Trivia: As Sheriff Bart and The Waco Kid are first getting acquainted, The Kid demonstrates how fast he is by snatching a chess piece from the board before Bart can grab it. Even though Bart plainly captures the chess piece in both his hands, he is stunned to find the piece missing when he opens his hands again a moment later (all in the same shot). No special effects were necessary, because actor Cleavon Little used a simple tabletop magic illusion: As he clapped his hands together around the chess piece and drew it back from the table for a split second, he smoothly dropped the piece into his lap and then immediately opened his hands for the surprising reveal. (00:36:02 - 00:36:28)
Charles Austin Miller
17th Aug 2020
Blazing Saddles (1974)
14th Aug 2020
Justice League (2017)
Factual error: The existing Justice League members realise that they cannot battle Steppenwolf without Superman, so they procure the last Motherbox to resurrect Superman from death. Unfortunately, the crippled Kryptonian spacecraft lacks sufficient power to activate the Motherbox. The Flash suggests that, given enough distance to accelerate, he can use his super speed to generate an enormous static electrical charge to activate the Motherbox. The problem with this scenario is that, although the Flash may generate a huge static electrical field at super speed, he is constantly discharging that static electricity, as we see every single time he exerts his power. As Flash races toward the Motherbox, gigantic arcs of electricity (easily hundreds of thousands of volts) pour off him, grounding to the spacecraft's bulkheads, thus neutralizing the static charge. Meaning that The Flash is not accumulating energy, he is discharging energy with every step; so, by the time he arrives at the Motherbox, he should have no more accumulated static electrical energy than if he started ten feet away from it.
Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.
Suggested correction: Under known physics, you are correct, however, The Flash can tap into the speed force, something that transcends known physics, which therefore makes his charging of the motherbox possible.
It doesn't matter what he is "tapping into" if he is still grounding-out to the ship's bulkheads and is discharging electricity the whole time.
Also the bulkheads are made of Kryptonian technology, being alien in nature maybe the discharged energy reacts differently and perhaps is reflected back into the Flash at a rate so fast that is imperceptible to the human eye. Like Bruce said the mother box is science beyond anything imaginable so we have to keep our mind open to possibilities regarding its properties.
Sorry but you are incorrect. According to you Barry shouldn't be able to run at all at high speed because physics. The speed force may as well be magic, as it defies physics in multiple ways i.e friction, gaining momentum the requirement for an equal opposite force to come to a rapid stop etc. Nevermind that it's canonical that they can generate and hurl lightning bolts.
Suggested correction: He said that he can "conduct a significant electrical current." At the moment he touches the cube, you can see the bolts sucking back into him and flowing into the cube. Also..."speed force."
4th Aug 2020
Star Trek (1966)
Question: Did actor Robert Lansing ever make any comments on Star Trek in general or "Assignment: Earth" (TOS S2E26) in particular? His co-star in this episode/pilot, Teri Garr, had a sour, cynical and dismissive opinion of "Assignment: Earth" and Star Trek fandom (Starlog #173). But what was Robert Lansing's feeling about his experience on Star Trek? Did he like it, hate it, was he excited about the prospect of entering into the new "Gary Seven" series; or, like Teri Garr, was Lansing glad to put it behind him? I've never seen or heard anything about Lansing's personal views on the show.
Answer: Robert Lansing said, in an interview, he was reluctant to a television series. He was a Broadway actor and was snobbish about T.V. Especially science fiction shows, which were considered cheesy kiddie programs. But Gene was a friend of his and wrote the part specifically for him. So he did it and admitted to having fun with it.
Thank you, I've always wondered about that. Is there a link to the Robert Lansing interview? I'd be very interested to read it or view it (if it's a video).
21st Jul 2020
The Music Man (1962)
Revealing mistake: During the July 4th festivities at Madison Park, Professor Harold Hill prompts four school board members (the Buffalo Bills quartet) into performing the song "Sincere," allowing Hill to slip away into the crowd. As they complete the last verse, the singers stroll into a wide shot with a fireworks display in the background. However, the skybursts are oddly magnified and erratically shift positions against the background, revealing that the fireworks display is a large but clumsily-edited rear-screen projection.
