Iconic Movie Mistakes and Bloopers That Made It to the Big Screen

It’s simple to forget that even the most lavish Hollywood productions are not immune to human mistakes in the enchanted realm of cinema, where illusion and storytelling reign supreme. Even while careful preparation and thorough editing are essential parts of the filmmaking process, occasionally errors and gaffes nevertheless manage to make it to the big screen. Instead of detracting from the visual experience, these unanticipated mistakes frequently endear spectators and even offer an additional level of curiosity to our favorite movies. Let us explore the fascinating world of cinematic gaffes and bloopers that have earned the status of timeless legends, proving that perfection is not always necessary for the creation of a magical film.

Movie Editing and Quality

Editing a movie or TV show for quality and removing bloopers is a multi-faceted process involving several stages and techniques. Here’s an overview of how it’s typically done:

  1. Initial Assembly: The first step is to assemble the raw footage. Editors put together scenes following the script and the director’s notes. This initial cut often includes all the usable footage, even if it contains mistakes or bloopers.
  2. Rough Cut: The rough cut involves refining the initial assembly. Editors start shaping the film/TV show by removing obvious mistakes, including bloopers, bad takes, or technical errors. The rough cut focuses more on getting the narrative flow right.
  3. Fine Cut: Once the rough cut is approved, the editing process moves to the fine cut. This stage involves more detailed work, like pacing, timing, and ensuring that the narrative flows seamlessly. It’s here that more subtle bloopers or inconsistencies are removed. Fine-tuning the performance (choosing the best takes, adjusting timing) is also a key part of this phase.
  4. Sound Editing and Mixing: Concurrently with the picture editing, sound editors work on the audio aspects. They remove or reduce unwanted sounds (like background noise), add sound effects, and ensure dialogue clarity. Any audio bloopers or issues are addressed at this stage.
  5. Color Correction and Grading: This process involves adjusting the colors and lighting levels of the footage to ensure visual consistency throughout the film/show. Color grading can also be used creatively to set the tone or mood of a scene.
  6. Special Effects (VFX) and Graphics: If the project requires, visual effects are added. This can range from simple tasks like removing wires or rigs to complex CGI (computer-generated imagery). VFX can also be used to fix issues that cannot be addressed during regular editing.
  7. Final Cut: The final cut is the culmination of all the previous steps. Once picture and sound editing, color grading, and VFX are complete, the editor compiles them into the final version. This cut is reviewed for any remaining errors or quality issues.
  8. Quality Control (QC): Before the film or TV show is released, it usually goes through a QC process. This is where a team checks for any technical or content issues that might have been missed, such as bloopers, sound problems, color inconsistencies, or even legal issues (like unintended brand appearances).
  9. Feedback and Revisions: Especially in TV shows, feedback from test screenings or network executives might lead to further revisions. This could include cutting or reshaping scenes, adjusting the narrative flow, or additional blooper removal.

Throughout this process, collaboration is key. Editors work closely with the director, producers, sound and color teams, and sometimes the writers and cinematographers, to ensure that the final product aligns with the creative vision and is of the highest quality, free from bloopers and technical flaws.

But of course some make it through the editing process and here are some of the most iconic movie bloopers of all time!

 

people watching a movie inside the theater

The coffee cup in ‘Game of Thrones’

The Starbucks cup that was discovered during the last season of Game of Thrones practically caused the internet to go up. The creator of the show, David Benioff, told Japan’s Star Channel, “At first I couldn’t believe it, and then it was an embarrassment because ‘How did we not see this coffee cup in the middle of the shot?'” the showrunners can now laugh about it. “And then eventually it was just funny. This was just an error, and now we kind of find it amusing.

The water bottle in ‘Game of Thrones’

Another significant incident that occurred in the last season of Game of Thrones included alcohol. This time, it takes the shape of a plastic water bottle that can be found in the last episode close to Samwell Tarly’s foot and another that shows up next to Ser Davos’ foot a short while later.

The missing necklace in ‘Game of Thrones’

Fans immediately brought up a moment from earlier in the season when it was revealed in season 6 of Game of Thrones that Melisandre’s choker necklace is the only thing making her seem young. Despite not wearing her necklace, she appears to Stannis’ wife in season 4 as a young lady. The actress who plays Melisandre, Carice van Houten, subsequently admitted to Elle, “That was an oops moment.”

