Question: I know that Hermione's Patronus is an otter, but I'm curious: since there are different genera, what specific kind of otter is it?
Questions about specific movies, TV shows and more
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Question: Why did Stark reveal he is Iron Man at the press conference? This makes no sense at all to me.
Answer: Tony underwent a dramatic metamorphosis during his captivity at the beginning of the film: In just a matter of screen-minutes, he transformed from a vulgar, egotistical merchant of death into a superhero fighting for life and freedom. As soon as he was rescued, he even held an impromptu press conference to announce a whole new mission statement for Stark Industries. Everyone thought Stark had lost his mind. Even the U.S. military and S.H.I.E.L.D. were still making up stories to cover for Tony's erratic behavior, right up to the end, at which point he puts all of the coverup and rumor and disinformation away once and for all: He is Iron Man, and this is his company, and this is how it will be run. It's not as if Tony Stark needs a secret identity, and his open admission wiped the slate clean for everything that follows.
Answer: Short version, he has a big ego and wanted the recognition. Also, in recent Marvel comics continuity there's been a superhero registration act, forcing superheroes to reveal their identities to the public. Tony Stark has been championing this cause "to tie the knots of friendship between ordinary humans and superheroes". His revelation in the movie could be laying the groundwork to tie into that in some way.
Answer: He's a womanizing multibillionaire with a power supply where his sternum should be. Of course he gave up his secret. It doesn't take a genius (and Stark is one with all caps) to figure out that he had a choice between intimacy or his secret identity.
Question: If Uhura can be re-educated in a few days, (after Nomad wipes her memory) why is there a Starfleet Academy? Couldn't you train an ensign in a week and then send him off on a ship to get practical experience?
Chosen answer: I'd say the difference is re-educated versus educated. The total of an education at any institution is more than what is taught in classes.
Question: Why don't any of the Treks to come use any of the useful things that Enterprise discovers? A psychotricorder can record your memories! Scalosian water speeds up humanoids to the point they can dodge energy beams! A veinful of kironide makes you a powerful telekinetic a few minutes after injection! If Picard, Sisko and Janeway had just read Kirk's logs, the Borg and Dominion wouldn't have had a chance.
Chosen answer: They do use much of the technology, just not the particular items you mention. There are many reasons: perhaps the technology was deemed too dangerous and outlawed (as with the planet Talos), or found impossible to reproduce. The Prime Directive would prohibit them from stealing the technology too, no matter how valuable.
Revelations - S3-E7
Question: In one scene, Giles reminds Buffy that, when Angel lost his soul, he tortured Giles for pleasure. Since it is established that Angel and Angelus are separate identities, shouldn't Giles know that, technically, it was Angelus who tortured him, not Angel?
Chosen answer: Yes, and he does, but when you've been tortured by somebody, the technical niceties of different personalities tend to lose their importance. The two look exactly the same, plus Giles is well-aware that Angelus is the 'real' personality, with "Angel" only really being a magically empowered construct due to the curse that restored his soul. Giles is not going to want Angel around, whichever personality happens to be in control.
The Face of the Enemy - S4-E17
Question: What is the song playing in the bar, after Sheridan has been drugged and is fighting off the attackers (when the scene goes into slow motion)?
Chosen answer: It was a piece composed expressly for the episode by Christopher Franke, who simply called it "Bar Background Music."
Question: How come Joanie became a werewolf before Ellie and Jimmy? I thought she got bitten before them.
Chosen answer: Joanine made a crack saying "I guess there is no real way to have safe sex with a werewolf. Joanine dated Jake before Ellie, hence how she became a werewolf before Ellie and Jimmy. In fact it was Joanie who made Ellie and Jimmy werewolves because she stated she was killing the other girls Jake was interested in.
Question: Does anybody know who was originally asked for the soundtrack instead of Aerosmith?
Chosen answer: Assuming you mean 'asked to record the song I Don't Want To Miss A Thing'? According to an article in this month's Empire magazine (June 2008) it was originally written with Celine Dion in mind.
