It’s always a blast catching movie mistakes. There’s a certain satisfaction in turning to your friend with that self-satisfied grin and asking, “Did you catch that?” And let’s face it, there are a ton of mistakes out there. Movie productions are huge, complex operations with thousands of moving parts, and unfortunately, most of those parts are human, leading to some hilarious slip-ups.
Objects and people left in shots, sets that magically rearrange themselves, continuity errors, and extras walking into things – the possibilities for movie mistakes are endless. Whether they’re tiny blunders or massive plot oversights, it’s fun to put on your detective hat and mock them relentlessly. So, grab your popcorn, and let’s dive into ten of the most glaring movie mistakes ever committed to film!
10. Stormtrooper Head-Bonk
It’s a tense moment in “Star Wars: A New Hope.” Luke and Han have rescued Leia and are making their escape, only to find themselves in a trash compactor. As the walls close in, a shot pans over to stormtroopers breaching the droids’ hiding place… and one of them hilariously smacks his head on the blast door.
It’s super noticeable, complete with a sound effect. George Lucas reportedly didn’t spot it until after the release, later adding an audible ‘thunk’ in the 2004 DVD release to poke fun at himself. The moment’s goofiness definitely undercuts the tension of our heroes’ predicament.
9. Holes Before Bullets
Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” is a cinematic masterpiece with a complex, non-linear storyline. The fact that there aren’t more mistakes is a miracle itself. However, one stands out: the magic bullet holes.
In ‘The Bonnie Situation,’ Jules and Vincent are in Brett’s apartment when one of Brett’s friends emerges from the bathroom and fires six shots, all missing. The wall behind them displays six bullet holes, which Jules believes is a miracle. But, if you rewind, those holes are already there before the shooting even starts!
8. Spider-Man’s Lamp
In Sam Raimi’s “Spider-Man,” Peter Parker discovers his newfound powers. He shoots webs all over his room, smashing a lamp in the process. Aunt May comes to check on him, and then…
The lamp is magically back in one piece! While ‘lamp status’ isn’t usually a big deal, this lamp was the focus of the scene, showing Peter’s lack of control. Its sudden repair is a glaring goof.
7. Two Ant-Men
In the final battle of “Avengers: Endgame,” Ant-Man is seen both giant-sized and regular-sized within moments of each other.
One minute, he’s a giant Ant-Man wrestling with space-eels. The next, he’s a regular-sized Ant-Man hot-wiring a van. It’s understandable given the CGI chaos, but still a noticeable mistake.
6. Old Scottish Battle-Car
“Braveheart” has many visible errors, including a crew member in a baseball cap. But the best one is definitely the car.
During Wallace’s charge into battle, a white car is parked in the background, right behind the English cavalry. It definitely ruins the historicity of the moment.
5. To Help a Raptor
“Jurassic Park” still holds up remarkably well, but even it has its mistakes. During the raptor kitchen scene, a helping hand literally makes an appearance.
As the raptors enter the kitchen, a hand is clearly seen pushing one of them forward, supporting its bottom to ensure it hits its mark and doesn’t fall. Sweet, but immersion-breaking.
4. ‘Your Mother’s Eyes’
The “Harry Potter” movies are mistake-ridden, and the biggest one is the constant claim that Harry has ‘his mother’s eyes,’ which is just not true.
Characters repeatedly tell Harry that he has Lily’s eyes, implying that they remind them of her. But when we see young Lily, she has dark brown eyes, while Harry’s are light blue. It’s a glaring oversight.
3. What Octopus?
“The Goonies” is a fun adventure but has a messy script, leading to a big mistake. At the end, Data says, “The octopus was very scary. It was very dangerous.” Except, there was no octopus in the theatrical release.
An octopus scene was cut. In it, the Goonies encounter a giant octopus and defeat it by forcing it to eat a tape player. Cutting the scene was smart, but leaving in Data’s line wasn’t.
2. The Missing Hedge Maze
“The Shining” culminates in Jack chasing Danny through the Overlook Hotel’s hedge maze. However, the maze is missing in some initial shots.
The opening aerial shots of the hotel clearly show no hedge maze. It’s ironic that Stanley Kubrick, known for his meticulousness, would overlook this significant detail.
1. The Turtle with Two Mouths
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” is underrated but full of mistakes. But the biggest and most horrifying is the mouth-in-mouth.
When Donatello jokes about a “Kodak moment,” he rears back in laughter, and we see a human mouth inside the turtle mouth. The image is disturbing and might have scarred some viewers for life.
So there you have it – ten glaring movie mistakes that somehow slipped through the cracks. Next time you’re watching a film, keep your eyes peeled; you never know what you might find!
Did you notice any of these mistakes? Let us know in the comments below!
