Trivia: Radar and Franks Burns in real life were just the opposite of the characters they played on the show.
Brian Katcher
23rd Feb 2019
M*A*S*H (1972)
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Suggested correction: "Just the opposite"? In what sense? According to whom? Very vague.
What he meant was Larry Linville (Frank Burns), despite playing a nasty, dumb character onscreen, was in fact incredibly sweet and intelligent and loved by the cast. Gary Burghoff (Radar), on the other hand, despite playing a sweet, likeable character, was in fact rude, arrogant and combative with cast members. He apparently didn't enjoy doing the show and wanted out when possible. No one missed him.
26th Dec 2006
National Treasure (2004)
Corrected entry: When Ben is dipping his fingers into the glass before he tested the ink with the smiley face he made on the table, you can see between his fingers the coin he gave Abigail.
Correction: That's because he hasn't given it to her yet.
Correction: He's using the liquid to put the invisible ink on the button (not a coin).
26th Oct 2020
Enola Holmes (2020)
Factual error: Mrs. Harrison travels to a random, remote country mansion (kilometers away from any civilization), meets a woman who is not her pupil, forcibly takes her measurements, insults her, and slaps her! Nobody in the right mind would do that because they know they would be murdered, harmed, or handed over to the police for trespassing, assault, and battery. (Such outcomes are recurrently portrayed in Sherlock Holmes stories.) Schoolmistresses did use corporal punishment but only on their pupils and within the bounds of school, where they have relative safety. To make matter worse, Mycroft warns Mrs. Harrison in advance. He describes Enola as "unbroken", "a wild and dangerous woman", "a wild child." (Indeed she is; she beats people during the rest of the film. How did Mrs. Harrison escape unscathed?). (00:11:43 - 00:13:46)
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Suggested correction: How was she trespassing or going to a 'random' mansion? Mycroft, who owns the mansion and is Enola's guardian, specifically invited her there and enrolled Enola as Mrs. Harrison's pupil. Slapping Enola was out of line (Mrs. Harrison seems to immediately regret it), but not unheard of. And Enola still holds out hope that Mycroft will change his mind. Fighting Mrs. Harrison would just prove to him that she needs discipline. She'd rather play it safe and escape before being sent to school.
The slap wasn't just out of line; in the real-world 19th-century England, it was defensible by death. Enola could kill all three, call the police, and allege killing trespassers. The worst verdict an inquest could return was "death due to misadventure." Or Enola could just kill all three and nobody would be the wiser. Read the original Sherlock Holmes books to find out why. Things didn't happen as they they'd happen in real-life... because the director said so.
Except it would be incredibly easy to prove that they'd been there at Mycroft's (the homeowner's) invitation, and Sherlock and the housekeeper also knew they were guests. It would also seem rather out of character for Enola to kill a teacher, let alone a couple of innocent dressmakers, don't you think?
Proof of Mycroft's invitation merely changes the inquest's verdict from "lawful killing" to "death by misadventure." It is out of character for a real-world Ms. Harrison, the epitome of decorum, to slap someone outside the school without fear of reprisal. (Does she have no self-preservation instinct?) It is out of character for a real-world Mycroft, an upper-class mansion owner, not to kill Ms. Harrison in defense of his honor. The Mycroft of this film is a 21st-century American redneck.
He's a redneck because his first response wasn't to kill a woman? It's a moot point. Enola never told anyone she'd been slapped.
Mycroft Holmes, the smartest man in the world, must have deduced something was wrong at point 13:53 when he saw the distressed Enola. After all, his inferior brother Sherlock has made more impressive deductions. And yes, the Englanders of that era could be deadly when somebody stepped out of bounds. Most importantly, you've stopped defending the original mistake and are now content to attack me for whatever reason. I think we're done here.
8th Feb 2005
Mean Girls (2004)
Corrected entry: The girl standing on the table with a red t-shirt on who said that she had a lot of feelings admitted that she did not attend the school. Yet we can see her when all the girls met in the gym just after they all got soaked by the fire sprinkler in the front row. She also raised her hand stating that she was personally victimized by Regina George. So when and how did she get there in the first place? (01:05:45 - 01:11:15)
Correction: Entering the school would be relatively easy - she could have hidden in a group of students at some point, and simply walked into a building when everyone else did. As for the Regina George question, I think she raised her hand because (1) so many other people raised their hands, and she wanted to fit in, or (2) she spends enough time at the school that Regina has actually bullied her before.
Correction: It wouldn't be very hard for her to get into the school, even if she didn't go there. Perhaps she was visiting.
Correction: In the 2024 remake, the character says she's there for a track meet. As good an explanation as any.
