Question: The scientists decided to launch their ship into the Marianas Trench. What is the advantage of launching there?
Answered 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: Unless the Robin signal was still turned on, how did Barbara know where to find the guys?
Answer: When Barbara told Holligran Alfred, she wanted to help, he said, "I prepared for this." He gave her a suit, which meant he equipped it with the latest tech. After years of serving Batman, it's logical to assume he put a GPS tracker into his batsuit.
Frasier Gotta Have It - S5-E19
Question: What does Martin mean when he says Caitlin is a flake?
Question: Why does Dan tell Anna that Alice is "un-leaveable"? What stops him from leaving her if he wants to?
Answer: He apparently feels that Alice "needs" him too much, so maybe he can't bring himself to leave yet. Later, when he does end their relationship, he points out how Anna "doesn't need" him. I find this interesting because he actually shows "needy" behavior toward Anna. He does what he complained about Alice doing.
Question: When the ghost of Jason's mother, Pamela Voorhees, appears in his dream, why is Pamela so much older than when she died? (Actress Betsy Palmer was 54 when she played the character in the first film.)
Answer: Supposedly, they actually tried to get Betsy Palmer to appear in the film as a cameo, but she didn't for one reason or another. While I can't know for sure, I'm assuming that they cast Paula Shaw because she loosely resembled Betsy Palmer around the time the movie was being made. (I actually remember a lot of people wrongly thinking it was Palmer in the film.)
Question: Except for "Come on, Eileen", what other songs were Tommy and Richard singing to while driving?
Answer: In that scene, that song is followed first by "It's the End of the World as we Know It (And I Feel Fine) " (R.E.M.) and then by "Eres tú" (Mocedades). Earlier, they sing "Superstar" (The Carpenters) just before the hood flies off.
Where Every Bloke Knows Your Name - S5-E10
Question: Before Frasier and Daphne go to the pub for the first time, the text says "So authentic, there isn't an ice cube in the joint." What does that mean?
Answer: It's a joke that relies on the stereotype that British people drink warm beer (i.e., the pub is so authentically British, they don't have any means to cool a drink). In reality, this isn't the case; lagers and most beers are refrigerated, while cask ales (a.k.a. "real ales") are served at "cellar temperature", which is usually colder than room temperature but not as cold as being in the fridge. For Americans used to "chilled" or "ice cold" beers, this comes across as warm and gave rise to the idea that Britons drink warm/tepid/room temperature beer...whence the joke.
Question: Whatever happened to the "evil" TK? The one that used the mice bomb to help Gabriel Yulaw escape. Was she arrested or did she escape?
Answer: Just looked it up, the character's name is Massie Walsh, apparently. But yeah, she's basically the "evil TK" version. Anyways, I was trying to ask what happened to her.
Wrong, T.K. I'm talking about the OTHER one. I don't know what her name is, but the one who put a bomb in the mouse to help Yulaw escape early in the movie. The scene in the multiverse area.
Since we never see her again, there's the possibility that she managed to escape during the confusion. Especially since she was wearing a disguise.
Question: Why does Maris keep Niles' last name after they divorce? She has more wealth and social connections than him, so she doesn't seem to have anything to gain.
Answer: One could say force of habit and all the years, but also because she is clingy and incapable, and may be hanging on to her whipping-boy/servant if only psychologically (furthermore, she gets into legal trouble and may wish to spread the stain and disgrace onto the Cranes out of vengeance).
I think she always wanted Niles to "come crawling back."
Question: What is the meaning of the symbols on Little Jack's blue T-shirt when he first appears in Jack's learning lab?
Answer: They are the mathematical symbols of pi, infinity, and square root. I'm not a math person, and this is only what I read regarding calculating the square root of pi: "Pi is the constant equal to the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. The number (3.14) has been calculated to over one trillion digits beyond its decimal point. Calculations can continue infinitely without repetition or pattern, because Pi is an irrational number." I'm sure the more scientifically-minded members here can provide a better explanation. I interpreted the symbols on Little Jack's T-shirt as meaning his future has infinite possibilities.
Question: The police were called after killing his family; his mom returning shortly before they arrive. Did Michael call them?
Answer: Most likely his mom called them. She could sense something was wrong, and then the scene transitions, and the police are already there, so some time has passed. She probably went inside, found all the bodies, and called the police.
Question: Sharon Stone is mentioned a couple of times. Is it simply coincidence, or is there a joke behind it?
