Corrected entry: The movie opens with the Clash's song "London Calling", released in December, 1979. The movie takes place two years before the song's release.
Phaneron
14th Jun 2016
The Conjuring 2 (2016)
13th Jun 2004
Thelma and Louise (1991)
Corrected entry: The gas tanker explodes into a ball of flame after being struck with a .38 Spl caliber bullet. A bullet of this caliber especially fired from a snub-nosed revolver would most likely not even have penetrated the tank. If by some chance it did, it would result in only a small leak which even if ignited would take considerable time to cause the tank to explode.
Correction: The tanker was being shot by two different type of guns. If one didn't penetrate the tank, the other could have.
The point of the original entry still stands that even if, by some chance, bullets from a handgun could penetrate a tanker and, even less likely, cause a spark, it would still take some time for an explosion to occur. Even tracer rounds would have a difficult time causing an explosion because the right amount of oxygen needs to factor into the equation.
13th Sep 2024
Beetlejuice (1988)
Stupidity: Juno adamantly warns Adam and Barbara against getting help from Beetlejuice, but then proceeds to freely tell them exactly how to conjure him. She even snubs them when Adam asks how to get back in touch with her should they need her assistance again.
Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.
Suggested correction: I think she was giving them more of a warning against conjuring him accidentally by saying his name three times. Didn't she tell Adam that she wasn't available when he asked? That might explain the snub.
If she was warning them about accidentally saying his name three times, then it also would have been wise for her to tell them in that same moment that they could make him go away by saying his name three times again, but she didn't. She also said she wasn't available to help them in that moment, not at a later date like Adam was asking. By refusing to answer Adam's question, she made it more likely that they would turn to Beetlejuice for help.
30th Oct 2023
The Holdovers (2023)
Question: Was Paul Giamatti's lazy eye achieved through practical means or CGI? If it was practical, how exactly did they do it?
Answer: The best information I read was from an online "People" magazine article. Actor Paul Giamatti says he is sworn to secrecy on how the lazy eye effect was achieved, other than to say it was "movie magic." I hope someone finds additional information and shares it here, as I'd like to know more.
19th Dec 2023
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
Other mistake: In flashbacks, younger Indiana Jones has exactly the same voice as the older one.
Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.
Suggested correction: Harrison Ford's voice has always sounded the same. Watch any film he's done.
It's a noticeably "older" voice than in previous films when he was about the age his de-aged self is meant to be. I mean he's now in his 80s not 40s, of course his voice is different! An unavoidable mistake but still clearly different.
Actually, it is easily possible to augment his older voice to sound young. If his older voice is too deep, for example, Ford could merely speak slightly slower when recording the dialogue - and then it could be sped up slightly in the final cut. Or, audio AI can be used to alter voice patterns as desired nowadays (ex. To remove the 'gravelly' aspect of his voice).
Harrison Ford's voice has definitely become pretty gravelly.
10th Dec 2023
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987)
Michelangelo's Birthday - S3-E31
Factual error: The very beginning of the episode shows Michelangelo's Birthday circled on the calendar, and it is shown as the second Tuesday of the month as well as being the 13th day. The second Tuesday of a month can never be the 13th. The earliest the 13th of a month can be is the second Thursday.
Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.
Suggested correction: This is simply wrong. If a month starts on a Thursday, the first Tuesday will be the 6th, and the second will be the 13th.
22nd Apr 2023
Deja Vu (2006)
Question: Why did Doug did not travel back to the night before his partner was killed? He could save his partner, the girl and the people on the ferry.
Answer: They only have a 4-day window to observe and intervene with the past events. Once Doug and everyone else observed his partner being murdered, the 4-day window for that event had lapsed.
In theory, he could go back (not far enough), then find the time travel scientist, convince him to believe his story, and travel back another 4 days, etc. A lot of ifs, but it could be possible?
10th Feb 2006
X-Men: Evolution (2000)
Corrected entry: Beast says Apocalypses name: En sabah nur means "The First One", it really means "The Seven Lights".