2nd Sep 2010
Forrest Gump (1994)
Corrected entry: When Young Forrest and Mrs. Gump walks by the Appliance Store and sees Elvis Presley perform "Hound Dog," that performance originally aired on June 5, 1956 on the Milton Berle Show while Forrest had yet started Elementary School, but when Governor George Wallace gives his infamous "Stand at the Schoolhouse Door" speech, the date that event occurred was June 11, 1963. So, there's no way that Forrest Started Kindergarten in 1956 and be in College already by 1963, especially with a below average IQ. Now, if I go off of the Jenny's date of birth off of her grave which was sometime in 1942 or '43 (I don't have the exact date), we can assume that Forrest would be the correct age when in college in 1963; that would mean also that Elvis Presley performed "Hound Dog" earlier than 1956 (more like 1949 or 1950, while Elvis would've been still relatively unknown at that point in history.).
Correction: It is a major plot point that Forest is slower than alot of people so begining school around 13 or 14 makes sense. it is also never stated that he was in kindergarden for his first day of school.
That kid was a lot younger than 13 when he started school.
27th Aug 2001
Forrest Gump (1994)
Corrected entry: In the scene where Forrest is carrying Bubba out of the jungle away from the airstrike, look carefully when Forrest starts down the trail into the open and the napalm starts hitting the ground. Several rounds land very close to him, and one even lands in a bush that he has just passed. In actuality Forrest and Bubba would have been crispy to the bone before they realised what hit them. (00:53:00)
Correction: The movie is a memory play so Forrest is telling someone all of this. The explosions may have sounded closer than they actually were. This would then be reflected in his recap of the story.
There's nothing in the movie to imply his memories are inaccurate. I call it a movie error.
17th Aug 2007
Ratatouille (2007)
Deliberate mistake: Main headlines in newspapers appear translated for each country for the kids to understand it, but the rest of the news appear in English, despite the movie taking place in Paris. Also, most signs -such as the poisons in the window shop- have labels written in English.
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Suggested correction: By that logic, it's a mistake that the characters speak English. It's an American movie set in France, and like you said, it's a kids' movie. Everything is in English for simplicity's sake.
14th Sep 2004
The People Under the Stairs (1991)
Corrected entry: When the police and child protective services people are in the house after Fool escapes and calls them to report abuse, he somehow winds up hiding in a kitchen cabinet while they're there. Why doesn't he just show the cops where the basement prison is?
Correction: Not to sound racist or anything but think about it. Even if Fool did do that who would the cops believe? The white couple that owns the house or an african american boy who knows about the secret only because he broke into the house?
The police probably would, at least, check out Fool's story, but it's likely he'd assume the police wouldn't believe him.
24th Mar 2005
Saved! (2004)
Deliberate mistake: When the poolboy jumps into the pool and turns into Jesus to save Mary, the movement of his mouth does not match his lines.
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Suggested correction: Mary is hallucinating, so reality isn't really a factor here.
12th Sep 2008
Three Amigos (1986)
Corrected entry: The three amigos think the letter they receive is signed by El Guapo himself, yet when the typist is shortening the letter for Carmen, he has typed her name at the bottom, which he doesn't cross out.
Correction: They never think the message is from El Guapo. El Guapo is simply the last thing they read from the message. They don't say Carmen's name.
They do think the message is from El Guapo (they mistake 'stop' for the telegraph code meaning 'end of sentence'). The typist is also the one who sends the telegram, and he left off Carmen's name to save her money, even if he didn't strike it out.
3rd Jun 2004
Best in Show (2000)
Corrected entry: Near the beginning of the film when Harlen Pepper is bragging about his dog Hubert he comments that he's had him for about 10 or 15 years. Later at the dog show, the announcer says that he thinks Hubert is just too young to be a serious contender. 10-15 years is actually pretty old for a dog.
Correction: Harlan says he has owned bloodhounds for 10-15 years, not this particular dog.
Correction: He tells Christy his dog is two years old.
31st Aug 2020
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)
Corrected entry: One of the guys says at one point says something like "Look it's the Goodrich blimp" while looking towards the sky. This was in reference to a commercial popular in the 1980s for Goodrich tires where people would be faked out by others after being told to look up at the Goodrich blimp. The fooled one would then say "Hey, Goodrich doesn't have a blimp" after looking up and being tricked. The point was Good Year had the blimp but not Goodrich.
Correction: Hey says Goodyear, not Goodrich. Since there were obviously no blimps in the old west, the cowboys all turn to see what he's talking about.
29th Mar 2009
Beetlejuice (1988)
Corrected entry: When the Maitlands' car crashes, there are no side or back windows (so that the car would sink faster).
Correction: Or perhaps they had all the windows down on that lovely warm day?