Question: How did Alec survive being shot at the start only to return later in the film. It's something that I can't figure out, as James saw him get shot.
Chosen answer: The real answer, which I believe was explained better in the game or in special features. Regardless, I did hear, is that Ourumov wasn't aiming directly at Alec's head, but to the side and shot the ground behind him. But made it look like he shot him in the head. Alec would have felt the bullet whiz by him.
Answer: He was shot with a blank cartridge. What that means is that the casing in the gun chamber didn't contain a live bullet; instead of killing him, the gun simply gave off a realistic flash that tricked Bond into thinking Alec had been shot. As explained later in the film, Alec's death was staged between himself and Ourumov.
Ourumov shot Alec and the Russian soldier with the same gun but, only the soldier was actually killed.
But that doesn't work, because even blanks can be deadly at close range.
Question: What is at the bottom of the pit of death? Is it just a flat bottom or are there deadly creatures or sharp stuff at the bottom?
Answer: In Mr Bean animated there is an episode where you see Mr Bean as a young boy and had the teddy then and he also liked mini cars. There is another Animated episode where Mr Bean discovers a UFO full of people who look just like him and they each have their own individual stuffed toy.
Answer: It's never been revealed.
May be able to find out more on the animated series.
Question: Did just New York get contaminated or did the rest of the world get infected?
Answer: The whole world is infected.
Answer: During the evacuation, it seems that only Manhattan is infected, or if there are infections elsewhere, it is not known by the government yet. Sometime in January 2010, things get worse if you follow the posters in the movie.
Question: After a fellow soldier throws his boots, Robbie walks ahead to retrieve them and discovers a large group of murdered children in, I presume, school or church uniforms. Is this moment based on a real historical event of WWII?
Chosen answer: Not as such. The only systematic massacre of civilians in the Dunkirk campaign was in the Flemish village of Vingkt, where the German 377th Infantry Regiment had fought a fierce battle against the Belgian Chasseurs Ardennais. On 27/28 May 1940, the Germans took revenge on the civilian population and shot some 40 men and boys in the village, including eight elderly men who had sheltered in a convent's cellars. They argued that anyone found in a building the Chasseurs had used was liable for execution. The film exaggerates for dramatic effect - dead schoolboys are more poignant than dead old men - but there is a core of truth in the story.
Question: Is Mr. Arnolds the man that was played by Samuel Jackson? If so, why was he at the power shed?
Chosen answer: Yes, he's the same character. He went to the shed to turn the power back on initially, but when he didn't return, and the power didn't come back on, Ellie Sattler then went. She discovered Arnold had been killed by the raptor.
Question: Why is it that the Marines wore red in the first two films, but they wear blue in this one?
Answer: It was done to show how much influence and control the East India Trading company had over the Britsh Navy/Marines in the series. To demonstrate how the East India Trading company "owned" the British naval forces.
Question: I was watching some of the movie on TV. In the scene with Peter's birthday dinner, when Peter says he has been busy, Harry asks "Taking pictures of Spider-man?" instead of "Taking pictures of your friend?", like on the DVD I have. Is there any reason why this was changed?
Answer: Both lines are said in the movie. When Harry first inquires he says "Taking pictures of Spider-Man?" casually. Later in the scene he says "Taking pictures of your friend?" in a rather irritated tone.
Question: Are Todd and Mrs. Lovett lovers? At one point she mentions rumpled bedsheets.
Answer: Mrs. Lovett is secretly in love with Todd. However there is no indication he has any romantic feelings for her. He is entirely focused on revenge, much to Mrs. Lovett's disappointment.
Question: When Juno first meets the Lorings, she mentions that she saw them in the Pennysaver, and, suddenly, Vanessa looks very shocked. Why?
Chosen answer: Because she is wealthy and she considers the Pennysaver to be "beneath" her. Their adoption request was submitted to a syndicate and that syndicate printed the request in all of its publications, the Pennysaver being one of them; Vanessa did not choose to appear in the Pennysaver.
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Chosen answer: There is no specific kind. It's just a form of energy that takes the form of an otter.
Brad ★