The Philadelphia Experiment (1984) - 30 mistakes

Continuity: After crashing through the guarded barrier of the base, David drives the stolen pickup truck and burning debris from the electrical storm falls onto the hood of the truck. In the next close-up the burning debris is shaped differently. Then after they crash through the wall, in the wide shot there is no burning debris on the hood. Yet, in the next close-up there's plenty of burning debris, but then in the next shot there is no burning debris again, just a smoking engine. The building debris surrounding the truck and behind it, in the first shot differs from all the building debris in the second shot as well.

Continuity: Aboard U.S.S. Eldridge, during the experiment's mishap, in the generator room David has his sleeves rolled up high on his arm, way above the elbows. In the next shot when he and Jimmy run to the top deck, his sleeves are at his elbows.

Continuity: At the hospital, as David walks up the corridor clutching his hand, he passes a nurses' station that has a plant at the corner. In the next shot, as he starts to run from the MP's, now there are two books under the plant.

Continuity: When Dr. Longstreet, in 1984, is in his office, in the wide shot the rolodex is near the telephone and papers. In the close-up shot of his desk as he sits down, the rolodex is not there. The globe on the file cabinet also shows different continents in the close up than the wide shot.

Continuity: In the opening scene, the first side shot of James' desk with papers, books, telephone, watch, etc., differs somewhat from the next front shot in regard to the arrangement of some of these items.

Continuity: In the opening scene, as Dr. James Longstreet sits at his desk, his left white shirt cuff is folded over the cardigan. In the next shot, while his arm did not move, his cuff is half folded, and while his arm rests on the desk not moving, in the next shot his cuff is completely unfolded. He also removes his glasses and in this side shot he does not have his left hand near his head. In the next continuous shot from behind, his left hand is up and his head is leaning on it.

Revealing: Going to his father's old place, David and Allison turn right on the corner, pass some stores and then turn left to drive into the lot of the Texaco station. The reflection shown in the stores' windows across the street is not at all what is supposedly across from those stores. Also, when they start to pull away from the station a set of studio lights are reflected in the side back window of the car.

Continuity: David's hairstyle changes throughout the movie multiple times between consecutive close-ups and wide shots. For example, at the base when he's in Dr. Longstreet's Lab, as he speaks with Dr. Longstreet David's hair continuously changes between shots.

Continuity: David, Jimmy and Allison drive away in her car, and there's a rear view mirror on the windshield. In the next shot of them, there is no rear view mirror. Driving down the highway and the close-up of Allison looking through the mirror at David, there's obviously a rear view mirror again. In the next shot of the three of them, there's no rear view mirror again. When Allison rescues David, inside the car shows a rear view mirror. Then view from outside, as David climbs over the front seat, there's no mirror yet again.

Continuity: David and Allison drive away from the station, after David learns of his father's death. When the camera is just on Allison, sitting in the passenger seat, the view of the background behind the car is very different than the view when the camera is just on David.

Continuity: As David walks with Dr. Longstreet, just before he enters the vortex, the man behind David is carrying David's helmet. In the first shot the helmet is right side up in the man's hands, but in the next consecutive shot, the helmet is held upside down.

Continuity: In the hotel room, David watches TV and next to the TV are plastic cups. In the shots facing David the cups are right up against the TV and there's a phone book lying on top of the TV set. In the shots facing the TV, the cups are further away on the dresser and there is nothing on top of the TV set.

Visible crew/equipment: When Allison drives and collides with the police car, as her car flies up part of the angled ramp used for the aerial stunt is seen to the right of the police car.

Continuity: When Allison has her arm X-rayed at the hospital, she is wearing a star pin on her blue sweater. In the shot preceding this one, as she follows Jimmy's gurney down the corridor with the doctor, since her jacket is open it is plain to see she is not wearing a star pin on her blue sweater. Because of the position of the pin, it should be seen.

Continuity: Dr. Longstreet takes photographs out of the two top secret folders and places the folders and some photos on the desk to his left. In the next close-up as he looks at the photographs, the folders and some other photos are now rearranged in the center directly in front of him. In the next front shot, the two folders on the desk are to his left again.

Audio problem: In 1943, a top secret Naval experiment went wrong and David was sent forward in time to 1984, with his friend Jimmy. In 1984, David and Allison, a girl fom the present day, are staying in a hotel room. David picks up the talking travel alarm clock and fidgets with it. Yet, in the shot of Allison the alarm clock is still on the nightstand between the two beds. Then as he puts the alarm clock back on the nightstand, in the shot of Allison, the alarm clock is on the nightstand even though we hear the sound of him actually placing the alarm clock down.

Continuity: As David runs from the MP's in the restaurant he jumps down onto the bar from the second floor. The shot of the bar from above and the shot of him landing on the bar differs in regard to the items on the bar and placement of people. As David runs onto the first table from the bar, the food on the plate belonging to the man in the brown suit differs in the next shot as the man ducks to his right.

Deliberate "mistake": As David runs from the MP's in the restaurant, he jumps off the balcony onto the bar below. It is very obvious that it's the stunt double for Michael Pare doing the jump.

Continuity: When David and Jimmy are at Scotty's Junction, Nevada, Allison is on the pay phone outside the diner. In the first shot, the hanging phone book's open pages face left, in the next shot, they face right and in the third consecutive shot the open pages face left again.

Continuity: When Dr. Longstreet approaches the scene of the chopper accident, in the wide shot his scarf hangs straight down. In the next close-up, his scarf is folded one end over the other. In the next wide shot, his scarf hangs straight down again.