Deliberate mistake: At the end of the film, when Alex, Maggie and Grig take off in the Gunstar, the crowd of trailer park residents watching them leave backs into the covered portion of the restaurant, right next to the 'Starfighter' game cabinet, which is readily visible in the shot. Mrs. Rogan then wonders where her younger son, Louis, is. The shot changes to show Louis pulling a bench up to the 'Starfighter' game to play it as dust from the Gunstar liftoff kicks up next to him while he watches it fly. Yet the crowd is nowhere to be seen in the shot of Louis playing the game despite everyone being huddled right next to it on the patio (his mother was standing next to it and should be able to see him). Given the proximity of the crowd to the game a moment earlier, Louis wouldn't be able to play it, let alone put a bench next to it. It's clear the filmmakers chose the image of the younger kid aspiring to be like his brother by playing the game over the logic of where the game was in relation to the crowd.
The Last Starfighter (1984)
1 deliberate mistake - chronological order
Directed by: Nick Castle
Starring: Dan O'Herlihy, Robert Preston, Lance Guest, Dan Mason, Kay E. Kuter
Visible crew/equipment: When the Starcar lands for the second time, there is a shot where the car comes to a stop in front of the camera. In this shot, the wooden rafters of the sound stage can be seen. (Noted in the director's commentary).
Alex Rogan: Hold it! There's no fleet? No Starfighters, no plan? One ship, you, me, and that's it?
Grig: Exactly! Xur thinks you're still on Earth. Classic military strategy, surprise attack.
Alex Rogan: It'll be a slaughter.
Grig: That's the spirit.
Alex Rogan: No, my slaughter! One ship against the whole Armada?
Grig: Yes, one Gunstar against the Armada. I've always wanted to fight a desperate battle against incredible odds.
Trivia: In the scene where Alex first meets Centari and climbs into the Starcar, notice how Alex's hair looks natural as he stands outside the car. After he gets in and asks "What are you doing?", notice how his hair looks totally different, almost as if it is burnt or something. The actor had become very ill and had to shoot certain scenes after he got sick. He wore a wig, which explains why during certain parts of the film, he looks pale and his hair looks burnt. You can also notice the wig in the scene when the "Beta" unit rides in a truck and laughs his head off to have a good time.
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