Making a film is a serious investment for the studios as a lot of time, money and effort are poured into the making of one. Dozens, sometimes hundreds of people are employed on set and they all need to get paid, have insurance, and get fed to do their job. But in the chaos of a film production, sometimes things go unnoticed. Small (or sometimes, glaring) mistakes are made, and the Internet is full of people with nothing better to do than notice every last one of them. Let's check out some of the funniest movie mistakes ever made!
Where Did Django Get His Sunglasses?
In Django Unchained, a freed slave goes on a roaring rampage of vengeance to free his wife, who is the property of a cruel plantation owner. Since it is a Tarantino film, being cool is a top priority and that sometimes supersedes historical accuracy. Django's awesome sunglasses, for example, were not really a thing in the 1850s. Tinted eyeglasses did exist, but for people with health issues instead of gruff bounty hunters.
Where Are The Other 37 Volumes?
The Book Of Eli was a decent, post-apocalyptic film with Denzel Washington trekking the desert with a book in his hand. It's a bible written in Braille (for the visually impaired). Nothing's wrong with that unless you take into account that an actual Braille bible would be 38 volumes as the system takes up much more space than common letters. But then, driving around in a minivan full of books does sound less exciting.
This Guitar Is A Few Years Early
Back To The Future is a classic film about time-travel, but time-related shenanigans could not account for every mistake the movie made. Most people wouldn't notice, but the guitar Marty uses to rock the crowd in the school dance scene is a model released three years after the time the film takes place. Of course, it's a film in which Marty meets his parents before he is even conceived and almost erases himself from existence, but we still count it as a mistake.
We All Know That's Not A Baby
American Sniper is a drama based on a true story about a veteran dealing with life after war and the mental health issues he faces. Unfortunately, it made a mistake that caused what no serious film wants: ridicule. Instead of going through the hassle of hiring a baby for a scene, the producers just gave Bradley Cooper a doll and told him “Roll with it.” It looked hilarious, the Internet had a blast, and the film dealing with PTSD and depression was laughed at for months.
He's A Wizard With A Watch
The Lord Of The Rings trilogy is set in a medieval-like fantasy land and Gandalf is supposed to be a wizard. So why not have a wristwatch? They could call it a magic time teller or an enchanted bracelet or... Well, to be honest, we all know this is a mistake. Nobody remembered to tell sir Ian McKellen that his watch was showing. It's not like he was riding a motorcycle or flying a private jet, after all.
Braveheart's Fashion Sense Is Ahead Of Its Time
Braveheart is a very entertaining film but it is full of mistakes, inaccuracies, and historical blunders. This one is for the historians specializing in fashion as it has to do with William Wallace's clothes. In the film, he mostly runs around fighting the English wearing a kilt, the famous Scottish men's skirt. Unfortunately, kilts were invented in the 16th century, not the 14th, during which the film takes place. Wallace was brave but he was no fashion pioneer.
Trojans, Greeks, & Airplanes
Troy did many things right and it was a great investment for the studio, as it was the highest-grossing film of 2004. Most mistakes in the film require a degree in history to spot but there is one that is glaring. In a scene with Brad Pitt as Achilles - all golden hair and leather armor, a strange airplane-shaped shadow is seen in the sky. It could be a UFO, or an ancient deity coming to help, but we'll play it safe and call it a plane passing overhead that nobody noticed.
The Cameraman Is Not Supposed To Be Seen
The Matrix was filled with cool scenes and clever camerawork but sometimes, this can backfire. A closeup on a polished doorknob is attention-grabbing, but it runs the risk of exposing your cameraman, no matter how hard you try to disguise him. Most people will miss it, but on the Internet, there will always be at least one guy with OCD that will go through the film with a fine comb, looking for details like this.
Pirates Prefer Adidas
Although Captain Jack Sparrow was not exactly the protagonist of the Pirates of The Caribbean films, he certainly was the most memorable character. His fashion sense was a bit weird. and alcohol may have clouded his mind on the matter, but at least we know he did not wear cheap clothes. Even his headscarf was a piece from Adidas and he obviously wanted people to know. Otherwise, why did he leave the label on the outside? What? That was a mistake, you say?