If their windows were open, wouldn't they have had an easier time to get out of the car and live?
Not if they were injured in the crash, or even stunned.
The front windows were, in fact, open and, generally speaking, yes, that would've helped them get out faster. But there are other factors, like if they couldn't get the seatbelts undone or possibly received a concussion when they hit the water.
22nd Apr 2004
The Neverending Story (1984)
Corrected entry: When Bastian enters his school, it can be easily identified as a modern concrete building. But the attic where he reads the book is (or rather, should be) that of an older building (1950's or even older) - no modern edifice of that size would use old wooden rafters, walls and roofing.
Correction: This is purely an opinion. There is no evidence provided to corroborate it.
Also, the front of the building could be a more modern addition. A lot of older schools have entire new wings.
26th Aug 2003
Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)
Corrected entry: When Martin exits his car when he first drives up to the now Ultimart, formerly his home, a cigarette drops off his lap. Martin Blank does not smoke. John Cusack does smoke.
Correction: We never see Martin Blank smoking, but we never see him taking a shower, either - and that doesn't mean he doesn't do so. Perhaps he's a very light smoker and only has one or two a day. something we aren't around to see?
Correction: Given how he found the joint he hid in his high school locker, he smoked at some point in his life.
28th Dec 2016
Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)
Corrected entry: In the final shootout, Dan Aykroyd is electrocuted by an unplugged TV. (01:41:20)
Correction: Old CRT-style TVs contain capacitors which can still hold a dangerous level of electricity, especially when the screen is smashed as happens here.
Correction: Who says he was electrocuted? I think getting your head bashed in by a huge TV would be enough to at least knock a guy out.
27th Aug 2001
Hot Shots! (1991)
Continuity mistake: When Adm. Benson takes a drink of pudding out of his coffee cup, the pudding is all over his mouth. They show the other guy in the room and then go right back to Adm. Benson, and the pudding on his face is gone. (00:48:50)
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Suggested correction: They show Commander Block long enough for Benson to wipe/lick the pudding off his face, especially in a farcical movie like this.
16th Sep 2021
Hot Shots! (1991)
Other mistake: When Topper speaks to Ramada for the first time, we can see his name plate read "LT Sean Harley", whereas LT stands for Lieutenant, any army's lowest officer rank. The rank insignia on his collar, though, is that of a Captain (CPT). (00:19:19 - 00:20:09)
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Suggested correction: Topper's not in the army, he's in the navy. He has the correct insignia for a naval lieutenant.
27th Jun 2017
Three's Company (1977)
Corrected entry: To avoid conversing with Cindy about Cindy's alleged pregnancy, Janet picks up an ashtray off the table and claims it's filthy and runs with it into the kitchen. None of the roommates were known to have smoked and no ashtray was seen (in The Apartment) in any other episode. What was the point of an ashtray all of a sudden?
Correction: While it might not have been seen previously, it doesn't mean they didn't have one. At that time many non-smokers had ashtrays in their homes (my grandparents did and often used it to hold change or keys). However, they may have had an occasion to have it out for something that we never saw, since we don't see every moment of their lives.
There was an episode with an ashtray and an old man came to stay with them. He was homeless and he did smoke in the episode.
The old man was just a visitor for one episode who smoked in Jack's room and said to Jack that he could use an ashtray in there (as a suggestion).
Correction: The episode with the old man had no ashtray in it. In fact, he set a small fire in Jack's bedroom and even said to Jack "you could use an ashtray in there." (Obviously indicating no available ashtray was in The Apartment for him to use).
Actually, that episode did have an ashtray - when Leo (the old man) first entered The Apartment, he asked Chrissy if she had an ashtray and she got one for him off the side table.
Correction: The trio entertained a lot, and smoking was pretty ubiquitous in the 70s. They probably had it out for a guest.
10th Jun 2018
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Corrected entry: When George is drunk and crashes into the tree, the homeowner comes out and yells at him. The man says that his great-grandfather planted that tree, therefore this man and his family would have lived in Bedford Falls for generations. It is also apparent from the movie that George's family has also lived there for a generation or two. However, the homeowner doesn't know who George is. It is mentioned time and time again that Bedford Falls is such a small town. It would be impossible for George and this man not to know each other. (01:37:00 - 01:38:00)
Correction: There is no evidence in the film this man has lived in Bedford Falls all his life and would have known who George Bailey was. Just because he said his great grandfather planted that tree is not proof he was a resident of Bedford Falls in years past. It is just as plausible he inherited the house and property and recently moved to Bedford Falls, and was told through family lore which relative planted the tree.
Correction: Not everyone in Bedford Falls knows George. His daughter's teacher's husband doesn't know him by sight.
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