Factual errors in movies - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Ireneparalegal · 07-21-2008, 09:18 PM

Does anyone else get a bit miffed when it comes to movies not being consistent, having factual errors, such as hairstyles for a specific time period?

One movie that gets on my nerves is DIRTY DANCING. It is an entertaining (but corny) movie however, I cannot stand how the hairstyles, clothes and music are simply out of place for a movie that takes place in the 60's. I see 80's hairstyles, the theme song has synthesizers and drum machines, musical innovations that did not exist in 1963.

Anyone else?

sunshinefizzy · 07-22-2008, 08:21 AM

In To Kill a Mockingbird, adult Scout says that the town of Maycomb had nothing to fear but fear itself. When the story begins it's summer of '32 and if I studied history correctly, he didn't get into office until November!

Chocolate Moose · 07-22-2008, 10:14 AM

right, i hate that

Jude The Obscure · 07-22-2008, 11:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ireneparalegal

Does anyone else get a bit miffed when it comes to movies not being consistent, having factual errors, such as hairstyles for a specific time period?

One movie that gets on my nerves is DIRTY DANCING. It is an entertaining (but corny) movie however, I cannot stand how the hairstyles, clothes and music are simply out of place for a movie that takes place in the 60's. I see 80's hairstyles, the theme song has synthesizers and drum machines, musical innovations that did not exist in 1963.

Anyone else?

Thank ya! This is one of my mom's fave movies but it always chafes me to no end when "Time of My Life" starts to play for the finale. Of course, Jennifer Grey's hairstyle is so '80s.......Heck, Swayze's hairstyle is so '80s too.

sunshinefizzy · 07-22-2008, 03:00 PM

Sorry, must have misunderstood you, Irene. It gets me too. If you are going to do a period film make sure you look in the time period you are doing and like I stated get your historical facts right!!!

Ireneparalegal · 07-22-2008, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jude86

Thank ya! This is one of my mom's fave movies but it always chafes me to no end when "Time of My Life" starts to play for the finale. Of course, Jennifer Grey's hairstyle is so '80s.......Heck, Swayze's hairstyle is so '80s too.

I think the real reason I watch this movie is merely to find more inaccuracies in it.

The movie REEKS 80's!!!!!!

I'd expect to see some of the girls wearing cat glasses, wear some beehives, have dark, thick mascara on. There is a black couple who is shown a few times as one of the dirty dancers and the guy looks straight out of New Edition, with his hair cut the way it is.

Here is something I found regarding the movie CINDERELLA MAN:
Cinderella Man may be based on the true saga of Depression-era boxer James J. Braddock, but the fairy-tale-perfect scene in which Braddock (Russell Crowe) gives back the government relief money he's received must have sprung from some screenwriter's imagination, right? Not so, says Crowe. In fact, the famously detail- obsessed actor managed to track down the actual receipt from the welfare-office transaction, for sale on a boxing-fan website. ''I bought it, and I rang [director] Ron [Howard] up and said, 'You've got the number wrong by about $50. You'll have to change it in CGI,' which he thought was really amusing and typical of me.

I am curious of any other movies that screw up like this.

Brian · 07-28-2008, 12:09 AM

My parents watched The Graduate in theaters in the late 1960s. Towards the end, Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman) is driving south. In one shot he goes through a tunnel. The problem? Anyone who has been on that particular stretch of road would know that tunnel only serves northbound traffic. My parents told me that when they saw that for the first time (they both went to UC Santa Barbara, where that tunnel is) they and other people in the theater were like, "Oh no, that's wrong!"

Other than that, I try to avoid looking up factual errors in movies. Otherwise I might not look at a particular scene the same way again; I'll always notice that goof from that point on. When people tend to point out goofs in movies, no matter how obvious, I paraphrase Mystery Science Theater 30000 by saying, "It's just a movie you should really just relax." I know some people won't but that's how I go about it.

Ireneparalegal · 07-28-2008, 01:07 AM

I know of that particular tunnel you refer to in that movie. I have driven through it (one way) many, many times. Being from the next county, it is a drive that anyone from here is familiar with.

This thread is for those who would like to point out any errors in movies or for those who are irked by inaccuracies in any specific movie. This whole board is abt tv shows and just like many of us love to analyze tv shows, I too like to do the same with movies. It is easy to just not participate as I know "it is just a movie" much like a tv show.

07-21-2008, 09:18 PM	#1
Ireneparalegal LEGAL SPICE ;) Forum Legend Join Date: Jul 25, 2005 Location: OXNARD, CA - WHERE THE DALLAS COWBOYS TRAIN & PRACTICE Posts: 38,691	Factual errors in movies Does anyone else get a bit miffed when it comes to movies not being consistent, having factual errors, such as hairstyles for a specific time period? One movie that gets on my nerves is DIRTY DANCING. It is an entertaining (but corny) movie however, I cannot stand how the hairstyles, clothes and music are simply out of place for a movie that takes place in the 60's. I see 80's hairstyles, the theme song has synthesizers and drum machines, musical innovations that did not exist in 1963. Anyone else?
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07-22-2008, 10:14 AM	#3
Chocolate Moose Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 21, 2007 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 4,900	right, i hate that
	__________________ How long a minute is, depends on what side of the bathroom door you're on.

07-22-2008, 08:21 AM	#2
sunshinefizzy Member Senior Member Join Date: Sep 27, 2006 Location: Craptown Posts: 2,054	In To Kill a Mockingbird, adult Scout says that the town of Maycomb had nothing to fear but fear itself. When the story begins it's summer of '32 and if I studied history correctly, he didn't get into office until November!

07-22-2008, 03:00 PM	#5
sunshinefizzy Member Senior Member Join Date: Sep 27, 2006 Location: Craptown Posts: 2,054	Sorry, must have misunderstood you, Irene. It gets me too. If you are going to do a period film make sure you look in the time period you are doing and like I stated get your historical facts right!!!

07-28-2008, 12:09 AM	#7
Brian Member Forum Celebrity Join Date: Jun 23, 2001 Posts: 20,451	My parents watched The Graduate in theaters in the late 1960s. Towards the end, Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman) is driving south. In one shot he goes through a tunnel. The problem? Anyone who has been on that particular stretch of road would know that tunnel only serves northbound traffic. My parents told me that when they saw that for the first time (they both went to UC Santa Barbara, where that tunnel is) they and other people in the theater were like, "Oh no, that's wrong!" Other than that, I try to avoid looking up factual errors in movies. Otherwise I might not look at a particular scene the same way again; I'll always notice that goof from that point on. When people tend to point out goofs in movies, no matter how obvious, I paraphrase Mystery Science Theater 30000 by saying, "It's just a movie you should really just relax." I know some people won't but that's how I go about it.

07-28-2008, 01:07 AM	#8
Ireneparalegal LEGAL SPICE ;) Forum Legend Join Date: Jul 25, 2005 Location: OXNARD, CA - WHERE THE DALLAS COWBOYS TRAIN & PRACTICE Posts: 38,691	I know of that particular tunnel you refer to in that movie. I have driven through it (one way) many, many times. Being from the next county, it is a drive that anyone from here is familiar with. This thread is for those who would like to point out any errors in movies or for those who are irked by inaccuracies in any specific movie. This whole board is abt tv shows and just like many of us love to analyze tv shows, I too like to do the same with movies. It is easy to just not participate as I know "it is just a movie" much like a tv show.