Deadpool Mysteries: The Case Of The Vanishing Swords
Deadpool was a very successful film, an excellent combination of action and comedy and it showed at the box office. But making money wasn't the only thing the movie did. It also featured many mistakes. One of them is concerning Deadpool's swords and the tendency they have to appear and disappear after he escapes from Colossus and falls in the dumpster truck. We wonder if his insurance covers only theft or includes editing mistakes!
That's A Cameraman, Not A Spy
A children's film that did not insult their intelligence, Spy Kids was praised by critics and loved by viewers. But like so many other good movies, avoiding mistakes is very hard, especially when dealing with the nemesis of film directors - mirrors. In this scene, a cameraman is visible in the mirror on the right and though we're sure the guy didn't mean to, there he is. Maybe an insurance policy for this kind of accidents would not be a bad idea.
Star Wars Could Have Caused A Real Casualty
Dedicated Star Wars fans already know this but for the rest, this is a scene where the Empire's fearsome stormtroopers are charging into a control room, and one of them bangs his head on the door frame. The clumsy trooper is now a part of the lore and according to the actor playing that soldier, it was an upset stomach that caused him to be careless. It was nothing serious, otherwise, a personal injury lawyer would have had a field day with this.
Forrest Gump Invests In Apple Before It Even Existed
One of the key plot points of the latter part of Forest Gump is Forest's affluence, the result of his friend's investment in Apple stocks. He even receives a letter from the company, with the iconic Apple logo on top. The problem is, back in 1975 which is supposedly the setting for this scene, there was no Apple yet. It became incorporated in 1977 and went on the stock exchange in 1981. Perhaps someone with a computer history degree could have helped.
CGI Explosions Do Not Break Windows
OK, looking for movie mistakes in Fast And Furious films is going after low-hanging fruit but bear with us. There is a scene in Furious 7 where Dom and his sister Mia barely escape from their exploding home (would his home insurance cover explosions?) as a huge fireball engulfs everything. Observant viewers, on the other hand, could notice that none of the windows break. Either the Toretto home has magic windows, or someone messed up.
Why Is There A Gas Canister Under A Roman Chariot?
Historical films are very prone to blunders, and even the best of them have a number of mistakes. Gladiator has a scene that really stands out, even for those of us who haven't attended a history course at a university. During the chariot races, a gas canister can be seen underneath one of the chariots which is a small anachronism, considering the time period of the film. But we guess the audiences cared much more about the action scenes and costumes.
That's Not How "Heist" Is Spelled
When Bruce Wayne is looking for info on a cat burglar in The Dark Knight Rises, he stumbles upon an article from The Gotham Times. Now, we know Gotham is a crime-ridden city, where gangsters reign and daylight robbery is commonplace. So we assume that the editor of the newspaper was kidnapped, allowing the misspelling of “heist.” Or even better, it is a hint he will put on a silly mask and become the next super-villain to fight Batman!
This Extra Should Not Be There
One of the least appreciated but most useful aspects of setting a scene are the extras. Extras can make or break a scene so they have to be carefully used. If not, we get scenes like this, from Raiders Of The Lost Ark, where among the hustle and bustle of a Middle Eastern setting, a guy in western clothes strolls along, totally out of place. It's like he graduated from the college of untimely entrances!
We Can See The Seat, Harry
The Harry Potter films are loved by millions, but that doesn't mean they do not have mistakes. In the first film, Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, during the Quidditch match, a spell causes Harry's broom to go haywire. The sudden movements cause a piece of equipment to be visible for a few seconds: the seat that makes sitting on a broomstick comfortable to Daniel Radcliffe! The costumes usually hide them, but not in this case.
That's Not Where The Empire State Building Is
A scene that has crossed into movie history is the one from Independence Day when the UFO blows up the Empire State Building. Believable to others, most New-Yorkers could spot the error. The building is not at the end of a road, so the only thing in front of it is another building. Of course, if real estate errors do not bother you, this was just an awesome scene from a classic film. Now, what kind of insurance firm would cover property damage by aliens?
