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: Is the Statue of Liberty strong enough to survive that amount of water pressure, or should it have buckled/bent/been destroyed completely?

Jon Sandys

Chosen answer: The Statue of Liberty *should* have been knocked over by the tidal wave, but the director wanted to create a symbol of American values of "standing up" and persevering.

Xofer

Question: I was chatting with my friends when I saw this film, and I think I missed an important bit. The Americans open something that brings a curse on them, yet O'Connell and company are the ones to open the actual sarcophagus. What are the Americans opening; and why does that bring on a curse, but not the revealing of the actual mummy?

Answer: According to ancient Egyptian tradition, four major organs (liver, intestines, stomach, lungs) were removed from the body during the mummification process and preserved in canopic jars that were buried with the deceased. The Americans found Anck Su Namun's jars whilst O'Connell and company found the sarcophagus in which Imhotep was buried alive. After Evie recites the curse that brings Imhotep to life, he needs these organs to bring Anck Su Namun back, leading him to hunt down those who are in possession of them. The opening of the sarcophagus doesn't actually invoke any curse and neither does the Americans opening the chest, contrary to what Beni says. The "curse" is only a warning that they shall become part of Imhotep's curse by taking the jars he needs.

Answer: When the Mahji catch up with Imhotep everything is all right there. They curse him with the Hum Dai, then in an effort to keep things from going bad they place the Book of the Dead and the jars containing the organs of Anak-sun-Amun into a cursed chest hoping it will stop anyone from doing what those stupid yanks did.

Answer: It's just silly screenwriting. The greedy Americans have to die but the heroes can't die, so how about a cursed chest that only the Americans open? Really though there is no logical reason the Egyptians would have put a curse on this particular chest. There's also no reason that Ankhsuamun's organs would be buried with the book of the dead again it's just silly screenwriting. Saves the trouble of having to write another scene or sequence where the organs are discovered separately. Also, lazily explains why Imhotep only targets the Americans for bodily juicy goodness and not the rest of them.

Question: Why do they place a curse on Imhotep which makes his mummy evil? What would the Egyptians benefit from this?

Answer: It's ultimately a bit stupid, but a side-effect of the horrible punishment they've inflicted on him, making him suffer for so long, is that if ever he's resurrected he'll have powers and be immortal, which is why people are set to make sure he's never awakened. Just killing him would make more sense, but since when does anyone major die easily in films?

Jon Sandys

Answer: Imhotep was already evil. As for the curse, like Judas it was a living death, even though his body died, his spirit wouldn't enter Heaven or Hell, but remain in limbo. Like a vampire, he was resurrected with supernatural powers.Unbound and all powerful.

Question: What is the black strap Mike's wearing around his neck with his uniform for? It looks kinda cool, but I don't see the purpose.

Answer: I'm not entirely sure when you mean, but at the start of the film he wears a black band round his neck that is actually his radio system. It is pressed against the skin and allows subvocal radio communication.

Ben W Bell

Question: What is the name of the catchy techno music that plays over the freeway chase, and where can I obtain it?

Answer: I believe the song is called "Mona Lisa Overdrive" by Juno Reactor. You could find this on the Matrix Reloaded soundtrack, I don't know where else.

Question: Why did the big freeze-over happen during the eye of the storm, and why was it then safe for Dr. Hall to continue his journey north?

Answer: Earlier in the film, Hall's team analyzes the Scotland helicopter incident and determines that it was caused by a new meteorological phenomenon like a reverse hurricane. Air from the upper atmosphere was pulled down to ground level, but remained at the temperature of the troposphere (-150 F). The eye of the storm is where the vortex from the troposphere to the surface terminates, with the air then moving outward with the storm and warming to ground temperature. This is why the freezing happens during the eye of the storm. Dr. Hall is safe continuing after the eye passes as conditions will get steadily better because he is passing out of the storm, until it abruptly ends overnight.

Phoenix

Question: What is the name of the theme that was playing in the last part of the trailer, when Morpheus was saying "some thing that's worth fighting for"?

Answer: "Chateau" by Rob Dougan.

Question: Why don't the Ents help the heroes in the siege of Gondor?

Answer: The Ents dont like to meddle in the affairs of others. The only reason they fought Saruman is because he was destroying their forest to fuel his war.

RJR99SS

Question: When Gabriel killed Dracula 400 years ago, what turned him into a vampire? Because if he was already a vampire, obviously Gabriel didn't kill him.

Answer: After being killed - "murdered" as Dracula stated several times - by Van Helsing, Dracula made a deal with the Devil to regain his life. Carl tells his story when telling Van Helsing and Anna everything that he has learnt.

Question: Could someone please tell me the name of the song that starts playing in the news room, when that wild party starts?

