Visual Goofs On The Big & Small Screen (1 Viewer)

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(I don’t know where to put this, because it includes both Movies & Television).


There are scads of threads about audio mistakes on musical recordings on all kinds of website’s discussion forums, as well as Facebook, and of course Youtube, to name just a few.

I’ve been wanting to do a thread like this for the longest time, but never got around to it, as starting a thread takes a lot of upkeep.
Those who care to participate can include any kind of goof, ranging from from continuity, shoddy sets, visible mike booms…you name it.



This one comes from Everybody Loves Raymond (sorry, don’t remember the episode).

I don’t recall seeing the TV set more than a half-dozen times throughout the series, if that.
Maybe if they read the instruction manual, they would have known it needs to be plugged in for optimum viewing enjoyment, and would have got more use out of it!

 

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Here’s a continuity flub from the King Of Queen’s 'Restaurant Row' episode wherein the DVD 'box set' changes title and size too:

 

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From what I remember, Home Improvement had a pretty risqué video scene transition image or two throughout the series.

I often wondered if the positioning of this hand-shaped flower from the ‘Overactive Glance’ episode was coincidence or intentional:

 

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Here are the 1x3 studs and blocking from the back side of a wall from an adjoining Cheers set, that wasn't hidden from the open door, from 'The Norm Who Came To Dinner' episode:

 

[Jeffrey D]

The most obvious continuity goof in a film that comes to mind is in the film Midnight Run- bail bondsman Eddie Moscone’s assistant Jerry Geisler (played by Jack Kehoe) is about to light a cigarette. The phone rings. He slams down the cigarette and lighter, and answers the phone. Quick cut to Jack Walsh asking to speak to Eddie. Quick cut back to Jerry having a lit cigarette in his fingers, telling Eddie that Jack is on the phone.

Another blatant continuity mistake is in the film Repo Man- there were 2 different models of an Oldsmobile that was supposed to be the same car. That film probably has other blunders besides this one.

Smokey And The Bandit has a few egregious goofs involving the state of vehicles before and after accidents.

 

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The most obvious continuity goof in a film that comes to mind is in the film Midnight Run- bail bondsman Eddie Moscone’s assistant Jerry Geisler (played by Jack Kehoe) is about to light a cigarette. The phone rings. He slams down the cigarette and lighter, and answers the phone. Quick cut to Jack Walsh asking to speak to Eddie. Quick cut back to Jerry having a lit cigarette in his fingers, telling Eddie that Jack is on the phone...

I'll have to look for it the next time I watch it!

That's probably my favorite 'Buddy' movie and also high on my list of comedy films.

 

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The VW Bug in the classic chase scene in Bullit is seen numerous times during the one take of the downhill sequence utilizing eight camera angles, that were edited in such a way as to make the chase seem a little longer.

In one scene, the Charger crashes into the camera; the damaged front fender is noticeable in later scenes.
I think it was seen in the early video releases, but the one second or so has since been edited out.

There are also disputes involving hubcaps (eight by some counts) appearing/disappearing throughout the chase when they shouldn't have (citation needed).

Slightly off topic...
The shots wherein the visor from the Charger is down, is where a stunt driver was used.

 

[Jeffrey D]

This goof was pointed out in the producer/writer commentary track for Speed (those guys didn’t take themselves or the film too seriously while talking about goofs, and the plot of the film, so it’s a great listen). The incident that gets the ball rolling- the bus exploding as Traven leaves the coffee shop- one of the guys pointed out the truck that pulled the burning bus with a tow cable. They point out a few other blunders too- I forget what they are.

 

[LeoA]

There's a Cheers episode where Sam and an old buddy of his try out for the Red Sox in an attempt to make a comeback. Before they return to Cheers and rush in all excited with the good news of having made it, you can catch a glimpse or two through the windows on the bar door of Sam hanging around outside waiting for his cue.

 

[TravisR]

In the Halloween II UHD thread, we were just discussing how at the beginning of the movie, Dr. Loomis' six-shot revolver managed to fire seven shots.

 

[BobO'Link]

Here are the 1x3 studs and blocking from the back side of a wall from an adjoining Cheers set, that wasn't hidden from the open door, from 'The Norm Who Came To Dinner' episode:

View attachment 115542​

That's a finished wall (you can see the sheen from the paint/varnish)... not raw flats. Flats won't have that type of support structure or be that neat/finished looking.

 

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That's a finished wall (you can see the sheen from the paint/varnish)... not raw flats. Flats won't have that type of support structure or be that neat/finished looking.

That's the reverse side of a finished wall, possibly trying to look like something else!