A Sock To Hide The Cast
Although today, Jackie Chan is very famous, Rumble In The Bronx was his first movie that became successful in America. Like in most of his films, Jackie does his own stunts (a nightmare for insurance companies and directors) and pays the price when an accident happens. In this film, he broke his ankle and wore a sock made to look like a sneaker to cover the cast. He even shot some scenes while on a wheelchair! Talk about dedication!
Her Arm Was Not Supposed To Break
While filming Gothika, Halle Berry broke her arm, or to be more accurate, Robert Downey Jr. broke her arm. Don't worry, he didn't do it in a drunken rage or while high on drugs. According to Berry, it was just a freak accident. Still, production had to be stopped for a couple of months while she received treatment. Apart from that, no permanent damage resulted, neither in her arm nor in their relationship.
Harry Potter And The Cameraman Who Isn't Secret
Here's another mistake from the Harry Potter films, this time from Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets. Having a cameraman seen through a mirror is bad, but having one just out in the open is unforgivable. Who thought that a grown man could pass unobserved among children, and while operating a camera, none the less? They really should do some more proof-watching on these things - they can afford it with all the money they are making.
A Car In Braveheart
We visited Braveheart before but we have to come back to it. During an exciting battle scene, some eagle-eyed viewers did not look at the fighting men but rather at the background. There, apparently, was a car - a rather out-of-place detail in a film set in the 14th century! Everyone else is riding horses which is more fitting and we assume cheaper, too. Horses do not use gas and we doubt horse insurance costs as much as car insurance!
This Motorcycle Did Not Exist In The '40s
Here's one for the motorcycle enthusiasts among you. What is the problem with the motorcycle in this scene from Saving Private Ryan? The answer is that this particular model, the Ural M-63, vintage though it may be, did not come out until 18 years after the supposed timeline of the film. It is harder to find an authentic German motorcycle from World War 2 than use another model, and that may also need some serious restoration.
Nala's Changing Eyes
A small mistake in the beloved children's classic, Lion King, is that Nala's eyes keep changing color. Sometimes they are green, sometimes they are blue. It could be a mistake on the animators' part or it could be she could benefit from seeing a vet. In any case, we were too busy laughing or crying to pay much attention to such a detail while we watched the film!
Is She Having Pancakes Or Croissants?
A popular romantic comedy and the film that made Julia Roberts a star, Pretty Woman breaks many conventions of the rom-com genre. Occasionally, it also breaks from reality, like in this scene here, in which Vivian is having breakfast. No, that is not unrealistic, the fact that she is having a croissant in one moment and pancakes the next is what's strange. Unless they did it to appeal to both French and American viewers.
Did Spider-man Break The Lamp Or Not?
The first of the modern adaptations of the iconic superhero, Spider-Man has some funny scenes with Peter trying to come to grips with his powers. In one of them, he makes a mess of his room with webs and in the process, also shatters a lamp. But a little later, the lamp reappears on his shelf, perfectly fine. Who knew lamp repair is among Spidey's abilities? Perhaps he could next devote some time to the restoration of ancient artifacts in a museum?
Where Have The Earrings Gone?
The Princess And The Frog is a Disney animated film that featured the first 'Disney princess' of color and was also a fun and sweet story. Tiana is saving money to open her own restaurant (though restaurant management is more than cooking well), so this movie mistake is a real blow to her plans. In one scene, her gold earrings suddenly disappear! Losing jewelry is always frustrating, more so when she needs to put money into her savings account, not taking any out!
We Can See His Real Teeth
A beautiful and at times scary gothic fairy tale, Sleepy Hollow featured Christopher Walken as a blood-thirsty Hessian mercenary that had filed his teeth into points. Of course, a perfect smile is too valuable to an actor to ruin so he wore prosthetics to look the part and very observant viewers managed to find a shot where his real teeth are showing. If we were looking at that face, on the other hand, the last thing we would notice is if the sharp teeth are real or not!
