Questions about specific movies, TV shows and more

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Arrival - S1-E1

Question: In the opening credits of Arrival and most subsequent episodes of The Prisoner, Patrick McGoohan/The Prisoner/Number Six walks into a government office and resigns his post. He returns to his house. A man, dressed like an undertaker, pumps gas through the keyhole. He falls unconscious and revives in "The Village." My questions? Is there a "knockout gas" that would render somebody unconscious like this? If so, after inhaling the gas, for how long would they remain unconscious? We never know where "The Village" is, so we cannot know how long it took to move Patrick McGoohan there, but how would they keep him unconscious until they got him to "The Village"? As soon as he comes to in "The Village" he seems 100% fit and alert and immediately begins to explore his new "home." Wouldn't he have a splitting headache, and be dazed, confused and disorientated after being unconscious for so long and then waking up in such a strange place?

Rob Halliday

Answer: Carisoprodol, Cyclobenzaprine, Ether, Chloroform and Nitrous Oxide have strong sedating effects. As for waking up alert, once the effects of the gas wear off, he could wake up as thou had a long sleep.

Question: At the end of the film, which Clint Eastwood is Dave McFly referring to when he tells Marty "Who are you supposed to be, Clint Eastwood? Was he referring to the real Clint Eastwood or to 1885 Clint Eastwood? (Marty's alias in 1885).

Answer: Since Marty is dressed the same way Clint's character in the spaghetti westerrns was, I pretty sure he was referring to the real Clint Eastwood.

Gavin Jackson

Answer: The joke is that Marty as Clint Eastwood has become a historical figure, known probably only in their town. His clothes are probably most remembered, so Dave thinks he is impersonating him.

lionhead

Question: What happened to the military guy that was injured and left in the Carl's van? Did they simply drop him off the plane along with the van?

Answer: Yes, he dies in the plane crash.

BaconIsMyBFF

Answer: He was given a vague promise about backing for possible business opportunities. Fredo naively never believed that Michael would be killed and thought he was only giving information.

raywest

Question: Given the Joker's been terrorizing the city and killing people why would anyone be stupid enough to show up for his parade regardless of money?

Rob245

Answer: Well, given in 2020 there's a global pandemic with a highly contagious disease which is killing thousands, and some people are taking the suggestion / demand to wear a facemask as some sort of personal attack and gathering together to protest against the idea...don't ever underestimate the stupidity of some people. No doubt most of Gotham saw the parade as a dangerous/dreadful idea and stayed home, but there were plenty of idiots who couldn't see beyond their wallets.

Jon Sandys

Answer: Crime was running rampant in Gotham City and many business were shut down because of this. People were just barely scraping by and so when the Joker offered to drop money on the crowd for the festival, many people went into town out of desperation for some cash. Desperate people do desperate things.

Question: What did Barzini promise Carlo if he set up Sonny to be killed?

Rob245

Answer: It was never specified, but likely a large sum of money and some sort of business arrangement with the Barzini crime family.

raywest

Question: If imprinting is possible for werewolves then why didn't Jacob do it to Bella? Mad Magazine pointed this out as he does this to her daughter, kind of creepy it was.

Rob245

Answer: Imprinting is an involuntary mechanism. The shape-shifter can't voluntarily imprint on anybody. Jacob tried to imprint on Bella but was unable to do so and began going around looking for other girls to imprint on but, is unable to do it of his own free will.

On the flip side, Sam Ulee was in love with Leah Clearwater, but then he involuntarily imprinted on Emily, dumping Leah and breaking her heart.

raywest

Answer: In addition to the other answer, imprinting is not only a sexual thing. As Jacob explains it, it is about being whatever the person who is imprinted on wants or needs, whether it is as a lover, a protector, a life-long friend, etc.

raywest

Question: Why does that vampire group slaughter whole tourist groups? Doesn't this put their secrecy at risk?

