When filming a movie, there are many details that need to be taken care of. Although casting is hugely important, there are other significant aspects that need to be supervised by the crew, such as costume and stage design. And, even though the crew is composed of professionals, things can easily go wrong.
Such is the case of wardrobe malfunctions, editing errors and continuity mistakes. Sometimes viewers don’t notice them, but that doesn’t mean they are not there. Therefore, here is a list of some of the most embarrassing and cringe-worthy movie mistakes of all times for you to discover. Enjoy!
1. Titanic: Kate Winslet’s beauty mark appears on the other side of her face!
Titanic is one of the highest-grossing movies of all time. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean it’s flawless! One of its funniest mistakes is a travelling beauty mark. At the beginning of the movie, the character played by Kate Winslet, Rose Dawson, has a beauty mark on the left side of her face.
However, as the movie goes on, she appears again, but this time, the beauty mark is on the right side of her face! Now, with Titanic being one of the most expensive films ever made, one may think that such blunders couldn’t possibly happen, but there you have it!
2. Raiders of the Lost Ark: the case of the man in jeans
This movie is full of bloopers, but there is one that truly stands out. As you probably already know, Indiana Jones is an archaeologist who goes on many adventures to obtain rare objects. The movie is set in the late 1930s in different ancient cities, such as Cairo.
As Indiana Jones is drinking at a bar, there are many men visible in the background. Almost all of them are wearing traditional attire, except for one who is clearly wearing modern jeans and a t-shirt. He could be a tourist on the streets of Cairo, but we suspect it’s a crew member who was in the wrong place at the wrong time!
3. Hello Dolly!: a dress that goes from dirty to clean in just a minute
This amazing film is full of beauty, colorful costumes and extravagance! Set in 1890, Hello Dolly! Is undoubtedly one of the most popular musicals until this day due to its cheery tunes, wonderful performances and the expensive costumes designed by Academy Award Winner Irene Sharaff.
Undoubtedly, dancing on the streets with such heavy and thoroughly embroidered costumes can’t be easy. That’s why, in one of the scenes, we see a girl wearing a red dress that is filthy at the bottom while dancing, but perfectly clean and pressed as she sits down in the next scene. She must have a magic wand or something!
4. The Doors: the aviator sunglasses
In this film, Val Kilmer gives life to none other than music legend Jim Morrison, the leading singer of The Doors. Val’s performance has been lauded by many, as he portrays Jim magnificently. Their uncanny resemblance is a crucial factor. However, the costume designer also played a major role in achieving a memorable personification.
The final result was greater than expected. Unluckily, there was a small mistake that was quickly noticed by fashion connoisseurs: the Ray Ban sunglasses that Val Kilmer wears in the film were first produced in the ’80s, while Jim Morrison passed away in 1971. We think they looked great on him, though!
5. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and the telescope gaffe
Kevin Costner was a great Robin Hood. Unfortunately, the film wasn’t as successful as expected. The rising popularity of its leading actor proved enough for the film to break even, but the film was not well-received by film critics, as it was, among other things, full of historical innacuracies.
For example, history tells us that Robin Hood was a heroic English outlaw who presumably lived in the early-13th century. Thus, it is hard to understand how he got his hands on a telescope. Since the first record of such a device is from the 17th century, we believe this particular Robin must have been a time traveler as well.
6. Troy: the umbrella from the future
When filming a movie from another time period, costumes and props are of the utmost importance. One single mistake may cost a lot of money, and it can only be corrected if it’s caught on time. Thus, sometimes a gaffe can turn a movie into a laughingstock, and that’s exactly what happened to Troy.
On one particular scene, Paris and Helen ride a chariot under the shade of a very pink umbrella. However, umbrellas didn’t exist during that time. Actually, it would take another 800 years for the first umbrella to be invented. Needless to say, this ridiculous mistake must have cost someone his job!
7. Pretty Woman: an accidental nude scene
Here is an epic wardrobe malfunction, and one that is also very hard to notice! In Pretty Woman, Julia Roberts plays a woman of the street who falls in love with a Wall Street businessman. As many movie fans already know, this actress is known for having a very strict nudity policy.
Despite Julia’s character occupation, the movie is a romantic comedy that shows no nudity. Or at least, that was the plan. However, during an intimate scene between the main characters, the camera gives us a quick glimpse of one of Julia’s assets. It happens very fast, but that certainly didn’t stop some hawk-eyed viewers from spotting it!
8. Pride and Prejudice: the rubber boots
This beautiful film has everything we could wish for: romance, wit and charming landscapes. In many scenes, viewers can enjoy the marvelous scenery, including muddy lanes and wildflowers.
The main character, Elizabeth Bennett, loves to be outdoors, and the English landscape plays a significant role in the movie. For those long walks, Elizabeth wears rubber boots, which would be a smart and practical choice for that weather.