Correction: According to marveldirectory.com, En Sabah Nur was the name given to Apocalypse by his father, Baal, and it means "The First One".
28th Sep 2023
Big Daddy (1999)
Question: When Mr. Brooks states that Sonny lied about being Kevin Gerrity to get custody of Julian, he says it's a big problem in this state. Why do so many people do that in New York (as opposed to other places)?
Answer: Maybe I'm misinterpreting the line, but I thought "big problem" in this context meant that the state would aggressively pursue criminal charges against Sonny for his actions, as in it's his big problem to deal with now.
But in that context, wouldn't it be a "big" / serious problem in any state? I can't imagine that most states would be easy-going about it. He seems to mean that it happens a lot in New York, but I might be wrong.
Other states would certainly be aggressive in that situation, but given that Mr. Brooks is an employee of the state of New York, he could just be emphasizing how much trouble Sonny is in.
Fair enough. Sonny might have thought that it was OK for him to pretend to be Kevin, since he is good friends with the real Kevin.
Mr. Brooks was being facetious by specifically saying "big problem in THIS STATE." Obviously Sonny knows what he did was very wrong and illegal. It would be like if you were driving in a different state and didn't stop at a stop sign. The cop might say "I know in your home state the stop signs are optional but here in Texas you're required to stop at the sign."
24th Sep 2018
From Hell (2001)
Question: Who killed Martha Tabram? Just like in the real world, doubt is cast on her murder as to whether or not it was Jack the Ripper due to the differences in her murder and those of the other prostitutes. So was it just another member of the Freemasons?
Answer: I've always suspected (thought) that the man who murdered Martha was the guy with the knife who threatened Mary Kelly and used the weapon to cut off her buttons. McQueen. Wasn't he the 1888s version of a pimp?
21st Aug 2023
Identity (2003)
Character mistake: There's no way that using a regular needle and thread to sew up that wound would work the way it's shown. Anybody who knew what they were doing - which John Cusack is portrayed as knowing - would also know that using unsterilized materials and instruments without a sterile field from an uncleaned massive open wound is a great way to kill your patient.
Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.
Suggested correction: The main plot of this film takes place inside the head of a murderer with dissociative identity disorder. The fact that stitching up a wound in that matter wouldn't work is irrelevant to the fact that it is how Malcolm is playing out the scenario in his head.
You're making a good point to invalidate a "character mistake", but couldn't the entry be reclassified as a "factual mistake" and stand as written?
14th Jul 2023
3rd Rock from the Sun (1996)
Question: When Mary asks Dick what he expected for not paying his taxes when he learns he owes thousands to the IRS, he responds with, "I certainly didn't expect my girlfriend to wear my ass as a snowshoe!" I'm not sure I have ever understood this joke. What is the meaning behind it?
Answer: The writers often have Dick respond to Mary with a retort that he thinks is in the common vernacular but makes a mistake in wording that is often funny. Dick seems to be imputing a criticism from Mary and responds with a corruption of the more common "I'm going to wear your ass like a hat!" I doubt it has anything to do with owing taxes. Probably just one of the writers assuming a common regional phrase would be universally recognized.
1st Jul 2023
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (2023)
Question: Maybe I missed some dialogue, but why exactly did Voller think the fissure they were flying towards would take him to his desired date in 1939? I get that the dial detects fissures in time, but why would he think that particular fissure was the one he needed to travel through?
Answer: There is a bit of dialogue en route to the airport when Voller sets the instrument that says, "the first hand sets the destination," as in the time you want to travel back to. This would make the device completely absurd in principle if true (that's why I wanted to mark it as a plot hole/stupidity). Since it's supposed not to open portals but just detect them, it can't be that there are infinite portals for every moment in time you can choose to go back to (and they even close). The sky, while vast, is not infinite. We then find out that it is a trick since it is set to actually bring you to just one destination, but they don't know it yet.
