I tripped across this site today - and immediately thought of Scott and his self-proclaimed state of being a "detail Nazi" - It is a "Nitpickers Guide to the Movies".
Now there is so much there, and it is so autistic that I have barely scratched the surface. But it looks hilariously fun as well.
For example: Check out this list: Top Ten Nitpicked Movies
What I really want you to note, though, is the level of obsession in the list. Like:
Titanic: 352 nitpicks (98 refuted)
It's the "98 refuted" that really gets to me.
So someone writes in with a nitpick (and usually it's continuity issues - like: hey, his shirt was buttoned up to his neck in one shot, and in the next moment you can see his chest hair!) But others are far more insane.
Like this one:
When Dawson tries to get onto the floating piece of wood the first time, it flips over. This is supposedly meant to imply that only one person can get onto the floating piece of wood without it capsizing. Therefore, the woman gets on it instead, forcing Dawson to freeze to death. However, if you notice, the first attempt to get onto the piece of wood was width-wise, not length-wise, which would be more likely to flip over if anyone got onto it in the first place. Had Dawson tried again to get onto the piece of wood length-wise, he would have most likely succeeded because the center of gravity would have been more to his favor, possibly saving his life. Why the lack of motivation to save his own life mysteriously vanishes after the first attempt (and why Kate Winslet does not attempt to help him up) is an error both in human nature and in the script.
And then other nitpickers write in and comment on this nitpick - and they all get very into it - and it's all very scientific - Another nitpick has to do with an argument that when she pays for the painting, she pays him with a dime that has FDR on it. FDR in 1912? The discussion for that nitpick is QUITE lively.
Everyone who posts on the site is obviously legitimately insane, and for that very reason, I dearly love them all.
Posted by sheilaI once thought there was a visible boom mike during The Patriot, but I've since read that the most likely explaination is that the projectionist did a poor job in centering the film; since there are elements on the print that are not supposed to shown on screen.
Most of my nitpicks are of a technical issue, such as in The Hulk, where he throws the tip of a missile at a tank. The tip is NOT the explosive part, that's in the middle.
Posted by: Bill McCabe at June 25, 2004 05:07 PMThat's such a riot to read, my favorite Titanic observation was somebody pointing out that Rose's skin wasn't in any way wrinkled or showing marks from wearing a corset.
Geez, and I thought my husband was analytical.
Posted by: Laura at June 25, 2004 05:09 PMThe one that always gets me is that every single American flag in the movie "Hoosiers" is hung backwards. Drives me batty.
Posted by: timmy at June 25, 2004 05:33 PMIn Music of the Heart - a kind of cheesy movie that I love with all my heart - there's a horrible snafu - where in the beginning of a scene half of her hair is rolled up in curlers - and then when the love scene begins - magically her hair is not in curlers.
Pretty sloppy stuff
Posted by: red at June 25, 2004 05:35 PMOh, and that's why those continuity people (or "script supervisors") are so necessary and why - if you ever watch the credits - you'll see the same names, over and over again. It is SUCH an important job and pretty thankless - but - little errors like that can pull you out of the story.
There's one scene in French Lieutenant's Woman when the buttons on his jacket button themselves and unbutton themselves, spontaneously, on their own, throughout the scene.
Posted by: red at June 25, 2004 05:37 PMThe only films I've done have been so low budget that the actors had to 'do their own continuity'. I cannot even describe to you what a challenge that is.
A true right-brain left-brain exercise for hours on end.
You have to remember what you are doing in the scenes, and to have your moments, and remember your lines, and be a good actor, and take direction, and cry when they want you to ...
And then you also have to remember: "Okay, so was my hand on this side of my leg in the last shot? Or the other?" "How much beer did I sip out of that CLEAR glass - so that it's the same in the next shot?"
Sounds simple, but it is very difficult - because you usually shoot 2 or 3 moments over an entire 5 hour period - so you get lost a bit. It's hard to keep track, you take long breaks, you go for lunch - Then you have to come back in and remember: "Okay, so had I just lit the cigarette when I said that last line, or had I smoked almost the whole thing?"
Posted by: red at June 25, 2004 05:42 PMScott- you're welcome!!
You can look up your little nitpicks - and if someone HASN'T caught it, you can send it in.
No one has picked up on the Music of the Heart curlers error - I appear to be the only bonehead to have seen that film.
Posted by: red at June 25, 2004 05:43 PMBill - did you hear that in the theatrical release of Lord of the Rings you could see a car driving through the Shire in the background?
It was airbrushed out for the DVD release - and Peter Jackson still says that he never saw it.
Posted by: red at June 25, 2004 05:46 PMSheila,
For my friend Pete's film, we had three different outfits for which day it was supposed to be. "What day is it?" became the most common question around.
As for FOTR, I've heard about the car, but I confess that I didn't remember seeing it in the theater.
People often say they see a white van driving through the battle in Gettysburg, but it's actually a horse carrying the 1863 Confederate national flag (check this site out for how many flags they had)
Posted by: Bill McCabe at June 25, 2004 05:52 PMI love "Music of the Heart". I didn't think I would, I thought it would be a total chick-flick, but it turned out to be great. Its what made me and my wife start teaching our kids music.
AND it was directed by Wes Craven. Hooda thunkit?
Posted by: Kaptin Marko at June 25, 2004 11:25 PM