Sammo

28th Dec 2019

A Fine Mess (1986)

Factual error: Spence says that Claudia is Italian, but the very efficient butler greets her with "Buenos dias", and according to Ellen she was a big Chilean film star. Nothing strange that Ted Danson would be wrong about her nationality like he often is wrong about names, but in the end credits we have a similar Spanish/Italian language mixup with an "Italian director" listed, when the person in the movie finale speaks Spanish. (01:25:00)

Sammo

28th Dec 2019

A Fine Mess (1986)

Continuity mistake: When the doped up Turnip runs past Binky, multiple takes have been sloppily edited together; Binky is giving Turnip a thumbs up in the first shot, then after a cutaway he is shown with his hands on the steering wheel, but taking one off to give the thumbs up, and finally he is again with both hands on the wheel. (01:22:10)

Sammo

28th Dec 2019

A Fine Mess (1986)

Plot hole: The whole premise of the movie makes zero sense. Spence finds out that a certain race is rigged, but he is caught eavesdropping, so the goons are after him. They don't catch him and then the day after they stalk the betting counter looking for him. He then enlists the help of his friend Dennis to distract the goons so he can place the bet. But the villains are completely unaware about Dennis' existence! He could simply walk in and do the bet himself. He even is the guy with the money. No reason at all is given why Dennis does not place the bet himself, cash in, and walk away. Other than the fact that the movie would be done in 20 minutes and with not much of a payoff.

Sammo

28th Dec 2019

A Fine Mess (1986)

Revealing mistake: A farcical comedy movie does not need to have the most realistic action, but when the protagonists' Volkswagen Thing gets shot down by Turnip's double barrel, the engine 'explodes' with real flames and all, but no bullet holes at all in the metal. It's like it died from being scared. Fun part is, later the detective shows up at Spence's house and mentions exactly bullet holes. (00:28:25)

Sammo

28th Dec 2019

A Fine Mess (1986)

Continuity mistake: Round two of the police firing at the door of the mobster begins. After Denny's girlfriend shows up at the door, we see the police in an external view. To the left of the frame, you can see 2 officers with shotguns positioning next to the car, and two more, one with a rope on his shoulder, are arriving by the captain. In the next shot, the rope guy and his buddy are still arriving, but they are followed by cops with shotguns, which are going where there were already supposed to be in the previous shot, and missing now. (01:18:50)

Sammo

28th Dec 2019

A Fine Mess (1986)

Revealing mistake: Binky and Turnip are waiting for Ted Danson to show up at the racetrack to place his bet. Turnip starts the first sequence peeping from holes carved into the magazine. As he begins walking, notice an old man with a grey jacket and a blue shirt, reading a newspaper, sitting, and immediately after he comes in frame, an elderly couple coming in from the left. The man is wearing a brown suit and shirt about the same colour. When there's the first cut (after the odd guy sticks the tongue out), the two are rushing towards the entrance, opposite way from before, and there's the blue shirted old man standing, and a moment later there's the brown shirt guy passing by, just fresh off walking in and with another person, not the woman from before. The same guy is also seen in the bathroom in the next scene. (00:18:20 - 00:20:10)

Sammo

28th Dec 2019

A Fine Mess (1986)

Revealing mistake: When the two gangsters get to the racing tracks entrance searching for Ted Danson, look at the old lady in the background. You'll know which one instantly, because she is looking at the two gents. The two guys are kinda conspicuous, so you might think it's pretty fair and there's no fourth-wall breach here. Same thing when she obviously cracks a laugh when the two make their hasty exit after Stuart Margolin gets hit in the gut by a silent moustached man, it makes sense. But, right after the two exit stage, she casts a look right into the camera, and for the rest of the shot (as Danson and Howie Mandel enter) she peeks again a couple times. (00:20:20)

Sammo

28th Dec 2019

A Fine Mess (1986)

Continuity mistake: Dennis has just argued with the manager about the fuzzy slippers at work. He is skating off to deal with the last delivery. When there's a cut, notice how there's a man with a white jumper leaning against the white Cadillac, facing the guy with the red jacket. That man in white was not there before. (00:10:15)