Flats have that exact same support structure, and that's exactly how close an adjoining set could be to another.
The sprayed on sheen/stain you are seeing, at best, is just a cheap and quick (down & dirty )way to doctor up the back of a wall to make it look like something else (putting lipstick on a pig), w/o having to make another flat and having the paint dept sanding the lauan and mixing up a specific color, or involving set dressing or the drapery dept to make it look like something else.

That sheen you are seeing could have easily been sprayed on at the last minute while the production crew were there, by the standby painter, before shooting began, during their break, or while filming another scene.

Those 1x3s are 2' on center with a sheet of ¼" lauan (the 'finished' side used for the front side), which was pretty much the industry standard at that time.
That grain we are seeing is typical of what the backside of the lauan would look like, and quite common of what the backside of any set walls would look like.

The only exception (back then at least), was Universal Studios, who were using 2x3s 12" or 16" on center and 3/8" sheeting, without any grain-age.

Edited to add this:
Flat Support Structure:

 

[greenscreened]

There's a Cheers episode where Sam and an old buddy of his try out for the Red Sox in an attempt to make a comeback. Before they return to Cheers and rush in all excited with the good news of having made it, you can catch a glimpse or two through the windows on the bar door of Sam hanging around outside waiting for his cue.

On Frasier, I notice when the cast is heading out his front door and it's closing behind them, you can usually catch them starting to veer to their left (occasionally to their right), instead of always straight ahead to the elevator!

 

[BobO'Link]

That's the reverse side of a finished wall!

Flats have that exact same support structure, and that's exactly how close an adjoining set could be to another.
The sprayed on sheen/stain you are seeing, at best, is just a cheap and quick (down & dirty )way to doctor up the back of a wall to make it look like something else (putting lipstick on a pig), w/o having to make another flat and having the paint dept sanding the lauan and mixing up a specific color, or involving set dressing or the drapery dept to make it look like something else.

That sheen you are seeing could have easily been sprayed on at the last minute while the production crew were there, by the standby painter, before shooting began, during their break, or while filming another scene.

Those 1x3s are 2' on center with a sheet of ¼" lauan (the 'finished' side used for the front side), which was pretty much the industry standard at that time.
That grain we are seeing is typical of what the backside of the lauan would look like, and quite common of what the backside of any set walls would look like.

The only exception (back then at least), was Universal Studios, who were using 2x3s 12" or 16" on center and 3/8" sheeting, without any grain-age.

Edited to add this:
Flat Support Structure:

Interesting... I worked in TV for 21 years. We *never* built a flat like that - ever. Lots less wood to make them lighter and a much lower grade on the back. Even on "permanent" sets...

 

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In the Halloween II UHD thread, we were just discussing how at the beginning of the movie, Dr. Loomis' six-shot revolver managed to fire seven shots.

I notice in older westerns, and maybe other genres, when gunshots are fired outdoors missing their intended targets, they have the obligatory shot bouncing(?) off an inanimate object with the dramatic (added) echo to the sound.
This occurring in an open area where the sound has no other objects to bounce off that would instigate the sound of an echo!

I even think the sound is a 'stock' sound from the library that they use, as it sounds pretty much the same in all usages.

 

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On Friends (which I just started watching in 2019), Monica's(?) apt. has an outside balcony that they sometimes congregate on, yet, I have never seen it on any of the exterior shots of any of their alleged buildings.

What they do show is an exterior metal area where a few people could stand before using the fire escape stairs, but not a parapet wall covered with stucco, as seen when they are using it for a live action scene.

 

[Richard Kaufman]

Bride of Frankenstein: Henry and Elizabeth flee the Castle ("You Go"), but are seen moments later inside the castle as it's exploding. Ending changed, but too expensive to reshoot the footage.

 

[OLDTIMER]

One continuing goof that annoys me in many, many films is of someone making a phone call from a wall-mounted magneto telephone – the type used mainly in country areas pre 1950 or so.

The actor lifts the receiver off the hook before turning the ring handle. Country people know that this effectively short circuits the outgoing ring. With those phones you had to ring first, then lift the receiver.

 

[Jeffrey D]

One continuing goof that annoys me in many, many films is of someone making a phone call from a wall-mounted magneto telephone – the type used mainly in country areas pre 1950 or so.

The actor lifts the receiver off the hook before turning the ring handle. Country people know that this effectively short circuits the outgoing ring. With those phones you had to ring first, then lift the receiver.

Interesting- I wonder why filmmakers don’t get this right.

 

[Kevin Hewell]

One continuing goof that annoys me in many, many films is of someone making a phone call from a wall-mounted magneto telephone – the type used mainly in country areas pre 1950 or so.

The actor lifts the receiver off the hook before turning the ring handle. Country people know that this effectively short circuits the outgoing ring. With those phones you had to ring first, then lift the receiver.

I had no idea about that.