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: Is the actor who played Andy in the first two Toy Story movies the same actor in the third movie?

Answer: Yes, John Morris has reprised his role as Andy for Toy Story 3.

GalahadFairlight

Question: How can Percy and his friends play all the games in the Lotus Hotel casino, when they are still teenagers and the legal age to gamble in Las Vegas is 21?

Answer: Because it's not a real casino. People are lured in then are trapped and drugged by eating the lotus cakes.

raywest

Question: I'm fairly positive that one of the African-American female terminated employees, who has a very small but significant role in Up in the Air(trying to avoid spoiling the plot), is Elise Neal. Elise Neal was D.L. Hughley's wife in The Hughleys and also starred in Hustle and Flow. Any reason why she is not credited on the film? imdb.com and other sites do not list her as a cast member.

Answer: It's not Elise Neal, it is Tamala Jones.

jshy7979

Answer: It is not unusual for actors to appear in films in uncredited cameo roles. There's many reasons. Their appearance is not significant enough to warrant a film credit, it is a surprise for the audience, they do it for fun or as a favor to the director or producer, it avoids contract obligations, and so on.

raywest

Question: In the book version the character Lex has short hair that's pushed under her cap. In the film version she has a longish plait. I know that the film makers change many things for many reasons, but does anyone know why they changed this?

Answer: Probably because there was no reason in the plot for Lex to have short hair. It simply did not matter whether it was long, medium, or short; if the actress playing Lex had longer hair, then the film makers must have felt that fit the character just as well as a shorter cut.

raywest

Question: Is it true that George Lucas will not let any Star Wars books/media reveal Yoda's species, last name, etc.?

Answer: Yes, it's quite true - for reasons that he's never explained, Lucas has always maintained a strict policy of not allowing any information about Yoda's species to be included in any publications. While he has allowed some details of Yoda's personal history to be revealed, details about the species as a whole, what they call themselves, where their homeworld is, their history and so forth, have been kept under wraps.

Tailkinker

Question: What is the name of the last song they dance to at the Christmas dance? I know I've heard it before, but I can't put a name on it.

Jennifer 1

Chosen answer: Auld Lang Syne.

Boobra

Question: I'm assuming that floating rocks are made from Unobtanium - thus able to fly. But where did they get all the water to supply the waterfalls?

Answer: It's never stated that the floating mountains are made from any particular substance. And it's doubtful they're made from unobtanium, otherwise why would they need to mine it from underneath the Na'vi's tree? The mountains float because of some magnetic properties in that area of the planet. As for the water, I imagine it comes from the same place water comes from on mountains on Planet Earth -- melting snow.

JC Fernandez

This is an incredibly lush place, probably very rainy, therefore the water could have come from there.

dizzyd

Question: When Buzz is first being introduced to the other toys, Mr. Potato Head says that he is from Playschool. What does Rex say after this?

Answer: Rex says "And I'm from Mattel. Well, I'm not really from Mattel, I'm actually from a smaller company that was purchased in a leveraged buyout."

Tailkinker

Question: In the Iowa bar where Kirk meets Uhura, he says something about her being from another world. Is Uhura from another planet, other than Earth? I can't remember anything from the original series that states this.

Answer: Kirk's never met Uhura - he wouldn't know where she's from. When he asks her name, she says that her name is "just Uhura" - Kirk's expecting to hear two names, first name and surname (just as he introduced himself as "Jim Kirk"). As such, his first question is to ask whether they don't have surnames on whatever world she comes from. As it happens, she is from Earth, she just doesn't want to tell him her full name; he doesn't know that, so he's making assumptions that are, in this case, completely wrong.

Tailkinker

Question: We're told that Davey Jones, himself, cut out his own heart, unable to withstand "that which vexes a man's soul, a woman." Will Turner's father, Bootstrap, savagely removing the heart after he is already dead doesn't make any sense. It is repeatedly said that the Dutchman must have a captain, but what about the moments just prior to? And why did the crew come back to life? It is only told that Bootstrap would be free and that Will would sacrifice eternity as Captain. And how did he "honeymoon"? It hasn't been 10 years. He hasn't ferried any souls yet. Right on? Unnecessary. I agree with audience. Confusing. Please explain.