Answer: Apparently not coincidence. Sharon Stone starred in an early Wes Craven film called "Deadly Blessing". She is also a close friend of Craven's former wife, Mimi.
Answer: Probably a coincidence, Sharon Stone was a major star at the time. Years later, at a Q&A after a special screening of the film, writer Kevin Williamson remarked that he hadn't realized just how many Sharon Stone references were in the film, and they all stuck out to him while watching.
Question: How would killing Emily have helped Steven right away? He needed money quickly, and her hundreds of millions were in a trust fund. Could he even receive all the money right after she died?
Answer: He wouldn't be able to access it immediately, but if his creditors knew he was inheriting a large fortune, they'd likely be willing to work out a deal. Also, as Steven said, he would just go onto to something else to make more money.
Another thing, there was probably a life insurance policy on Emily.
Question: Near the beginning of the movie, why does Steven call the museum event an "inbred" soiree?
Answer: The way I always thought that it was Steven's way of putting David at ease, by making a joke.
I was curious about the meaning/definition of his wording, though. What did he mean by calling the event an "inbred soiree"?
This was Steven's way of being incredibly rude and offensive whilst knowing that he'd be sure to get away with it. Likely, he didn't much care for the attendees and he wasn't being shy about expressing this.
Question: Isn't it weird that during the duelling match between Snape and Lockhart, Snape executes a perfect "Expelliarmus" spell on Lockhart, knocking him off his feet but doesn't disarm him? He is still holding his wand as he falls to the ground. Isn't the Expelliarmus spell a disarming spell?
Chosen answer: Yes, it's a disarming charm. Rewatch this scene. Snape intently casts Expelliarmus at the blustering fool, and at first Lockhart has the wand in hand. Then, it cuts to a wide shot just as Lockhart lands, and note the wand is twirling in midair at the top center of the screen, so he has been disarmed. It then cuts to a shot from behind Lockhart's head, and the wand is back in his hand. But as he gets up, the wand is not in his hand. This is listed as a continuity mistake on this website.
Question: After 400 days, the stranded astronaut's original, on-board, food ran out. After that, he lived on just potatoes for two or three more years (or something like that). He says, himself, "I have to grow three years' worth of food." The only food he grew was potatoes. Starch only - no lipids and no protein. For two or three years, to live on just potatoes? Is that even physically possible?
Answer: I've seen the movie a few times, but did some additional Internet research. Watney was spreading out his 400 days of rations with the potatoes. I seem to recall him opening a small packet of a powdery substance and putting it on his food. Presumably it was vitamins, minerals, or other supplements. Of course, he was still severely malnourished when rescued.
Question: For the memories that show young Lily, why did the filmmakers not use an actress with the same eye color as Harry, nor edit the eye color afterward? Multiple people note that his eyes are like his mother's.
Answer: In the movie, it was never mentioned that Lily and Harry had the same eye colour. It was instead implied that Harry's eyes had a similar shape and look to Lily's. Ultimately, it's more important to cast an actor who best suits the part, rather than matching the eye colour.
Also, they tried using green contacts, but Daniel was allergic to them.
Question: In this movie, the Colonel says the following to Swaggart: 'You've done your country a great service, son. On the day..." What does the expression "On the day" mean, and what is its origin?
Answer: To me, it just sounds like he got interrupted. Like he was going to say, on the day of the shooting, he needs Swagger there. Swagger interrupts him by saying "look," as if he knows what Johnson is going to ask and he doesn't want to be a part of it. Then Johnson continues, saying Swagger knows what to look for and he could use a spotter.
Question: Why does Roz have to screen people's calls before Frasier talks to them? We see in some episodes that he can answer calls directly if he chooses, so why doesn't he do it all the time?
Answer: Most, if not all, radio call-in shows like Frasier's have someone (usually a producer) who screens calls. Sometimes it's to maintain a queue, sometimes it's to filter out the boring/crazy/uninteresting ones (it is radio, after all...the problems have to have entertainment value). Mostly, though, it's so that Roz can get some basic information from them (i.e. their name and the general nature of their problem) before putting them on the air. It's basically quality control. Yes, Frasier can take calls directly, but like most radio hosts, he relies on his call screener to make a decision about which ones he addresses.
Join the mailing list
Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.
Answer: The Marianas Trench is the deepest point on the Earth, so there would be less solid rock and molten material to bore through, making it a shorter, faster route to the core.
raywest ★