Corrected entry: When McClane confronts Hans and Eddie in the vault, he shoots Hans and Eddie in quick succession with his 9mm handgun. One problem, a 9mm round wouldn't go straight through someone even at close range, so where did the bullet hole in the window behind Hans appear from?
stiiggy
12th Aug 2007
Die Hard (1988)
11th Feb 2018
Hogan's Heroes (1965)
Plot hole: In several occasions throughout the story, e.g. S4E18, Hogan attends parties at Stalag 13 wearing an immaculate US dress uniform. Where did he get that? Dress uniforms are not part of the usual kit a bomber crew brings along with them on their missions.
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Suggested correction: Considering they have a tailor (Newkirk) and are air dropped everything from explosives to penicillin, a Class A dress uniform would hardly be a challenge to make or receive.
Klink: "Hogan, where did you get that uniform?!" - Hogan: "Oh, I had OSS airdrop it together with our latest shipment of explosives and ammunition. We brought it in through our tunnel last night and stored it there."
I got it from the Red Cross.
Only a few high ranking intelligence officers are aware of Hogan's mission. Hogan's activities would under normal circumstances be considered fraternisation. While it might be true that he could theoretically obtain a class A uniform via the red cross, doing so would brand him as a collaborator and traitor.
19th May 2009
The Great Escape (1963)
Factual error: When the SS and Gestapo are leaving Bartlett in Von Luger's office on his arrival in the camp, they all give the Nazi salute with bent arms. The correct form was a straight outstretched arm and hand: only Hitler himself was allowed to give the Hitler salute so sloppily.
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Suggested correction: Absolute rubbish. And Von Luger was a Luftwaffe officer, not a die hard Nazi.
You need to explain why you believe this is incorrect. Do you mean they actually give proper salutes? Do you mean it isn't a mistake to show an officer give an improper salute? Do you mean the Nazi's weren't as strict on salute protocol as the mistake suggests?
Von Luger's disgust of the Gestapo is shown when Big X is returned from custody. I have rendered a sloppy salute to a particular officer to make a point.
25th Jan 2011
The Great Escape (1963)
Plot hole: The officers arrived in separate vehicles where they could view the countryside and the road leading to the camp, yet they later claimed to Hilts they knew nothing about the area.
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Suggested correction: Totally wrong. They were always in covered trucks for that very reason. One of the first scenes in the guards rolling up the tarps so that the prisoners could get out of the trucks.
18th Jun 2018
The Great Escape (1963)
Factual error: A convoy of open trucks arrive at the camp bringing the latest batch of prisoners, many of whom are carrying rucksacks and tote bags of clothing and other possessions. Where did they come from? Combat servicemen in World War Two did not carry overnight bags with them - a change of clothes or a handy supply of toiletries was the least of their concerns. A prisoner of war arrived in the camp with the clothes he stood up in and nothing else.
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Suggested correction: These prisoners were being transferred from other camps to this camp. As Big X said, "they are putting all their eggs in one basket." It's likely they are carrying possessions they've acquired during their time in captivity.
What "possessions"? Do you think they had Oxfam shops in POW camps during World War 2? They would be dressed in their combat fatigues and nothing else.
They would have possessions as they would receive parcels from home and Red Cross parcels.
Prisoners of war would receive Red Cross parcels, and may have also scrounged, made or been issued a few other bits and pieces. In particular, they'd probably have a change or two of underwear, some toiletries and a few books or games at the very least.
POWs acquired possessions by hand-making, scrounging, care packages, 'selling' watches and rings to guards or local civilians.
They were universally known for their trading and scrounging abilities. Remember these were the "worst of the worst" in offending.
Just to clarify. They weren't exactly the "worst of the worst" for bad or incorrigible behavior. They were the best at attempting to escape POW camps or otherwise subverting their German captors. The fed-up Germans decided to contain them all in one prison to stop the constant breakouts. They only succeeded in creating a POW "think tank" by pooling together the most talented escape artists who combined their skills and knowledge.
In international conflicts, in addition to prisoners regularly receiving Red Cross care packages, the Geneva Convention requires captors to treat all POWs humanely, and provide food, clothing, housing, medical treatment, and hygiene. As mentioned, these prisoners brought their belongings with them from other camps. International Red Cross inspectors monitor POW camps for compliance. Failure to comply with the rules constitutes war crimes, which are adjudicated after a conflict. Germany was generally compliant. POW camps were to detain captured soldiers and prevent them rejoining the war. They did not punish detainees as "criminals" but disciplined them when they were non-compliant or for other misbehavior. Once the war was over, POWs were repatriated.
