Question: What was the reason for the ceremony of meat, where they tossed it onto the rock? And why couldn't they have just walked over and put it there instead of the wind-up toss? That was kind of ridiculous.
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Question: If Edward Walker sent Ivy to go get help, why couldn't he have done so at night when no one could see him? Law enforcement outside the village could have just as easily detained Ivy and practically forced her to reveal the location of the village. Did Jay (M Night Shyamalan) know about the village? And why did Kevin (the younger, helpful guard) just sit there with his truck door open after presumably helping Ivy back over the fence?
Answer: All the elders, including Edward, swore an ironclad oath never to leave the village for any reason. That is why he sent the two boys to escort Ivy. Jay, the head guard, apparently does know about the village and makes sure the younger guard does not get too curious. As to why Kevin just sat there with the car door open is anyone's guess. He appears rather stunned by the whole incident and is probably wondering what is inside the reserve.
Question: Why does Darth Maul have almost no dialogue?
Answer: Probably because Ray Park, who portrayed Darth Maul, was not a professional actor, but a martial arts expert and stuntman who was recruited for the film. Another actor, Peter Serafinowicz, voiced what little dialogue there was.
Answer: The comment by RayWest is a good possible behind-the-scenes reason. Also, I think Darth Maul had been raised by Palpatine/Darth Sidious from a young age, unless that is no longer canon. Unlike Vader and Tyranus, who join Sidious as adults, Maul has almost no interests nor associations with others. He is focused on serving his master because it's all he knows. This could be why he says very little to others - he has no desire, nor much knowledge, about how to interact with them. But again, I am not sure exactly what is canon now.
Question: Is the Egyptologist's (Jonathan Hyde) name ever revealed in the film, or is he always referred to as just the Egyptologist?
Question: Any idea as to how long the creation of the village took? Those stone cabins look like they would've taken a considerable amount of time to build. Adding to that, the guard towers and such. Was it just the elders who built everything before the events of the film? Also, where did all the families in the village come from? Aside from the younger generations who were obviously born there, did they hear of Edward Walker's plan and decide to leave everything behind to join in?
Answer: Don't disagree with the other answer, but would add that Edward Walker was extremely wealthy, having inherited his father's corporation that still financially supports the village. He had the resources to buy the land, discreetly build the village, maintain and guard the preserve, etc. After his father was murdered, Edward joined a grief support group. That is where he met the other people who became part of the village. Everyone had lost a loved one through a violent act. Edward proposed the plan to live in an isolated village, walled off from violence. Because he was a history professor, he chose to recreate the 19th century, opting for a simpler way of life.
Answer: I'd presume it probably took a few years to get everything in the village set up and built, paperwork handled, etc. It's never explained who built everything, but it wouldn't be a stretch to guess that they may have had outside help getting things set up. And the implication is that the families are all people from the outside world who moved in when the village was created and were all likely people who simply wanted to leave behind their old lives for personal reasons, like trauma.
Question: What happened to Officer Paski, Ray Reddy, Lionel Prichard, that girl from the pharmacy, and that army recruiter guy after the events of the film? Did they survive?
Answer: It's never revealed, so any answer given would be pure speculation. In truth, the answer is that it's up to your imagination. I'd assume a few were killed, but most people likely survived, given how short the invasion was. Of all of them, Paski and Ray Reddy are the most likely to have survived, as Paski is a cop and likely could defend herself, while Ray went out towards the water – the alien's weakness.
Question: Why didn't the Hess family have guns? Unless it was against the family's religious beliefs to own firearms, wouldn't the smart thing to do have been to bring guns and lots of ammo into the basement with you, just in case the aliens breached the basement? I mean, a pistol round or a shotgun blast would seriously ruin the aliens' day.
Answer: Less than half of American households have guns in them. They simply didn't own any guns and didn't prioritise buying any in the panic of what's happening.
Answer: He was a preacher and, like all men of God, didn't believe in guns or violence.
Question: Was Kittridge a good guy or a bad guy? I just couldn't figure him out by the end.
Answer: He's not a bad guy to the extent of murdering and plotting against the good guys, but he's not exactly morally upstanding either. Kittridge doesn't want to destroy the Entity like Ethan; he wants to gain control of it on behalf of the US government and is happy to deal with the White Widow or anyone else to achieve that end. His appearance on the train isn't especially nefarious; he's just the highest bidder.
Answer: He's either.
Question: What made Lucius want to enter the woods? It is implied that he was one of the first villagers (that we know of) to rebel against the "rules" of the village, second to Noah for entering the woods "on many occasions." Also, why wasn't Lucius taken to the quiet room like Noah was supposed to have gone to because of him hitting people with a stick? Lucius broke the rule, so why wasn't he disciplined? When the village found out it was him, they would have expected a punishment to have been handed down.
