Wikipedia:Reference desk/Entertainment

Welcome to the entertainment section
of the Wikipedia reference desk.

skip to bottom

Select a section:

• Computing
• Entertainment
• Humanities
• Language
• Mathematics
• Science
• Miscellaneous
• Archives

Want a faster answer?

Main page: Help searching Wikipedia

   

How can I get my question answered?

• Select the section of the desk that best fits the general topic of your question (see the navigation column to the right).
• Post your question to only one section, providing a short header that gives the topic of your question.
• Type '~~~~' (that is, four tilde characters) at the end – this signs and dates your contribution so we know who wrote what and when.
• Don't post personal contact information – it will be removed. Any answers will be provided here.
• Please be as specific as possible, and include all relevant context – the usefulness of answers may depend on the context.
• Note:
  • We don't answer (and may remove) questions that require medical diagnosis or legal advice.
  • We don't answer requests for opinions, predictions or debate.
  • We don't do your homework for you, though we'll help you past the stuck point.
  • We don't conduct original research or provide a free source of ideas, but we'll help you find information you need.

Ready? Ask a new question!

How do I answer a question?

Main page: Wikipedia:Reference desk/Guidelines

• The best answers address the question directly, and back up facts with wikilinks and links to sources. Do not edit others' comments and do not give any medical or legal advice.

See also:

• Teahouse
• Help desk
• Village pump
• Help manual

August 11

Oppenheimer frame

[1] A frame from Oppenheimer (film). Who are the two guys in the picture supposed to be? Is the one with glasses Edward Teller? Thanks. 2601:644:8501:AAF0:0:0:0:3AB4 (talk) 23:45, 11 August 2023 (UTC)

I haven't seen the film, but it could also be Isidor Isaac Rabi, who (like Teller) attended the Trinity test and happened to win the bet on the bomb's yield.  --Lambiam 20:52, 12 August 2023 (UTC)

I'd say Rabi is a good bet. He was played by David Krumholtz in the film. Here's another image. Certainly looks similar. --Onorem (talk) 21:08, 12 August 2023 (UTC)

Actually, Teller does not wear glasses in any photos I saw, except for Safdie wearing goggles during the Trinity test.  --Lambiam 21:11, 12 August 2023 (UTC)

This article explicitly identifies the actor as David Krumholtz portraying Rabi.  --Lambiam 21:19, 12 August 2023 (UTC)

I've just seen the film (it's jolly good btw), the chap in the uniform is Oppenheimer himself. He had been persuaded by General Groves to accept a military commission, but in the next scene, Rabi tells him to "take off that ridiculous uniform". Alansplodge (talk) 18:26, 16 August 2023 (UTC)

August 12

Ramsey Lewis composition

I remember hearing a song done by Ramsey Lewis. It started out with five piano chords. The first, third and fifth ones were the same. The second one was different, as was the forth one. Could anyone figure out which song I'm trying to figure out, please? Thank you.2603:7000:8641:810E:338:32DA:589A:8A1B (talk) 22:23, 12 August 2023 (UTC)

August 14

Jeopardy! Theme

The theme "Think!" by Merv Griffin has been compared to the song "I'm a Little Teapot"; with exact parallels drawn between the last 2 bars of the Jeopardy! theme song and the final melody line: "Tip me over and pour me out" of the "Teapot Song". Although there are numerous forums pointing this out, along with a few "blogs" to illustrate the comparison, on the web; I cannot find a RS to back this claim. Any suggestions? Thanks. Maineartists (talk) 13:29, 14 August 2023 (UTC)

The reason you're probably not seeing anything is that the musical part you're talking about is basically just a walk down the scale from Do to Do, but skipping Ti. The Jeopardy theme is in D major, so its D B A G F# E D. I can't find the original key for I'm a Little Teapot, but most of the free sheet music online seems to put it in C, so that would be C A G F E D C. It's probably in many musical works, and that's why it's not that remarkable to show up in any reliable sources. From a music theory point of view, it's a kind of "Sky is blue" sort of thing. At least that's my take on why you're not seeing more than fan forums "recognizing" the figure in both songs, but where serious music analysis isn't writing anything about it. --Jayron32 13:58, 14 August 2023 (UTC)