20th Jul 2020
The Music Man (1962)
Continuity mistake: Mayor Shinn thanks the crowd for attending the Fourth of July exercises indoors at the gymnasium due to "the weather being so chancy" (meaning a good probability of rain). Mayor Shinn adds that the July 4th fireworks display will be held that evening unless the rain prohibits it. However, the year is 1912, and no advanced weather-tracking technology exists; so, they have no way of predicting the weather except by direct observation. Therefore, the mayor must be basing his cautionary weather statements on direct observation of overcast and stormy conditions. But, when Professor Harold Hill works the crowd into an excited frenzy that bursts out of the gymnasium and into the streets, it is revealed that the sky is perfectly clear and blue, with the sun shining brightly. There is no indication of inclement weather whatsoever. In fact, it remains clear and never rains in River City throughout the course of the entire movie.
8th Jun 2020
Over The Top (1987)
Continuity mistake: During the final of the arm-wrestling championship, Lincoln Hawk's nose is bleeding. Then it's not. Then it is. It goes back and forth.
5th Apr 2020
Tales from the Loop (2020)
Revealing mistake: As Ed slowly backs away from the camera (from the foreground to the background), the towering Scrapper robot moves slowly forward (from the background to the foreground) to take Ed's place facing the camera. The lumbering robot is plainly casting a long shadow across this night-time shot towards the right side of the screen. But, as Ed and the giant robot pass one another, the CGI robot's shadow never falls across Ed at all. Throughout the shot, Ed remains uniformly illuminated, revealing that the digital-effects artist neglected to add the shadow passing over Ed. (00:38:55 - 00:39:19)
5th Apr 2020
The Public Enemy (1931)
Continuity mistake: Near the end, when Tom Powers is waiting in the rain to murder Schemer Burns, we see Tom wearing a tall, straight-crowned fedora that is only slightly tilted to his right. Suddenly, and for no apparent reason, we see a close-up of Tom wearing a completely different, taper-crowned fedora that is tilted deeply to his left. This close-up lasts for 7 seconds, then the shot returns to Tom wearing his original tall, straight fedora.
29th Feb 2020
Star Trek: Enterprise (2001)
In a Mirror, Darkly (1) - S4-E18
Trivia: In the opening scene of this episode (S4E18), footage from the 1996 movie "Star Trek: First Contact" was ingeniously intercut with new footage to create a startling revision that is still a Star Trek fan favorite to this day. Actors James Cromwell (Zefram Cochrane) and Cully Fredricksen (the Vulcan emissary) shot the original scene for the film "First Contact" in 1995. When the TV series "Star Trek: Enterprise" recycled the movie footage 10 years later, both Cromwell and Fredricksen received a day's pay for appearing as extras in this TV episode (about $120 for a day's work in 2005), even though they never physically appeared on the "Enterprise" set.
18th Feb 2020
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
Factual error: It is long-established in Star Trek canon that onboard diagnostics can detect any animate intruders on Federation vessels. Any living thing that exists upon a Federation vessel can be identified, and its location specifically noted on Federation property. How is it, then, that there are rats aboard the Regula I space station (as observed by Doctor McCoy) that haven't been eradicated?
Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.
Suggested correction: It is not established that Regula 1 has the same internal sensors that a starship has.
It is definitely established, however, that the Regula 1 space station is conducting the most highly-classified technological research and development in the entire Federation: The Genesis Project, which entailed re-engineering whole worlds to create new ecosystems where no life existed before. If anything, Regula 1 should be equipped with even more sensitive and discriminating biological sensors than any starship in the Federation, for the express purpose of preventing biological contamination of their experiments. So, Regula 1 must have necessarily possessed the most sophisticated biological sensors available. As Dr. Carol Marcus emphasized, the Genesis Project couldn't risk contamination by so much as a microbe, nevermind foot-long rats creeping around the space station.
None of the scanning shown in the film was done by the Regula 1 station. The Reliant is what scanned the planet where Khan was found. Even if Regula 1 did have highly advanced sensors there is nothing to suggest anyone has the time or need to regularly scan for pests on the station itself. The presence of a pest in the Genesis cave itself would have been an error, but not on the station. A pest on the station has no bearing on the Genesis project itself. There are too many assumptions for this to be considered a movie mistake.
The rat was not shown in the Genesis Cave, it was shown aboard the Regula space station, where the Genesis Device itself was constructed before it was beamed inside the planetoid for a test run. The point you're missing is that the space station had rats crawling around inside, but a rat infestation wouldn't be tolerated at an ultra-top-secret research and development facility for a project that was highly sensitive to biological contamination.