Answer: We're supposed to accept that the dials are pointing to the rift in the sky, which is what makes this plot decision so ridiculous. There's no common reference point (magnetism wouldn't be discovered until and used in compasses for another 2,000 years), and the dial is 2-dimensional. Thus, you could turn your body 90 degrees and aim it down, and there's no indication from the movie that the dial would in any way turn to face the previous rift.
I think, technically, the fact that there's no common reference point is addressed when Voller mentions that the coordinates given are 'Alexandrine coordinates'... which I think might be another anachronism since all I can think it means is the ones used by Ptolemy in his Geography, which was hundreds of years after Archimedes' time. The dial is 2-dimensional, but there are 3 hands. It can be argued that when all 3 align, it does show that the direction you are headed is definitely correct, including the height you are pointing at. I definitely think it's entirely implausible, but the way the unknown mechanism works, attuned to something that does not exist such as time rifts, is kind of a lesser problem. Even if it is supposed to work by some mathematical principle, and then acts as some dowser rod.
Not true. The Chinese were using compasses around 200 BC, and Vikings are believed to have had them as well.
Answer: As they approach the rift, all three of the dial's hands are suddenly pointing towards it. If that is no clear indicator, then what is?
The dial pointing towards it only indicates that they are heading towards the fissure. How does that give Voller any certainty that this is the exact fissure he needs to travel through in order to reach his desired destination, especially considering it ended up not being the one he needed? Were there coordinates in Basil's diary that indicated where the exact fissure would open? I only recall the date of August 20 (?), 1939 being written down.
Only the time is written in the diary (the date you mention is next to August 20, 1969, which would be then supposedly when the finale of the movie takes place). For the coordinates, you need to have the device, which, apparently, allows you also to input with firsthand your desired destination. Voller couldn't know that to concoct his plan, though, since he did not have the diaries at the beginning of the movie.
17th Jan 2020
Predator (1987)
Question: There is a scene where after Dillon accidentally kicks a log down the hill, Mac says to him, "You're ghosting' us, motherfucker. I don't care who you are back in the world. You give our position one more time, I'll bleed you, real quiet, and leave you here. Got that?" What did he mean by that?
Answer: To translate: "Making noise like that could get us killed. I don't care that you're a CIA agent, if you give away our position like that again, I'll kill you quietly and leave your body here. Do you understand?"
19th May 2023
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
Question: According to Captain Panaka and Qui-Gon, if the Hutts discover Queen Amidala on Tattooine, it will be just like landing on a planet controlled by the Federation. Why would they care about her? What would they do?
So the Federation was probably offering a bounty/reward for her capture?
16th May 2023
End of Days (1999)
Question: Why exactly does the devil need to have a child to conquer the world? Why can't he do it himself? He can easily corrupt mankind and lead them to their destruction, which could allow him to take over the world.
Answer: According to the bible the devil has no power on earth, but like God, he wanted to send his son into the world to influence and corrupt them.
25th Apr 2023
Deadpool & Wolverine (2024)
Question: This film will be a sequel to the first two Deadpool films, which were part of the Fox X-Men franchise, but will instead be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Is this the first time in history that a film is a sequel to another film, but is now part of a new franchise?
Answer: In addition to Bishop's answer, you could theoretically apply this to Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's Spider-Man characters. They both appeared in "Spider-Man: No Way Home," which technically acts as a sequel to "Spider-Man 3," "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" and "Spider-Man: Far From Home" - three distinct movie franchises. (And there are persistent rumors that Maguire and/or Garfield may make future MCU appearances).
To add to that (I ran out of room in my reply), with the creation of the multiverse, now any Sony or Fox franchise or universe can be considered as part of the MCU. So any Fantastic Four or X-Men sequel (although most likely any up coming film will be a reboot) can be part of the MCU.
I get what you're saying, but No Way Home was more of a crossover film that acknowledged characters coexisting in the multiverse, with those characters returning to their respective universes by the end, and Sony would still have control of those characters. Although we won't know for sure until Deadpool 3 comes out, Deadpool is meant to start as a character in a previously established film franchise and then occupy a different one moving forward.
