Answered general questions about movies, TV and more

Does anybody know what the first movie to have a product placement was? I am losing sleep over this, please help.

If an actor does not want to smoke a real cigarette in a film, is there an alternative on offer (a prop cigarette for eg), or would it be more likely that that particular part would just be recast with someone who had no problem smoking?

I remember watching a programme on TV about movie mistakes a few months ago on VH1 and saw a clip with a lot of people in a school gymnasium and at the back there was a man standing up "exposing" himself that the editors supposedly missed. Can anyone tell me which film this was?

I remember watching a cartoon quite some time back now. I remember that it was about a dentists, or something similar, and I remember there being a lot of children in it. It stuck in my mind because it reminded me an awful lot of Dr. Katz, although aimed at a younger audience. Does anyone have any idea what this show is? I seem to remember it was quite short lived. The only solid thing I can remember about the show itself was that there was a receptionist who I think was married to the dentist/doctor (and it's not Home Movies).

Gary O'Reilly

I am looking for the name of a horror movie. I only remember that it looked like it was made in the 70's or 80's and that the first girl who got killed off was stabbed in the heart and fell through a large stained glass window on the ceiling with a cord tied around her neck so it looked like she hung herself. Any ideas?

I watched a film on TV when I was a kid and I can't remember the name of it. It was about an adopted boy who discovered that his birth parents had been mermaids, and as he hit puberty he began to turn into a mermaid himself. All I remember is that he started to be thirsty all the time and whenever he went in water he began to grow scales, which was a problem since he was on the school swimming team. I think there was a scene when he dived into the sea to catch up with a ferry which was pulling away, and another when he was about to start a swimming race but realised he still had his trainers on. Anyone know the name of this film? Thanks.

What happens when a film with the same title as (or very similar title to) another film is released? Is there some sort of legal problem? A producer couldn't copyright a word like 'Jaws', for instance, or a person's name, so surely anyone else can use them. What's to stop someone making a film called 'Harry Potter' and coining it in?

This is a question regarding all films. I know that in a lot of films the image is reversed for some reason for particular shots and that you can usually tell this because, for example, something on the left side of someone's face will be on their right side, etc. But I don't understand why?

Craig Bryant

I am trying to find out the name of the movie that had the following scene: a man is flipping a toothpick over and over in his mouth. It gets stuck, holding his mouth open, and he gags/coughs and takes it out. I think he was trying to be cool or intimidating as he flipped it so it was amusing when he got it stuck. I am guessing it was some time in the early 90's.

Twotall

I saw on TV a long time ago (early 1980's) a scene where lobsters were crawling out of everyone's drains and chasing people. It was live action, not animated, but I don't know if this was a TV show or a movie. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?

Krista

I remember seeing a film as a girl and remember only one scene where a woman is at a party and is hiding or sneaking around, and by accident gets her dress shredded by standing above the shredder. Does anyone know what film I'm talking about?

Twotall

I am trying to find the name of a show that was on the WB a few years back. It was a cartoon about some kid that was an alien and he had a magic glove that was passed down by his father. If anyone else put the glove on, it would mangle their hand. He rode a motorcycle where the wheels would turn sideways and he could go over water. Does anyone know what this is? Thank you.

What was the first cartoon to use the "hallway-chase" sequence? I refer to such cartoons as Scooby Doo or the Halloween episode of the Simpsons with Death, where a monster chases a group of people from door to door, back and forth at high speed, and we are looking down the length of the hall.

Can anyone tell me the name of a sitcom that was on BBC1 about 16/17 years ago, it was about a family who lived on a farm and there were 2 daughters in their 40's and one was really frumpy and the other was slim and pretty/tarty. There was a different episode each week and there was only one series.

pierpp

Does anyone know what movie this is? At the very beginning the screen is red with numerous wind-up chattering teeth on the bottom of the screen. All I can remember is a child going into a dumpster area and meeting a friendly creature. I think it was a made for TV movie, possibly on the Family Channel circa 1990.

There was a children's program that featured a teenage detective who drove a convertible Volkswagen bug. He had a gorilla side-kick. They received their assignments in the form of ordinary objects that had a voice recording that gave the details - the object would then self-destruct. This was filmed, but not live-action like some of the Sid & Marty Croft shows.

On that "It'll be alright on the night show" they showed a clip of two people dressed in older clothes (victorian or otherwise) climbing a grassy hill talking. Then on the path below this huge silver car drove buy (and the audience burst into laughter.) Nobody has any idea what this was off do they? It looked like TV show quality.

Hamster ★

I remember seeing a film where a girl goes into a supermarket/mini mart type place, and as she is walking around she sees somebody she was abused by (I think) and then something happens and she looks in a freezer and sees it filling with blood and she slips on the blood. I was sure it was in Girl, Interrupted, but I recently watched this film and the scene is not in there, is it another film, or is it possible that scene was removed from my DVD version?

Kayleigh Green

I am trying to find out more information on a show that I vaguely remember from when I was a child approximately 20 years ago. I think it was on PBS and all I can remember is that there was a girl in a round room with many doors. I remember she opened the doors and I think that created a story. I also remember something about stairs and her running up and down open metal stairs. Does anyone know what I am describing?

I watched a movie on TV about 25 years ago where a woman and her little girl are trying to get away from her husband. I think the woman was a blond actress. In the movie the man catches up to them and he steals the little girl then begins to dig a hole to bury her in. The little girl doesn't act scared and I think she calls him Daddy. The woman runs around the whole time frantically searching for her and pleading with him. I remember a lot of the scenes took place after dark. I apologize for not having more info, anything would help.