The Great Escape was from a POW camp specifically set up to hold trouble makers from other camps. Also, sometimes people expect to be captured and prepare to for it! Today, during funeral of John Lewis, speakers repeatedly mentioned that he was carrying a backpack with 2 books, an apple, an orange and a tooth brush. Which haven't been seen since his head was beat in. A least one German Fortress commander, sworn to defend his fort until he and all those under his command were dead, surrendered with multiple suit cases to make his incarceration more comfortable. Like the character Yossarian in Catch-22. [Spoiler alert: he makes elaborate preparations to the paddle in a life raft from Italy to Sweden.].
8th Dec 2018
Hogan's Heroes (1965)
German Bridge Is Falling Down - S1-E7
Continuity mistake: During his experiments to create explosives in the tunnels, Carter has a pretty extensive set of glassware on his workbench. Necessarily he would have to replace (most of) that after each explosion - not to mention various light bulbs, furniture and other non-blast-proof stuff by the way. A lot of that glassware is specialty equipment, it would not be easy to come by even one set of in peacetime for a free civilian. In wartime, for an allied prisoner (even with the heroes' connections) it should be nigh impossible, and totally impossible to have an inexhaustible supply of the stuff. So we can either assume a giant plot hole, or treat it (as I did) as a big continuity mistake.
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Suggested correction: Considering they regularly get equipment of all kind air dropped from "London", a few laboratory instruments and containers would hardly be challenge.
Firstly, considering the number of explosions, it's not "a few" but more like "QUITE a few." Secondly, if they had had the option to receive airdrops at the time, they would just as have had them airdrop the explosives instead of the glassware for carter to blow up, wouldn't they? Or are you suggesting they would have more spare laboratory equipment in store than a wholesale laboratory outfitter, "just in case"?
20th Mar 2018
Hogan's Heroes (1965)
Happy Birthday, Dear Hogan - S4-E26
Continuity mistake: LeBeau meets a female underground contact in a movie theater. They have to kiss to avoid detection by the Gestapo. When LeBeau leaves the theater there are no lip stick kisses on his right cheek, but when he returns to camp he has some. (00:18:00 - 00:19:00)
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Suggested correction: Simple, they kissed again before LeBeau arrived back at camp. Nothing to see here.
9th Apr 2005
Top Gun (1986)
Corrected entry: In the opening flight scene when Cougar is having a nervous breakdown and can't land his plane or talk, you hear the controller say 'Cougar you are at three quarters of a mile call the ball'. Cougar then replies 'roger ball' in a cool calm voice which is inconsistent with the previous scene showing a speechless, rattled Cougar.
Correction: Cougar does say "roger ball." The LSO (Not air traffic controller) has a totally different voice when he asks Cougar to call the ball. The actual mistake is that neither Maverick or Cougar answer correctly ie "Maverick ball. F14 500", (callsign, acknowledge the FRESNEL ball, aircraft type, and fuel state).
Correction: Cougar doesn't say "roger ball", the air traffic controller says "rise your ball". So it is the air traffic controller who sounds rather calm.
23rd Jan 2005
The Truman Show (1998)
Corrected entry: When Truman goes postal and drives through the fire across the road, the car is filled with smoke yet they can say their lines flawlessly. That kind of an irritant would've sent them both into a coughing fit.
Correction: Since the whole fire scene was staged to keep Truman from going beyond it, they most likely used a substance that would be safe for Truman and the "actors".
They use soybean oil, which looks like thick smoke but can breathed in easily without any effect. We use it for search and rescue training as firefighters.
7th May 2004
Top Gun (1986)
Corrected entry: Maverick followed Jester below the Hard Deck, yet only Maverick got into trouble.
Correction: Because Jester was the target and could do that - Maverick followed him below the Hard Deck and then engaged his weapons - a direct violation of the rules.
A "hard deck" is technically the ground, in regards to the training exercise. So Jester certainly went against the spirit of the rules by essentially crashing his plane to avoid Maverick. When you consider the fact that, by doing so, he put Maverick into the position of following him (and when you have extremely egotistical, adrenaline pumped pilots chasing you...they are going to be apt to follow you), he essentially put everyone at risk. That said, Jester could have gotten his discipline off screen, so this really can't be considered a mistake.
20th Dec 2013
Goldfinger (1964)
Plot hole: The planes spraying the gas are flying too high and too fast for the gas to be able to have any effect on the soldiers on the ground as quickly as it does. While we later find out that the soldiers were faking the effects, the too-rapid response should have raised the bad guys' suspicions.
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Suggested correction: Different gases behave differently. If the gas is super dense it would plummet immediately upon being released rather than hanging around in the air.
Suggested correction: That assumes the bad guys actually know the effects of the D9 gas. Since they've never used it before how would they know how long it would take to work?
15th Aug 2018
Goldfinger (1964)
Audio problem: Bond's tires squeal as he brakes hard on the gravel/dirt road during the car chase in the woods near the factory.
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Suggested correction: Yep, happens all the time, depending on how firm the road is.
29th Dec 2018
Goldfinger (1964)
Corrected entry: In the forest chase scene, Bond activates the oil slick feature. The car behind spins out on the slick. But it's a dirt road so the oil would just soak into the ground.