His Teeth Change From Scene To Scene
There is almost no actor in Hollywood who doesn't have a perfect set of teeth to give a dazzling smile. But you can't have that on a pirate captain of old, can you? So a makeup artist will make the actor's teeth look dirty and rotten. But with shooting scenes out of order, sometimes, we get mistakes like in Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl, where captain Barbossa's teeth change swiftly from clean to yellow and filthy!
That's Not Proper Archery
We do not claim to be experts in archery, yet something seems a little bit off here. It looks like Katniss, the protagonist of The Hunger Games and a skilled archer, is just resting the arrow on her arm, instead of aiming properly. Shooting arrows can be a real workout and can also give someone blisters, but a little effort would really help with immersion. Come on Katniss, you can do better.
Can You Spot The Film Crew Member?
Braveheart again! In this scene, a member of the baseball cap brigade is seen in the background, in quite different clothes than the other warriors surrounding Mel Gibson. We're kidding, it's just a member of the film crew in his normal clothes while the actors and extras are in their costumes. They should really hire somebody to keep random people off the set or buy their editor new eyeglasses.
Dirty Ax Suddenly Becomes Clean
The Lord Of The Rings returns as with a running time of at least 3 hours, mistakes were bound to be made. In this scene, Gimli's axe is dirty following a battle but magically gets clean in no time. No, “a wizard did it” is not the answer, although they do have a wizard with them. The truth is, films are not shot in sequence and a later scene may be shot before a previous one so little accidents like this can be quite common.
The Iron Changes Stance
A tiny mistake that people noticed in Forest Gump was the way Jenny's iron seemed to jump up between shots, quite a feat in a scene where we are supposed to look at Jenny. We'd rather think that this will be the foundation for another film, in which the iron is intelligent and animated and is plotting the extermination of mankind, with only Forest and Jenny able to stop it!
Broken Windows Become Whole Again
Another mistake from Spider-Man, the 2002 version, is again the result of the order scenes are shot during film production. The scene where Mary Jane talks to Spider-man after he has saved her was shot before the actual rescue and thus, the broken windows are still whole in the supposed later scene. Or, as we saw previously, Peter Parker has the power to repair broken objects and can add that to his superhero resume.
These Are Two Different Planes
Either the makers of The Usual Suspects didn't notice the blunder or they saw it and said: “Who's gonna notice?” Well, we did. In what are supposed to be two shots of the same airplane, the engines look completely different - like they are different airplane models, one would say. It doesn't affect the plot in any way and going over films trying to find small errors might seem like an exercise in futility, but it's good to know that even Hollywood big-shots make mistakes.
The Crew Is Not Hiding That Well
Well, Xena: Warrior Princess did not have the highest production values ever and attention to detail was not the series' strong point, but they usually avoided this type of error. A crew member is seen, in plain, modern clothes while everyone else is wearing costumes on what looks like an ancient stone castle wall. It's a good thing the awesome fight scenes ensured that we did not always watch out for blunders.
Magic Color-changing Cup
A very famous comedy of the late '90s, American Pie has its share of mistakes. In this scene, a cup changes from a clear plastic one to a blue opaque cup and then back again. According to sources, this was done so that the MPAA would give the film an “R” rating, by concealing the alcohol in the cup. In the unrated version, no restrictions on alcohol are in place and this continuity error does not exist.
The Tiger Did Not Rip His Underwear
Another beloved cartoon, Aladdin has a scene where Jasmine's pet tiger chases away one of the princesses' suitor by biting off the seat of his trousers and he runs away revealing underwear with a heart pattern. But when we see the tiger again, it has a piece of cloth with the same pattern in its mouth, instead of a piece of the pants. Yes, we are nitpicking over the clothes of animated characters, why do you ask?
Is He Having Shrimp Cocktail Or Snacks?
Ocean's Eleven featured a star-studded cast and was a huge hit, but it's still burdened with a few errors. In the scene in the botanical gardens, what is in Brad Pitt's left hand goes from a prawn cocktail to a plate and back to a prawn cocktail. He must have been very hungry to go through these so quickly, or the prop guy forgot how the scene was supposed to be. In comparison, everything else, from his hair down to his shoes is perfect.