Thanks, Jayron32. Not really here for a debate in musical theory or analysis; considering your "key" comparison has nothing to do with thematic or compositional structure. That's like saying: "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" isn't the same as "Ah! vous dirai-je, maman" because "Twinkle, Twinkle" is in C and "Ah! vous" is in A. Rhythmic assignment has a lot to do with it. (ie a C major descending scale and "Joy to the World". Same notes; but one is a scale, the other is a well-known melody. ) If the final line in Teapot and Jeopardy were so common, than other comparisons would have been brought forth: thus making it "unremarkable". But that isn't the case. I do hesitate bringing something like this forward since there are those who can listen to an exact contrafactum melody such as "What Child Is This" and "Greensleeves" and still say: "I don't hear it." Anyway, as I said, not here for debate; just a possible RS. Thanks. Maineartists (talk) 14:35, 14 August 2023 (UTC)

Nevermind. Sorry to bother you. Carry on. --Jayron32 14:46, 14 August 2023 (UTC)

The Jeopardy champion Bob Harris (writer) wrote a book Prisoners of Trebekistan in which he noted that the Final Jeopardy music was "two repeated choruses of a happy little ticking melody, not unlike "I'm a Little Teapot" conducted by an atomic clock." --Amble (talk) 22:25, 14 August 2023 (UTC)

That is awesome! Thanks, Amble Maineartists (talk) 22:28, 14 August 2023 (UTC)

The premise seems like quite a stretch, compared to "What Child Is This?" and "Greensleeves", which are the same tune. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 03:07, 15 August 2023 (UTC)

Not really. But thanks. Maineartists (talk) 11:25, 15 August 2023 (UTC)

The "What Child Is This?" article says it was put to the tune of "Greensleeves". ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 13:06, 15 August 2023 (UTC)

You wrote: "The premise seems like quite a stretch". I wrote: "Not really". And yes: they are the same tune. Thus, I used them as an example to illustrate how certain people will negate even the obvious i.e. "What Child Is This?" and "Greensleeves"; not for comparison between "Think!" and "Teapot". Maineartists (talk) 13:15, 15 August 2023 (UTC)

The Teapot song has close to the same meter as the Jeopardy tune, so you can sing Teapot to it, more or less. But they're not the same tune. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 13:10, 15 August 2023 (UTC)

You're starting to bring this off-topic. I never said they were the same tune. Thanks. Maineartists (talk) 13:17, 15 August 2023 (UTC)

You brought it up. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 17:31, 15 August 2023 (UTC)

Haunted House Movie

Good Day

I'm searching for a horror movie which I saw around 2016, it was a movie from the Anglophone world (the original language was English). The movie is about a millionaire who creates an extremely haunted mansion with parts of other buildings where crimes happened. His plan works and the house becomes a living nightmare. I can't remember much more, but it was most likely a movie from the 2000s or 2010s, because I remember a usage of modern looking CGI visual effects. Thank you very much for your help! 2A02:1210:3235:FF00:9C09:ED40:FE51:CFCC (talk) 22:24, 14 August 2023 (UTC)

Was it in theatres in 2016 or did you see it on streaming services/TV? --Jayron32 12:16, 15 August 2023 (UTC)

Perhaps Cube, or another in the series? DuncanHill (talk) 12:28, 15 August 2023 (UTC)

I found a slight similarity to Thirteen Ghosts, in which a rich person (rich according to IMDB, not stated in our article) collects ghosts in a specially built mansion - but the mansion is built from glass panels with spells engraved on them, not (so far as I know) from parts of other haunted buildings.  Card Zero  (talk) 20:56, 16 August 2023 (UTC)

It's Abattoir. Matt Deres (talk) 02:37, 18 August 2023 (UTC)

August 15

Possession versus haunting

I watched The Conjuring last night and one of the concepts was blurring the lines between the house being haunted versus the character's becoming possessed and they likewise blur the lines between the exorcism done on a person versus on the house itself. But it occurred to me that it might be interesting to combine those two elements in a more dramatic way: if you've got somebody who's possessed, take them to a haunted house and let the ghosts work it out for themselves. Has there been a movie or book where anything like that was done, even just for humorous effect? Matt Deres (talk) 13:18, 15 August 2023 (UTC)

I know enough about the two terms to help you differentiate.

