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: How exactly do both the Terminator and Kyle find addresses? We are led to believe that is the reason for the phone books, but none of the addresses in the phone books match up to the addresses where either the first Sarah is killed, nor the apartment of our Sarah.

Answer: Gonna be totally honest... that might just be nothing more than a simple continuity error. They accidentally made a phonebook prop that didn't match up with the locations where they shot, and assumed most people wouldn't notice or care. (And to be even more honest, I never noticed it until I saw this question today.)

TedStixon

Answer: My two cents: The T-800 Terminator does indeed, rip out the page of a phonebook for the address, but remember, he was looking for any and all Sarah Connors, not a specific address. He did not know which Sarah would give birth to John Connor, so by process of elimination he began terminating any woman with the name Sarah Connor. He did plug the first Sarah Connor (a housewife), then went to kill the other Sarah Connors in the phone book.

Scott215

I already gave that answer, but apparently that's not what the question is asking.

Charles Austin Miller

Answer: Both the T-800 and Kyle look up Sarah's address in the phonebook and it's Kyle who rips out a page. Neither uses a police computer; that's the T-1000 in Terminator 2.

But that doesn't answer the question (and it's already been mentioned) since the information in the phonebook appears wrong.

Bishop73

Answer: Kyle, as we are shown, uses a police computer to find the addresses. The T800 just uses the phonebook as you mentioned. He rips the page out and takes it with him.

Ssiscool

Except 2 of the addresses in the phone book don't match. So how does the Terminator find them using the phonebook?

Bishop73

The Terminator is just blindly killing everyone in the phone book whose name is Sarah Connor (apparently a common name). Process of elimination. So, the day he arrives, unrelated women named Sarah Connor start dropping like flies, and the police believe it's the work of a serial killer. Our heroine Sarah Connor barely escapes this sweeping extermination by sheer luck and Kyle's intervention.

Charles Austin Miller

You just described the plot. Were you trying to answer the question? Because the question still stands. (As it is, it's either a mistake or plot hole in the film).

Bishop73

Perhaps I'm not getting the question. What is meant by "none of the addresses in the phone books match up"? Match up to what, the murder scene addresses? I wasn't aware that the murder scene addresses were prominently displayed.

Charles Austin Miller

Exactly. The addresses seen don't match. Specifically the first Sarah Connor's house number is "14239", but in the phonebook it is listed as "1823." And the real Sarah Connor lives in an apartment but the phonebook doesn't list an apartment number.

Bishop73

Perhaps though this all doesn't matter because phone books can quickly become outdated, the phone book he found could be over a year old. Someone moves but can still be listed in the phone book with their old address. He could have gone to the addresses but found someone else living there and then asked where the previous owner might be, and he was told (or he forced them). This might be how he found all the Sarah Connors.

lionhead

Are any of the Sarah's listed as living at 1823? I've not got access to the film right now to check.

Ssiscool

The first is listed as "1823." The second is "2816." The 3rd is "309." Although after reviewing the scene and thinking about it, for "309" (which is supposedly our Sarah J Connor), the full address isn't actually seen and the apartment number could have been listed.

Bishop73

Reese never uses a police computer; that's the T-1000 in Terminator 2. He rips out the page from the phonebook. The T800 also uses the phonebook but is never shown ripping out a page.

Answer: The Seal of the City of New York.

Question: After the first photon torpedo hit from Chang, when the bridge is shaken and everyone flies from their seats - so do the bridge seats, like office chairs with wheels. Shouldn't bridge equipment be bolted down to the floor? (01:33:22)

Answer: Sure, but it's a lot more fun to see them sliding around.

TonyPH

Question: Why did Rowena steal Isabella's cup? Was she in need of money or did she owe Fabian?

Answer: For poison, and she was in need of money.

Question: Just a thought. If the Mattsons chose to file a complaint against Abel, would his history of unethical behaviour on the job make his superiors more inclined to take the complaint seriously? It just seems odd to me that accusations of inappropriate behaviour against a policeman outside the job would be dismissed so easily when he has a long history of questionable behaviour on the job.

Movielover1996

Answer: The department may want to cover up Abel's behaviour to avoid bad publicity or accusations about police brutality and corruption. Most likely, it would result in an investigation by Internal Affairs, which they may have various reasons, aside from Abel, of wanting to prevent.

raywest

Question: Why is Maude dressed like a viking maiden in the Dude's dream sequence?

Rob245

Answer: She looks like one of the Valkyries, a Nordic female spirit that guided brave warrior souls to Vallhalla. This may foreshadow Donny's death.

raywest

Question: After removing the safety protocols from Chucky, why did the employee kill himself?

Answer: The employee's bosses overworked and abused him. He was depressed, had emotional issues, and probably felt his life was hopeless. Before committing suicide, he wanted retaliation against the company for making him so miserable, so he disabled the safety protocols on the "Buddi" doll's computer chip. Mostly, it's a convenient plot point to explain how Chucky came about.

raywest

Question: When Felix Ravenstill was declared dead, why did Dr. Gaul think that the way to get back at the Districts was to kill off the remaining tributes in the "rainbow of destruction"? If you were chosen as a Tribute, you basically were already dead before actually dying. That's pretty much the essential nature of the Hunger Games. Wouldn't the government announcing a retaliatory missile strike have made much more sense?