The only problem is that rubber boots were first invented 40 years later, and we also believe that they would not have been suitable for a woman at that time. Other than that, this movie is an absolute gem.
9. Gangs of New York: the modern uniforms
This Martin Scorsese film was very well-received by critics. It won many awards in 2002 and included major movie stars. The period film, set in 1863, is also based on actual events. It recreates New York City during the Civil War and tells the story of Irish-American immigrants.
Despite all the awards it received, this masterpiece is slightly flawed. There is a particular scene where New York City firefighters appear wearing rather too-modern-looking uniforms.
One of them even wears one in yellow, pretty much like the uniforms that are worn today. Luckily, this didn’t stop the movie from becoming a success.
10. The Notebook: Lon’s changing hair color
This romantic cult-movie tells the love story of Allie and Noah. Although some think it’s full of clichés, most women love this film. Maybe that is because the movie also features two of Hollywood’s most beloved male actors, Ryan Gosling and James Marsden.
Marsden plays Lon Hammond, a wealthy and charming young man who is about to marry Allie after she and Noah split. The funny thing is that, throughout the movie, Lon’s hair changes color from one scene to the next one. This faux-pas leaves us wondering if his hair color had any weight in Allie’s final decision to stay by Noah’s side.
11. Vanilla Sky: Cameron’s gown leaves nothing to the imagination
Film: 2001 – Vanilla Sky
Now this is what we call an accident! In Vanilla Sky, Cameron Diaz‘s character, Julie, is wearing a flimsy nightie while she is strapped to her bed. While trying to flip herself over, her nightgown doesn’t play along and it leaves her partially nude, if only for a second.
She rapidly puts the gown back in place, but it’s already too late! Even though the actress doesn’t usually show too much skin, she let this one slide and the director didn’t have to shoot the scene again.
The result is wonderful, as it accurately portrays Julie’s dangerous behavior, so we can see why they kept it like it is!
12. I Know What You Did Last Summer: the revealing dress
This teen film was a very popular one, as it had some of the most sought-after teenage actors of the ’90s, including Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinze Jr. and Jennifer Love Hewitt. This horror movie became a true classic and it will be forever in our memories.
The fact that the actors were absurdly handsome may help with that. And even more so, if there is some accidental nudity involved, as was the case with Sarah Michelle Gellar.
As she tries to escape from the killer, she clumsily climbs a rope while accidentally exposing herself. We firmly believe she must have fulfilled many teenage dreams at the time.
13. There Will Be Blood: the wrong boots
When you come across a film like There Will Be Blood, which is considered a masterpiece, people tend to pick it apart to look for inconsistencies. And sometimes, they find them. However, to notice this particular flaw, you really have to be looking for it.
In the film, Daniel Day Lewis plays a miner who becomes an oil man in the late 19th century. He appears wearing boots, but not just any kind: he has boots with waffle soles.
What doesn’t add up is that those boots didn’t exist back then, even though they would have been perfect for the occasion!
14. Sense and Sensibility: the disposable diaper
This period piece, which is an adaptation of Jane Austen’s book and was directed by Ang Lee, is one of the most moving and romantic stories of all time. The performances are pure gold and the costumes are also beautiful. Nevertheless, it has a huge blooper that is hard to overlook.
As Mrs. Palmer praises Mr. Palmer’s parenting skills, Mr. Palmer holds his baby in a rather unconventional way. This causes the baby’s waistline to show.
What’s wrong with that? Well, it’s the fact that the baby is wearing a disposable diaper underneath the cloth diaper. It takes a parent to notice, though!
15. Django Unchained: the cool sunglasses
Quentin Tarantino is known for giving himself creative license in his films. While we understand that Django could have used some sunglasses in the unbearable heat of Texas in the 1850s, the fact that he wears cool, metal-rimmed, stylish shades is a major historical mistake.
That type of sunnies couldn’t have existed during that time, since some modern versions (which are also not even close) didn’t even appear until 1920.
Costume designer Sharen Davis says that the use of the specs was influenced by the movie The White Buffalo. Funnily enough, the sunglasses in that film were also historically inaccurate.
16. Captain America: The First Avenger and the earpiece
When watching action films, such as the ones based in famous comics, it’s hard to keep up with every thing that happens at the same time. Action, sound effects, and fantastic characters with superpowers take over the screen, leaving us completely astounded.
However, there are certain things that are too obvious not to notice. In Captain America: The First Avenger, Soldier Jim Morita is in the middle of a battle during World War II.
What we can’t quite explain is how he could get his hands on an earpiece, a sophisticated device that is currently being used in the military. Maybe he quickly traveled through time and we missed it?
17. Back to the Future: Marty plays a guitar from the future
Zurück in die Zukunft
This great movie stars Michael J. Fox as Marty McFly, a teenager who travels back in time from 1985 to 1955, meeting his parents as teenagers and causing great havoc in the sequence of events that follow.