Firstly, when a spirit haunts an object or building, it is usually because they died there or have some connection to it. When a spirit haunts a person, it is almost always done on purpose (either for revenge or because the victim did something to upset them).

Now, possession is NOT haunting. When a spirit possesses someone, it is taking control of the person. Perhaps in that movie the spirit(s) haunting the house also possess the characters, as it is not impossible for a spirit to haunt a location AND terrorize someone at the same time.

Exorcising a building and a person is relatively the same, it's simply the process of banishing a spirit from the location or person's body (if they are possessing someone).

And I hope someone else can answer your actual question, I'm not a horror media expert (I just happen to know a little bit about the supernatural).

(P.S., I am not an all knowing being, so I apologize if anyone else sees this and notices incorrect information. I welcome any corrections with open arms!)

Dil (need me?) (what I've done) 13:38, 15 August 2023 (UTC)

distraction from answering the question. --Jayron32 16:37, 18 August 2023 (UTC)
The following discussion has been closed. Please do not modify it.
Possession is not haunting? So one completely fictional plot element is required to be distinct from another completely fictional plot element? I had thought that such things were up to the author of the fiction how they wanted to handle it... --Jayron32 15:47, 15 August 2023 (UTC) See Ghost (1990 film). It is very clear that possession is not haunting. 12.116.29.106 (talk) 16:27, 15 August 2023 (UTC) Did you seriously think that Ghost was a documentary? --Jayron32 11:56, 16 August 2023 (UTC) So I guess for you there is no difference between, say, Bigfoot and Loch Ness Monster because presumably you don't recognize their existence. --195.62.160.60 (talk) 11:16, 18 August 2023 (UTC) One is a big hairy ape-like thing, and one is some long-necked aquatic creature. Neither, however, is a real thing, and Harry and the Hendersons is also not a documentary. --Jayron32 12:41, 18 August 2023 (UTC) What!? Are you suggesting that words referring to things not necessarily really existing outside mythology/immagination/literature can have a meaning? A traditional usage? That they can be meaningfully analized and compared without necessarily ascribing to their reality? That seems absurd! --82.54.87.44 (talk) 16:27, 18 August 2023 (UTC)

The concepts are not entirely unalike, but possession versus haunting is at least as well defined as, say, vampires versus werewolves or dwarves versus elves. Etc. Possession happens to a person, like in The Exorcist; haunting happens to a place, like the hotel in Ghostbusters. Possession is usually done by a demon; haunting is usually done by a ghost. Many films have blurred the lines, like The Shining. My question is about works that keep them distinct but contain both elements, perhaps working in opposition to each other. Matt Deres (talk) 18:54, 16 August 2023 (UTC)

Perhaps there's also room for a supernatural courtroom drama based on the saying that possession is nine-tenths of the law. --Amble (talk) 19:07, 18 August 2023 (UTC)

The book Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and the film version feature possession of Ginny Weasley by Lord Voldemort. The ghost Moaning Myrtle who haunts the school provides important clues to Harry Potter and friends, and helps them stop Voldemort. The novel The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson deals in a very different and more ambiguous way with the interplay between the haunted house and the demons (of a sort) that the characters bring to the house. (The two seasons of The Haunting of Hill House (TV series) also blur the lines between possession of a person and haunting of a house, but in those cases I don't see them in conflict or tension with one another.) --Amble (talk) 18:12, 15 August 2023 (UTC)

