Earthquake

Earthquake (1974)

71 mistakes

(2 votes)

Earthquake mistake picture

Revealing mistake: In the office tower after the quake there is a panic and workers rush down the stairs only to find them fallen away. After two women fall to their death a man is left hanging on a girder, but falls onto a giant piece of glass. Look at the top of the frame and you will see the airbag shooting our from under it.

Revealing mistake: When the airplane is coming in for a landing, we see an exterior shot of the plane shaking violently well before it has touched down. Clearly the "earthquake" effect is achieved by merely shaking the camera.

Other mistake: During the quake, we see the furniture, wall panels, ceiling tile, windowpanes, vertical blinds, etc., in the office fall, shake, or crack. Yet the leaves of a large potted plant do not move at all.

Continuity mistake: During the scene at the airport when the tower OK's the plane to land we can see it is a 707 with TWA-like colors of red and white. Then when there is the shot of the plane on the ground it turns into a DC-8 with orange markings. When the plane takes off into the air the camera shows the 707 again.

Tobin OReilly

Earthquake mistake picture

Revealing mistake: During the quake, a mother is seen having a plate glass window fall on her face while her daughter screams. Before the mother turns around to show us the gore, look close and you can see a shard of glass already "placed" in her face before the fake glass falls her. Additionally, while not a "mistake", it's clearly a "stuntman" portraying the mother. The face and yelping give it away.

Continuity mistake: When the aftershock hits L.A. and destroys Wilshire Plaza, the camera shows the destruction underground and at some point a brick pillar falls over. Instead of being made of brick it's really made out of wood with brick type wallpaper. You can tell this because if the pillar was really made of brick, when it fell over chunks of brick would at least break off. (01:38:20)

Tobin OReilly

Earthquake mistake picture

Revealing mistake: When the elevator crashes, there's a really crappy splat of blood on screen that appears abruptly, which is a very obvious over-impression of a painting.

Sacha

Continuity mistake: When the big afro gal opens her jacket to show Lew her shirt, her nipples change appearance between shots, from visible, to smooth like she's wearing a bra, and then visible again.

eaglegrad16

Continuity mistake: At the beginning of the earthquake, outside of the office building the entire scene is out of continuity. Just watch the woman with the orange dress.

Revealing mistake: After failing to spin the loop in the motorcycle the first time, Miles tries again. He starts driving towards the loop, and after he finishes the first half, if you look carefully, the bike then falls out of the loop. For the rest of the scene, he continues to ride the bike around the second half of the loop anyway. The shot of him riding towards the loop was probably a previous take.

Casual Person

Continuity mistake: After the drunk faints, there's a wide shot of the dam. The number of people next to the railing differs between wide and close shots.

Sacha

Revealing mistake: When the earthquake begins, a dam moves wildly, but the water underneath remains still, revealing it's a camera effect. (00:05:56)

Sacha

Revealing mistake: When the earthquake strikes, there's a shot of a tall black glass building shaking. Check the lampposts and buildings around and you'll notice that it's a very obvious film negative being distorted by just wobbling it back and forth.

Sacha

Continuity mistake: When afro gal Rosa is arguing with Miles and her brother at the motorcycle rally, she tells Miles he's crazy and walks off camera. But in the following shot she is suddenly 150 ft. Distance away. (00:42:13)

eaglegrad16

Character mistake: Near the beginning, Denise tells Stuart she has two small scenes in a movie, but then moments later tells him it is one whole scene.

eaglegrad16

Revealing mistake: When the earthquake starts there are several shots of bell towers shaking. The first is the only one that moves, the rest are photos where neither the bells nor the trees around move, an obvious camera trick.

Sacha

Continuity mistake: When the man at the dam presses the elevator button its red light glows. Then the shot changes and it's unlit. Shot cuts back to the previous angle and it's glowing again. (00:08:04)

Sacha

Revealing mistake: When the earthquake starts there are several shots of churches shaking. None of the trees next to them are shaking, revealing the camera effect. (00:52:16)

Sacha

Sgt. Lew Slade: Earthquakes bring out the worst in some people.

More quotes from Earthquake

Trivia: Walter Matthau plays the drunk who sits at the bar wearing a loud shirt and pimp hat. However, for the end credits his name is listed as "Walter Matuschanskayasky"

Mark Pitta 1

More trivia for Earthquake

Question: Each time this movie is shown on in Brisbane Australia an important scene is not shown. The deletion is of the airplane landing at the airport and then trying to get air-borne again before the runway is destroyed. Why is this removed?

Answer: There are two versions of the film. A 'film' version which does not include this scene (and others) and a 'TV Miniseries' version. The miniseries version was made to run over two nights and extra scenes were shot to extend the running time.

jle

More questions & answers from Earthquake

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