Factual error: A native French speaker like Monique would never mistake the word 'testicle' for 'tentacle'. The French word for 'testicle' is 'testicule' and the word for 'tentacle' is 'tentacules' - both are pronounced almost identically to the English form. She'd have to confuse the two words in French, and not even a non-English speaking French person would make a mistake like that. Monique's English is very good. She'd be perfectly aware of what she was saying.,.
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: When the evangelist first enters the mansion, Mrs. Peacock calls him a beatnik. However, the movie is set in 1954, and the word "beatnik" was not coined until 1958. (01:15:25)
Factual error: There are no palm trees in Nebraska, visible when Wolf Scott surfs the Wolfmobile. (00:59:45)
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: In the culminating scene where Fletch is held at gun point and escapes by turning on the gas valve in the fireplace and then igniting the vapors into a ball of flame, he actually turns the valve into the off position (valve is perpendicular to the pipe). (01:32:00)
Suggested correction: The valve was in closed position (perpendicular). He opened the valve (turned parallel to pipe).
Factual error: The tiny missiles on the F16 are shown as being attached to some sort of flexible metal framework which bends and shifts as the plane moves along the ground. The F16 is a supersonic fighter - any such thing would be ripped clean off the wing at speed. The missiles carried by the F16 are attached to streamlined 'hard points' under the wing, or the wingtips themselves.
Factual error: When the CIA guys are 'invited' to the secret underground base via the highspeed drop platform - shouldn't they be flying off at the speed the platform is descending?
Factual error: There's a couple of scenes where Izzy goes into a speech about how he came to America when he was 10, and he owes so much to that country. The historical Izzy Einstein came to America when he was 15.
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 KGB agent hunting Jonathan is carrying a Spanish Campo-Giro pistol. There's no way a KGB agent would carry a foreign sidearm in a Soviet Bloc country, especially one that was phased out of service in the late 1920's.
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: Softball games are played with only seven innings.
Factual error: In the beginning when the college grads are making drinks in the blender, they're using Citrus Hill orange juice. The movie takes place in 1971 and Citrus Hill wasn't on the market until the mid 80s.
Factual error: The Air America helicopter that flew Tom Hanks and company out to the site was a Bell 212 (Twin Huey) The movie allegedly takes place in 1962. That model Huey was not introduced until 1968.
Factual error: Blossom is driving a 1958 corvette in 1955.
Factual error: In the shot of Florence with several bridges and the river shown, cars and motorbikes can be seen going across the lowest bridge in the shot. (00:10:10)
Factual error: One zombie, who's rotted away all his organs, has two eyeballs looking good as new. Even if eyeballs didn't rot, they would fall out with nothing to hold them in. Just like the half of a woman zombie that talks with a soft sultry voice but with rotting or missing vocal cords.