Best thriller movie mistakes of 1981

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Body Heat picture

Factual error: Under US law neither Peter Lowenstein nor Oscar Grace would be allowed any level of participation in the investigation, arrest and prosecution of Ned Racine. Both have a highly visible social relationship with him, which disqualifies them from having anything to do with a criminal case against him. In fact as soon as he became a suspect in Edmund Walker's murder they would both be officially 'warned off' - told not to contact him again for any reason.

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The Evil Dead picture The Evil Dead mistake picture

Continuity mistake: When Cheryl is running through the woods, she is wearing slippers that stay on up until she reaches the cabin door. However, in following shots, she is shown barefoot, and when Ash opens the door her foot is dirty as if she'd been running barefoot the whole time. (00:28:05 - 00:29:10)

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Time Bandits picture

Factual error: When the Titanic sinks all six dwarves and Kevin end up in the sea clutching a lifebelt. The water in which the Titanic sank was freezing - that is how most of the casualties died, by freezing, not drowning. In water like that you'd be lucky to stay conscious for more than a few minutes. Despite this none of them show the slightest effect of the cold. Maybe the dwarves have some 'magical' ability to withstand lethal cold, but Kevin doesn't even react to being plunged into freezing cold water. He'd be screaming in pain, but he doesn't even show the slightest sign of discomfort.

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For Your Eyes Only picture

Plot hole: Bond makes a huge tactical error after diving to the St. Georges. He knows the Russians and their operatives are after the ATAC. The ATAC itself is expendable to Britain, since it has a self-destruct mechanism that, under proper procedure, would have been set off when the ship sank. So why is Bond trying to retrieve it? Because he disarms the self-destruct, he actually allows Kristatos to get his hands on it, forcing Bond to track it down again and, to stop the Russians from getting it, HE DESTROYS IT! So why doesn't Bond, instead of disarming the self-destruct, set a timed charge or toss a grenade in the room to destroy the ATAC while it's at the bottom of the sea? The answer is, of course, that if Bond destroys the ATAC before the bad guys can get at it, the movie's over. Even so, at the end, when Bond finally does destroy the ATAC, he tells Gogol it's "detente. You don't have it. I don't have it." Clever line, but it reinforces the fact that the British don't need it. They can build another one.

Vader47000

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Halloween II picture

Revealing mistake: When Loomis shoots the marshal's window out, when he makes a u-turn you can see the tire marks on the road and dirt from previous takes.

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An American Werewolf in London picture

Other mistake: When the two Americans are walking on the moors, their shadows are always in front of them, despite them having changed direction numerous times. Additionally, with the moon always being behind them, how are their faces being lit?

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Friday the 13th Part 2 picture

Continuity mistake: When Scott gets his throat cut, blood pours out. Yet when Terri spins him around, there's no blood anywhere on him except a small amount on his shirt sleeves.

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Mad Max 2 picture Mad Max 2 mistake picture

Visible crew/equipment: When Wez rips the door off the tanker you can see a crouched crew member next to Max. This has been disputed but it is there, watch underneath the steering wheel just after Wez starts shouting "Go! Go! Go!". (01:19:05)

Jack Vaughan

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Escape From New York picture Escape From New York mistake picture

Continuity mistake: When Snake kills the wrestler he falls forward shoulders forward, next minute his arms are over the ropes, next minute his arms are in a different position again - quite active for a dead man. (01:16:55 - 01:18:10)

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Outland picture

Continuity mistake: The name patch on O'Niel's uniform changes between "O'Neil" and "O'Niel".

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Death Hunt picture

Continuity mistake: When Albert Johnson jumps into the top of a tree, he first throws his backpack off the hill but leaves his rifle. After he gets to the base of the tree both his backpack and rifle are there.

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Omen III: The Final Conflict picture

Continuity mistake: In the first two Omen movies, Damien's mark of the Beast was hidden on the top of his scalp. In this movie, it's behind his right ear.

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The Postman Always Rings Twice picture

Continuity mistake: In the final scene of the movie, on the highway, Cora (Jessica Lange) is ejected from the car Frank (Jack Nicholson) is driving, hits the ground, dies instantly after the impact, and rolls over to the shoulder of the road. Weeping, Frank kneels by her side and holds her motionless right hand with his right hand, which, of course, has no wedding ring (They had just been married.) The next and last close-up shot shows he's holding her right hand with his LEFT HAND, the wide gold wedding ring appearing now in full sight. (01:59:33)

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Scanners picture

Continuity mistake: In the head exploding scene the table gets covered in blood and brain matter, but in the next shot the table is clean. (00:13:05)

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Diva picture

Continuity mistake: About half way through the movie, the three main characters are in a loft. When the Asian girl grabs the postal worker's jacket, a cassette tape falls out of his pocket. As the girl bends down to pick up the tape, the camera shows here reaching with one hand, and then the camera switches to a close-up of her picking up the tape with the opposite hand.

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Blow Out picture

Continuity mistake: Jack sees the car drive into the creek and runs to check for anyone injured. Jack dives into the water and you see the car submerge completely. Jack is then looking around and the car's trunk is sticking out of the water, then submerges yet again.

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Eye of the Needle picture

Deliberate mistake: When "Henry Faber" discovers the phony airfield, several helicopters with Army markings are among the aircraft visible. Although the Army did use helicopters experimentally during WWII, those used bore no resemblance to those shown in the film.

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An Eye For An Eye picture

Continuity mistake: When Chuck Norris is battling with the Triads at Mako's house, a oriental box is knocked off a table in the first shot when a Triad is slammed against the table it is on. In the next shot of the table, the box is back in its' position.

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Nighthawks picture

Continuity mistake: When Stallone and Williams are on the back of the train, Stallone smashes the window. Cut to Hauer. After this, the window is shown again, and the hole in it is larger than it was when broken.

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