# Cool/interesting little touches you notice in movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 10, 2010, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-interesting-little-touches-you-notice-in-movies/546174 "2010-07-10T00:52:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-interesting-little-touches-you-notice-in-movies/546174/81 "2010-07-20T13:19:31Z")
_Animal House_ actually has a few subtle moments. I didn’t catch this one until years later: in the scenes where Eric Stratten finds an obituary of Fawn Leibowitz, a girl at a nearby girl’s college. He goes to her dorm and pretends to be her boyfriend, and then wrangles a date with her roommate out of sympathy. Later, when they’re making out, he tells her “I used to touch Fawn this way.” She replies “I know.” He looks surprised, and she says “She told me.” She was telling him that she figured out his scam, but was going along with it anyway. In the back of my mind, I had always wondered why Eric seemed so shocked by this, but it finally came to me. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-interesting-little-touches-you-notice-in-movies/546174/82 "2010-07-20T13:44:34Z")
Shindlers List. When the guards casually shoot prisoners the person behind the one intended for execution falls to the ground as the round passes through the body and in to them. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-interesting-little-touches-you-notice-in-movies/546174/83 "2010-07-20T14:07:49Z")
> [@GHO57](#): > > Hmm, I don’t do that. 1) it’s strictly speaking illegal here and 2) my car heats up pretty quickly… cold weather specs and all that. > > The only reason I’d start the car first is if it was cold enough that I’d be unsure of it starting at all (so I’d know not to bother with the windows)… or if it’s so cold that I’ll want to get into someplace warm in a hurry… you know, -40 and below. The owner’s manual for my car (2001 Pontiac Grand Am) says to start the engine, pop it into neutral, and then proceed to deice/desnow the car. The idea is that it gives the engine some time to warm up (though I understand that’s only really a problem if the temperature is REALLY cold, like 10 or 20 below, to where the oil becomes a bit thicker and needs to be warmed up considerably), also, it allows the car’s HVAC system to help you with the deicing by warming up the interior, causing the innermost part of the ice on the windows to melt a bit and letting you just slide big chunks of it off instead of fighting every step of the way. That said, our squadron’s First Sergeant sent out an email telling us that leaving the car unattended and running is A) Illegal in some parts and B) A great way to be helpful to some potential car thief who doesn’t want to bother hotwiring the car - all he has to do is break a window and put her in gear. That said, I think some cars can be started remotely without the key in the ignition, but leave the steering wheel and transmission locked. ---
**Author:** ![Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-interesting-little-touches-you-notice-in-movies/546174/84 "2010-07-20T14:16:51Z")
> [@Knowed\_Out](#): > > _Animal House_ actually has a few subtle moments. I didn’t catch this one until years later: in the scenes where Eric Stratten finds an obituary of Fawn Leibowitz, a girl at a nearby girl’s college. He goes to her dorm and pretends to be her boyfriend, and then wrangles a date with her roommate out of sympathy. Later, when they’re making out, he tells her “I used to touch Fawn this way.” She replies “I know.” He looks surprised, and she says “She told me.” > > She was telling him that she figured out his scam, but was going along with it anyway. In the back of my mind, I had always wondered why Eric seemed so shocked by this, but it finally came to me. Interesting, I always figured she didn’t know she was being scammed - just thought a good looking guy showed up on her doorstep. I thought she completely bought into his story and was trying to scam HIM, by lying that she and Fawn had discussed him, and Fawn had said nice things, and it was because of those nice things she was willing to fool around so quickly. Nice girls didn’t just put out, she had to have a reason - hence HER scam. I thought his shocked look (knowing there was NO WAY Fawn had mentioned him) meant “huh, girls lie too.” ---
**Author:** ![DivineComedienne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c67d28/32.png) [@DivineComedienne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DivineComedienne)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-interesting-little-touches-you-notice-in-movies/546174/85 "2010-07-20T15:22:54Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > The costume designer for GWTW was world class. He or she (not sure which it was) made umpteen different versions of some of the clothes, particularly the flowered-print dress Scarlett wears in late-Atlanta through wartorn Tara era, each with some more decay and patches; the same was done with Gerald and Mammy’s clothing- the first time you see their outfits they’re starched and clean and later you see the same shirt or apron ragged and nasty. Walter Plunkett, I believe, was the costume designer. ETA: Someone beat me to it! ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-interesting-little-touches-you-notice-in-movies/546174/86 "2010-07-20T21:20:55Z")
Speaking of Animal House, (I agree wigth **Glory** ’s interpretation, FWIW), it took me a few viewings to notice that the black case that held Otter’s giant dildo earlier in the movie (“She’ll take _this_ seriously”) is the same one that he holds up and points to as he enters the courtroom later in the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-interesting-little-touches-you-notice-in-movies/546174/87 "2010-07-20T23:04:59Z")
