there was a good reason. The filmmakers have made something of an effort to remove minor characters - the decision to use Arwen to rescue Frodo after Weathertop, rather than Glorfindel from the books, would be an example of this. In storytelling terms, Elladan and Elrohir serve no purpose, hence their non-appearance.

Tailkinker

Question: I don't get this: When Nigel Powers is first taken to the submarine, at one point he looks down, sees Mini Me and says "I thought I smelt cabbage." What's that all about?

Answer: In the first Austin Powers when he is talking about his two fears, one of them was carnies. He then said they have small hands and smell like cabbage. Most likely then Mini-Me reminded him of a carny.

Lummie

Answer: I thought cabbage patch kid.

Question: Holden tells a fan that he likes to think of Bluntman and Chronic as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern meet Vladamir and Estragon. I know who Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are, but who are Vladamir and Estragon?

Answer: They are the two main characters of the play Waiting for Godot. They spend the entire play in one place waiting for a person who never shows up and talking about random nothingness.

wolfchild

Question: Dr Frankenstein tells a student at a lecture he is giving that he is not interested in death but the preservation of life. If this is true then why would he continue in the footsteps of his grandfather?

Answer: That's how he felt at that moment. He became inspired to follow in his grandfather's footsteps after reading his books.

Maria Santos

Question: It was mentioned that the mermaid from Knick Knack is in the fish tank. Where is it and when do you see it?

Answer: The mermaid from Knick Knack can be seen on the front of the shipwreck model in the tank.

pinkwafer

Question: When Liesl and Rolf are sitting outside just before it rains, why does Rolf keep pulling away when Liesl tries to kiss him?

Answer: Believe it or not, kissing or even holding hands for that matter was a very big deal back then. Kissing indicated the onset of a serious relationship which Rolf probably wasn't prepared for.

William Bergquist

Question: When the Von Trapps and Maria sit down for dinner, why do they start to cry?

Answer: Maria is (successfully) making them feel guilty about the pranks they've been pulling.

Matty Blast

Answer: Also, they were sad.

Question: When they are singing the "favourite things" song, the kids start to name things that make them happy. One of them says 'a big sneeze', and Maria says something just after that. What does she say?

Answer: One of the children then makes sneezing noises, and Maria says "Gesundheit" - a polite thing to say after someone sneezes, similar to saying "bless you." Literally translated by babelfish.com - it means health.

pinkwafer

Question: What does FAB mean? They say it constantly.

Answer: It means "message received and understood". It doesn't stand for anything; it was simply meant to sound vaguely hip.

Tailkinker

True. Gerry Anderson has said in interviews that it doesn't stand for anything. Fans have made up meanings including Fully Advised and Briefed or Finalise All Broadcasts but the person who posted above is right. It just sounds cool.

Show generally

Question: In the theme song, are the lyrics "I am the son/and the heir" or "I am the sun and the air" Because they both seem to fit.

Answer: The theme song is "How Soon is Now", originally by the Smiths, but performed for the show by Love Spit Love. Same lyrics either way: "I am the son, I am the heir of a shyness that is criminally vulgar. I am the son and heir of nothing in particular."

Tailkinker

Question: Whats with the face of the TX when it tasted John Connor's blood in the pet clinic? Excitement? Happiness to find it's target or didn't Kristina like the taste of coagulated blood?

Answer: Since he was the primary target the TX computer was jolted a bit.

Toolio

Question: In regard to the scene in which Maximus (Russell Crowe) kills all the challengers and says "Are you not entertained?" can someone explain the people's silence before cheering? Why would they wait to cheer? Was it because they were so stunned at how good he was or insulted by how quick he finished it? It just seems very peculiar.

Lummie

Chosen answer: You're probably closest with the suggestion that they're rather stunned at the sheer speed with which Maximus has carved through the opposition. They'd certainly be used to more of a show, so for Maximus to slay all his challengers in less than a minute would take them aback. If anything, the "Are you not entertained" is closer to the theatrics that they'd really expect to see, which would prompt them into cheering him - up to that point, he's not exactly won their favour, even though he's defeated all comers.

Tailkinker

Question: At the end of their date, Daniel and Ali run into some of her snobby friends who insult Daniel and drive off. Then Ali seems irritated at Daniel, but why? She's the one who is more laid back about their relationship and the fact that Daniel doesn't fit in with her friends. You'd think if anything she would try to reassure Daniel and say it's no big deal. So why is she mad at him, especially since he didn't say or do anything to make her so?

Krista

Chosen answer: She is irritated because he told her she could have gone with her friends if she wanted. I believe she got annoyed because Ali thought Daniel should have realized by now she wanted to be with him and didn't care what her friends thought.

weetie21

Also, you have to take a look at the snobby friends involved. Johnny and Dutch, two of Daniel's tormentors, were in the front seat and another one, Tommy, was in the backseat with two of Ali's friends who have always looked down on him. This came on the heels of another of Ali's snobby but nicer friends chatting with the two of them from a brand new sports car. Not to mention that at the start of the evening he met Ali's parents who made him uncomfortable. Although it is true that she would have been irritated with Daniel because he hadn't figured out that she didn't care what her friends or parents thought, he couldn't see past the fact that Johnny and his friends were part of her circle. He believed that she would look down on him and wouldn't be any different, which she picked up on, sparking her irritation when he told her she could have gone with them if she wanted to.

dewinela

Chosen answer: It only took me a couple of seconds to find a fan site with a credible answer. Apparently, in an early draft, Marty mentions in passing that Doc hired him to clean out his garage for fifty bucks and total access to his record collection. This scene was presumably never shot, thus the backstory was lost to time. See www.kristensheley.com/bttf/bttfuniverse.html for more extensive info.

Macalou

Question: At Darrin's home from prison party, he tells one of his friends, "I can read, I ain't no criminal." How are the two related?

Answer: A lot of people who commit small crimes, or even some major ones, are people that drop out of schools, and have low literacy. This is especially true in larger cities and people from a poor neighborhood.

Question: What's the name of the song that plays in the pub while Bullseye's throwing darts?

Answer: Top of the Morning to Ya, by House of Pain.

roboc

Show generally

Question: I know that Monty Python usually played female roles themselves, but they had actors such as Carol Cleveland to fill roles when necessary. My question is, aside from Ms. Cleveland, who else, if anyone, played a recurring role as "extra"? I hope that makes sense.

Answer: Ian Davidson, Connie Booth and Lyn "Mrs. Idle" Ashley appeared quite often, as did the Fred Tomlinson Singers (whenever a male chorus was required).

Xofer

Question: I still can't access the easter egg on my DVD and I would really like the chance to watch this movie from beginning to end in that order. I have the limited edition 2 disc set. It's frustrating because the directions people are giving are not specific at all. Please, please, somebody just explain it to me one step at a time, because it says to go to special features, but which picture is the special features? On the main menu are nothing but little pictures of random stuff like a book, telephone, etc. Which one is the special features and do what from there?

Answer: Check out this page and go down to Chronological Presentation, it has a well detailed section of how to access it: http://www.dvdtalk.com/eggs/read.php?ID=24.

Lummie

Question: Why is there a cache of weapons in the belly of the plane? Is there some reason in US Marshall rules?

Answer: If there was ever an emergency landing the weapons would be needed with the prisoners as they most likely will have to exit the plane at some point. There doesn't seem to be any information around that says that every prisoner transport plane would have the same amount of weapons or in the same spot but it seems likely most would have backup weapons for situations like that.

Lummie

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