Toofastfourluv

Chosen answer: Will stabs Davy Jones' heart (with assistance), which, as far as can be determined, gives him the captaincy of the Dutchman at that moment. Exactly why Bootstrap has to cut out his heart isn't clear - presumably something about the ritual Jones used years before makes it a necessary part of the role of captain. The crew don't come back to life, because they're technically not dead - their lives are tied to the Dutchman. Their aquatic appearance is because of Jones defying his orders - with a new captain at the helm, one who will do the job properly, they revert back to their human appearance. As for Will getting his "honeymoon", couple of possible reasons. Technically the job hasn't started yet - could be that, as Will's still in the real world, he can get his day on shore before he goes off to ferry souls. Probably more likely is that Calypso wanted him to have his "honeymoon" - he did, after all, take on the captaincy under less than ideal circumstances. While Jones chose to take on the position, Will had no real choice in the matter. Calypso's something of a romantic, so it would be entirely in character for her to allow Will and Elizabeth to consummate their marriage before he has to leave for ten years.

Tailkinker

Answer: Will also mentions, whilst on the island with Elizabeth, that it's almost sunset. This suggests that his role as captain didn't begin until sunset that day. So he was able to honeymoon that day only.

Question: Children could have been a good extra to the film. You could have had maybe Christian or Satine having a younger sister or brother and the Duke having a niece or nephew both about thirteen or twelve and instead of Tolouse finding out about the duke killing Christian, the Duke's niece could have talked to Christian or Satine's sister and the Duke found out that his niece or nephew had told and done something to her and then Satine or Christian's sibling could have gone to find them and had to rush to try to save Satine and Christian from going away from each other entirely. Maybe they could have had a little love story too within Christian and Satine's. What do you think? Why couldn't children have been put in the film?

Answer: It simply didn't happen. Why SHOULD they have done it. Just because it COULD have happened, doesn't mean they made a big mistake by NOT doing it. It's like saying "I really liked Star Wars, but why couldn't they have made it about a little guy with hairy feet who wanted to destroy a ring?" That just wasn't the plot they went with. But, on a more practical level, there could have been people complaining about children present hanging out with 'ladies of the night'.

Garlonuss

Question: Pixar usually shows Pixar characters in the next Pixar film into the films (like the Nemo in Monster's Inc, The Mr. Incredible doll in Nemo). Is there anything from Toy Story 3 in Up?

Answer: Yep, there is. As Carl's house initially flies away, there's a shot from inside a child's bedroom where they watch the house flying away. In that shot, next to the bed on the very far left of the screen, there's a small pink-ish teddy bear, who's a major new character in the upcoming Toy Story 3.

Tailkinker

Question: When Venkman is on the phone with Egon, he says that he shot Dana/Zuul up with 300 cc of Thorazine. Since Thorazine is a powerful anti-psychotic drug, it's unlikely that Dana had some in her medicine cabinet. If she didn't already have some on hand, then where did Venkman get it? He said that he has a PhD in psychology, so is he able to prescribe medications for anyone?

Answer: They're all three doctors in that field, so it's not unlikely at all that they could acquire the medication. The question then becomes: why did he have it on him at the time?

Phixius

Indeed, it's hilarious when you ask yourself that question, and the movie does not have any of the characters question that! Which would have been comedy gold. As the original poster said though; Venkman has a PhD in Psychology, so he can't prescribe the drug, and the other 2 are physicists, so no, I wouldn't say they are doctors in the field?

Sammo

A Psychologist could have studied medicine. If you have a medical licence you can prescribe medicine to a patient. This doesn't automatically make a Venkman a psychiatrist, but he is more likely more trained in the actual clinical practise. Doesn't make it less unethical though and if anyone finds out he would have his license revoked immediately.

lionhead

Chosen answer: Nope, nothing official was ever said. There are very few truly original film storylines these days; a close examination of most films would allow one to swiftly note plot similarities to any one of a number of preceding movies. Both Cars and Doc Hollywood fit neatly in a very standard storyline of an outsider coming into an unfamiliar cultural group, which they learn to appreciate and benefit from, while their presence likewise benefits the group they encounter. While the two are unusually similar, no comment on the subject was ever made.

