Factual error: If the access hatch to the nose wheel well on an airliner was opened at any time during the flight, every alarm panel in the cockpit would light up like a Christmas tree. In this case happening within seconds of takeoff the pilot would immediately declare an emergency, turn around and land at the airport he had just left. (00:22:10)
Factual error: The electric guitar Marty plays at the "Enchantment Under the Sea Dance" is a Gibson ES345. This guitar model debuted between 1957 and 1958 yet he's supposedly playing it in 1955. It would have been more accurate to have him using a Fender Telecaster (1950) or Stratocaster (1954) or a Gibson Les Paul (1952). (01:23:50)
Factual error: There is absolutely no way to fit three people in the cockpit of a single seat F16 fighter. There is no large empty space behind the pilot's seat - there is a bulkhead, and behind that a rather obtrusive jet engine. Even the two seater training version of the F16 cannot accommodate three people - there is no space behind either seat large enough for a third person, which this mockup has.
Factual error: When Rambo plays possum then suddenly takes out the Russian officer's Hind Helicopter he uses an M72A2 light anti-tank weapon (LAW). When fired, the M72A2 has a back blast that can kill out to 100 feet, which means he would have either blown up his own helicopter or killed all the MIA's he had rescued...
Factual error: When Dorothy runs away from the hospital she is chased by a nurse, who has a torch. Earlier in this film the doctor said they two months away from the 20th century which gives the year as 1899. Such a modern torch that the nurse had was not invented yet.
Factual error: The train consists of four locomotives, but close ups beaneath the train show the wheels of freight cars.
Factual error: When Mouth flattens the tires on Brand's bike, all he does to let the air out is take the valve caps off. There's actually a valve in the valve stem that needs to be depressed to let the air out. The cap is just there to keep dirt out of the valve, simply taking it off wouldn't let the air out.
Factual error: There are no oil wells or oil fields anywhere in the Bay Area (Unlike Los Angeles, where there are oil wells everywhere). (01:41:05)
Factual error: The story takes place during spring of 1976 but Marty's parents drive a 1979 station wagon.
Factual error: Towards the end when Pee Wee is being chased through the sound stage, he comes out through the open doors and the red light is flashing that indicates that filming is going on. But if the light were on, the doors would not be open. They also take a while to open, so it's not like they could have just swung open right before Pee Wee got there. (01:14:30)
Factual error: The word 'magician' is spelled 'magicinan' on the cart when Nicholas bends down to collect the spiders web. (00:50:30)
Factual error: When John Cusack is talking to Daphne Zuniga in the swimming pool, watch for the view of the window. There is a palm tree growing at this Northeastern, snow covered college campus. (Obviously an oversight when filming in California, but a mistake nonetheless.)
Factual error: Young David focuses his telescope at the moon. A close up shot then shows a circular view i.e. it is supposed to be the view through the telescope. Both the moon and the clouds in focus. With a telescope the depth of field is short and, with the moon in focus, the clouds would actually be blurred.
Factual error: The fence surrounding the HARP facility that Remo and Conn break into is supposedly electrified. Not possible - it is a standard chain link fence affixed directly to aluminum posts driven into the ground. If it were electrified it would have to be insulated from the posts; the way it is shown in the film, the electricity would shunt into the ground. When the front-end loader hits it, a plume of firework-like sparks erupts from the point of impact. Also not possible - there was nothing in the bucket of the loader to detonate and the metal hitting against the electrified fence would, at most, cause some small electrical arcs.
Factual error: When the aliens first take over the Thunder Road, Wolfgang says that he will reverse the "x-axis diode" to make the computer think they are traveling in the opposite direction. However the outside view shows them moving up and forward at a steep angle, ie moving up on the Z axis and forward on the X axis. If they X axis diode was reversed then the Thunder Road would still be ascending at the same rate, simply in the opposite direction (basically changing from moving forwards and climbing to moving backwards and climbing) . To make them descend, he would have to reverse movement on the Z axis. Considering it's shown on screen that Wolfgang designed the interface to make the sphere move on XYZ coordinates, he would know this.
Factual error: Harlan's car has a Roots style supercharger. They can't be "turned on and off" as shown. There is no carburettor or fuel injection lines shown between the scoop and the compressor.
Factual error: Quatermain and Jessie are on the roof of the caboose of the train. The train engineer slams on the brakes because there are elephants on the tracks. Instead of being flung forward as the train slows, Jessie is flung towards the rear.
Factual error: In the fight scene, where Max is about to kill Blaster after knocking his helmet off, it's discovered that Blaster is mentally disabled, showing signs of him having Down syndrome. A person with this form of disability grows no taller than 5'2". The extra chromosome in their body causes disruptions in their brain growth and health, which causes them to be of a small size their entire lives. Blaster certainly wouldn't be of a tall, large stature as he's depicted in the film with Down syndrome.
Factual error: The hawk that Isabeau turns into is a red-tailed hawk. Red-Tailed hawks are a North American Species and wouldn't be found in Europe.
Suggested correction: There is nothing in the film to suggest that because they live in Europe, Isabeau should only turn into a hawk native to that continent. It's a magical curse. A film can make its own rules how magic works in their universe and in this film Isabeau is cursed to turn into a North-American hawk for whatever reason.