The movie kept in mind almost every detail. However, there are things which simply don’t add up. For example, Marty McFly turns up in 1955 and dazzles the ’50s kids with a rendition of “Johnny B Goode” using a cherry-red Gibson ES-345.
The funny thing is that that guitar was first produced in 1958. Maybe the Gibson did some time traveling by itself. In such a movie, would that be such an odd thing?
18. Pearl Harbor: bare legs in sight
Pearl Harbor is a movie that, sadly to say, is full of errors. While some of them are meaningless, others are just too obvious. We know that sometimes getting the facts right can be a difficult thing, but that’s why professionals need to be consulted, especially in a period movie.
In this movie, there seems to be a problem with the women’s wardrobe. The movie takes place in a US naval station in 1941. In a scene, a group of women can be seen wearing skirts, but no stockings. A woman walking around in bare legs at the time would have been unthinkable!
19. Gladiator: the lycra shorts
We can imagine that fighting while using an armor must be very difficult. In Gladiator, Russell Crowe has his fair share of battles, which we bet must have been quite challenging.
Nevertheless, there is an element of surprise which we couldn’t have possibly expected. It is also a monumental gaffe. In the scene where Maximus is fighting with the tigers, he takes a fall, revealing a rather modern garment: he is wearing lycra shorts!
We are pretty sure that lycra was not around in ancient Rome, and it certainly wasn’t part of a gladiator’s outfit. Nevertheless, we believe that Crowe’s performance is flawless!
20. Braveheart: the kilts
This 1995 movie is considered a classic. Mel Gibson portrays Scottish national hero William Wallace, who led Scotland’s battle of independence. However, this film has many historical errors, which led to criticism.
One of the blunders is the incongruity regarding the wardrobe. In the movie, Scots wear kilts in the 13th century. However, kilts first became popular in the 17th century, which makes the film historically inaccurate.
As much as we love Mel in a skirt, we believe this was the wrong time to wear it. Thankfully, the movie had much more to offer and it became a major hit.
21. Saving Private Ryan: the black boots
Saving Private Ryan is a war movie directed by acclaimed filmmaker Steven Spielberg. The film is set in France in the year 1944 and it recreates the battle of Omaha Beach Assault and the overall invasion of Normandy during World War II.
It is known as one of the greatest war films of all times. Sadly, that doesn’t mean that the film is absolutely flawless. In many scenes, soldiers can be seen sporting black leather boots.
In reality, World War II soldiers were given brown boots instead of black. It’s a small mistake, but such a wonderfully made movie should take care of every single detail.
22. Pulp Fiction: the vanishing bullet holes
American director Quentin Tarantino is known for shooting complicated scenes full of violence, blood and, sometimes, hidden messages. However, this blunder in Pulp Fiction was not one of them.
In a famous scene with John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson as Vincent and Jules, there is a shoot-out. At the beginning, you may see the wall without bullet holes behind Jules while he recites bible verses.
However, just before a guy fires at him, if you look behind Jules, the bullet holes are already there. We can’t believe no one in the crew saw this before making the final cut!
23. Forrest Gump: the iron switches positions on its own!
Forrest Gump is one of Tom Hanks’ most successful films. His performance earned him an Oscar, and the movie itself won several awards. It was a success in the box office and the soundtrack was just as successful.
Thus, we would expect it to be perfect, but unfortunately, the film has many mistakes. One of them is actually very funny: as Forrest visits Jenny at her home, an ironing board is shown in the background, with an iron standing upright.
As the scene goes on, the iron becomes visible again, but this time, it’s lying flat on the board. We wonder how it could switch positions on its own!
24. Amadeus: the costumes’ zippers
The film Amadeus is about the life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and his relationship with Italian composer Antonio Salieri. It takes place in Vienna in the late 18th century. The 1984 film was broadly acclaimed and it won many awards.
Nevertheless, it has a few slip-ups, as many period films do. The most notorious one has to do with the costumes, as many of them display a piece of garment that hadn’t been invented yet at the time.
We are talking about zippers. Unluckily, this piece can be seen in more than a few costumes: it appears many times throughout the film. Thus, this historical inaccuracy is one for the books!
25. The Terminator: a wardrobe malfunction or the lack thereof
In The Terminator, Arnold Schwarzenegger hits the streets for the first time wearing, well, nothing. He is butt-naked, until he finds a way to get himself some clothes.
Now, this film was made in 1984. During that time, the director strategically used lighting in order not to reveal too much, and he also shot the scene from a far enough distance.
However, technology has evolved and, as a result, images have achieved great sharpness. Thus, when the Blu-ray version of the film became available, so did the Terminator’s private parts. So, in case you decide to watch this classic movie again, be mentally prepared!