> [@Glory](#): > > Interesting, I always figured she didn’t know she was being scammed - just thought a good looking guy showed up on her doorstep. I thought she completely bought into his story and was trying to scam HIM, by lying that she and Fawn had discussed him, and Fawn had said nice things, and it was because of those nice things she was willing to fool around so quickly. Nice girls didn’t just put out, she had to have a reason - hence HER scam. I thought his shocked look (knowing there was NO WAY Fawn had mentioned him) meant “huh, girls lie too.” Umm.. or that the dead girl actually HAD a boyfriend who wasn’t him. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-interesting-little-touches-you-notice-in-movies/546174/88 "2010-07-21T00:25:56Z")
In _Harold and Maude_, whenever Harold goes to therapy he wears an identical outfit to his therapist. In the suicide scene with Sunshine Dore, she squeezes a bit of blood from the dagger as a “just to be sure” move before doing her Juliet scene. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-interesting-little-touches-you-notice-in-movies/546174/89 "2010-07-21T02:37:37Z")
> [@Push\_You\_Down](#): > > That is a good beat there. Bishop is an android. He has no sense of self-preservation and probably has a safeguard programmed into him that wouldn’t allow him to even use the gun. I always wondered if that might be the reason he hands back the pistol—and if so, how much significance there was in Vasquez was giving him a weapon in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-interesting-little-touches-you-notice-in-movies/546174/90 "2010-07-21T02:45:07Z")
> [@GHO57](#): > > Hmm, I don’t do that. 1) it’s strictly speaking illegal here and 2) my car heats up pretty quickly… cold weather specs and all that. > > The only reason I’d start the car first is if it was cold enough that I’d be unsure of it starting at all (so I’d know not to bother with the windows)… or if it’s so cold that I’ll want to get into someplace warm in a hurry… you know, -40 and below. That’s kind of the whole point of why it bugged me - Fargo was supposed to be a truly cold place, and the movie was set in winter, and what people do who live in truly cold places in winter is start their car first _then_ scrape it. Idling is against the law here, too, but there is an exception for letting your car warm up a bit so the oil circulates before driving. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-interesting-little-touches-you-notice-in-movies/546174/91 "2010-07-21T03:52:58Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > That’s kind of the whole point of why it bugged me - Fargo was supposed to be a truly cold place, and the movie was set in winter, and what people do who live in truly cold places in winter is start their car first _then_ scrape it. Idling is against the law here, too, but there is an exception for letting your car warm up a bit so the oil circulates before driving. The Coens are from the area so I am sure that they know this. The character was very upset at the time and not thinking clearly. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2010, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-interesting-little-touches-you-notice-in-movies/546174/92 "2010-07-21T06:55:08Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > In _Harold and Maude_, whenever Harold goes to therapy he wears an identical outfit to his therapist. > > In the suicide scene with Sunshine Dore, she squeezes a bit of blood from the dagger as a “just to be sure” move before doing her Juliet scene. I think she actually hits a hidden button that will allow the blade to be pushed into the handle rather than go into her belly. ---
**Author:** ![Atomic\_Alex](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atomic_alex/32/175_2.png) [@Atomic\_Alex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomic_Alex)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2010, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-interesting-little-touches-you-notice-in-movies/546174/93 "2010-12-31T22:02:13Z")
Something I didn’t notice in the otherwise mediocre ‘Behind Enemy Lines’ the first time I watched it, when the hero is walking out of the city in disguise he walks past the enemy general who has been looking for him and they both casually acknowledge each other! I thought that this was a little spark of genius in an otherwise massively over the top movie because it was so subtle and true to life. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-interesting-little-touches-you-notice-in-movies/546174/94 "2011-01-01T01:52:17Z")