In Scooby-Doo Meets the Boo Brothers, the ghost exterminators who try to clear a haunted house are themselves ghosts, but they aren't possessing anyone. --Amble (talk) 18:15, 15 August 2023 (UTC)

The ghosts in Ghosts (American TV series) may sometimes possess people, but remain bound to a certain radius of their house. Thus putting the person in a car and driving away causes an exorcism after travelling a certain distance.  Card Zero  (talk) 20:15, 15 August 2023 (UTC)

“There was no insanity,” DeFeo wrote in one letter. “Only people talking to Weber about books, movies, about me being possessed.” He scoffed at claims of supernatural activity in the house, saying once, “There was no demon. You know who the demon is. I am the demon.” (Emphasis mine) InedibleHulk (talk) 00:46, 18 August 2023 (UTC)

What kind of silly question is this? It is totally unanswerable because such things as hauntings and apparitions don't exist so the words used to refer to them have absolutely no discernible meaning at all! ... I'm joking. According to the book "A glossary of terms used in Parapsychology" by Michael Thalbourne a Possession is: "The complete control, by an ostensible disincarnate entity, of the body of a living person". A Haunting is: "The more or less regular occurrence of paranormal phenomena associated with a particular locality (especially a building) and usually attributed to the activities of a disincarnate entity, the phenomena may include apparitions, poltergeist disturbances, cold drafts, sounds of steps and voices, and various odors." --82.54.87.44 (talk) 16:40, 18 August 2023 (UTC)

Note that the question was posted on the Entertainment desk. ←Baseball Bugs ^{What's up, Doc?} carrots→ 16:53, 18 August 2023 (UTC)

Was my answer not entertaining enough? --82.54.87.44 (talk) 17:00, 18 August 2023 (UTC)

August 18

Patsak vs. chatlanin

In the film Kin-dza-dza!, the population of the alien planet Plyuk is divided into 2 groups, patsaks (from Georgian katsap, a derogatory name for ethnic Russians, and Russian/Italian paisan, a lowest-ranking member of any group, esp. a criminal group) and chatlans (from Georgian/Armenian chatlakh, meaning "scoundrel"), who can be distinguished with a device called a "visator", which shows a green light if the person is a patsak or an orange light if the person is a chatlanin (this being the only visible distinction between them -- notably, the guy who explains all this, when asked whether the difference is nationality, race or planetary origin, does not give any meaningful answer to that question, but instead retorts, "What are you, colorblind? Can't tell green from orange?") Now, I know that what the director Georgy Danelia was trying to do here was to lampoon the supposedly egalitarian Soviet ideology which proclaimed all nationalities to be equal and even defined ethnicity in terms which expressly excluded the question of blood kinship, while at the same time hypocritically practicing various forms of ethnic discrimination against minorities in their own country (Jews, Ukrainians, Lithuanians, Armenians, etc.) -- my question, however, is, why these two colors in particular? Did Danelia know of and consciously try to draw a parallel with the religious conflict in Ireland (where green and orange stood for Catholics and Protestants respectively, and which the official Soviet propaganda made kind of a big deal of at the time in order to show the West in general, and the former Anglosphere in particular, as torn apart by violence, as opposed to the supposedly tranquil Soviet block), or was this simply a coincidence? 2601:646:9882:46E0:C990:4871:79E0:D481 (talk) 10:48, 18 August 2023 (UTC)

Unless Daniela or his co-writer Revaz Gabriadze have pronounced on this subject, we cannot know. This being art, your suggested interpretation is a valid one (since it makes sense to you) but other valid ones are possible. For example, the colours are suggestive of traffic lights, where green means 'go'/continue' implying 'good' or 'OK', whereas amber means 'prepare to stop or go/caution' implying something else. I also wonder if the colours have any particular relevant meanings in the context of Georgian (or Russian) culture or politics, which might be more likely referents than the Northern Ireland 'Troubles'. {The poster formerly known as 87.81.230.195} 51.198.140.169 (talk) 11:04, 18 August 2023 (UTC)