The Gas Tank Is Missing
The Matrix Reloaded had a ton of cool action scenes, but one thing that insurance companies always push for is more security. So, in a bid to reduce the risk posed by a car flipping through the air, they removed the transmission and, naturally, the gas tank. It becomes obvious (to those with experience in car repair) during the freeway chase scene, but there are so many other things happening that noticing is a testament to one's OCD.
The Goat Leg Comes & Goes
The classic action film Jurassic Park has one mistake that is very easy to miss, as it hides in one of the most anxiety-inducing scenes. The T-Rex has just escaped, and a gruesome clue drops on the car where the kids are: a goat's leg! The prop disappears and reappears a few times throughout the scene, but the first time we saw the film, we were looking for a cardiologist or some Xanax, not a goat leg!
What Happened To The Ring?
The Rocky Horror Picture Show has become a cult classic, due in part to its bizarre nature so what we class as a mistake may well be intentional, but here we go. When Eddie comes out of the deep freeze on a motorcycle, he is wearing three rings on his left hand. Later, while playing the saxophone, there appear to be just two rings, the third having vanished. Forgotten or lost, the little piece of jewelry does not reappear in the film.
Where Are Dorothy's Ruby Slippers?
While it is considered one of the best films in American history, The Wizard Of Oz is not flawless. Dorothy's red ruby slippers are a key point of the story, but in the scene, after she and the Scarecrow fight the trees, her feet are visible and her shoes are black. Maybe the iconic slippers were not comfortable and were giving her blisters?
When Did Harry Change Clothes?
This one was a clear fail from the costumes department. In this scene from Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix, we see Harry sleeping. As he suddenly gets up, he is wearing different clothes! His T-shirt starts with a round neck and turns into one with buttons! Or is Harry so into fashion that he changes his outfit even when he sleeps?
What Happened To Her Apple?
Many odd things happened in 300: Rise Of An Empire, but it will take time to list them all. We will instead focus on one of the unintentional weird events. In this scene, Artemisia is seen eating a green apple while talking to someone who thought leather straps make for nice clothes. When we get a glimpse of the apple again, it has mysteriously turned red and not enough time has passed for this to have happened naturally. The film has far worse issues...
When Did Captain America Repair His Suit?
Towards the end of The Avengers film, the battle against the Chitauri is so difficult that even the superheroes get damaged and Captain America's suit seems to have suffered. That's fine, costumes get damaged, but what is not so fine are the apparent regenerative powers of his uniform, which is totally unharmed in later scenes. What gives Captain America? Do you have a spare change of clothes for times like this?
Why Is A Man With A Cowboy Hat On The Ship?
We're back on Pirates Of The Caribbean: Curse Of The Black Pearl, this time to show the strangest pirate costume ever. It consists of a tan cowboy hat, modern clothes, and sunglasses. He can be seen as Captain Jack Sparrow shouts at his men “On deck, you scabrous dogs!”, on the left. At least we hope the crew member got credit for appearing in the film, so he can boast to his friends that he has acted next to Johnny Depp.
Why Did Lando's Outfit Switch Sides?
In the third film of the original Star Wars trilogy, Return Of The Jedi, Lando Calrissian says farewell to Han Solo as he prepares to leave. In that scene, Lando's clothes switch sides. His shoulder strap goes to the other side as well as his rank insignia. We don't know if this was a screw-up from those responsible for the costumes or the image was reversed in editing, what we know is, even a great film makes mistakes!
Why Is The Windshield Back On The Truck?
A classic scene of movie history comes from Terminator 2: Judgement Day, when T-1000 is hunting John Connor with a truck. As he drives off a bridge, we see the windshield fly off but the truck repair elves get to work. When we next see the truck, the windshield is back on, as if the scene had been shot before the truck fell off a bridge. We won't mention that a damaged truck is able to keep up with a light motorcycle, but that is a different story.