Answer: Doing something unexpected and even more violent during the Games sends a warning but also adds a "shock value" that "thrills" Capitol viewers, keeping them engaged and increasing TV ratings. Launching a missile strike would be an extreme and counterproductive move that only causes extensive and expensive damage, disrupts the districts' productivity and adversely affecting Panem's commerce, directly hurting the Capitol and its citizens.

raywest

Question: When Lucy Gray tells the peacekeepers to "give her a minute," why do they all back off and let her sing instead of carting her off to the train? The police basically take orders from her, and I'm pretty sure singing would have been classified as rebellious behavior. Was it because she had to have protection now that she was one of the chosen Tributes?

Answer: The Peacekeepers were likely a little subdued because a large crowd is watching and everything is being aired on live TV. They would not risk inciting a riot. The Peacekeepers are low-level Capitol servants, so they may be concerned about the repercussions to themselves if they are overly rough with a female tribute. Allowing her to sing also makes for better TV, and the Capitol is trying to increase viewership.

raywest

Question: Surely there's some violation of ethics of nurses when Rachel starts sleeping with her patient's husband while she's still alive, right? That, and how could she be considered nice, given what she did helping Anna's father cheat on his wife?

Rob245

Answer: It is a serious ethical violation for a nurse to have a sexual relationship with a patient's spouse. It could lead to the nurse's license being revoked. The "nice" part is more subjective, but sometimes good people, driven by their passions and desires, have lapses in judgment.

raywest

Question: How did Ian know the "Declaration" would be in the basement? If Gates had not stolen it, the "Declaration" would still be on display, protected by all that security.

Answer: I did some reading on this. The Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, all stored at the National Archives, are lowered nightly from public viewing displays to a basement vault, and it is regularly taken to a preservation room for maintenance. Ian would know about the routine and plan accordingly. It's still inconceivable that any document could be stolen, considering the high security guarding them, but it's a move, after all.

raywest

Answer: The Declaration was moved to the basement some time before the party, plenty of time for someone with as much money and connections as Ian to find out it had been replaced by a replica and moved to the other location.

Show generally

Question: Why does Captain Peacock always ask a customer if they're being served as soon as they get out of the lift? The customer has just arrived, so Captain Peacock is already aware they haven't been served yet.

Answer: It's just a turn of speech, a very prim and proper way of asking "Do you need any help?" Being such a stuffed shirt, and in a store as old-fashioned as Grace Brothers, Captain Peacock would naturally affect an air of superiority and high-class language when speaking to customers.

Answer: It typically goes by the name "pizza saver", but it's often called a pizza stool or pizza table (some have 3 legs and some have 4). When Carmela Vitale was issued a patent, she called it a package saver.

Bishop73

Question: Has there ever been any explanation as to why Freddy was killing children?

Answer: In the book version of the first three movies, he took a saying from his abusive foster father: "Children are useless." He made it "Children are better off dead." He also killed one trying to rob him and felt a rush of adrenaline from it that he didn't want to lose, so he got addicted to killing.

Rob245

Question: Why doesn't Porter demand more money? Sure, his cut was $70,000, but since he's a crook, why not demand more?

Rob245

Answer: Quote, "A work man is worthy of his hire." In the original version, the Mob Boss asked, "why are you doing all this?" He replied, "I want my money." It's as simple as that. He did a job and wants his payment.

Answer: Porter only wanted what he was owed and had been cheated out of, and nothing more. He is a former Marine, so probably still adheres to a certain code of honor.

raywest

Question: Other than plot convenience, why did Gennaro speak to Rogastno?

Answer: No other reason, except to provide exposition for the plot. It gives the audience information they otherwise would not have.

raywest

Question: When Oliver crawls under the tables to escape from the workers, why were the other boys kicking Oliver?

Answer: Because they're cruel, ignorant bullies who were probably abused when they were younger, have an established pecking order, and pick on weaker victims to feel superior and for amusement.

raywest

Question: Why did the FDNY respond to a hostage situation?

Answer: Firetrucks and firefighters are quite often dispatched to non-fire emergencies. They're typically well-trained in emergency and medical aid, and also very quick and efficient, so a lot of the time, they will arrive at emergency scenes before police and paramedics.

TedStixon

Answer: In a hostage scenario, there's always a high probability of injuries and other situations arising that police are unable to handle. Paramedics are part of the fire department and tend to medical needs. Firefighters respond to any possible fires, explosions, gas leaks, etc. They may also have to cut off water to a specific building, extract hostages, or carry out other rescue operations. Fire departments regularly work hand-in-hand with police.

raywest

Question: Would a toaster really knock someone unconscious if you hit someone with it, like yellow T-shirt guy did?

Answer: It's possible, if it hit a certain way and with enough force. However, movies tend to exaggerate physical altercations. For example, it's often shown how someone is repeatedly punched in the face with little effect, when in real life a person's jaw would have been broken with the first blow.

raywest

Answer: Not every military vehicle looks or is built exactly the same, even if they perform similar functions. Different defense contractors would have their own particular designs. Newer vehicles often have improvements or additional capabilities added.

raywest

Answer: Are you referring to the AT-DP? Those are similar to the AT-ST, but have an entirely different mission use.

kayelbe

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.