Regulus One was a scientific research laboratory, the rats seen roaming the passageways were lab rats that had escaped in the earlier confusion. Genesis was their current project, but I'm certain there were many other experiments going on. Bear in mind, Carol Marcus retorted that "they waited until everyone was on leave to do this." They only had a skeleton crew aboard at the time Khan boarded the station and killed those still present who were not transporting equipment to the cavern.
Suggested correction: It was most likely a lab rat that was inadvertently freed when Khan and his followers ransacked the station. The sensors probably pick it up just fine, everyone on the station is just too busy being dead to do anything about the stray rat scurrying about.
It's the 24th Century. After all the "animal cruelty" activism of the 20th and 21st Centuries, I very seriously doubt they are still experimenting on lab rats in the 24th Century. That practice would be deemed medieval, at best, and barbaric, at worst.
Suggested correction: When was this established? There are a number of episodes of the original series where the plot depends on them not being able to detect intruders. "Court Martial" for example.
"Court Martial" is probably the worst example you could use for your argument. In that episode, the vengeful Lieutenant Commander Benjamin Finney repeatedly sabotaged the Enterprise main computer (changing ship's chronological data records in order to fake his own "death" and frame Captain Kirk for a murder that never happened). Finney also sabotaged the computer and caused the Enterprise to fall out of orbit. Indeed, Spock discovered that the ship's computer was malfunctioning due to sabotage. So, Finney was more than capable of sabotaging the ship's bio-scanners, as well, to conceal himself from a whole-ship scan. In fact, they had to resort to a very sensitive audio-scan of the Enterprise, selectively eliminating the audible heartbeats of every known person aboard the ship. When all known heartbeats were eliminated, just one unknown heartbeat remained, and its owner couldn't be identified. Therefore, Finney had certainly tampered with the bio-scanner to conceal his whereabouts. It's very doubtful, however, that foot-long rats hacked the bio-scanners aboard the Regula research station to conceal their whereabouts.
Every time the Enterprise computer system reported an "intruder alert," and every time they asked the computer for the location of specific individuals and lifeforms anywhere aboard the ship. This was all well-established in the Original Series.
It's a big leap to go from that to they can detect any living being. It is explicitly established that under many circumstances they can't even detect a full grown man if they are in hiding. This is the whole basis of the plot of "Court Martial." Even as late as The Next Generation it is established that it is difficult to find someone if they're not wearing their communicator badge.
Yet they can detect single-celled organisms on a planet's surface from thousands of miles away. The technology certainly exists in the Star Trek universe, and especially for the highly-classified Genesis Experiment. In "The Wrath of Khan," Dr. Carol Marcus stipulates that the Genesis Experiment cannot be contaminated by so much as a microbe, and complete sterility is a condition for selecting a test planet. Yet they have foot-long rats scurrying around the Genesis research facility? That is a plot hole, a continuity problem and a factual error all rolled into one.
Reliant scanned the planet to search for any life forms. That scan was inaccurate and it read Khan's entire group (and presumably the Ceti eels) as non-specific, potential life matter. Reliant's crew speculates that it could just be some speck of matter and they are completely shocked to find multiple living humans there. If they were using these highly advanced sensors you claim they were using they would not have been surprised by the presence of humans at all. And even if they could, there is nothing to suggest they should also use those sensors for pest control on their space station.
Suggested correction: Obviously the first thing the rats did was chew through the cables to the lifeform scanners.
Which would set off alarms like crazy aboard the station because preventing biological contamination of the Genesis Experiment was a No.1 priority for Dr. Carol Marcus. Undoubtedly, the station was bristling with redundant bio-scanners.
All of which had been also chewed through! No, you make a good point.
Suggested correction: Someone on the Reliant had a pet rat and one of Khan's henchmen brought it aboard Regula I to torment the lab techs. (Yes, this sounds silly, but the point is that strange and unlikely things actually happen quite often and it's exactly what makes stories interesting. As long as an event can be rationalized, unlikelihood alone isn't enough to qualify as a mistake. If it really bothers you, you might get more mileage putting it under "stupidity" since it's obviously just a lazy horror cliche).