Answer: It's a parody of the "Coors twins" song that plays during the Superbowl.

Question: Is Sauron is just a spirit in Barad-Dur? Can he not become a physical entity unless he regains the Ring?

Answer: Yep, basically.

RJR99SS

Question: At the beginning of the film, Jack Hall quickly explains how global warming could cause an ice age by altering the global ocean currents. The explanation is short and I didn't catch all of it. Could someone explain in more detail, preferably as simply as possible?

Phoenix

Chosen answer: Global warming melts the icecaps, releasing millions of tons of fresh water into the oceans. This upsets the delicate environmental balance of the oceans, leading to the ocean currents stopping. It's these currents that carry warm water up into the Northern Hemisphere, causing our temperate climate. The currents stop, everything cools down, fast.

Tailkinker

Question: Why is there so much blue symbolism in Kate Winslet's house. I know her hair is blue, but are we to believe she changes the colour of everything in her house when she changes her hair colour (which is often, apparently)?

SexyIrishLeprechaun

Chosen answer: Psychologists believe blue is a 'peaceful' color, as opposed to agressive colors like red. Experiments seem to show that people are genuinely effected emotionally by use of colors. Blue would promote a clear, calm - dare I say spotless - mind. Note this is also used in Forrest Gump; almost everything Gump wears is blue, suggesting again his calm, uncluttered thoughts.

Question: Right before Trinity leaves Neo on the subway station, she tells Neo: "Everything the Oracle told me has come true, except this." She then picks up the phone and vanishes before noticing in horror the agent. What did the Oracle tell her that wasn't true? Was Trinity not (yet) in love with Neo? Had the Oracle told her that Neo should leave the platform first? Or was she referring to Morpheus's rescue, which wasn't supposed to happen?

Answer: You're misinterpreting her statement - when she said "except this", she wasn't saying that something the Oracle had told her was a lie, just that it hadn't come true at that point. The Oracle presumably told her that she and the One would fall in love - by this point, it's clear that she loves him, but, what she doesn't know yet, is whether he loves her. She wants to tell him but, in typically human fashion, is afraid to, for fear of rejection.

Tailkinker

Question: Since when do Dementors fly? Gliding is different than flying.

Answer: I think any glider pilot would take issue with that last statement. This is a choice by the filmmakers in their portrayal of the Dementors - the books never state, as far as I can remember, that the Dementors aren't capable of leaving the ground, so it's not necessarily an incorrect interpretation. J.K. Rowling is consulted during the making of these films, so she presumably has no problem with this.

Tailkinker

Chosen answer: Actors, on occasions, choose not to be credited - generally if they're appearing in a relatively small role, one smaller than you'd generally expect that person to play.

Tailkinker

Question: In the book Tolkien intended for Minas Tirith and Osgiliath to be 15-20 miles apart. Faramir and his men seemed to make two journeys (to and fro) within a couple of minutes screen time. Did Peter Jackson intend for the two cities to be closer in the film?

Answer: No, they're still the same distance apart - it's a standard film technique to compress time for travelling and so forth. It's intercut with Pippin singing for dramatic effect, not to imply that it only takes the length of the song to travel the distance.

Tailkinker

Question: In the trailer, there is a theme playing at the last part that really interest me. Can anybody tell me the name of the theme?

Answer: "I'm Not Driving Anymore" (Instrumental) - Rob Dougan.

Question: Does White shoot Orange at the end?

Answer: Yes, you can hear his gunshot, which causes the police to then shoot him.

Nick N.

Show generally

Question: My friend made a comment the other day that Catherine is a tramp because every time you see her she's with a new guy. However, aside from Eddie, I thought the only guy you ever see her with is the construction guy from the episode where the house collapses (sorry I'm not more specific...) Can anyone resolve our dispute?

Answer: I have watched this show from the very first episode so I think I can figure out Catherine's relationship time line. She met her husband while she was a stripper as a young woman. They had a very rocky relationship which produced a daughter. The ex-husband died, I believe, last season. Catherine also has a rather estranged relationship with her father who is a casino owner and a bit of a criminal. He had seduced Catherine's mother and fathered Catherine. Later he dumped Catherine's mother for a younger woman. Catherine was romantically involved with the City/County safety inspector you mentioned but I don't think it went past casual dating and flirting as he kind of disappeared. This season she became involved with the club manager whose partner died in last season's finale. If you recall, her new beau and her father met recently in an episode and they didn't exactly hit if off. I'm sure this will make for some story material in future episodes. (Interesting point, her new beau is played by the actor who played the rogue FBI agent Kricheck on the X-Files). So I don't think Catherine is a tramp by any of today's standards. I think she's a single mom just trying to find love outside her morbid job.

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