Top Ten Movie Mistakes that Made the Final Cut

Movies are an embedded part of American life. With our favorite stories, heroes and villains, adventures and romances all played on the big screen; we are able to live vicariously through actors who pretend to be what we always wanted to be ourselves. With movies that become cult hits and are worshipped by legions of fans, it is no wonder that often times things can be found that were never intended. Goofs and slip-ups by camera and crew are much more prevalent than you may think, and what follows are ten of the biggest goofs that made it through the editing process and on to the big screen.

10. Scarface

For anyone who has seen the seminal 1983 film that helped solidify Al Pacino as an iconic actor of cult status as well as mainstream success, the chainsaw scene sticks out. With its gruesome visuals and haunting screams, that scene has been subject of much debate by groups advocating less violence in film. What you may not know is that there is a film goof in that scene. If you have the film on dvd, you can watch very closely just as the deal goes down, the man with the chainsaw jumps out of the window. If you look closely you can see the gray crash pad he lands on as its corners lift up into the shot!

9. Twilight

Vampires don’t have to worry about their reflection usually, but cameramen often do. While trying to avoid being in the shot, crew members have to go to extra lengths and often have to think outside of the box to keep from being seen. During this scene, that was seemingly impossible for the poor cameraman and boom operator. As Bella pulls up in her truck for her first day in the high school, as she parks you can clearly see the camera and boom reflected in the triangle shaped window.

8. Planet of the Apes

The Planet of the Apes is one of the most iconic films in movie history. Charlton Heston’s tour de force, the incredible costumes and post apocalyptic story keep this well shot and well acted film a favorite among movie buffs everywhere. Yet there are still goofs if you know where to look for them. During the scene with the Museum of Natural History, there are tons of posed fake displays. If you look closely however, you can see that they are actually real people pretending to be displays. This is especially evident with posed displays holding things as you can see them sway a bit.

7. Ocean’s Eleven

Ocean’s Eleven films are known for their whimsical nature and fun feel with mega movie stars having fun being in an ensemble cast. Throwing back to the days of the original Rat Pack of Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis and they’re raucous days of parties, the set seems like it would be a blast to be on. With so many good friends having so much fun on set, it’s easy to see where sometimes little details might get lost. Such is the case with the shrimp plate during the Botanical Garden scene. As Brad Pitts character has a conversation there are three different shots of him talking that show him holding either a cocktail glass or a plate with shrimp.

6. Spiderman

Spiderman has a ton going for it. It was one of the first of the big budget superhero films, it starred Toby Maguire absolutely owning the role of Peter Parker, great CGI and effects and a cameo by director Sam Rami’s friend and partner in Evil Dead cult movie legend Bruce Campbell. Yet with any major film, there are always things that slip through the cracks, and Rami’s Spiderman is no different. In one scene, when Peter shoots a web at his lamp in his bedroom it smashes against the wall and shatters. Yet when Aunt May comes in to talk to Peter just seconds later, the lamp is completely visible on the dresser in one piece!

5. Raiders of the Lost Ark

It is one of the greatest adventure films of all time and Harrison Ford’s role as Indiana Jones is the stuff that Hollywood legends are made of. Even his quirks like being terrified of snakes are handled so well that they have become iconic features in pop culture. Yet, in the scene in Raiders while Indy and Marion are in the Well of Souls, there is a bit of a flub that is only accessible if you watch the old VHS tapes (as the DVD version has been modified). If you look carefully when the Cobra rises and hisses at Indy, you will see the reflection of safety glass between it and Harrison Ford. You can even see the reflection of the torch he carries when he waves it around.

4. Braveheart

During the epic film about Scottish warrior William Wallace, Mel Gibson did many things right both as an actor and director. The film entered into popular culture with force, making idols of the blue painted warriors struggle for freedom and really cemented Gibson’s legacy as a great director of epic films. Yet, during the funeral scene for Wallace’s wife Murron, if you watch closely there is a small gaffe even he couldn’t catch. As he bends down to kiss her and stands again, just over his left shoulder, through the trees, for just a moment, you can see a van drive by. It is a very small and quick moment, but something to keep an eye out for if nothing else than to avoid the tears!

3. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Harry Potter has become one of the most iconic series in the history of film. It helped rejuvenate a fantasy film genre that had almost been lost completely to B-film status and made major stars of its all British cast. However, there are still moments of film bloopers that somehow made the cut if you know where to look. For instance in Chamber of Secrets, during the dueling scene, Snape pulls Malfoy to his feet at which point on the far left of the screen the director and his camera are fully visible.

2. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl

Johnny Depps role as Captain Jack Sparrow is nothing short of iconic and the pirates series has brought back a nearly lost art of swashbuckling film to the forefront in the process. Jack’s mannerisms are often imitated and the film is highly quotable, but perhaps you may not know one unique gaffe that is quite un-pirate like. During the scene where Jack looks over his crew and says “On deck, you scabrous dogs”, off to the very left of the screen, over the shoulder of Sparrow, a crew member can visibly be seen. He sticks out as he wears a short sleeved shirt, a tan cowboy hat and sunglasses as he stares at the sea during a scene of many period pirates in the midst of a plunder.

1. Star Wars

Perhaps no film has a bigger cult audience than Star Wars. Its affect on culture at large and on the film industry as well are incredible and with the sale of the franchise to the Disney Corporation, we are sure to see Star Wars for generations to come. Yet, when the film was being made, few had any idea it would even be successful, much less as revered as it is. With silly costumes, crazy dialogue and a Space Cowboy theme, it isn’t hard to see why. This goof, which stayed in the film, even got incorporated into the story in the more recent rereleases. As the Storm Troopers break into the control room, the Storm Trooper on the right of the screen bonks his head on the door frame. This unintentional bit of hilarity now even has a sound effect and is part of the scene on purpose in newer DVD versions.