Conspiracy Theory
9/1/97 Update
8/25/97 Update
8/18/97 Update
(Note from Phil: Haven't seen this movie so no plot summary and only one brash reflections from me but no doubt more nitpickers will pick nits so I thought I'd start a file. I *am* planning to see this one!)
Reflections from the Guild
[Note from Phil: I have not verified these but they sounded good to me!]
Murray Leeder: I recommend you nitpick this film A: Because of its X-Files like overtones, and B: Because Patrick Stewart is the principle villain. Here's some nits I noticed...
For high level conspirators, Jonas's group seem a little sloppy at times. Did they think that maybe Jerry would sabotage their vehicle? On the other hand, they do a lot of things which you'd think that would attract A LOT of attention, but they go unnoticed.
And no one notices Jerry getting knocked out on the street? Or the man falling out of the window of the insane asylum?
Just what is the deal with that cartoon dog?
Why is the movie theatre showing Ladyhawke? Because it's also a Richard Donner film? And how come they let Jerry in when the film is almost over?
Jerry's technique there was sound. He yelled "Bomb!" so everyone would exit the theatre. But he should have ducked down and gone out with them!
Don't you think there'd be about a billion easier ways to track programmed assassins than giving them an insatiable desire to buy "Catcher In The Rye"? And what if a normal citizen buys it? Do they then have black helicopters and motorcycles after them?
Jerry comments on how serial killers always have two names, whereas assassins always have three. I guess he forgot about Henry Lee Lucas!
So... was that earthquake NASA's doing?
At the asylum, it is apparent that the administration doesn't know what Jonas is doing in the closed-off wing. But the air vents apparently pick up sound rather well... you'd think they'd have figured it out...
8/18/97 Update
Murray Leeder: One other thing I'm not clear on... just why were the subscribers to
"Conspiracy Theory" killed? Just what was in the newsletter? OR was that
just a lure to bring Alice to Jonas's office? (Note from Phil: Couldn't tell ya! Haven't seen it yet. Had a wild weekend around--kid's musical at church, up late, up early, no time for movies! ;-)
Mike Hanks: Okay... I haven't seen the movie. But I don't have to for this
particular nit:
Let's imagine the scenario. You are an evil, heinous government operative
in in a twisted plot, complete with a cover-up conspiracy. Some cabbie who
(A) is known for paranoid conspiracy theories (and thus has zero
credibility); and (B) has a circulated newsletter with a grand total of 5
subscribers has uncovered your evil machinations. What do you do?
Well, I dunno about you, but I'm just going to leave the poor sod alone.
He has no credibility. Let him rant and rave about my twisted schemes. No
one is going to believe him anyways. They're just going to write off his
stories as more of his usual ranting and raving. By chasing after him, we
only lend credence to his story.
(Of course, since I freely admit I haven't seen the movie, I also freely
admit that this may have already been covered by the plot. Maybe they were
going to leave him alone, but he found some absolutely irrefutable and
incontrovertable evidence which exposed the heinous government operative.
But the trailers left me with the impression that this was not the case.) (Note from Phil: Then again, Previes Always Lie! ;-)
Matthew Chiappardi of Hamilton, NJ: "Conspiracy Theory" is one of the new films at the theater where I work. Haven't seen the whole thing yet, so plot comments aside...in the
scene where Jonas is chasing after Jerry on the Queensborough bridge and
he slams the brakes in the car and goes to the other side to get the car
stashed there: you'll notice the wide shots show the trunk of the car
open, and the medium shots show it closed. Apparently the creators
meant it to be closed since there is no shot of Jerry closing the trunk
(he just closes the hood) and all subsequent shots have the trunk
closed.
8/25/97 Update
Murray Leeder: [Concerning Mike Hank's comments above,] Previews do Always Lie... there's more to this cabbie than you'd think! :-) He's not just your standard conspiracy theorist.
Am I the only one (of course I am, if I'm still the only one who has
seen this film!) who am amazed that, by switching the charts, Alice in
effect killed an innocent and healthy man!
Joe Griffin: Re: The car trunk: In this sequence, Jerry has planted a car on the bridge so he can switch
cars. He's set up this car with the trunk and hood open, and the
driver's side rear wheel jacked up into the air, as if whoever left it
there was in the midst of changing a tire. He puts Julia Roberts into
the car, slams the hood shut, gets in and drives off. As the car drives
away, the jack slips out from under the car and the car hits the
pavement, and this downward motion shuts the trunk.
Michel M. Albert, Moncton NB: Since nitpicking is also about noticing the neat details, here's
something I picked-up and appreciated. You may or may not be aware of
the importance of the numbers 17 and 23 in conspiracy literature. It's
in the Robert Anton Wilson Illuminatus stuff, it's everywhere really.
Just like Star Trek's 47s. :)
Anyway, we're well past the halfway point of the picture when I notice,
in rather large script, the number 417 on the subway car. (Now, I'm used
to catching 47s and there's one there.) I immediately whispered to my
friend the appearance of a 17 and that 23 might soon follow. He didn't
know what the heck I was talkin' about, but there it was, right on Julia
Roberts' cel-phone:
There was also a floor level or warehouse space 17 I think (went by too
fast.) AND when Julia goes into the mental hospital, she passes by a
room then looks in the next one. The one she peers into is number 18
MEANING that that first room in the corridor was 17!
Now I wish I had paid attention to this stuff from the start... Seeing
too much into this? I count on the guild to tell me more. ;)
9/1/97 Update
Bob Cascella: After reading some of the reviews on this, I wasn't expecting much,
but I really enjoyed the movie. Several scenes had me laughing out
loud.
Regarding the comment about numbers 17 and 23: I'm pretty sure the
combination to the coffee can was 4-23-14.
I noticed in the scene where he tells her he loves her in the subway,
he uses lyrics from "Every Little Thing" by the Police, while he was
on the run from the cops, CIA, FBI, etc.
Did the scene with attaching the cable to the vehicle remind anyone
else of American Grafitti?
Regarding the list of subscribers, I got the impression that they were
all fakes, just names and addresses set up by Jonas. I don't have much
to back that up, but somehow I got that feeling.
A quick nit: Jerry's cab number was (I think) IS48, and so was the license
plate. Do NY cabs really have tags that match the cab number?
If you would like to add some comments,
drop me a note at chief@nitcentral.com.
Please put "Conspiracy Theory" in the Subject line and include your real
name, city and state (or province and county as the case may be) in the body
of the e-mail so I can give you credit if you are the first person to bring
up a particular nit. (Remember the legalese: Everything you submit becomes
mine and you grant me the right to use your name in any future publication
by me. I will do my best to give you credit if you are the first person to
submit a particular nit but I make no guarantees. And finally, due to the
volume of mail received at Nitpicker Central, your submission may or may
not be acknowledged. However, your submission will earn you a membership in the Nitpickers Guild if you are not already a member!)
Copyright 1997 by Phil Farrand. All Rights Reserved.