Just before I moved to the states there was a BttF marathon on TV and as I was watching for the however many zillionth time, I noticed that one of the little clocks strewn about Doc’s home (in the opening scenes of the movie) there’s a figure of a man hanging from the big hand of one of the clocks (like the ending scene with Doc trying to get the electric cable plugged in). In the same viewing, I also (like **Annie Xmas** ) noticed for the first time that the name of the Mall had changed from Twin Pines to Lone Pine. It took me until this weekend’s marathon to finally catch the scene in which he knocked down one of the pines. And this isn’t really anything unusual, but I have a semi-uncommon classic car, and it’s always neat to see one in a movie. Hey! There’s a 1960s Buick Riviera. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-interesting-little-touches-you-notice-in-movies/546174/95 "2011-01-01T01:53:21Z")
> [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](#): > > In Forrest Gump, when they first meet Lt. Dan, and he says, “You must be my FNGs”. I wonder how many people outside the military knew what an FNG is. > > Fucking New Guy. Ah, when I was in, the NG stood for National Guard. ---
**Author:** ![Cara\_mel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/22d042/32.png) [@Cara\_mel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cara_mel)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-interesting-little-touches-you-notice-in-movies/546174/96 "2011-01-01T04:05:04Z")
This has always tickled me: in **Jaws** , when Chief Brody finally manages to tie the knot, he says, “Hey, I got it!” It’s such a natural human exclamation ('course, then the shark strikes). Geez that quote is 35 years old now, and I still think of the Chief whenever I say it. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-interesting-little-touches-you-notice-in-movies/546174/97 "2011-01-01T04:37:09Z")
This is more of an error or just showing differences in pronunciation between the US and UK, but in ‘Easy A’ a plot point is the protagonist getting sent to the principle for calling someone a ‘twat’ in class. Later on when she is discussing it with her parents they ask her what word. She gives them the ‘T’ and tells them to ‘Think British’, as the word is used more over there (and probably comes from there). The thing is, Brits like me got really, really confused by what she said in class. She called someone a ‘twot’. No-one in the UK would pronounce the word that way. It is always a hard ‘a’ to rhyme with ‘cat’. The best swear words use hard consonants and short vowels; shit, fuck, twat, cunt. There’s no messing with those words. You spit them out rather than wobble. I honestly after the scene with the parents had to hit the net to see exactly what she had said as I was so confused. Turns out it is quite common and “L Word” and “Rescue Me” were given examples of the same usage in American TV. For Brits that want to see it, here’s a low sound quality YouTube link: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBBp-l9CsFw) ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-interesting-little-touches-you-notice-in-movies/546174/98 "2011-01-01T05:52:46Z")
One of my favorites: In the movie Stakeout, with Richard Dreyfus and Emilio Estevez, their characters are killing time by playing a trivia game of movie quotes. Estevez’ character gives Dreyfus the quote, “This was not a boating accident”. Even though Dreyfus’ character in Jaws, Matt Hooper, said the quote in the movie Jaws, Dreyfuss didn’t recognize the quote. I recognized this right away, but apparently many people missed it. I’ve also read (don’t know if it’s true), but Estevez and Dreyfus were playing this game in some down time on the Stakeout set. Estevez DID give the line to Dreyfus, and he really DID miss it. Someone thought it would be a great idea to put that in the movie, and I, for one, am glad they did. despite the fact that he was the actor who said it in Jaws. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-interesting-little-touches-you-notice-in-movies/546174/99 "2011-01-01T06:03:18Z")
In _Easy Money_, Rodney Dangerfield and his buddies are trying to find a place to eat. They get to one place as soon as it closes. While they are discussing where to go, you see “Open 23 Hours” on the marquee in the background. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-interesting-little-touches-you-notice-in-movies/546174/100 "2011-01-01T07:39:00Z")
> [@GHO57](#): > > Hmm, I don’t do that. 1) it’s strictly speaking illegal here and 2) my car heats up pretty quickly… cold weather specs and all that. > > The only reason I’d start the car first is if it was cold enough that I’d be unsure of it starting at all (so I’d know not to bother with the windows)… or if it’s so cold that I’ll want to get into someplace warm in a hurry… you know, -40 and below. How do people warm their cars up then? Isn’t it more of a safety issue to have cars traveling the roads that haven’t warmed up enough for the windows to stay clear? Not to mention make sure the vehicle is warm enough that the driver isn’t shaking so hard they’re not able to properly control the vehicle. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-interesting-little-touches-you-notice-in-movies/546174.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cool-interesting-little-touches-you-notice-in-movies/546174.md?page=6)