jerimiah

13th Jan 2012

Beetlejuice (1988)

Other mistake: If the Maitlands cannot be seen in a reflection being ghosts, then Lydia would not have seen them in the attic window in her camera, as that uses a mirror to reflect the image through the viewfinder.

jerimiah

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Suggested correction: However, when Lydia moves the camera away from her face to get a better look, she had both eyes open when using the camera (with her right eye looking through the viewfinder). This is a recommended technique to help get a perspective and keep one's focus on the subject. This means she could have seen the Maitlands with her left eye, the one that had a direct view of the window.

This is not how the scene plays out. She first supposedly spots them while looking through her camera, which then causes her to take a better look with the camera away from her face. She would have no reason to do that if she didn't see them in the camera, which, as we know, would not be possible given they do not cast a reflection for the mirror in the camera for Lydia to see.

jerimiah

Or, she just saw the curtain move and thought that was odd, then moved the camera from her face and realised there were 2 faces there. There is no indication at all that she saw them straight away.

lionhead

A curtain moving from an open window is not odd. You're really reaching here, and her reaction indicates she saw far more than a curtain moving. She literally stops in her tracks and dramatically lowers the camera - the same camera that she had to her face she was looking through. Anyone who has used an SLR camera does not use two eyes open, as it is nearly impossible to focus and see things, given one eye would be zoomed in and the other would be unaided.

jerimiah

Continuity mistake: Lamar's javelin that he's seen running with is flexible in the middle and not very rigid, however when the shot after he throws it, we see a solid normal javelin going through the air and visibly a different one altogether. (01:06:30)

jerimiah

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

Suggested correction: It is a specially designed javelin by aerodynamics master Wormser.

It's clear that it's two totally different props being used for the scene: one that Wormser desired and the other is a regular javelin that would actually work when thrown.

jerimiah

I don't see why it couldn't be the same javelin in the air; you still see it wobbling, but there is less curve because it's not bouncing around anymore in Lamar's arm. The javelin that touches down is the same too. It's completely the same design too.

lionhead

Just rewatched the scene. The flexible section that Lamar is holding is close to a foot long where it's flexible in the middle. The airborne javelin has a grip section that's at best half the size of the one seen on the one Lamar is holding. It's two different props by that design alone.

jerimiah

11th Aug 2010

Men in Black II (2002)

Corrected entry: When K and J are in Times Square after being flushed, they are covered with droplets of clear water. However the water on the walls of the cylinders as well as what they were in was blue. (00:35:35)

jerimiah

Correction: There's no mistake, they just appear clear, but it's all the same blue liquid. In fact, in one shot you see Jay spit out the blue liquid and even as the blue liquid is seen, some of the drops on his lips and chin appear clear.

Bishop73

Given the droplets were the same size on the walls of the pod as they were on J and K, they would not appear to be blue on one surface and clear on another. If the drops were larger in the pod vs on them, then I'd agree that the color could possibly be blue vs. Clear - but they weren't so they should be blue regardless of being on a person vs. Pod wall.

jerimiah

Correction: There's a lot more to just droplet size that affects what color you see. But the point being, he is seen spitting out blue liquid and that same liquid appears clear (as opposed to seeing him spit out blue liquid, have shot change, then another shot back to J where the liquid is now clear).

Bishop73

2nd Sep 2011

Tremors (1990)

Corrected entry: When the station wagon is found buried, not only is the radio on but the headlights are as well. Given the attack occurred at night and it is now mid-morning and the fact that the car can't run underground, even the best car batteries can't last more than an hour.

jerimiah

Correction: The best car batteries will last a lot more than an hour. I've left my lights on accidentally when I parked for work and found them still on 8 hours later. Car started up just fine too.

Phixius

In modern cars I would agree with you - but this car is almost 20 years old and the battery would not last more than an hour or so with both the radio and the headlights running.

jerimiah

Doesn't mean the battery is 20 years old.

The sound of the radio is not coming from the car. It's a small portable radio the Dr. Has in his car. You see it get turned on by accident when the Dr.'s wife kicks the radio during the attack.

BaconIsMyBFF

The car radio wasn't on. It was the transistor radio she knocked over in the back of the car when she climbed through.

Correction: It wasn't the car radio, it was a portable radio.

Correction: Battery power and battery life depend on the battery and not on the car it's in.

29th Dec 2011

Liar Liar (1997)

Corrected entry: In the state of California, all parties are required for consent to be recorded, much less be used in a court of law as evidence as one's infidelity in the tape recording we hear.

jerimiah

Correction: True, but irrelevant as the gentleman himself confesses to the adultery while on the stand. It's not illegal to present the recording, it just can't be taken into consideration by the court as evidence.

Phixius

What would be the point to presenting evidence that can't be considered as evidence?

jerimiah

4th Jan 2011

Dante's Peak (1997)

Corrected entry: When the pickup truck crosses the lava, the engine would have overheated and stranded them on the lava given the amount of heat going directly up into the engine compartment.

jerimiah

Correction: Actually, lava in movies is typically over-rated. Though the tires definitely would have been goo after one spin in that lava, the surface of the lava would be much cooler. You may actually be able to walk barefoot over it, it wouldn't be too much different from hot coals except for the much hotter liquid beneath. They spent 1 minute and 20 seconds on the lava surface, which would not have been enough to overheat the engine.

The tires being on fire would have increased the temperature under the hood even if the lava itself didn't being that the wheel wells would have also been capturing the heat within them.

jerimiah

Correction: Also, since the rear axle broke through the surface crust, the truck would become a rocket, due to the intense heat causing the gas fumes to ignite.

26th Dec 2010

Superman (1978)

Correction: Lex is remote operating the car and probably rigged it with an explosive charge that he set off to make it crash.

Vader47000

Presumptions of what might have been done do not negate a mistake for how a special effect is made, especially since we do not know this is part of the plot to purposefully flip the car.

jerimiah

It is made very clear that Lex Luthor is operating the car from the remote control and also uses a device to flip the car. This was 100% part of his plan to stop the truck carrying the missile, made even more clear by the fact that Miss Tessmacher is pretending to be a car accident victim, and Lex himself is pretending to be a paramedic. So yes: the device that was used in real life can be seen, but within the world of the movie, it makes sense that we see the device because it's what Lex used.

jshy7979

4th Jan 2011

Dante's Peak (1997)

Corrected entry: At the end when they are rescuing Harry from the mine, we see a helicopter land and kick up tons of volcanic ash. Given the destructive nature of ash to the engine (as seen in the earlier scene), it would not make any sense to have a helicopter operate anywhere near the area.

jerimiah

Correction: The previous helicopter crashed because of the heavy ash in the air overwhelmed the engine. The later helicopter would presumably be equipped with an appropriate filter to protect the engine. Properly equipped, there's no reason a helicopter wouldn't be used as emergency transport, considering the likely state of the roads. While ash on the ground might moderately increase risk, helicopters are used routinely to fight forest fires.

Volcanic ash is extremely abrasive and corrosive containing parts of glass, dust and debris that will not only cause problems to the engine but will also damage the leading edge of the rotors, altering their aerodynamic abilities.

jerimiah