But what film franchise would he be in? If he's in a Deadpool movie, he's in the Deadpool franchise. If they stop making Deadpool films and put him in another film, then he becomes part of another franchise. (Or more likely, just another crossover film).
This is where I would disagree with you about the MCU not being a franchise. I would contend that it is a franchise, and every series of films and TV shows within it are sub-franchises. So the Deadpool series of films would be a franchise unto itself, beginning in the larger Fox X-Men franchise and transitioning over to the MCU.
So what distinguishes one Marvel film from being in the MCU and another Marvel film not to be in it? Marvel Studios has been part of the production of a lot of films not included in the MCU, including the Blade, X-Men, and Deadpool films.
Any film made by Marvel themselves (or co-produced like the Tom Holland Spider-Man films). Marvel didn't begin making their own movies until the first Iron Man. All previous movies based on Marvel characters were made by other studios in association with Marvel, largely because Marvel licensed out their properties to avoid going bankrupt. The MCU itself is recognized as being the highest-grossing film franchise of all time.
Answer: It depends how you want to define a franchise. Are you talking production companies involved or the distribution company? And are you considering reboots? The reason Deadpool 3 would be "set" in the MCU is because Disney bought Fox and the filming rights returned to Marvel Studios, along with the rights to X-Men and Fantastic Four. When Sony rebooted Spider-Man with Tom Holland, Sony shared the rights with Marvel Studios. So Spider-Man was part of the MCU while still being part of the Sony Spider-man franchise. Venom 2's mid-credit scene is meant to make it part of the MCU while still being part of Sony's Spider-Man Universe. That being said, there are a number of cross-over films that put sequels into another franchises. Such as Freddy vs Jason, Godzilla vs Kong, or Frankenstein meets the Wolf-Man.
I'm speaking strictly from a narrative point of view. Say, for instance, they made a new Alien movie, but it was now part of the Avatar franchise moving forward, while still being a sequel to the previous Alien movies, and not intended to be a brief crossover. I know the meta nature of the Deadpool character and movies makes it a different beast, but still.
And this is what's up for debate, but to me, the MCU isn't a franchise. It's made up of the various franchises; Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, etc. where they exist in the same universe. So when crossover films occur, it's two or more franchises now existing in the same universe. Even the Avenger films can be considered crossovers. Which is why people were wonder if Spider-Man was part of the MCU or the Sony universe. Deadpool is still part of the Deadpool franchise, but now part of the MCU.
8th Nov 2007
The Santa Clause 2 (2002)
Question: At the meeting, what did Mother Nature mean when she said "Don't mess with me Santa. I'm pre-el niño." or something like that. What does pre-el niño mean and why did she think Santa was messing with her?
Answer: By "pre-El Niño", she meant what to a mortal woman would be pre-menstrual. El Niño is "an oscillation of the ocean-atmosphere system in the tropical Pacific having important consequences for weather around the globe. Among these consequences are increased rainfall across the southern tier of the US and in Peru, which has caused destructive flooding, and drought in the West Pacific, sometimes associated with devastating brush fires in Australia."
So she was saying she's PMSing?
Yep, that's exactly what she's saying.
15th Jan 2023
Game of Thrones (2011)
Stupidity: When Trystane is engaging Nymeria in combat, he pivots right in front of Obara, whom he knows is armed with a spear, and leaves his entire backside exposed. Anyone with a modicum of sword training would know not to expose themselves to an armed opponent like that. He ends up immediately being speared through the back of the head because of it.
Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.
Suggested correction: They ask him who he chooses to fight. He chooses Nymeria, believing the others will not interfere. He was wrong.
Two women snuck aboard his ship intending to murder him, and he trusted them to be honest about fighting fair? That just adds to the stupidity.
That's naivety at best, not stupidity. Plus they didn't sneak on board, they announced their intentions.