Tailkinker

Question: When Vader realizes that Luke has a twin sister, does he know that Leia is the sister or just that someone is Luke's sister? Or does he know when he/Anakin sees Luke and Leia during the Ewok celebration later?

Answer: Vader knows it is Leia when he first hears Luke's thoughts about his twin sibling.

raywest

I've always presumed so, but strictly speaking there's nothing evident in the scene that he specifically knows the identity of Luke's sister, all we know for certain is that he's discovered Luke has one.

TonyPH

Question: When Grey stabs Mina in the stomach her hair is curly, then when he takes the sword out of her stomach it's straight. Is there some specific reason for that, or is it just a continuity mistake?

tjtrocks

Answer: It was a deliberate choice by the Director to show Mina with a crazier look when she's in vampire mode. The look of her makeup (I believe it was her blush) also changes for the same reason.

Is there a similar reason for Grey having an unscathed suit after being riddled into Swiss cheese? Did the paint magic extend to his outfit?

Chosen answer: It's a continuity mistake.

raywest

Question: I know I already asked this, but my question wasn't answered correctly. Supposedly, some member of a band lost a bet and appeared as one of Hook's pirates. It definitely was not Phil Collins, David Crosby, or Jimmy Buffett, but definitely somebody else. The best I can come up with is that it was a band from either the 70's or 80's, but even that fact is pretty pointless considering the movie was made in 1990. It is quite possible that this person could have had no lines or was uncredited, but I know for sure that I'm not making this up. Can somebody find out for me?

Answer: I don't know how you can say it was answered incorrectly when you don't know the answer yourself. I also don't know how you "know for sure" when you also say it "supposedly" is true. In any case, I can't speak to any kind of bet... but along with Phil Collins, Genesis band members Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford appear in the same scene. Perhaps if you reference the initial source of this information someone might be able to help more.

JC Fernandez

Question: Jake's paralyzed legs really look small and thin and weak. How did they make the actor's legs look like that, since he's not really paralyzed? Or did they edit a pair of fake legs in?

Mithcoriel

Chosen answer: It would have been done with digital effects.

GalahadFairlight

Answer: They used prosthetics.

Indeed. They used prosthetics, the mould of which was taken from a real paraplegic person.

Sammo

Question: A few character and song names are based on the Swahili language. Does Timon or Pumba mean anything in Swahili?

Answer: Pumbaa means "to be foolish, weak-minded or negligent". Timon has no apparent meaning in Swahili, but is historically a Greek name, meaning "respectful", a slightly ironic choice given his usual sarcastic attitude.

Tailkinker

Question: 1) I remember reading online once that some person in a band (not any of the ones mentioned in the trivia for this movie) lost a bet and appeared as one of Hook's pirates in this movie. Is this true and if yes who was it? 2) I also once read online that it is a tradition for Peter Pan movies to have the same actor to play Hook and somebody else in the movie. I don't remember Dustin Hoffman as anybody else in this movie. Was he somebody else in the movie?

Answer: (1) David Crosby and Jimmy Buffett both appear as part of Hook's crew - whether either of them is there as a result of losing a bet is unknown. (2) Traditionally, in stage productions of Peter Pan, the actor who plays Hook will also take on the minor role of Mr Darling, Wendy's father. As, in the story presented in the film, Wendy is now elderly, her father is likely long dead, and thus no opportunity exists to maintain the tradition. However, you can hear Dustin Hoffman as the voice of the pilot on the plane ride to London, giving a nod to the tradition.

Tailkinker

Answer: Actress Glenn Close is a pirate too. The first pirate that Hook goes to on deck and puts in the Boo Box. Https://youtu.be/TCx-M8dcDhk.

Answer: It's Phil Collins - he's the police officer.

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