Unforgivable Errors Caught By Fans
Everybody makes mistakes. Even our favorite movies and television shows that we've come to admire (even worship) over the years aren't without fault—in fact, some of them are responsible for the most unforgivable errors caught by loyal fans. Whether it's historical inaccuracies, continuity errors, or just plain bizarre mistakes, these movies and TV shows have some serious explaining to do.
Maze or no maze?
The hedge maze in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining plays a pretty big part in the movie, in particular the ending, during which—spoiler alert—Jack gets lost and freezes to death. But in the beginning aerial shot of the hotel, there's no hedge maze to be seen, anywhere on the property. Then Kubrick cuts directly to the maze, complete with map, in the opening sequence. Is it an error? Fans and film theorists argue it's just one of the myriad ways this classic intentionally messes with the viewer's mind.
This kid doesn't like loud noises
Alfred Hitchcock may be the master of suspense, but he overlooked one tiny giveaway in his 1959 film North by Northwest. In the Mount Rushmore cafe, just before Eva Marie Saint shoots Cary Grant, if you look over her shoulders to the right, you can see a young extra plug his ears just before the gun is fired.
Masterpieces by Picasso and Monet did not go down with the Titanic
Eagle-eyed viewers who know something about art history may have noticed this gigantic factual error in 1997's Titanic. When Rose boards the ship with her mother and Cal, she's shown hanging up a few paintings in her room, including Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon. Later, just before Jack draws Rose wearing the Heart of the Ocean necklace, he's seen admiring her collection of artwork, including a panel of Monet's Waterlilies series. Needless to say, neither of these classic works of art went down with the Titanic. In fact, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon rests comfortably in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
Even a Velociraptor needs a hand sometimes
It's hard out there for a velociraptor. Even when you've figured out how to open doors, you might need a helping hand to make sure your tail is looking nice and sharp. In the infamous kitchen scene of 1993's Jurassic Park, fans have pointed out that when the raptor opens the door, you can see the hand of a member of the crew reaching out to steady its tail.
Hold on to your ruby slippers
In the scene during The Wizard of Oz when Dorothy and the Scarecrow are fighting with the trees along the yellow brick road, as the Scarecrow topples over it's pretty obvious that Dorothy isn't wearing her magical ruby slippers. Instead she's sporting some comfy-looking black flats. Hey, maybe those ruby slippers were rubbing some ruby red blisters on her heels.
Like when we killed Osama bin Laden...oh, wait
In "Gliding Over All," the fifth episode in the eighth season of Breaking Bad, Todd Alquist's uncle claims that the ten prison murders were more difficult to handle than the raid that killed Osama bin Laden...except that in the world of the show, bin Laden hadn't been killed yet. Whoops. Though you could argue that Alquist might be one of those people who believed bin Laden was killed long before President Obama officially announced his death, even creator Vince Gilligan admitted to the mistake. When a writer asked him how he reconciled the fact, he replied, "Well, I don't."
The Walking Dead? More like Paper Towns
Fans of AMC's The Walking Dead have got to be some of the most committed of any fanbase. After last season's insane cliffhanger ending and the brutally violent beginning to this season, they've stuck with the show through thick and thin. But during a February 2017 episode, fans noticed that what was supposed to be the inside of a house was really just a backdrop obviously made of paper. One Reddit user helpfully pointed out that "when you blow the entire budget on zombies, you have to use a sheet of paper for the inside of the house." It's all about compromise.
It'll be hard to make a reservation
History obsessed fans (or just those who live in New York and know how hard it is to get a reservation) called out Mad Men for suggesting that Joan could make a reservation at restaurant Le Cirque...when Le Cirque didn't open until 1974. Showrunners were quick to blame actress Christina Hendricks, claiming she had ad-libbed the line, but later admitted it was an oversight.
Cool specs, where'd you get those?
Not only does Jamie Foxx's Django have an unquenchable thirst for revenge in Quentin Tarantino's slavery-inspired spaghetti western Django Unchained, he also has quite the keen fashion sense, sporting some very cool shades throughout the movie. History buffs were quick to dispel the idea that sunglasses would've been available to Django—though they were standard wear in China starting in the 12th century, sunglasses weren't introduced in the United States until 1929.