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: Were John Silver, and the mutineers led by him, the same guys who burned Jim's mother's inn?

Answer: It's heavily implied that it is. But I believe it's meant to be a bit ambiguous.

Quantom X

Question: Why did Clara go mental at Doc for saying he was from the future? He'd dropped a few hints! He'd told her he has an interest in science, he had a huge refrigerator in his building, he had another big thing covered up under a sheet, he said he read Jules Verne when he was a boy despite it only been recently published. Was she not even a little bit curious? Doc could have easily stopped her during her rant saying he can prove it but didn't.

Answer: Because she thought he didn't like her and was making a bizarre excuse to avoid her. Come on. 'I'm a man from the future, so we can't be together ' sounds like a pretty flimsy excuse.

Brian Katcher

The Jacket - S2-E3

Question: Does anyone know the actual price of the suede jacket? It's been bugging me all these years.

Answer: It was never revealed as part of the gag. Jerry admits to Kramer it was over $300 and seems to suggest it was over $400. But then Jerry stays silent when George starts to question him about the price and George leaves thinking The Jacket cost over $1,000. Whether or not Jerry remained silent to tease George or because he did in fact pay over $1,000 is also unknown.

Bishop73

Question: Why is Claire upset with Franklin after he killed Dr. Wu?

Answer: He doesn't kill Dr. Wu, he tranquilizes him. And Zia was with him then, not Claire. Zia wasn't upset, just shocked.

lionhead

Question: When Chitty goes over the cliff and the wings come out, where does the picnic basket on the back go?

Answer: There's no explanation, so any answer is speculation. It could have fallen out of the car as it went over the cliff. Most likely it's a movie mistake, and the picnic basket was overlooked while the close-up portion of the scene was being filmed.

raywest

Dick and Taxes - S4-E12

Question: At the end of their audit, the Solomons are ordered by the IRS to pay back-taxes, some of which for years they weren't even on the planet. Can the IRS actually make people pay taxes for years in which they had no income?

Phaneron

Answer: No, the IRS cannot make you pay taxes during years in which you had no income but this family hasn't reported any income for years. You are still required to report your income every year, and if you fall below a certain threshold you don't pay federal income taxes. The IRS is assuming they are humans who have a house and careers but they have only filed taxes for a couple years (if at all). To the IRS it looks like simple tax evasion.

BaconIsMyBFF

Question: How did the Penguin initially cross paths with the Red Triangle Circus? Did they just wander into the sewer and take him into their custody?

Phaneron

Answer: It's never explained, but more than likely someone either found him or he left the sewer on his own accord when he was younger, and he ended up in the circus due to his peculiar features. That's where he met the clowns and performers who would eventually make up the "Red Triangle gang."

TedStixon

Question: At the meeting in Atlantic City, what's with the dons passing around and taking from the platter of jewelry?

Answer: It shows you how greedy they are even as they've made it to the zenith of their criminal careers. That's why you see Michael pass it on disgustedly and stare blankly into the ether. Michael's goal was never to be the boss or capo di tutti capi, he only did it to protect his father and then his family, his main goal. And at that moment he realises he's never getting out. He's a business man in a world of criminals (which he is himself).

Question: What song does the crew launch into immediately after Spanish Ladies?

Tom Clegg

Answer: I believe it's called "The British Tars." Not to be confused with "A British Tar" by Gilbert and Sullivan.

Bishop73

Question: What's the significance of the tattoo on the hands of the medjai? Not the medjai symbol but the 3 lines?

Answer: The tattoos they have are various symbols that mark them as Medjai. The sequel, "The Mummy Returns" confirms this.

TedStixon

Yes, I know, but the tattoos on the top of the hands are different from the one on the forehead and the cheeks. It makes me think of pyramids.

I believe it's just that seal of the Medjai. I don't think there's much significance beyond that.

TedStixon

Question: If Van Helsing is Gabriel "the archangel" then how did he become a "mere human" for 400 years? What did he do to have that happen? (03:00:00)

Answer: It's never explained in the movie. Presumably it would have been expanded on in one of the sequels that was planned but never made. The only thing we can do as the audience is speculate.

TedStixon

Show generally

Question: Question about the franchise in general: would crowd funding be a viable method to finance new installments?

Answer: Series creator Sam Raimi has said that there are three new ideas to continue the franchise, but there's no other information available at this time. Crowd funding could possibly fund another film, sure. But it's such a well-known franchise that it likely wouldn't be necessary. All we really know for sure is that the series "Ash VS Evil Dead" can't return, as it is under partial ownership by Starz, and producer Robert Tapert stated in a Q&A that they weren't interested in selling off the rights to the series. So if more "Evil Dead" is made, it likely wouldn't be a direct continuation of the series.

TedStixon

Question: There were two of Khan's untraceable torpedoes in the bay that Scotty goes into but who was the one who left in the first torpedo? We never know as we see Keenster captured and Scotty's torpedo destroyed after he climbs down.

Question: Just after Chucky kills Shane, why did he say that it was for Tupac? Since he wanted Andy to be happy, shouldn't he have said that it was for Andy?

