Factual error: Then, as now, every recruit reporting to boot camp would be tested for illegal drugs, first by a urine test and then by a broad spectrum blood test in the case of a positive result. There is no reason for Elmo to try to hide his stash when the recruits are told they are to be tested - he is going to come up positive anyway. He may as well just say he has changed his mind and walk away. He is entitled to do that any time up to ten days after he signed on, and it happened a lot in real life!
Factual error: When the Titanic sinks all six dwarves and Kevin end up in the sea clutching a lifebelt. The water in which the Titanic sank was freezing - that is how most of the casualties died, by freezing, not drowning. In water like that you'd be lucky to stay conscious for more than a few minutes. Despite this none of them show the slightest effect of the cold. Maybe the dwarves have some 'magical' ability to withstand lethal cold, but Kevin doesn't even react to being plunged into freezing cold water. He'd be screaming in pain, but he doesn't even show the slightest sign of discomfort.
Other mistake: When the two Americans are walking on the moors, their shadows are always in front of them, despite them having changed direction numerous times. Additionally, with the moon always being behind them, how are their faces being lit?
Visible crew/equipment: A stock car carrying Mel Tillis and Terry Bradshaw drove into a hotel swimming pool. If you watch the car as it drives into the pool, you'll see the jump ramp built at the end of the pool.
Revealing mistake: 'Nightwind', the film at the centre of the drama, has finished shooting, and has been edited and postproduced, has premiered and bombed. All of this would take months - for a major production, up to a year. So why are the sets still standing on the studio sound stages?
Visible crew/equipment: When Comicus and his entourage are on the road to Judea, the tire tracks of the vehicle carrying the camera are blatantly clear in the lower part of the picture.
Visible crew/equipment: When the families are eating dinner, Ramona says that John Belushi tried to pork her. When she says that line a boom mic appears in shot, above her head. Also, when Vic is talking about where he got the food, the boom pole is visible at the top right of the screen.
Other mistake: Dennis Quaid is supposed to be frozen in a wall of ice but if you watch closely, and very quickly, you can see him blink his eyes.
Visible crew/equipment: When the woman in the opening credits is taking off her clothes, she is about to take a blue shirt from her bag, but decided against it. As she does, you can see a crew member aimlessly wandering around in the bushes behind her. (00:01:40)
Other mistake: When Arthur is in the bath tub, Hobson brings him a martini on a tray. Arthur grabs the glass. It shoots over to Hobson then back to Arthur and he picks up the glass again without even putting it down.
Continuity mistake: About 20 minutes into the movie, the family is sitting around the dining room table eating breakfast. Dad asks how school is going, and the daughter replies, "I learned all about my cervix in sex ed today", then walks off. They are eating breakfast, and the kids have not yet gone to school.
Continuity mistake: After the engines break down on the Carina, Lena leads a horse dragging the boat along as they work to fix it. We see her leading it on the north side of the canal but when they pass Uniship she is suddenly on the south.
Audio problem: When Bunny (Ramon) is, as Zorro, spelling out "Zorro" on the wall with his whip, the number of whiplash sounds does not match the number of marks in the wall.
Continuity mistake: While Chevy's car is being covered with radioactive foam from the truck in front of him, following shots alternately show the car with and without foam.
Continuity mistake: When Snoopy is at the library, he picks out a book and you can see there is nothing on the front cover, but when we see a close up of the book in the next shot, the words "How to Perform Magic" have appeared.
Other mistake: There's no way Harry could've smashed the cigarette vending machine at the gas station without somebody inside seeing him.
Continuity mistake: At the end of the film the plane they are initially flying on is a typical passenger plane, but when the Muppets are thrown out, the plane is one used for skydiving.
Other mistake: Towards the end when Janet, Brad, Oliver and Betty are singing "We're going to do it anyhow," as they are dancing down the aisle, Betty very visibly trips and grabs Oliver to stop from falling over.
Visible crew/equipment: In the cookery class Susan returns to her worktop after talking to Steve - there is a shadow of the camera on the oven to her right.
Continuity mistake: In the scene where the robots run out of battery, the female robot stretches out her right arm and shuts down in that position. The male robot walks up and stretches out his right arm and shuts down holding hands. In between shots of holding right hands, you see them holding left hands. First right hands, then left hands, then right hands again.
Suggested correction: Those drug tests didn't exist in 81.
Did you watch the film? The recruits are told they are about to take a broad spectrum drug test - not they are going to be searched for drugs, they are going to tested for the presence of illegal drugs in their systems. As has been pointed out such drug tests were mandatory at the time the film is set but that is not important - in the context of the film Elmo's action make no sense as he is going to be tested for drugs. Hiding his stash makes no sense at all as it will not solve his immediate problem. The posting is correct and the correction is nonsensical.
Drug testing of recruits commenced in the United States on a trial basis in 1975 and became compulsory in 1977. In 1981 every single volunteer would have to take a broad spectrum drug test before being allowed to start boot camp.
What specific drug tests didn't exist? Nixon directed a military drug urinalysis program in 1971 and the DoD started random drug testing in 1974 (not that testing deterred drug use).
Bishop73
I enlisted in 1982. I got a single drug test at the meps and didn't get tested again during an entire 3 year enlistment. In fact, I didn't receive a drug test until 2 years into my second enlistment. The military just wasn't as strict on drug testing.
ssgemt