History Headscratchers / DeathBecomesHer

** There's no real way of answering this question, as it doesn't come up within the limits of the film and is ultimately subject to guesswork; it's not really a plothole, it's just something the movie doesn't really have the space to address. That said, as the above post suggests it's likely the immortality portion probably works to keep the body at peak physical perfection up to a point. No cancerous cells develop and the immune system is at maximum efficiency and fights off most illnesses that the body is capable of fighting off (although it probably wouldn't hurt to keep up with your vaccinations). Something like, say, AIDS may pose more of a problem, but since it's magic if probably falls under "the immune system is sufficiently boosted to fight it off". And even if it isn't, as long as there's some form of treatment you probably wouldn't have to worry too much. As for something like the common cold, well, you might come down with the sniffles every so often but as it's not usually lethal you probably won't have to worry too much about it.

** There's no real way of answering this question, as it doesn't come up within the limits of the film and is ultimately subject to guesswork; it's not really a plothole, it's just something the movie doesn't really have the space to address. That said, as the above post suggests it's likely the immortality portion probably works to keep the body at peak physical perfection up to a point. No cancerous cells develop and the immune system is at maximum efficiency and fights off most illnesses that the body is capable of fighting off (although it probably wouldn't hurt to keep up with your vaccinations). Something like, say, AIDS will probably pose a lot more of a problem, but as long as there's some form of treatment you probably wouldn't have to worry too much. As for something like the common cold, well, you might come down with the sniffles every so often but as it's not usually lethal you probably won't have to worry too much about it.

*** Ok, but what about autoimmune diseases?

** As with the above post, I imagine that the immortality portion probably works to keep the body at peak physical perfection up to a point. No cancerous cells develop and the immune system is at maximum efficiency and fights off most illnesses that the body is capable of fighting off (although it probably wouldn't hurt to keep up with your vaccinations). Something like, say, AIDS will probably pose a lot more of a problem, but as long as there's some form of treatment you probably wouldn't have to worry too much. As for something like the common cold, well, you might come down with the sniffles every so often but as it's not usually lethal you probably won't have to worry too much about it.

** Also, I imagine that there's another reason why one of the conditions of immortality is "you disappear from public life after a normal life span". It preserves TheMasquerade, yes, but it's also a lot easier to ensure you live a life where avoid horrible life-changing accidents if you're living in the lap of luxury in a secluded compound surrounded by other immortals who also have a vested interest in making sure nothing horrible happens to cause anyone eternal injury.

** As with the above post, I imagine that the immortality portion probably works to keep the body at peak physical perfection up to a point. No cancerous cells develop and the immune system is at maximum efficiency and fights off most illnesses that the body is capable of fighting off (although it probably wouldn't hurt to keep up with your vaccinations). Something like, say, AIDS will probably pose a lot more of a problem, but as long as there's some form of treatment you probably wouldn't have to worry too much.

*** Possibly through a weight-loss clinic or something similar, the way Madeline finds her through a spa. The potion doesnt make you lose weight, it just rejuvenates your age, so Helen would have had to lose weight on her own. Alternatively, Lisle had one of her contacts in the asylum where Helen was kept, and he gave her Lisles info.

** Cancer and other illnesses arising from ''within'' one's own body would probably not be a danger, as the body's state is perpetually maintained at peak condition for as long as its biological processes remain viable. Whether or not contagious disease would be a threat isn't possible to judge from the film, as the topic never arises.

*** There's no evidence in-story to suggest the potion doesn't make you lose weight. We see Helen super-heavy and then super-gorgeous. If anything, the movie suggests the potion brings youth AND (conventional) beauty to whomever drinks it. Madeline is already in pretty good shape, but her butt does get smaller and tighter, suggesting it doesn't just heal the aging process, but also "perfects" the person's looks as well.

** A healing factor probably isn't necessary if you live your eternal life with the same basic common sense and concern for your health and welfare as most non-immortal people do. Look before you cross the street, resist the urge to throw yourself into danger and you'll probably be fine. Helen and Madeline only end up in the position they do because they hate each other so much they're determined to kill and mutilate each other.

** Since the potion renders you immune to death by old age, it likely renders the body equally immune to conventional internal 'damage', even if the drinkers are still vulnerable to external injuries.

* Do potion-drinkers become immune to crippling illnesses? For example, many vaccines must be renewed every so often because of mutations in the viruses and related factors. Imagine living forever but getting screwed over due to polio or cancer or something.

** Why didn't a scientifically minded person try to perfect the potion? Because [[AWizardDidIt it's magic]]. Why hasn't Lisle herself or some other magician tried to include a healing factor? Because that [[RuleOfDrama would be boring]] (or it would be an entirely different movie). If there's no healing factor, why did it heal Mad's finger when Lisle dabbed a drop on her cut? It seems like the potion "healed" Mad of her age when she drank it; her boobs and butt get higher, her hands and face smooth out, etc. I would imagine that when drunk, the potion "heals" the drinker to their prime physical state, but then locks them there. It healed the cut on Mad's finger because she hadn't yet drunk it; and Lisle only put a drop onto the cut, not enough to make Mad completely immortal. Alternately, it's plausible that the potion simply keeps you alive and human forever, with standard human healing. In that case, you could heal simple cuts and scrapes, but fatal injuries would turn you into a zombie.

* how on earth could Helen afford to buy the potion years ago? She was only successful after she drank it. Before that, she got evicted because she wouldn't pay rent.

** Helen actually says it cost her "everything [she] had, and it wasn't cheap."

** Why didn't a scientifically minded person try to perfect the potion? Because [[AWizardDidIt it's magic]]. Why hasn't Lisle herself or some other magician tried to include a healing factor? Because that [[RuleOfDrama would be boring]] (or it would be an entirely different movie). If there's no healing factor, why did it heal Mad's finger when Lisle dabbed a drop on her cut? It seems like the potion "healed" Mad of her age when she drank it; her boobs and butt get higher, her hands and face smooth out, etc. I would imagine that when drunk, the potion "heals" the drinker to their prime physical state, but then locks them there. It healed the cut on Mad's finger because she hadn't yet drunk it; and Lisle only put a drop onto the cut, not enough to make Mad completely immortal.

** To add to that, what about non-fatal injuries? Are you pretty much screwed if you chopped off a finger by mistake, or would that grow back at least? Lisle's potion seems to heal after she demonstrates by cutting her clients' fingers, so it seems a little odd that [[OnlyAFleshWound a mere broken neck]] wouldn't heal up as well.

** The gap's not as massive as it looks in the poster used as the main page's image, but it is pretty big. Probably best to assume that since the whole reason she's alive and mobile at all after acquiring said hole (besides the fact that the movie would be a little difficult to stage if she spent the rest of it crawling around on her hands dragging her lower half behind her) is a magic potion, essentially AWizardDidIt for real.

* What exactly is holding up the top half of Hel's body when she has the hole blown through her? Being insensitive to pain is one thing but she has a massive gap in her spine, is the tissue of the sides of a person's abdomen strong enough to support that much weight on it's own?