Continuity mistake: In the sequence when Gravedigger and Coffin toss up in the air one of the guys who walked up to them provoking them, all the dynamic of the toss is just plain odd looking, he continuity of the guy standing up is choppy, and the light appears to be changing radically as well. (00:08:40)
Continuity mistake: When the transvestite robs the puny bald street vendor of his coats and furs, absolutely nothing is left on the rack. But in the next shot the poor schmuck has at least a clothing hanger in front of him. (00:13:20)
Revealing mistake: When the guy who was stealing money from the lady's garter gets run over by the getaway car, it's obvious that the actor stops way before connecting with the corner of the car - and the trajectory of his bump afterwards does not make any physical sense. (00:15:15)
Factual error: It's common in movies of certain eras to have cars catch fire when in real life they would not, and the car flip that concludes the chase at the beginning of the movie offers an example of that...but goes even further, much further, when you see the armored van impacting against the roof of the flipped car causing it to explode with such violence and inferno of flames coming from within the passenger seats you'd swear it had to be driven by giant dynamite sticks with arms and legs. (00:15:25)
Continuity mistake: Iris splashes Coffin Ed with the glass as he speak into the phone receiver. She barely gets him and in the same shot as he turns towards the camera to grab her, his jacket and shirt have barely any wet spots. Throughout the scene the stains change in number and size for no reason (even assuming some might have dripped from the cheek to the jacket). (00:17:45 - 00:18:55)
Continuity mistake: Digger blocks the odd karateka fellow and pins him by the door. His hand goes from the wall, to inside the door opening between shots. Similarly, as he is talking, the camera is on Ed, who holsters (with some kinda out-of-character difficulty) his gun and places a hand on his belt, only to have the same arm fully relaxed down his side in the following shot. (00:24:55)
Continuity mistake: At home with the widow, Reverend O'Malley is talking to her as she stands by the window. The lighting of the scene changes blatantly depending on the angle of the shot - just look at the shadow suddenly in the middle of the curtains in the closer view. (00:29:25)
Continuity mistake: When the cop is duped by Iris into taking his clothes off, the shadows change noticeably. In the wider angle sideviews there's a pronounced shadow on the top of the door while in the closer views of the cop the door appears more open - or at least the clean shadow disappeared.He also projects a shadow in different spots of the wall, again depending on the angle of filming. (00:31:20 - 00:32:05)
Continuity mistake: When the cop strips for Iris, the zebra towel is closer to the bed than it was when he pulled it off her and put it on the ground. (00:31:35)
Continuity mistake: In bed, the paper bag Iris gives to the cop has holes in the part of the bag that has no logo. In the corridor, we see his facial features pop from the side with a big green thank you circle. (00:31:50 - 00:32:30)
Continuity mistake: When Coffin and Gravedigger go to Lo Boy's hideout and hold him on his feet, multiple continuity errors happen as their hands' position on his arms greatly varies depending on the different angles. (00:33:00 - 00:34:00)
Revealing mistake: Iris' taxi stops in front of the Apollo. The street is pretty much empty, but once she is shown getting off the cab, there's suddenly cars, people all over the sidewalk and even in the middle of the road, pretty much everyone looking at the camera crew filming. (00:36:50)
Continuity mistake: Johnny's widow is back from her little scouting, and is telling the Reverend about the cotton bale in Harlem. During the scene there's an obvious shadow cast by her head over her right shoulder that disappears in the reverse shots. (00:37:55)
Continuity mistake: Struck by Iris, Mrs. Hill falls to the ground (in obviously sped-up footage, incidentally) face up. As the Rev makes his unceremonious exit, she is lying on one side. (00:39:50)
Continuity mistake: The junkman played by Redd Foxx closes the door in front of the white guy, who gets in front of the broken window and shouts at him. His hand in the faraway view is on the sill, and in the tighter angle is at the side. (00:45:05)
Audio problem: After the scene with the white dude visiting Sanford to look for cotton, we see the reverend being greeted by a bunch of people playing billiards. There's a marked discontinuity even in the audio played as he walks forward to a hi-five, not to mention that nobody had the cue anywhere near the green carpet but still you see in the second shot that balls are rolling. (00:46:00)
Continuity mistake: Playing pool with his buddies, Reverend Deke does not hit the cue ball but rather a generic stripe. Moreover, the balls and cotton bit change position between shots. (00:46:30)
Continuity mistake: Grave Digger shoots a flare and lights up the junkyard with a rather goofy effect (it's obvious that a spotlight is being used). Moreover, a moment later the villains shoot the other villain (white dude in a full suit), and there's no real continuity in his posture, position and lighting of the shot. (00:47:35)
Continuity mistake: At the beginning of the interrogation of O'Malley, during the 'cancer prevention' joke the big cigar in the mouth of Coffin Ed moves to the far right corner in an obvious jump in continuity. (00:54:20)
Continuity mistake: People march in the street clamoring for the release of Deke. Watch the white dude next to a car: a few people are about to pass him by, and he is holding his hand up, gesturing. In the closer view, he's just watching them pass with his arms limps down his sides. (01:00:40)
