Common movie and TV mistakes since 25 Sep '20, 02:48

This is a list of mistakes, things done wrong, etc. that happen so frequently onscreen we barely notice any more. 'Movie logic', stupid behaviours, and everything related.

Other mistake: The main protagonist in a TV show or movie is being shot at by machine guns, and he somehow manages to dodge the bullets.

Mike Lynch

Factual error: All sprinklers going off at the same time in a fire or when an alarm is triggered - they actually go off individually and only when exposed to enough heat.

Deliberate mistake: You don't automatically get "one phone call" when you're arrested in the USA. Depends on the state, for a start. You're always entitled to access to a lawyer regardless, but not always making the call yourself. If you make a call with no-one answering, you've not "wasted" your call either. Plenty of states allow multiple calls, within reason. It's a plot device, not based in reality.

Jon Sandys

Factual error: When a police officer finds a suspicious powder he or she puts some on his or her tongue and knows straight away what drug it is, in reality the powder would need a lab test to analyse it.

eric 64

Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.

Suggested correction: Not true. Generally they are tasting it to see how pure the drug is. Hard drugs are often diluted with milk sugar, so they make a bigger profit. The higher the sweet taste, the less pure the drug is.

stiiggy

First, law enforcement officers don't ever taste drugs, it's a good way to die if you don't know what you're ingesting. But second, the mistake isn't saying they are tasting drugs to know it's strength or purity. The mistake is explicitly about a cop tasting a drug and positively identifying what it is based on taste, which happens a lot in cop movies. Such as when the cop says "that's cocaine", not "that's half pure cocaine."

Bishop73

Factual error: Knocking someone out by hitting them in the head is in no way a "safe" means to incapacitate them. Leaving a person unconscious after a head injury is extremely dangerous and can lead to death. It is absurd for a hero who doesn't want to kill anyone to go around punching people out and just walking away.

BaconIsMyBFF

Deliberate mistake: Whenever someone needs to dump out someone's garbage because they're looking for something, it's always dry and clean, never disgusting.

Mike Lynch

Deliberate mistake: The criminal tells his evil plans to a priest, who is then unable to prevent a crime because of the "seal of the confessional." Yes, priests may not tell another what is heard in confession, however the 'seal' protects only those who seek absolution for past sins. Confessionals are not boxes into which you can tell a priest your dastardly plans and they can't do anything about it. There is no seal on this misuse of the confessional. Examples include 'Priest' (1994).

Senex

Factual error: It's common in movies and shows, and even games sometimes, to see characters effortlessly lifting manhole covers. Usually when climbing out from them or even just walking up and lifting them with bare hands. In the case of the TMNT, where they have enhanced strength, it's a little more believable. However, in real life these lids are super heavy and usually require a crane or other heavy equipment to lift.

Quantom X

Factual error: When an indoor fire occurs, sprinklers often start spraying in the entire building. In reality, though, only the nearest sprinklers (those who got hot enough) will start sprinkling. This is to avoid unnecessary damage in real life, and to focus the available water on the most needed place.

Character mistake: Soldiers leaving the foldable stocks of their weapons folded, despite knowing that they are going into a combat situation. Particularly affects the MP-40 wielded by the Germans in WWII movies, but also some modern examples like the MP5 and the G36. Automatic weapons are difficult to control at the best of times, there is no reason a trained soldier would deprive themselves of this extra bit of accuracy.

Friso94

Factual error: Stun guns and Tasers do not knock people unconscious. They are designed to incapacitate by either interrupting motor control or causing pain. Movies and TV shows often show someone is zapped with a stun gun and falling unconscious almost instantly. Electroshock weapons simply cannot be used this way, nor are they designed with this in mind. It is absurd for a spy to use a stun gun as a stealth weapon, the first thing the target would likely do is yell from the pain.

BaconIsMyBFF

Audio problem: Characters in a fist fight landing all punches that all sound like loud smacks or worst case (Rocky) car doors slamming.

Factual error: When someone's body is engulfed in flames, s/he must spend at least a couple seconds flailing arms in the air and making awkward leg movements (sometimes zombie-like) before falling to the ground.

KeyZOid

Deliberate mistake: When food is served, little (if any) is eaten - even if people are starving. Instead, the diners play with their food, pretend to be cutting it or getting it onto a fork/spoon, and might raise food to their mouth but not actually put any in (which might be followed by "fake chewing"). Frequently, ONE bite is taken out of a sandwich or slice of pizza and the rest goes uneaten. As a variation, when the family is just about ready to "dig into" a holiday feast, there's an emergency = no-one eats.

KeyZOid

Factual error: Films set in or around the middle ages depict horses being the size of modern horses. In actuality, horses during that time period were smaller, closer to modern ponies.

Phaneron

Factual error: When the character holding a gun keeps cocking the slide whenever they are about to get into trouble. Once a weapon is cocked, it's loaded. Every other time the slide, or cocking handle is manipulated, the weapon will extract a round from the chamber and draw a new round from the magazine. Whenever this happens in movies or shows, the weapon never extracts the round in the chamber.

Deliberate mistake: How many times have we seen cars and trucks drive through snow, dirt and mud, only to arrive at their destination perfectly clean.

Mike Lynch

Factual error: Films depicting criminal trials in American courtrooms frequently show the defendant receiving their sentence right after their guilty verdict is rendered. In real life, people found guilty will have a separate hearing to receive their sentence several weeks later.

Phaneron

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