Rob245

Answer: As the Volturi vampires have been doing this for some time, they apparently have a well-crafted means to make people disappear without it being traced to them. The local humans may even abet them in this, as there is a long-standing agreement that the residents are never hunted.

raywest

Question: Why wasn't the vampire army made in a big city? Mad Magazine pointed this out, surely they'd be noticed making one in a small town?

Rob245

Answer: Victoria's vampire army was created in Seattle. The Cullens began noticing news reports of people, including Riley Biers, disappearing there. The army then traveled to Forks, Washington to attack the Cullens. Mad Magazine is a parody and not beholden to strictly adhering to the plot.

raywest

Answer: He lets Jack go and decides to give him a one day head start before pursuing him again out of affection for Elizabeth, whom along with Will wanted Jack to be spared from execution for his good deeds.

Phaneron

Answer: At no point did he actually "let" him escape on purpose. Jack was always just too witty for Norrington (who is kinda slow). That's counting 3 occasions where Norrington failed to capture Jack, but perhaps you can be more specific as to which escape you are referring to.

lionhead

The escape is at the end of the movie. When Elizabeth and Will help Jack escape. Norrigton is asked if they are going to go after Jack but Norrigton decides to give him a head start.

In that case then, Norrington is confident that the British Navy can capture 1 pirate with relative ease.

Ssiscool

Answer: He is overly-confident that he is more capable than Jack and will easily catch him.

raywest

Show generally

Question: Does anybody know if they're using only New York law in the show? In California and many other states you can talk to a minor without his parents.

Answer: While it isn't technically illegal to talk to a child without his parents (or a lawyer), doing it stands a good chance of getting anything learned from the conversation inadmissible due to the possibility of undue influence. So most police agencies don't do it.

LorgSkyegon

Question: Why did Le Chiffre have to torture Bond for the password when Vesper would eventually steal the money anyway and arrange to have it delivered to Quantum under Bond's and MI6's noses?

Answer: There's no indication that Le Chiffre knew that Vesper was going to do this. He's trying to save his own skin, because he knows if he doesn't get the money back to Quantum, they'll kill him. Of course, they do kill him, and then use Vesper to get the money anyway, once Bond transfers the money to what he thinks is the UK treasury account (but is, in fact, a dummy account Vesper set up).

Question: When young PT was writing to Charity, his mail always got delivered. How did he get her mail? It looked like he was an orphan without a home.

Answer: In that time, most mail was not delivered, but picked up at the local post office.

LorgSkyegon

We do however, see a young Barnum place a letter in a mail mans bag while in the streets.

Ssiscool

Show generally

Question: In a mistrial, most DA's have to decide if it is a do over. But in this show they have some dismissals in the mist of a trial and they can't be retried because of double jeopardy. Is this really a fact?

Imemine

Answer: It would best to cite a specific episode; however, a dismissal is not the same thing as a mistrial by legal definitions. A case may be dismissed with or without prejudice. A case dismissed with prejudice would prevent a retrial on the grounds of double jeopardy. When this happens, the judge is basically saying he or she has heard enough to make a final decision and the case is over. Dismissals without prejudice and mistrials that the defendant consents to can be retried (generally it's the defendant's lawyer that will move for a mistrial for one reason or another).

Bishop73

Answer: Yes, once a jury is sworn in and impaneled, jeopardy attaches. So if a trial is ended for any reason, the accused cannot be tried again. Downum v. United States (1963), Crist v. Bretz (1978), Martinez v. Ilinois (2014).

LorgSkyegon

A mistrial can allow the defendant to be re-tried in many cases.

Bishop73

A mistrial is not a dismissal. Since the jury has not reached a verdict, the trial has not ended.

LorgSkyegon

Which is literally what I already said. But you stated if the trial is ended for any reason. A mistrial does end the trial, but not necessarily end jeopardy.

Bishop73

Show generally

Question: Has anybody noticed that many of the perps or victims at some point become policemen, DAs or detectives? They also rotate actors if you notice in season 15 episode 1 Surrender Benson, the serial rapist William Lewis is also the stepfather in season 8 episode 15 Haystack. Throughout the 21 seasons you can see the same actors taking on different roles acting in a child as one and then when they grow up seeing them as a grown up in another season and many becoming detectives or some sort of law enforcement.

