15 "worst movie mistakes"

[Joseph DeMartino]

15 \"worst movie mistakes\"

This is a sort of random list mostly from genre films and biased towards recent films. (As many lists compiled by non-specialists tend to be because people either haven't seen or don't immediately think of older films.) For instance, a gas canister briefly visible in Gladiator rates a metion, but the telephone pole section used to flip a truck in Raiders of the Lost Ark isn't. The compilers cites as storm-tropper bumping his head on a door-frame in Star Wars as an error (how does he know, maybe it was a gag) but misses Luke calling out "Carrie!" to Princess Leia on his return from the Death Star attack.

There is no indication of who posted the list, man or woman, young or old. I would hazard a guess that whoever it is is young, probably under 20, based on the films selected. I would also have to assume that whoever it is is not a heterosexual male or a lesbian. This is definitely the work of a straight woman or a gay man. As proof, I offer item number 4 on the list.

There is no way that anyone who is sexually attracted to women ever noticed the broken window in that shot.

Regards,

Joe

 

[Alluveal]

Re: 15 \"worst movie mistakes\"

One of my favorites is still one in the "Alan Smithee" version of Dune (the dreadful movie that came out in the 80's.) Some guild member falls down while they're walking out to meet the Emperor. Guy takes a serious spill.

 

[KoshFan]

Re: 15 \"worst movie mistakes\"

Sheesh. Not only are these not exactly "the worst movie mistakes" ever, a lot of them are old news.

I'd say that the biggest movie mistake ever was to let Ed Wood have a camera, followed in a near second by making Snakes on a Plane.

 

[Recoil]

Re: 15 \"worst movie mistakes\"

Two words: Mars Attacks.

 

[GKarsEye]

Re: 15 \"worst movie mistakes\"

Is this thread gonna turn into a "movies I hate" list?

Anyway, Plan 9 and Mars Attack are great flicks.

 

[Recoil]

Re: 15 \"worst movie mistakes\"

Yea I thought I might be taking the thread in that direction. But the initial article, as Joe pointed out, is kind of silly. It should have said "15 movie mistakes that I found" rather than the 15 worst. I really dont think the scar switching cheeks on Frodo qualifies as one of the biggest screw-ups in Hollywood history.

Movies everywhere are filled with goofs like that.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Re: 15 \"worst movie mistakes\"

Yeah, the thread was supposed to be about mistakes within films, not movies that were, themselves, mistakes. (And allow me to join the MGKE in a hearty "Ack! Ack!" for Mars Attacks! the only remotely SF film my sister has ever enjoyed. )

Regards,

Joe

 

[Recoil]

Re: 15 \"worst movie mistakes\"

You guys are definitely wired differently than I am, thats for sure.

 

[GaribaldisHair]

Re: 15 \"worst movie mistakes\"

You guys are definitely wired differently than I am, thats for sure.

That would be me as well then. I love Mars Attacks!

 

[Sindatur]

Re: 15 \"worst movie mistakes\"

"HAHAHA, they blew up Congress"

Another vote here for liking it.

 

[hypatia]

Re: 15 \"worst movie mistakes\"

Indeed, let's not confuse issues here. Any film can have a mistake in it, even the big ones.

And Mars Attacks is hilarious.

Having a technical mistake in it won't dull my laughter.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Re: 15 \"worst movie mistakes\"

I want the people to know that they still have 2 out of 3 branches of the government working for them, and that ain't bad.

 

[Londos6]

Re: 15 \"worst movie mistakes\"

That would be me as well then. I love Mars Attacks!

Ditto!

 

[crazyhorse]

Re: 15 \"worst movie mistakes\"

That would be me as well then. I love Mars Attacks!

Ditto!

I couldn't stand the film.Then again I think most of Burton's films are over rated.It wasn't funny enough to be a comedy and obviously wasn't supposed to be serious.Maybe it just the british sense of humour as I don't know anybody who actually liked it.I'm pretty sure it flopped in the UK box office too although I'm not 100% certain.

 

[Jade Jaguar]

Re: 15 \"worst movie mistakes\"

The only part of Mars Attacks I liked was that Indian Love Call was fatal to the aliens.

Not a very good list of goofs. Switching scars? In the movie El Dorado Robert Mitchum keeps switching which side he uses a crutch on, for his wounded leg. John Wayne even jokes about it in the movie.

Broken window? How about in Terminator 2, when Arnold is driving a semi, and the windshield pops out. In the very next scene, the windshield is back. That is in the foreground, not the background.

 

[KoshN]

Re: 15 \"worst movie mistakes\"

#2 - I've always suspected Porsches were Vorlon tech.

#4 - not a problem for Shadow windows (ref. The Passing of the Technomages).

 

[PillowRock]

Re: 15 \"worst movie mistakes\"

Well, I couldn't see the list (I was looking from work, and the site is blocked for one reason or another).

I'm not sure what makes one continuity glitch or error worse than another, necessarily ..... unless it's just how much your attention is called to it, or whether it is something that is really central to the plot progrssion.

One of my personal favorites has always been the kid in the background of the visitor's center scene in North by Northwest who puts his fingers in his ears to soften the sound of the gunshot ..... before anybody takes out a guns and despite sitting with his back to all of that action. Not a huge problem, or very noticable (especially on first viewing when you tend to be focused on the principals and not the extras in the background), but one that I always found amusing.

There's also a cute bit in the Branagh production of Much Ado About Nothing. During a song there is a long pan across the actions over a fair portion of the villa grounds. In the latter portion of it Branagh is very obvious, just standing there surveying the scene. Presumably this was in his role as director of the movie, because at that point his character is very pointedly supposed to be hiding on the other side of the hedge. In fact the story at that point pretty much *centers* around the fact that he is eavesdropping from his hiding place behind the hedge and not standing out in plain sight.

 

[Joseph DeMartino]

Re: 15 \"worst movie mistakes\"

Then again I think most of Burton's films are over rated.

I agree. The only one I thoroughly enjoyed was The Nightmare Before Christmas. Mars Attacks! appeals to both my sick/twisted side and silly side in a way not too many other films do, but I have to be in the right mood to watch it. (Whereas I can watch something like Young Frankenstein anytime, and if I catch part of it on TV I'll almost always pop in the DVD and watch it from the beginning within 24 hours.)

Regards,

Joe

 

[KoshFan]

Re: 15 \"worst movie mistakes\"

There's also a cute bit in the Branagh production of Much Ado About Nothing. During a song there is a long pan across the actions over a fair portion of the villa grounds. In the latter portion of it Branagh is very obvious, just standing there surveying the scene. Presumably this was in his role as director of the movie, because at that point his character is very pointedly supposed to be hiding on the other side of the hedge. In fact the story at that point pretty much *centers* around the fact that he is eavesdropping from his hiding place behind the hedge and not standing out in plain sight.

When you've seen that movie as often as I have, you pick up on details like that. If you look closely, you'll notice that the three goofy night watchmen are also simultaneously up at the main house serving dinner. I think the same trio also doubled as backup singers at one point. They only had so many people on the shoot, apparently.

 

[LondosHair]

Re: 15 \"worst movie mistakes\"

broken window

In Twister, the windshield of the truck gets broken (and subsequently mysteriously repaired) by a tricycle, and then by the delivery chute of a combine.