Continuity mistake: In the scene at the apartment with Brett, Vincent closes the briefcase and leaves it on the kitchen counter. He continues to smoke until it's almost time to shoot Brett. They shoot Brett and the scene fades out to be continued later. Later we see that after shooting Brett, Vincent is focused on Marvin still in the corner having a panic attack. Jules tells Marvin to knock it off and the man comes out of the bathroom. Jules and Vincent shoot him, then Vincent chides Marvin for not telling them there was someone in the bathroom. Vincent only has his gun in his hand, no briefcase. Jules and Vincent argue about 'the miracle' and they leave. Marvin never leaves the corner until Jules tells him 'let's go'. Nobody has the briefcase. (00:18:10 - 01:53:30)
Deliberate mistake: Both in the first scene and last scene of the movie, we see Yolanda and Ringo starting the robbery by jumping from their seat and start threatening the costumers. In the first scene, Yolanda says "And I'll execute every motherfucking last one of you." But in the last scene the line changes to "and I'll execute every one of you motherfuckers". (00:04:40 - 02:18:00)
Suggested correction: Tarantino has explained that this is not an error, rather, he did this on purpose. When we first examine the scene, we are seeing Ringo and Yolanda's conversation from their perspective. Obviously, because this is their conversation, what we hear first is probably what was actually said. However, at the end of the film, what is said is different because we are no longer viewing the situation from Ringo and Yolanda's perspective, but rather everyone else in the diner, most specifically Jules.
Sounds like a typical Tarantino excuse for a stupid blunder.
I believe about 70% of the so-called mistakes called out here are really cinematic techniques to show points of view, highlight significant action, and underscore dramatic moments.
Continuity mistake: When John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson are fired at in the apartment, the bullet holes are already in the wall before the gun is fired.
Continuity mistake: When they are giving Mia Wallace the adrenaline shot, they mark her chest with a red magic marker. When the shot has been given, the red mark has disappeared. (00:57:20 - 00:58:10)
Continuity mistake: When Vincent is shooting up, we see him taking out and assembling his special chrome-plated syringe. In the following close-up of the actual shooting-up, the syringe is a standard disposable plastic one.
Visible crew/equipment: When Vincent enters Mia's home for the first time, a camera and a camera operator are visible in a reflection on the windows in front of them. They have a black blanket or tarp covering them to make them harder to see. Also, a crew member on the far right sneaks in at the very last second. (00:30:50)
Continuity mistake: At the beginning, when Brett is initially shot by both Jules and Vincent after Jules' Ezekiel speech, we see Jules' gun becomes empty on firing the last shot. However, on returning to the same scene at the end, when Jules and Vincent shoot Brett the gun does not empty; in fact Jules is able to repeatedly shoot the guy who comes out of the bathroom afterwards and the gun still isn't empty.
Suggested correction: It's very hard to tell whether Jules' gun is empty or not, he is pointing it almost right at the viewer, and the scene is proceeding too rapidly.
It's easy to tell. You can see the slide is locked back in the first scene, indicating it's empty. If you can't see the slide is back, look at the ejection port. It's grey/silver color when the slide is forward (i.e. round in the chamber) and black when back (i.e. empty).
Continuity mistake: The tall "Big Kahuna Burger" bag, disappears when the camera faces Brett yet it's there when the camera is behind Brett. The bag is only a few inches to the left of the soda when the camera is behind him so it should be there in the front shots too, yet isn't. (00:14:30 - 00:16:20)
Visible crew/equipment: When Vince and Mia get back from Jack Rabbit Slims, and Mia is putting on the music, the shadow of a person walks past her on her left, but Vince is standing still in that scene. (00:48:35)
Suggested correction: I've viewed this mistake many times. What really happened here was Vince actually turned and walked down the hall to take the piss and what we are seeing is HIS shadow as he walks toward an over-lit backdrop. Then to make it worse the producers place him right back at the spot with his keys in hand and a softer lighting to make it look more romantic. So the real mistake could be when they made that sudden change without reviewing enough of the previous entry scene. (Either way you can still barely see how he turns to his right before walking casually down the hall).
Continuity mistake: In the flashback with Christopher Walken, we see him hold up the watch, and its hands are clearly pointing in different directions. But when we see a close-up of the watch, it is set to 12. (01:04:20)
Revealing mistake: When Jules and Vincent are riding in the car during the "Royale with Cheese" conversation, it is possible to see the reflection of their car in the background, being towed on a trailer. (00:07:05 - 00:08:00)
Continuity mistake: When Mia and Vincent arrive at Jackrabbit Slims, they stand in front of a desk and confirm their booking. Throughout her exchange with the 'greeter', Mia's fringe is swept to the side, looks a bit greasy, and is separated. When they go to walk to their table in the next shot, it's suddenly perfect and covering her whole forehead. (00:41:10)
Continuity mistake: In the beginning when Ringo and Yolanda are discussing bank robbery and Yolanda says "Then well what then? Day job?", Ringo has his hand with the cigarette on the table. When it cuts he suddenly takes a lung full of smoke. (00:02:35)
Visible crew/equipment: When Butch and Marcellus are tied up and Zed is interrogating them, you can sometimes see the shadow of the stick of the boom mike on Zed, and sometimes even the microphone part of it.
Continuity mistake: When Butch is driving the Honda to and from getting his watch at his apartment, from the inside of the Honda the windows are opaque and dirty and hard to see through, but shown from the outside the car windows are clean and you can see through them.
Revealing mistake: When Lance opens his front door to see Vincent driving across his lawn, with an over-dosed Mia inside the car, the car passes to the left out of view, then we hear the sound of it crashing to a stop against the house. Lance goes outside to see just that as Vincent carries Mia out of the car. If you look at the wheel marks on the lawn, you can see that the car has in fact driven past the house, and out of sight, and that the car in which Vincent and Mia came from was already obviously there in "crashed mode."
Continuity mistake: When Vincent takes Mia home after giving her the shot, Vincent and Mia talk, then Mia finally tells Vincent the Fox Force Five joke. Before and while she tells the joke, in every shot behind her, her arms are down by her sides, yet in every front view of her, her arms are folded, or one arm is up by her mouth. (00:59:50)
Continuity mistake: When Butch escapes on the chopper (Grace), the chopper appears to have a side draught type carburetor in front of the stock Harley Davison air filter. When he arrives back at the motel to pick up Fabienne, only the stock air filter is present.
Continuity mistake: After telling Fabienne to hop onto the chopper, Butch grabs its handlebars. But in the next shot he grabs the handlebars again. (01:51:00)