The charger in ‘Game of Thrones’

Fans observed what looks to be a computer charger beneath Stannis’s thigh during season 5. Although you can kind of see the charger and wires in the finished product, commenters on Reddit pointed out that this was a behind-the-scenes image, and the gadget did not appear quite as blatantly in the final version.

Singin in the Rain poster

‘Singin’ in the Rain’ and How Wet is Gene Kelly?

During the famous “Singin’ in the Rain” scene, Gene Kelly’s suit visibly changes shades of wetness between shots, indicating continuity errors in the filming sequence.

‘Star Wars’ shows a stormtrooper smashing his head

photo of people in stormtrooper costumes

In Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, one stormtrooper smashes his head on the door as they enter a control room. In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Laurie Goode, the actor who suffered a head injury, said, “Believing I probably was not in the frame, I expected it to end up on the cutting-room floor. But when I did see it in the theater, I thought, “OMG, that is me!” I have been telling people the story ever since it occurred.”

The bullet holes in ‘Pulp Fiction’

Before the scene is shot, there are bullet holes in the walls of the flat where John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson’s characters go to get a briefcase in Pulp Fiction.

‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ Harry’s mother’s eyes

Harry Potter wordmark

It is an interesting fact that throughout the Harry Potter novels and movies, various individuals inform Harry that he “has his mother’s eyes.” However, Lily Potter has brown eyes instead of Harry’s blue ones when we eventually see her as a young girl in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Although they are both portrayed as having green eyes in the novels, young Daniel Radcliffe is said to have reacted negatively to contact lenses.

The breakfast food switch-up in ‘Pretty Woman’

Pretty Woman features a moment where Julia Roberts’s character is shown consuming a croissant. When the camera returns to Roberts, the croissant she is holding has changed into a pancake. The scene features her costar, Richard Gere. It appears in this footage between 00:20 and 00:40.

Friends Logo

The stand-in for Rachel in ‘Friends’

Over the years, viewers of Friends have noticed a few missteps in the program. One of the most noticeable errors occurred in a sequence from season 9, which you can see here. Jennifer Aniston’s stand-in is visible on the edge of the frame.

The stand-in for Monica in ‘Friends’

A comparable error occurred in Friends season 8. For a brief moment, you can see Courteney Cox’s stand-in at the edge of the screen during a dialogue between Lisa Kudrow’s character and Cox.

The street sweeper in ‘Quantum of Solace’

The street sweeper behind James Bond is oddly pretending to sweep while holding his broom several inches off the ground rather than just cleaning the ground, as you can observe if you pay great attention to this moment in Quantum of Solace.

The Demogorgon piece in ‘Stranger Things’

Throughout the show, viewers of Stranger Things have identified a few little errors. One is that in 1983 when the boys were playing, the Dungeons & Dragons Demogorgon figurine was not available. The figure was not made available until 1984.

The orange bike lights in ‘Stranger Things’

Oddly, the boys’ bikes appear orange in the sunshine yet the lights on the front of the bikes appear to be brilliant white in earlier Stranger Things sequences. According to Jalopnik, the lights are likely coated in an orange gel to either lower the lights or to match the color temperature of the professional lights used in production. But it may be a mystery, just like the program itself.

The young boy in “North by Northwest” who has his ears covered

North by north west Theatrical release poster

In a moment in the movie North by Northwest, Eva Marie Saint’s character unintentionally shoots Cary Grant’s character with a pistol. A few seconds before the shot is discharged, one of the kids playing an extra in the background covers his ears. The scene may be seen at 1:40 in this video. Is it not possible that someone took earplugs for the child?

The Osama bin Laden mentioned in ‘Breaking Bad’

At one point, Jack Welker, one of Breaking Bad’s main villains, tells Todd, his nephew, information about Osama bin Laden’s passing. Though bin Laden did not pass away until 2011, the episode is set around 2007. The error was brought up by Vince Gilligan in a Slate interview, where he said, “I thought this show took place in 2007, and it’s only been a year since then, but last week you had someone mention the Osama bin Laden assassination. How do you reconcile that?”

The hydrofluoric acid eating the tub in ‘Breaking Bad’

Some of the more graphic sequences in Breaking Bad include Walt and Jesse trying to dissolve bodies in hydrofluoric acid in a bathtub, which ends up in a very nasty situation. Mythbusters dispelled the myth that this is almost impossible to occur in reality.

The mention of ‘the octopus’ in ‘The Goonies’

The Goonies ends with Data claiming that “the octopus,” which is absent from the original version of the movie, was the scariest scene. For the theatrical release, the octopus sequence was cut; however, it was reinstated for the Disney Channel version.