If two armed people entered your house and told you they were going to murder you, but would give you the opportunity to fight your way out, would you actually believe them as well as immediately turn your back to one of them? Trystane is a prince who undoubtedly had education and combat training. This goes beyond naivety.
You are forgetting he is also only 15 or 16 years old and never left Dorne (what I take from the show). What does he really know? He probably never actually fought anyone in his life.
The women that killed him were previously locked in a cell for trying to kidnap his betrothed, which he knew about. He also knew she died on the journey back to King's Landing under suspicious circumstances, and likely knew it was from poisoning and that they were involved. Based on the show's lore, someone in his position would have had schooling about the world and its people from a maester and combat training from a master-at-arms. He knew full well not to trust these women.
9th Jan 2023
General questions
Are there any notable examples of a TV character being written out/killed off because viewers hated them?
Answer: Roseanne Barr was killed off from the second version of "Roseanne" when she became too controversial.
Answer: Nicolette Sheridan, who portrayed Edie Britt in the TV series Desperate Housewives was considered a diva and didn't get along with the shows creator Marc Cherry. Her character was killed off when she swerved to avoid hitting Orson. Unaware that there was water under the car and that a powerline had snapped, Edie gets out of the car, is electrocuted and killed.
Answer: During the season 4 run of "Moonlighting," Cybil Shepherd was pregnant in real life, so it was written into the show. During her paternity leave, her character, Maddie, was having mixed emotions about the baby and her relationship with David. She goes home to do some soul searching. She's still unsure, when on the train ride back to L.A, she meets a man. Walter Bishop, actor turned director Dennis Dugan, on impulse she marries him. Viewers thought this was the dumbest mistake, since the "Dallas" it was all a dream season. Everyone waited with baited breath on how they were going to fix this. Finally the character, Walter, realised the whole thing was a mistake and got an annulment. He says goodbye to everyone and as he walks out the office door, he turns toward the camera and says, "Are you happy now."
Answer: I would include Jennifer Love Hewitt, who replaced Jeanne Tripplehorn in "Criminal Minds" after season 9. Love Hewitt wasn't well received by viewers. The official reason given for Love Hewitt's departure after one season was that she was pregnant. Despite the show's claim that viewers had "warmed" to her character, she was permanently written out.
Answer: I think the character Seven was written out of "Married with Children" because viewers disliked him so much. He was an example of "Cousin Oliver Syndrome" - an annoying younger child character who is added to a show after a few seasons. He basically disappears. The neighbors mention that he is staying at their house, but eventually, he is never mentioned again.
Join the mailing list
Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.
Correction: The song plays over the movie, not within the movie itself. It's no different than the movie's score being played over certain scenes despite being written in 2015 or 2016.
Phaneron ★
A filmmaker often uses music to reflect not only the decade but also the year the movie is set. By your reasoning, ANY type of music could be played over the movie that didn't reflect the era or year, so Oasis, Megan Thee Stallion, Sia, etc., would be OK, even though none of the artists I listed are from 1977 and reflect that year. My movie mistake listing regarding The Clash's song is correct and accurate.
Scott215
Often, not always. There are countless examples of a movie soundtrack featuring technically "anachronistic" songs but they're not explicitly in-universe, so don't even count as deliberate mistakes, it's just an artistic choice. TV Tropes has an entire section covering this and similar things: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AnachronisticSoundtrack. It comments there how A Knight's Tale uses versions of modern songs, and the director pointed out that an orchestral score wouldn't have been period-appropriate either. The music making up a movie's soundtrack doesn't explicitly have to be from or before the year of the movie's setting.
No, your listing is not correct and accurate. You said yourself that filmmakers often use music to reflect a time period, "often" being the keyword, as in not "always." The Hateful Eight has "Apple Blossom" by The White Stripes playing over a part of the film, and that song wasn't released until 130 years after the movie's 1870 setting. Since it plays over the film and not within the film, it is not a mistake.
Phaneron ★