Answer: Lucius is a typical youth who is questioning the elders' "rules," and is curious about what lies beyond the village's borders. While Lucius pushes boundaries, Noah is mentally impaired and functions on a childlike level. He cannot be reasoned with in a normal adult manner and is punished like a small child. When Lucius dared to enter the woods, the elders, disguised as the monsters, later "invaded" the village, thus terrorizing the younger members and making Lucius feel guilty for "endangering" everyone by his disobedience. That was his punishment.
Question: Why didn't they bring stronger ammunition on the Orca to kill on-site when the shark is surfaced, instead of using barrels and playing the slow game?
Answer: Agree with the other answers, but would add that both Quint and Hooper underestimated how big and powerful the shark would be. Until they were at sea, the shark wasn't fully seen and was likely expected to be about 15 feet and easier to kill with the weapons they had. As mentioned, the barrels were intended to slow down and exhaust the shark, keep it nearer the surface, and allow them to track and kill it.
Answer: The barrels were also used to slow or even stop the shark from leaving. They were heavy, but it didn't slow him down. Quint said, "The shark can't go down with two barrels on him." When it did, Matt Hooper asked, "Have you ever seen a shark do that?" Quint replied, "Never."
Answer: They didn't want to lose it. If the thing surfaces and you start shooting at it or use explosives and you don't kill it, you will just scare it off and won't see it again. That is, until there is someone eaten again. They wanted to be sure to kill it, so you lure it, get it to surface with the barrels and then kill it properly. It's still just a fish.
Question: Why didn't the police come looking for Allie in Graham's apartment? Some detectives should've been looking for her since Sam died early that morning.
Answer: Because his body hadn't been found yet, It was still early in the morning.
Of course, his body had been found - it was all over the news.
Question: When Cady asked a teacher for the "lavatory pass", he laughed at her and told her to sit down. So, when and where was a student supposed to get a pass?
Answer: At my high school, a teacher was only required to let you go if the office had a doctor's note on file, saying that you must be allowed to use the bathroom. A "lavatory pass" could be a version of such a note. Plus, as Brian Katcher wrote, some teachers are strict and want to be difficult.
Answer: Some teachers don't give passes during lectures or instruction time. Some think kids should go between classes so as not to waste time, and some are just cruel.
Question: What would the elders of the village have done with Noah, as a result of him stabbing Lucius, had he not found the extra costume? If they had sent him away, they would have known he was the one that talked if the government came to investigate the village (if they even believed the claims of a disabled person). And I don't think they planned on killing him.
Question: How did the crickets know that the aliens were a threat, resulting in them stopping chirping? In fact, how did animals, in general, know before the all-out assault raid on Earth?
Answer: I think a general answer is that animals, bugs, etc. learn at an early age the sounds and appearances of predators and know which predators to fear, plus may have instincts to sense danger. When a new or different sound is introduced (e.g. the trilling of the aliens), species would instinctively go into defensive mode until they can ascertain if they are or not something to be feared. The "fight or flight" response would apply – it is better to play it safe than be eaten. So, they may not have known the aliens were a threat, but they had to assume that until they knew otherwise. (Better to be safe than sorry.)
Question: What was the purpose of the black boxes? If the original villagers created the village to escape the "evil things", why take reminders of the evil things with you into your supposed sanctuary? Anyone can find a key to a box and open it. Unless Edward Walker only had some kind of master key to all of them. Also, when the elders and their wives eventually die off, what would become of the boxes? Would the next generations find out their contents? Would they be buried or destroyed?
Answer: The items were not necessarily reminders of evil things, but a remembrance of their previous lives, why they left everything behind, and of the people they loved and lost. It's never explained how or if the boxes would be destroyed at some point. Possibly, when a person and also their spouse died, another elder might gather the box before younger family members accessed it. It may have been stipulated in a will that it went to another elder. Of course, the boxes are merely a rather flimsy plot device to reveal more information about the elders and their reason for leaving the modern world.
Question: Why did Howard and Charlotte throw the drinking glasses into the fireplace on their anniversaries?
Answer: It's an old custom. Throwing a glass into a fireplace and smashing it after drinking a toast is supposed to indicate that nothing can ever exceed that toast's importance. It ensures that the glass will never be used for another toast or even for an ordinary drink that would lessen what the previous toast represented.
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Answer: The meat is supposed to be an offering to appease the "monsters" in the woods. As to why they tossed it, that's just what they chose to do. If something is heavy, it is easier to swing and toss it, rather than merely hoist it up.
raywest ★