Answer: I wouldn't read into it much more than just a joke: Chucky heard that joke earlier when the kids in the street were trying to make him do things for their cell phone cameras. So he just re-used it later as he often does in the movie.

Sammo

It was a joke that some kid said when he had the Chucky doll.

Answer: Yeah the kid said that so Chuckie said it too.

Answer: Chucky's A.I. enabled him to learn from others and through experience. Chucky was repeating what the neighborhood boy told him to say ("This is for Tupac"), but Andy's reaction to Chucky stabbing the stuffed unicorn was obviously negative - Chucky would have learned that stabbing someone would not make Andy happy. Hence, Chucky was demonstrating what he learned from Andy's friend/acquaintance and said, "This is for Tupac" (not "This is for Andy").

KeyZOid

Chucky might have also thought that some kids view "This is for Tupac" as funny and an appropriate thing to say, but Andy did not because he stopped him when he was stabbing the stuffed unicorn. Also, Chucky didn't know what "Tupac" was or meant. That is, Tupac would not have been recognized as a person's name, so he would not know that he could substitute another person's name, such as by saying "Andy" instead.

KeyZOid

Answer: Well, apparently he doesn't have an issue with having dogs at his presence, only with having skin contact with them.

Rassdyt

Question: The final scene in the car at the red light in front of the Police station. They are discussing escaping to Mexico for the rest of their lives. They hold each other. The car doesn't move. Do they give themselves up to the police? Is that what the writer is implying?

Answer: Although Connie wanted them to go to Mexico and assume new identities, it is implied that Edward, who initially goes along with that idea, will likely turn himself into the police. However, there's no definitive ending given, so the audience is left to interpret the outcome.

raywest

An alternative ending was shot in which Edward says goodbye to Connie in the car and walks into the police station. The director discusses this on the commentary track. The alternate ending is on the DVD.

Answer: Connie wants to say she is guilty and asks her husband to forgive her.

Answer: I think that they had already decided that Edward would turn himself in after the school event. That's why the were so sad when they danced and why they engaged in an escape fantasy conversation at the red light. They knew that the police would soon figure it out and it was only a matter of time before Edward would be arrested. Rather than live in fear, they decided that it would be better for Edward to turn himself in. That's my answer but I have two other questions that I can not answer. 1. WHY did she do it? 2. How long did the affair last? I can't figure out the season but m y guess is between fall and the end of November but I can't be sure because the seasons don't seem to be correct. Is it sunny/warm enough to plant a garden in November in NY? I don't think so.

"Why did she do it?" I think that is the question she asked herself once she realised that she had made a terrible choice. Initially, it made her feel alive and young and excited. She had everything, but she began to feel invisible. Ultimately, her son will suffer the impact of her choice, and she will never have peace again.

Answer: As long as the leg remains physically viable, even if it's impaired and not causing chronic pain, a reputable doctor would not amputate simply because a patient wants it removed.

raywest

Answer: This could be due to any number of reasons. Hospitals might not perform the operation so long after the accident especially since he is known to be working and living with the condition.

Ssiscool

Question: In the book, Dwight and Toby paint the whole house white, including the piano. But in the movie, I don't remember that scene. They definitely have movie still photos though of Robert De Niro and Leonrdo DiCaprio covered in white paint. Anyone understand this?

Answer: It's typical in movies that more scenes are filmed than what makes it into the final film. This has to do with continuity, the film's overall length, plotting, etc. If a certain scene does not serve the overall story structure, then it is edited out. Sometimes the studio insists that certain scenes be cut, even over a director's objections. After a movie is released on DVD, the deleted scenes may be restored in a "director's cut" or there's a separate section showing all the edited portions.

raywest

Thanks! Just wanted to make sure I wasn't making it up.

Question: Regarding the flipped shot early in the film when Indy has a bloody face, is there any practical reason for this (or for any movie that flips shots for that matter)? This isn't like some ordinary continuity error that the director, script supervisor and editors overlook. This is something that has to be done deliberately in the editing process.

Phaneron

Answer: Usually it is an issue of continuity. If two people are talking to each other, one should be on left side of the screen looking screen right and the other person on the right side looking screen left. Otherwise the cuts will be confusing. Sometimes a mistake is made when setting up a shot. Sometimes something was cut from the scene and there is no acceptable shot to cover it, so they have to modify a shot that is close.

Question: If Vesper was a traitor from the start, why did she save Bond in the car? Wouldn't it be easier to let him die and let Le Chiffre win the game to save her husband?

Answer: Vesper had fallen for Bond and didn't want him to die. Later on she makes a deal with Mr. White to spare Bond's life when he comes for Le Chifre.

BaconIsMyBFF

So she worked for Le Chiffre giving the location of the chip and the tic and then to Mr. White to save Bond's life?

She never actually worked for Le Chifre, per se. She worked for Quantum (the organization Mr. White worked for). It's just that Quantum wanted Vesper to help Le Chifre get the money because he was also working for them.

BaconIsMyBFF

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