It’s safe to say that if this list proves anything, it’s that even Steven Spielberg isn’t immune from a few visual errors every now and then. Often these are statistical inevitabilities from a long-running show or series, or in the case of Raiders of the Lost Ark, an absolute necessity to avoid murdering your lead actor.
And this is why, at least on early copies, we could absolutely see the reflection made from a pane of glass between Harrison Ford from an angry cobra. Often deadly when provoked, the filmmakers clearly had the common sense to protect the poor little snake from its dangerous co-star.
Gladiator
Elaborate car crashes and spectacular explosions aren’t exactly repeatable events when it comes to filmmaking. This is an especially big setback with a film like Gladiator where could easily reveal a moving piece that takes you out of the historical setting. You know, like if you accidentally revealed a gas canister during your big chariot race.
Yep — this is exactly what happened during the “Battle of Carthage” when a chariot flips, only to reveal the very-modern means in which it was propelled through the air. The moment is brief, but as undeniable as an accidental moment of nudity. Only in this case it’s a much more family-friend undercarriage being exposed.
Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope
We all know it — that beautiful moment where the already-inept stormtroopers prove their reputation when one of them hurdles head-first into a futuristic door, nearly toppling over in either pain or embarrassment. It is, 100%, a beautiful moment in time. What you may not know, however, is just how beautiful this moment really is. Because it turns out that this extra’s problems extended far beyond his upper half.
The truth is that, according to the stormtrooper himself (played by actor Laurie Goode), the main cause for this unfortunate noggin slam was the distraction by an upset stomach he was experiencing throughout the day. Or as he puts it “I had paid three to four visits to the loo.” So next time you watch that, keep in mind that you’re watching the cherry-topping on a profoundly terrible work day.
Superman: The Movie
Marlon Brando is the patron saint of lazy acting, having been famously known for writing his lines on a baby or nearby Robert Duvall to avoid memorizing them. Nothing says “top of your field” more than using an Oscar-winning actor as an easel, or that time he had his lines fed to him through an earpiece while making The Island of Dr Moreau.
It’s probably no surprise to learn that if you go back and watch the original Superman, the actor is clearly wearing an Earthly wristwatch while playing the alien father Jor-El. Because when even Francis Ford Coppola can’t get him to stand up for a scene, who is going to tell him to lose the Rolex?
North By Northwest
Even the classiest of classics can have glaring and hilarious mistakes, it seems. It’s either that, or there’s a hidden subplot in North By Northwest where a child discovers he has psychic powers — correctly sensing that something violent and loud is about to happen. Is he the past form of Professor X? Let’s go with yes!
In the scene where Eva Marie Saint throws the hell down on Cary Grant, firing a gun in the process, one young extra clearly anticipated the upcoming bang. And instead of acting surprised, he preemptively blocked his ears to protect from the sound. A good safety measure that makes for some terrible background acting!
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace
If ever there was a movie that could be renamed to “Mistakes Were Made”, Star Wars: Episode One – The Phantom Menace would be a serious contender. Aside from the giant examples, there are also a series of small flaws in the prequel series, some more hilarious than others.
For example, have you noticed this obvious imposter when Jedi Council arrives on Naboo?
Clearly meant to be Mace Windu, it was either a reshoot or the exotic filming location that found the filmmakers sans a Samuel L. Jackson, requiring the use of his obvious stand in instead. The result is just some random dude quietly pretending to be a Jedi, relieved that no one has noticed (and proving how useless the Force apparently is).
That’s pretty embarrassing, but not nearly as bad as the slapstick comedy another classic Star Wars screwup brought us on this list…
Jaws
It’s literally impossible to say or think an unkind word about the movie Jaws, so our only assumption is that the following crew cameo is 100% intentional and probably brilliant in a way we simply aren’t understanding. The scene, if you’re curious, is when the ill-fated Ben Gardner sets out to go shark hunting.
Highlighting the rush for the Kintner bounty, Gardner and his pals haul-ass it out into the ocean — as seen in a wide shot of the venturing boats. One of which, if you look closely, clearly contains the full camera crew getting a second angle of the event. Because when you’re terrifyingly over-budget and behind schedule, e
very take counts!
Anaconda
Not exactly a beacon of perfection, the movie Anaconda exists in our hearts and minds as a delightful journey through the thick jungles of mediocrity. And yet, it amazingly features an all-star spectrum ranging from Jon Voight to Ice Cube. It is a gift. A terrible, terrible gift.
It also has one of the funniest post-production cheats of any film. In a scene where the boat was meant to be going from left to right, the editor merely reversed a shot, solving the problem while creating an entirely new one in which water defies physics. It appears even water wants to escape this movie!
Braveheart
Doing a period film presents a whole new library of opportunities to hilariously screw up. Specifically, making sure that there isn’t anything modern in your un-modern movie. This seems like it would be a simple enough task for Braveheart, a film that mostly takes place surrounded by grass and trees.
And yet, amazingly, things still managed to go very wrong when the warring horde is briefly seen rushing away from what appears to be a white car parked in the background. In this tiny sliver of an otherwise classic film, the battle closer resembles a LARP session than a historical epic.
PROC. BY MOVIES
