Factual error: "Ice Station Zebra" is one of dozens of films which make the mistake of showing people carrying rifles such as M-16s with the magazines inserted. In the scene where Marine Captain Jim Brown arrives at the submarine via helicopter, he comes aboard passing his M-16 through a hatch with the magazine inserted, barrel first - a double safety violation. I first saw the movie in a Marine Corps base theater, and all of us yelled at the screen when we saw that.

Continuity: As the Soviet MiGs rush towards Ice Station Zebra, we see five close-ups of the obvious models of the jets. As the actual aircraft fly over the party with the camera on the ground looking up, we see only four jets.

Plot hole: Patrick McGoohan shoots the marine captain thinking him to be the traitor, thus, McGoohan believes, stopping the marine killing Ernest Borgnine. But shortly afterwards McGoohan comes out of the hut and addresses Borgnine sarcastically as 'Comrade'. How did he know he was the real traitor? Nothing has yet happened that should cause him to see this truth.

Revealing: Despite being supposedly close to the North Pole, we never see the actors breath and their shadows should be long, but they are very short.

Revealing: As Patrick McGoohan walks up the steps with a homing device, a crowbar swings out and strikes him in the head. Ernest Borgnine stops the swing just before striking McGoohan's head and McGoohan's acting takes over with him jerking his head back as seen in slow motion while falling down the stairs.