Sammo

28th Dec 2019

A Fine Mess (1986)

Continuity mistake: Dennis followed by Spence is walking out of the bathroom with a handful (soon mouthful) of soap. Camera outside, and to walk out of the bathroom behind them, a guy with a blue jacket who was nowhere near the door, and not one of the two people who were instead seen headed towards the door. (00:21:45)

Sammo

22nd Nov 2019

A Fine Mess (1986)

A Fine Mess mistake picture

Visible crew/equipment: Binky and Turnip chase the protagonists after they cashed in. They crash into a toy stall, with the crash shown in a quasi-POV shot. To get that shot, a camera was mounted inside the car, obviously. The problem is, for the next 3 cuts, you can see that camera. (00:27:50)

Sammo

22nd Nov 2019

A Fine Mess (1986)

A Fine Mess mistake picture

Visible crew/equipment: The two protagonists cash in the win and are running from the goons who chase them. The car of the two baddies is parked outside. During the sequence when the car loses the second door, you can see reflected with great detail the camera crew and stage lights, right in the side of the car. (00:26:50)

Sammo

5th Nov 2019

A Fine Mess (1986)

Continuity mistake: An enraged mafia boss throws the billiard ball to Turnip, who ducks it. The ball after the impact with the door bounces off with a downward trajectory at sharp angle, and yet the next slapstick gag sees Binky, standing a few meters away, hit in the forehead by it. (00:34:20)

Sammo

4th Nov 2019

A Fine Mess (1986)

Continuity mistake: Binky is driving and talking to the boss via car phone as he chases Spence. When the horse ridden by Turnip is approaching, Binky is holding the steering wheel at the bottom. Brief cut to Turnip crying, and Binky is driving with the right hand at 3 o'clock. (00:08:55)

Sammo

27th Oct 2019

A Fine Mess (1986)

Continuity mistake: When Ted Danson releases the cargo from the truck, in the POV shots we see a police car going straight ahead and being hit directly the barrels, but in the reverse shot the cars are turning before taking the full hit and are more distant before it happens. (01:21:45)

Sammo

24th Oct 2019

A Fine Mess (1986)

Continuity mistake: The police are in front of Turnip and Binky's place (they live together, apparently); the detective leaning over the car trunk has his head lit by intense direct sunlight in the wide shot, but there's no such difference in lighting in the following view. (01:05:00)

Sammo

24th Oct 2019

A Fine Mess (1986)

Revealing mistake: When Turnip mounts in the car (ending up destroying the passenger door), the car has the rear-view mirror. During the chase though, the mirror is gone, but it's back when they finally block their way in the alley and Turnip whacks his own nuts. (00:26:30 - 00:28:30)

Sammo

24th Oct 2019

A Fine Mess (1986)

Continuity mistake: The two gangsters enter Spence's bedroom when Claudia just went to the bathroom. He throws the sheets over his own head. When the camera is back on him after the cut on the stooges, the sheet is draped differently over his arms and shoulders. (01:00:25)

Sammo

24th Oct 2019

A Fine Mess (1986)

Other mistake: When Turnip runs off with a horse suppository up his hindquarters, the policemen shoot at him being all in a straight line with each other - in fact it really looks like they should be shooting at each other if those guns were real. (01:05:55)

Sammo

24th Oct 2019

A Fine Mess (1986)

Revealing mistake: At the dinner at the Indian restaurant, when Howie Mandel begins eating the flowers, Blake Edwards' daughter breaks character and cracks a smile, regaining the deadpan composure of the role only at the very end and in the next shot. (00:57:25)

Sammo

24th Oct 2019

A Fine Mess (1986)

Continuity mistake: In the car chase starting from the racetrack, the protagonists take a sharp right turn, which will make the bad guys crash into a toy stall. During this turn, different cars appear in the middle of the crossroads between shots. (00:27:45)

Sammo

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