Imemine

Answer: Was there a specific question other than have we noticed? This is very common in the Law and Order franchise, as well as many other long running dramas that use multiple actors. The late, great Jerry Orbach from the original series started out as a defense attorney.

Bishop73

Question: Is there any reason why this is M. Night Shyamalan's only film to not have a Blu-Ray release? Like rights issues or something of that matter? Seems very odd that of all movies, this is the only one not available in HD.

TedStixon

Answer: I don't know if there is one particular reason why The Village was not released on Blu-ray, but there are several factors that might help explain why not. I believe the movie had mixed reviews - some people liked it and other people did not. If a movie does not appear to be in high demand, it wouldn't make financial sense to release more on DVD or Blu-ray. If a movie already made a big profit ($200 million), perhaps it is best to move on to a new movie. Also, many people never bought any Blu-ray discs, primarily because they didn't think the higher costs were justified and/or they never bought a Blu-ray player. Blu-ray discs typically have a lot of "extras" that many people want to see. Perhaps there were few, if any, extras that could have been included, thereby reducing a Blu-ray's appeal. Even if none of the above is significant, there is a big factor that is/will be affecting all movies - discs in general are already obsolete, streaming has been taking over.

KeyZOid

This is unrelated to the movie itself, but many people are interested in the extras, such as commentary tracks, making of - documentaries: features streaming services can't provide.

Jukka Nurmi

At least one streaming service I know does support extras, Apple, and has since 2009.

Answer: True... but I'm saying that maybe they didn't have anything to add.

KeyZOid

Question: How could Whitney have lived at Jason's underground hideout for 6 weeks without food?

Bunch Son

Chosen answer: When Jason brought her brother's backpack, you can see a small table next to the mattress with some bottles and cans, there is also something what looks like bag of chips (or maybe marshmallows?). I'm sure that he knew that she needs food, and brought her something from campers or cabins.

Answer: A young healthy person can live without food for 30 - 60 days "if" they have a regular source of water. They would be severely malnourished and probably barely functional, however.

raywest

Question: Was it all a dream to him? Did he have a vision that his life was going to be like that?

Answer: Mike, as advertised, was Mr. Destiny. When Jim Belushi asked him if he was an angel, Mike replied that when Belushi is about to make a decision, he's the little voice in his head that helps. At the end of the film, when Mike tells the teenage Belushi that everything is going to work out, the kid replies, "What do you know?"

Answer: Like "It's a Wonderful Life" he showed him an alternate life of what could have been.

Thanks then Mike the bartender must have been an angel.

Question: In the opening action scene, while Bond is fighting the terrorist on the top of the train, Moneypenny says "I do not have a clean shot." She has already been communicating with him on radio, why doesn't she just tell him to get out of the bloody way?

Answer: Because Bond is fighting to the death with a man who's trying to throw him off a train. He can't exactly step out of the way.

Brian Katcher

Answer: Moneypenny is talking to M, not Bond.

Bond must be able to hear the exchange, because later in the movie he quotes M's order "Take the bloody shot!" back at her.

MedicOne

He's still in the middle of a fight with Patrice; he's probably more concerned about that than whatever M is saying to Moneypenny.

TheIrishMovieBuff

Question: In the 1984 part of the movie the older boys who stole young Ricky's football who was the boy with the bandana that the camera focused on. It seemed that he would be important in the story later the way the camera stopped and slowly revealed his face when he caught the ball.

Answer: It symbolizes that he used to be a football player just like Rick wanted to be at that age. But probably due to the cards he was dealt he gave up on that dream. When they emphasize the man in the feel its like showing empathy to the kids because he sees himself in Ricky, thus giving the ball back.

Answer: The character is Mad Dog, played by Lexie Bigham. He was the one that gave the ball back to the boys. I haven't seen the film in a long time and don't recall if he hangs out with Doughboy in the present.

Bishop73

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