Correction: Absolutely incorrect. Unless the ground is very soft powder, the oil will not soak in straight away and will have the effect as shown in the film.
24th May 2020
Danger Close (2019)
Factual error: This is set in 1966. The soldiers are all using the Aussie version of the M16 which was introduced in Vietnam by their military in 1967 with limited use and only became more widely used somewhat later.
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Suggested correction: There's no such thing as an Aussie version of the M16, they were all made in the USA by Colt, or its contractors. I assume the poster means the M16A1, identifiable by the bolt assist lug on the right hand side and closed flash suppressor.
23rd Jul 2009
Platoon (1986)
Revealing mistake: When Charlie Sheen fires at the villagers' feet there are no shell casings being ejected from the weapon, and there is also no muzzle flash.
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Suggested correction: During the day time, the only time you'll see a muzzle flash is if the weapon is aimed straight at you. Hollywood exaggerates muzzle flash for artistic purposes.
21st Feb 2005
Schindler's List (1993)
Factual error: In the beginning, when the Germans are setting up the tables to record the names, one German puts down a plastic stamp pad. Stamp pads of that era were metal.
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Suggested correction: Not true. Rubber stamp pads were invented in 1866. By WW2 they were easily available.
I do not believe the mistake refers to the stamp itself or the ink pad, but to the container holding the ink pad. The stamp is made of rubber, but the ink pad should be contained in metal.
Personally I think it is a metal stamp pad. Maybe a second pair of eyes to confirm? At 1:31 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UoF6uIQOK8.
It could have easily been celluloid or Bakelite - both had been around for decades.
27th Aug 2001
A Bridge Too Far (1977)
Factual error: There is a close-up of a parachutist's boot as he leaves the aircraft. It is a DMS boot. DMS boots were not issued to the army until much, much later. Late sixties, early seventies as I recall.
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Suggested correction: Expecting 1970's paratroopers to wear 1940's boots is hardly an error. There were no 1944 issued boots for the 200 odd para's to wear! Anyway I used to jump with non issued Corcoran jump boots instead of issued Army boots.
An attempt to correct this was already made. In this type of film, it is a very valid mistake, just as if cars from the 60's or 70's were seen in the film. Even if the viewer doesn't expect characters not to wear era appropriate attire, it still a mistake, which is the point of this whole website.
4th Oct 2007
The Dam Busters (1955)
Corrected entry: Gibson's black Labrador dog ("Ni**er" - not then politically incorrect!) was accidentally killed the day before the mission, not on the day of mission, and was not an unknown hit-and-run. Presumably changed for dramatic effect.
Correction: This is a self correcting entry. This film is a partially fictional account of the events leading up to the famous raid, and it contains many historical inaccuracies. It is not a documentary and does not claim to be.
Correct, in the US release the dogs name become "Trigger".
27th May 2020
Apollo 13 (1995)
Corrected entry: The small torch handed to Thomas K. Mattingly (played by Gary Sinise) as he first gets into simulator looks to be a modern Mini MagLite. They didn't come on sale until 1984.
Correction: We never actually see Ken being given the flashlight he'll be using in the simulations, only that he insists on being given precisely the same things the astronauts have aboard with them, and that is what he uses. That aside, what we see in the film are not Mini Maglites, though they are indeed miniature flashlights known as the Apollo astronaut penlight, model FA-5. Right after Jim tells Jack about the urine bags, there's a nice closeup of Fred holding one, with its distinctive bulb end casing.
I happily stand corrected. Thanks for improving my trivia :).
15th Nov 2017
Behind Enemy Lines (2001)
Factual error: Fighter jets cannot dodge heat seekers head on. Missiles are simply too fast to be dodged head on by a jet due to the fact that fighter jets have to be at full throttle to stay in the air. (00:20:50)
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Suggested correction: Actually they can. Head on presents less of thermal signature to the missile, as the aircraft engines are in the back. A radar guided missile could not be dodged so easily, however.
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Correction: This is opinion, not fact, and is highly disputable. If a 9mm round did not hit bone it could easily penetrate a human body. Since the bullet was taken from an assault rifle it could be an armour piercing round, for instance, in which case Han's body wouldn't even slow it down. There are dozens of explanations - only one of then is needed.
The bullets were taken from a Heckler and Koch MP5 sub machine gun, not an assault rifle. And the rounds are plain old 9mm Parabellum ball rounds anyway. A 9mm round will rarely over-penetrate the body even at close range.
stiiggy
Saying a 9mm round would "rarely" over-penetrate is incorrect. 9mm rounds frequently over-penetrate. Self-defense rounds from companies like Hornady are designed specifically to prevent this, as a standard 9mm round is very likely to go through walls, people, and objects. A standard full metal jacket round will very likely not be stopped in the body unless it hits bone.
An MP5 has a longer barrel. That means higher bullet velocity = higher penetration.