Question: How do the players beat the house?
Questions about specific movies, TV shows and more
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Answer: In addition to counting cards, their surreptitious or conniving behavior - in other words, their "underhanded" techniques (pun intended).
Question: Was Colonel Sink hoping all would turn out well if Captain Sobel was not held accountable (in this case, mutiny)? Mutiny is serious, but what was he hoping would happen if no-one came forward about the situation with Sobel? I am puzzled.
Answer: Sobel was not blamed for the mutiny; it was the NCOs who were rebelling against his command. Sink had to act because the men had done so in writing, but not punish Sobel directly as he technically didn't break any rules himself in his conduct. Hence, Sink demotes Raney, transfers someone else and tells everyone else to 'git' while sending Sobel away from Easy Company to train civvy types to jump, as he is an excellent trainer but horrible commander. Normally a Colonel wouldn't do anything about the situation but as the complaint was formal and in writing, and on the eve of D-Day he had to act quickly before someone took it upon himself to frag Sobel.
Question: If Missy just moved to area and knew nothing about cheerleading, how had she seen (and recognized) that the routine was a rip-off from another school?
Answer: She said she saw them when watching football games, when they played her school.
Question: How could Godefroy have descendants living in the present day if when he left his time Frenegonde, the woman he loved, refused to marry him because of her father's death?
Answer: If you saw the movie he returns to the past just in time to stop the crossbow from killing her father. They married and lived happily ever after.
Question: When the doves are released as Fiona and Shrek step out of the onion carriage the guy releasing them has very odd eyes - is there any reason behind this? (00:15:00 - 00:20:00)
Answer: He's a parody of the wall-eyed actor Marty Feldman, perhaps best known for his role as Igor in 'Young Frankenstein.'.
Question: Does anyone know the type of dog Frankie is? It looks like some type of Poodle but I can't find exactly what type.
Answer: I think it is a tea cup poodle.
Question: What did Alex eat from the little tin in the cabin?
Answer: It's canned meat, probably deviled ham or chicken. It looks like the Underwood brand that my mother used to buy. It has a pate'-like texture that can be spread on crackers or bread. It's very salty and fatty. (I only recommend it as a last-resort survival food in the event of an extreme global catastrophe).
Question: Is it actually possible to get on to a moving train as implied in the very last scene?
Answer: Unless the train stopped, it is absolutely impossible for someone, particularly a senior man and a woman in a tight skirt and high heels, to be able to jump onto a moving commuter train, and on one that would have automatic doors.
HA! A looser skirt and flat-heeled shoes wouldn't improve the odds.
Question: Gary Busey (Angelo) is supposed to be keeping an eye on the bank, the one that he and Johnny Utah expect the Ex-Presidents to rob. Instead, he is reading Calvin and Hobbes comics and not watching the bank at all. As a result, he doesn't see the Ex-Presidents pull up and enter the bank to rob it. Why was he not doing his job? Is he simply an idiot?
Answer: Probably not an idiot, but perhaps a big disappointment to FBI higher-ups. Having Angelo distracted was designed to make the movie more exciting, but there's a good chance this could have happened (and does happen) in real life. Stakeout work is typically long and boring, and may be non-productive because the agents can't know with certainty if/when (or where) the robbers will show up. After years/decades of conducting boring stakeouts where no-one came or robbers arrived after several hours, agents' experiences may lead them to believe nothing is going to happen right away - it will be a long wait. A false sense of security leads to slacking off, and opportunities for robbers to be more successful increase. While it might be required that FBI agents give their undivided attention on the job - no matter how boring - it is unrealistic to expect that all agents stay alert at all times. Reading comics to pass the time isn't impressive, but being able to laugh is a stress reducer.
Question: Why did Cecil tell Charlotte to give him the sovereign? Wasn't he owed only 15 shillings by Freddy? A sovereign's 20 shillings so was he gonna give Freddy back the other 5 shillings? I don't understand, please explain.
Answer: He was owed 15 shillings and a pound (in those days) was 20 shillings. Since he was owed most of a pound, he thought, "just give me the pound and call it even." He wasn't going to give change.
Question: What's always bugged me is this: Where did the helicopter come from? If military no way would that stuff on board not be inventoried and everyone screened (The USO or RedCross, etc would be involved). If civilian, how would they really know where the ship was and how would the ship have a place for them (a Battleship is not a carrier).
Answer: It was Commander Krill who arranged everything. The chopper, the band and the girl, since everyone was told it was a surprise for their Captain, no-one suspected a thing. He told most likely told the crew he personally inspected everyone and everything, being a veteran sailor they had no reason not to doubt him.
Question: When the ambulance rams the police car Arthur's in was this accidental or intentional? If intentional how'd the guy driving it know Arthur would be in it?
Answer: I think they intentionally rammed a police car, not because Joker was in it but simply because it was a police car.
Answer: I think the guy stole the ambulance and intentionally rammed the police car because they were rioting against the police.
Question: Was the Soviet Union hockey team as good as the movie makes it out to be?
Answer: Yes. Prior to the 1980 Olympics, the Soviet Union's men's hockey team had won 5 out of the last 6 Olympics (taking 3rd in 1960). They also won the next 2 Olympics (plus the 1992 Olympics as part of the Unified Team). The 1980 team also consisted of at least 6 returning gold medalists and several world champions and future gold medalists.
16-0 over Japan, 17-4 over the Netherlands, 8-1 over Poland, 4-2 vs Finland, and 6-4 vs Canada.
Question: What song is playing at the Blue Oyster Bar when Copeland and Blankes are forced to dance with the patrons? It's the one that has, what I think is a mambo like sound.
Answer: The song is called "El Bimbo" and was performed by Jean-Marc Dompierre and his Orchestra. It's a cover version, the song was originally produced by Bimbo Jet (a French group). This song is played in several other Police Academy films.
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Answer: They were card counting, specifically group card counting, which betters the odds of them winning. You can learn more about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Card_counting.
raywest ★