MovieChat Forums > The Collector (2009) Discussion > Some questions !!SPOILERS!!

Some questions !!SPOILERS!!

posted 12 years ago by rageinblack
7 replies | jump to latest

I enjoyed the movie very much and I still have some open questions.

SPOILERS!!!

1. In the beginning scene, where the box suddenly appeared in that couple's room, when the guy gets supposedly killed, I thought that woman, his wife is the assassin a.k.a. the collector, and then I tought, naah, it would be too lame if they revealed the killer so explicitly in the beginning... but it totally looked like his wife did grab him from behind, we can also see her clevage.

Actually I've reviewed that scene right now in slo-mo and I'm 100% sure that that was his wife with gloves on, plus she had a little suspicious look on her face just before the man opens the box. I wonder...
But then at the end during the credits we are shown the cast, the actors and how they ended up, we get to see that wife I mentioned before crying with spoiled eyeliner all over her cheeks, chained or tied to something... I'm positive, that's her...
And after all we all know by now that the killer was one of those guys, at the beginning, with the dust mask.

Then WTF is going on here...?!

2. What service does Arkin rappresent, why did they call him to the house?

3. Mom and dad went away on a vacation for a couple of weeks, how come we find them trapped in the basement the same night, it was the same night that the rest of the movie happened, right, he even had the same clothes on.

4. Why do they show us a scene of mom turning from the mirror facing backwards, at the moment when Arkin is about to open the safe? Was it to show us that was the same mirror? ...Why?

5. When dad took the golf club he set of a trap that somehow grabbed him by the leg and dragged him and then he drops two white things, are those supposed to be teeth?

6. Did Jill by falling on the kitchen furniture set off the trap that cut her boyfriend's four fingers?

7. How did he kill the dog exactly, so quickly and silently? Did he break his neck with the door? Actually now it makes sense... Arkin stopped the dog with the fiery bucket, to hold immobilize him for a fraction of a second, just enough to slam the door at the dog's neck... am I right here? But would dogs run into a bucket of fire... why fire? That scene was so quick, that I didn't understand, only after watching in slo-mo I noticed that maybe he broke the dog's neck with the slamming door.

and some final thoughts:

- The probability of catching somebody with that window razor trap at that exact spot was very thin, also how was that trap activated... what do you think?

- LOL at how Arkin hid behind the pillows, that was just impossible and in such short time span.

- The barbwire totally looked plastic, when Arkin cuts it off of Jill.

- They also used IMO unnecessary slo-mo scenes, while some scenes happen so fast it was hard to see what was going on.

- The scene where Arkin runs into a police car is absolutely laughable and unnecessary.

...Other than that the movie was awesome, very entertaining and had Quite an original villan :)

[–] Danimal_77 11 years ago

Do you ask this many questions about things in real life?

[–] rageinblack 10 years ago

Danimal: No, but since these type of posts are common on IMDB I gave it a shot, to see if some interesting discussion comes up :P

Thanks for the answers, boy they came up... I have to rewatch the movie now ;D

[–] ryanpaul45 11 years ago

1.) No, it was not his wife. I can guarantee that. It was not a chick chasing Arkin around the whole movie.

2.) Arkin is an ex-convict. He is just a repair man like most Hispanic people are.(not saying he is Hispanic but you know what I mean) It is never revealed is actual line of work, but he is a carpenter.

3.) The family was 'Supposed' to leave on vacation. That's why Arkin chose that night to try and rob the house. No one was supposed to be there. Yes, this film was all in the course of one night.

4.) Yes. Same mirror. I think she was looking at Arkin because she could have known he was a former criminal (background check) and maybe was about to open the safe but then saw Arkin fixing the door and didn't want him knowing where the safe was.

5.) I don't recall the two white things. But yes he the golf set rigged with a trap. Just like he did the pair of scissors. Doesn't want anyone to be able to defend themselves if they escaped from him.

6.) No. Remember when Arkin first enters the house? And the collector comes back in and Arkin tries to sneak around? The trap that cut his fingers was activated by a wire. Arkin almost runs into himself but notices the wire before hand. And moves around it. The boyfriend just didn't see it.

7.) The dog didn't RUN into the bucket. Arkin slammed it into his face. It was not silent. The Collector heard it and that's why he turned around aiming his gun. And if anyone REALLY killed the Dog, it was The Collector after blowing it to pieces.

Arkin getting severely hurt after being run into by a speeding police car is laughable? They where on their way to the house after an unresponsive 911 call and some time later, The cop who checked it out, called for back up. So they where speeding to the direct way to the house. Arkin suddenly running out into their way from the grassy field was bound to get hit.

And no the pillow thing is not impossible. I've done it myself when I played Hide and Seek with my brother a while ago. I did that FAST because I was desperate for a place to hide. So, if a psychopathic manic serial killer with no remorse or sense of judgment and collects people for a living is on his way up to find you and kill you, you'd be under those pillows in seconds.

But glad you liked it. I did too. The second one wasn't as good, but still watchable.

[–] bing-57 11 years ago

> But yes he the golf set rigged with a trap. Just like he did the pair of scissors. Doesn't want anyone to be able to defend themselves if they escaped from him.

Okay, generally speaking, why the heck did the Collector set so many elaborate traps? I mean, all of his victims were pretty well nailed down ... sometimes literally. They were badly injured and weren't going to be getting away. A few locked doors would keep anyone that escaped from getting very far.

As for the traps themselves, when did he have time to set them all up? This movie seems like the workmen quit for the day at maybe 4:00 and then he broke into the house at maybe 9:00. That's a hell of a lot of work to do in five hours to capture everyone, set all the traps, and then torture people. Plus, I imagine that for every one trap we saw there were at least two we didn't see.

Also, just with the massive number of traps that the Collector sets, I can't imagine that he doesn't forget about one or two and get himself or his dog killed.

> Remember when Arkin first enters the house? And the collector comes back in and Arkin tries to sneak around?

Yeah. About that. How did Arkin actually get in the house when the Collector had the whole place shut down tight? Plus, how did Arkin manage to sneak all the way upstairs and into the bedroom without seeing or setting off any traps? No one is that lucky, especially considering how unlucky he and the family were later.

--
What Would Jesus Do For A Klondike Bar (WWJDFAKB)?

[–] ryanpaul45 11 years ago

>Okay, generally speaking, why the heck did the Collector set so many elaborate traps?

The Collector is just thorough. He's been doing this a long time, and probably knows every move his victims will try to make. So the more traps, the better.

>As for the traps themselves, when did he have time to set them all up?

Yes, this is a plothole. I'm thinking we just have to assume that he's very good at setting house up like this (hence what I said above). We just have to believe The Collector is that good setting up his traps.

>How did Arkin actually get in the house when the Collector had the whole place shut down tight?

I can't remember exactly, didn't he pick a lock to get in? Maybe that door only had the one lock.

[–] bing-57 11 years ago

> I can't remember exactly, didn't he pick a lock to get in? Maybe that door only had the one lock.

He did pick the lock. And the lock looked rather shoddy as the knob was falling apart as he worked on it. It appeared to be a standard door knob and those always open from the inside of the house without a key. So, the Collector should have double-bolted that door or nailed it shut.

Further, now that Arkin unlocked the door and the Collector didn't even know that he was in the house for a while, why couldn't the victims have just left by that door? Especially Arkin himself who knew that the one door was unlocked.

--
What Would Jesus Do For A Klondike Bar (WWJDFAKB)?

[–] ryanpaul45 11 years ago

I don't think they ever got the chance. Also Arkin probably could have got out that way, but wanted to help the family.