2nd Feb 2020
Ripping Yarns (1976)
Revealing mistake: The opening scene was shot twice, complete with a rear-end automobile collision in the foreground for both takes. The initial collision destroyed the taillights of the first car and the headlights of the second car and ruptured the second car's radiator on impact, spilling its contents into the street. The production crew attempted to sweep away the debris with a broom before the scene was reshot. If you examine the roadway before the two cars appear in this scene, you will see a prominent splatter on the pavement that has been swept with a broom almost precisely where the cars impact again moments later.
1st Feb 2020
Ripping Yarns (1976)
Trivia: In the pilot of the first series, "Tomkinson's Schooldays," Michael Palin introduces the episode wearing a full black beard, a black poet hat and a black opera cape; but Palin repeatedly bungles his lines and must be coached (by an off-camera Terry Jones) through every word of his introduction. Palin affects the same costume and character to introduce the first episode of the second series, "Whinfrey's Last Case," as well. In both instances, Michael Palin and Terry Jones were mocking the legendary American filmmaker Orson Welles, a heavy drinker who was notoriously difficult to direct and who had descended to appearing in wine commercials on TV by the 1970s.
27th Jan 2020
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019)
Revealing mistake: When John redeems his crucifix "ticket," the crucifix is heated to glowing red and used to brand John between his shoulderblades, signifying that the "ticket" has been redeemed. As the crucifix is removed from his bare back, the freshly scorched flesh is inexplicably glowing for a moment before it fades to black. (00:31:34)
22nd Jan 2020
Dumbo (2019)
Continuity mistake: In the first minute of the film before the title appears, we see the Medici Brothers Circus train leave Sarasota, Florida and head north into Georgia, touring the southern United States before arriving in Joplin, Missouri (where the first half of the film takes place). Upon arrival, the train's engine itself comes to a full stop directly in front of the Joplin depot. This shot immediately cuts to a frontal shot of the train engine coming to a full stop in open countryside with no sign of the depot or civilization anywhere, except for a fleeting glimpse of a rooftop about a hundred yards in the background.
21st Jan 2020
Neighbors (1981)
Other mistake: After Earl and Vic tangle in the swamp, Earl staggers back to his house to discreetly use the basement shower, where he is shocked to find Vic already there and waiting for him, hiding in the dark behind the shower curtain. Both men are literally covered from head to toe in thick, muddy muck from the swamp. but there is no trace of mud (handprints, smears, etc) on the shower curtain nor in the clean, white shower; and, when Earl manages to chase Vic out of the basement, he leans heavily on the door for a moment after slamming it, which should have left a huge, muddy print on the door's clean, white surface. But, as Earl steps away, there is no muddy print on the door at all. (00:38:57 - 00:39:42)
21st Jan 2020
Neighbors (1981)
Trivia: The 1980 novel "Neighbors" by Thomas Berger (upon which this comic film is based) was actually a much darker and more serious psychological story about a reserved, unexceptional suburbanite going to war with his younger, less-inhibited new neighbors. In fact, the novel's lead character, Earl Keese (played by John Belushi in the movie), actually dies at the end of the book. The film adaptation attempted a lighthearted, almost slapstick approach to the story, allowing Earl Keese to survive and run away with his zany neighbors to pursue a happier life. Ironically, the movie's production was so chaotic (with temperamental conflicts and rampant drug use among the cast and crew) that John Belushi relapsed into heavy addiction and died of an overdose of cocaine and heroin less than four months after the film was released.
7th Jan 2020
Ad Astra (2019)
Trivia: When Roy McBride is reviewing a top-secret message regarding his father and the LIMA mission, the message filename is "6EQUJ5," which is a very obscure easter egg in the movie. The filename 6EQUJ5 refers to the real-life "WOW Signal," a deep space radio signal received by the Big Ear radio telescope at Ohio State University in 1977. The alpha-numeric designation "6EQUJ5" was a printed readout of the signal's duration and intensity. This signal lasted 72 seconds and was 20 times stronger than background radio noise, causing a surprised astronomer to circle the printed 6EQUJ5 readout in red ink and make the handwritten notation "WOW!" in the margin. While the signal was an anomalous one-time event that was never repeated, and there is still no proof that 6EQUJ5 was alien in origin, it has stimulated debate about extraterrestrial radio signals for decades. Ironically, the movie "Ad Astra" concludes that there are no alien radio signals and that we really are alone in the universe.