The shirt Tran’s wearing in ‘The Fast and the Furious’

Fast and Furious Logo

In the race between Jesse and Tran in The Fast and the Furious, there is a rather obvious mistake. Tran may be seen wearing a tank top in one picture and a shirt with sleeves in another. In this video, you can see the change between 0:55 and 0:58.

The name mix-up in ‘Supernatural’

Fans of Supernatural observed a significant error in the first season of the program. Dean seems to refer to his brother as “Jared” in the episode “Provenance,” even though it is the name of the actor, not the character. In another scene, you can hear what appears to be an extra referring to Dean as “Jensen,” which is also the actor’s name rather than the name of the role.

The camera guy in ‘Bad Boys’

This is just a ridiculous error. In this image from the 1983 film Bad Boys, one of the camera operators is so plainly visible close to the ground that we are not sure how it was overlooked.

The handcuffs on Pippin disappearing in ‘The Lord of the Rings’

Merry and Pippin are taken prisoner by the Orcs at the start of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Their hands are chained while they are being held captive, however during a combat scene, Pippin’s hands are unbound as he almost gets run over by a horse. The constraint appears to be back a short while later.

The sword Éomer drops in ‘The Lord of the Rings’

True aficionados of The Lord of the Rings discovered that Éomer drops his sword while mounting his horse at a scene where the Rohirrim had met Aragorn. This error is easy to detect on first viewing. In this video, it can be seen very well around 0:18.

The car in the background in ‘Braveheart’

Given that Braveheart takes place in the 13th century, it is a little strange to see this distinctly contemporary vehicle in the distance during one of the pivotal fight scenes.

The time of day in ‘The Dark Knight Rises’

It is sunlight outdoors at the start of The Dark Knight Rises’ stock market heist scenario. But following the police chase through the tunnel, the outdoors is completely dark. This is particularly odd because, according to the narrative, the stock market had just opened for the day when the action began, thus there was no way that it could have turned nightfall that rapidly.

The Market Scene in ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’

In the market scene, a fly seemingly crawls into actor Paul Freeman’s mouth as he is delivering his lines. The fly disappears mid-scene, leading many to believe it was accidentally swallowed.

The ‘over by the bed’ comment from Jack in ‘Titanic’

This was an actual line slip by Leonardo DiCaprio during the painting scene in Titanic, shortly after Rose takes off her clothes when Jack instructs her to go “over by the bed,” then corrects himself and says, “the couch.” The directors chose to leave the error in the movie because they thought it was hilarious.

The cut on Calvin’s hand in ‘Django Unchained’

Here is another “mistake” by Leo that was turned into a movie. In a scene from Django Unchained, he sliced his hand as he banged his hand on the table. Leo completed the sequence while remaining in character, and Quentin Tarantino loved it so much that he utilized that take for the movie. (But happily, it appears that artificial blood was utilized for the moment in which Leo smears Kerry Washington’s face with his bleeding palm.)

The ruby red slippers in ‘The Wizard of Oz’

The Wizard of Oz

Judy Garland may be seen wearing simple black shoes—rather than her famous ruby red slippers—during the sequence in The Wizard of Oz where the trees start to pelt Dorothy and the Scarecrow with apples (see it at 1:04).

The random cowboy in ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’

This is one of those mistakes in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl where you may blink and miss it. One extra (or crew member? ), who looks to be wearing a cowboy hat and gazing out to sea, may be seen standing behind Johnny Depp at about 0:13 in the video. Perhaps the costume crew decided this was the best alternative after running out of pirate garb? It is ambiguous.

Battle Scene in ‘Gladiator’

In one of the battle scenes, a chariot flips over, revealing a gas cylinder in the back, an anachronistic blooper in this ancient Rome setting.

Conclusion

The unexpected moments of imperfection in the realm of filmmaking, where every shot is meticulously planned, serve as a reminder of the human touch that lies behind the silver screen. Instead of being the ruin of a movie, cinematic errors, and bloopers are frequently the unique, charming touches that make the film more enjoyable to watch. They serve as a reminder that even the most amazing tales are created by human beings with flaws and that the real beauty of the film lies in those same flaws. Thus, keep in mind that the next time you see a slip-up or an error in your beloved picture, it is not only an error; rather, it’s a treasured component of the cinematic experience that adds to the magic of the film industry.