31st Dec 2019
Murder, He Says (1945)
Trivia: In this wacky 1945 comedy (starring Fred MacMurray, Helen Walker, Marjorie Main, Peter Whitney and Porter Hall), the entire life-or-death plot is driven by a nonsense rhyme that must be decoded: "Honors Flysis, Income Beezis, Onches Nobis, Inob Keesis." The rhyme translates: "On horse flies is, In comb bees is, On chest knob is, In knob keys is" (and, indeed, the hero and heroine of the story eventually discover a valuable safe deposit box key hidden within a knob on a wooden chest). Throughout the film, this nonsense rhyme is repeatedly delivered as a simple but catchy 8-note musical ditty (that was also the movie's main theme song). Some 26 years later, when National Public Radio debuted "All Things Considered" in 1971 (its first news program in the United States), the radio show featured a simple and yet very-familiar musical intro that was credited to composer Don Vogeli. However, many listeners instantly recognized the "All Things Considered" intro as the theme music to "Murder, He Says," composed by Robert Emmett Dolan in 1944. National Public Radio was apparently oblivious to this amazing similarity. In fact, years after "All Things Considered" became their flagship news program, NPR conducted a listener contest inviting the audience to submit original lyrics for the established "All Things Considered" intro tune. To NPR's consternation, many hundreds of listeners contributed the lyrics: "Honors Flysis, Income Beezis, Onches Nobis, Inob Keesis."
29th Dec 2019
A Christmas Carol (1999)
Factual error: The Charles Dickens classic "A Christmas Carol" was first published in 1843; and, although Dickens never mentioned the specific year in which this story is set, it is fairly obvious that he was inspired by the severe winter of 1840, when Great Britain saw sleet, ice, snow and below-average temperatures from early December through February. This made-for-television Hallmark Entertainment production (starring Patrick Stewart) is a faithful interpretation of the Dickens novel, depicting rather severe weather for Great Britain in December, with accumulated snow on rooftops and in the streets. However, despite the snow and bitter cold that is mentioned repeatedly throughout the movie, nobody's breath condensation is ever visible when speaking, laughing, singing or shouting outdoors. This is no doubt due to the fact that the movie was produced during the spring and summer of 1999.
27th Dec 2019
Watchmen (2009)
Plot hole: Although this film is a virtual jigsaw puzzle of flashbacks, the dynamic between Dan, Laurie and Rorschach pretty much defines the movie's continuity in the present. However, when Rorschach is framed for murder and arrested, he goes directly to a maximum-security prison, apparently without trial, conviction or sentencing (all of which would require months of due-process, at least). Even if this lapse of time is some sort of artistic device to rapidly advance Rorschach's story, there is no corresponding lapse of months in the relationship between Dan and Laurie, which runs parallel with Rorschach's story. Either there is no due process for Rorschach in this story, or there is a glaring plot hole.
Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.
Suggested correction: Rorschach was a famous and dangerous outlaw. We are talking about an alternate 80's here with Nixon as president and a nation-wide ban on masks (the Keene Act). Rorschach probably faced the death penalty for his long list of crimes, besides the murder he was finally captured for (not to mention to handful of cops he seriously injured whilst trying to evade capture). I don't think it's strange that his trial was quick or not fully by the book. They made sure he was locked away fast and quietly. The justice system probably works a lot faster in a world of masked vigilantes.
Yes, Rorschach was a vigilante; but, before masked superheroes were outlawed, Rorschach was also responsible for sending dozens (if not scores) of far worse criminals to prison, thus benefitting society. This much is stated in the film. His contributions to justice would certainly carry weight, and testimony in his favor would have to be considered in any legal proceedings against him. Also, after his capture, authorities were still trying to assess his mental state, which implies that some sort of due-process was still in place. Rorschach should have received a months-long trial, at the very least.
To be fair, the original, Hugo Award-winning "Watchmen" graphic novel makes the same continuity leap when it comes to Rorschach's fate. Rorschach keeps a secret diary that dates everything, but it egregiously skips over his trial and sentencing, even though the relationship between Dan and Laurie remains consistent. So, we can say that the movie is faithful to the novel, but the novel itself is flawed with a gaping plot hole.
The cops of that city don't care about his past deeds, which includes dropping the body of a criminal in front of the police station with the message "Never." They don't like him. Not even his colleagues liked him. That was a long time ago too, he's been the sole masked vigilante for a long time and I bet the cops just started disliking him more and more for his antics. Thus, a quick trial.
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.