This article was originally published on JustStarz
There's no denying the fact that costume design is one of the most challenging jobs on any film set. After all, costume designers have to pay strict attention to every little detail and make sure everything is spot on, especially when it comes to historical movies and other period pieces. And if they miss a detail by any chance, then the eagle-eyed online community is quick to point it out. So, let's take a look at 50 movie mistakes that should have never made it onscreen. Be warned though, you'll never be able to watch these movies again once you see these outrageous mistakes!
Crank: High Voltage (2009)
The 2009 American film Crank: High Voltage can be explained as excessively violent and offensive. It was not even screened for critics. In the movie, Amy Smart took a number of pole-dancing classes for the role and didn’t wear a whole lot of clothes.
The viewers were shocked to see more than they bargained for when her character Eve Lydon climbs onto a getaway motorcycle and shows her actual underwear. Some believe that the wardrobe malfunction was intentionally put in the film to make it go viral. What do you think about it?
Pretty Woman (1990)
Pretty Woman is considered one of the best romantic comedies of all time. Made on a budget of $14 million, it grossed $463.4 million and went on to become the third-highest-grossing film of 1990. In one scene of the film, Edward and Vivian share their first kiss.
We didn't know that a kiss could affect someone's outfit because her long nightgown becomes visibly much smaller after she kisses the handsome businessman. Hmm!
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Amy Adams played a supporting role in the 2002 American biographical crime film before becoming a regular Oscar nominee. Not many people noticed that there was something odd about her braces.
Only those with some knowledge of dental history spotted that the wired-metal braces she wore in the 1960s-set caper became vogue only during the following decade. By the way, Leonardo DiCaprio’s character liked those braces.
Bad Boys II (2003)
Gabrielle Union is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful actresses on the planet. So, it is pretty apparent that people desperately look for her wardrobe malfunctions. After a research team that included NASA scientists, a report was made on one moment that comes from the 2003 film Bad Boys II.
In the scene, Union throws a gun at a live minefield and ducks. As she ducks, her dress slides a little too much and there's an inadvertent nip slip.
Sense and Sensibility (1995)
This 1995 British-American period drama film is based on Jane Austen's 1811 novel of the same name. We know that the babies in the 1800s had the luxury of doing their business in diapers, but the diapers were made of cloth and toweling.
In the movie, it seems like the director thought old diapers would be rejected by the modern baby. So, they went with a modern diaper.
Closer (2004)
This 2004 American romantic drama film has a strong cast in the form of Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Natalie Portman, and Clive Owen. It seems like director Mike Nichols didn't want to include nude scenes of Natalie Portman in the film and decided to cut all of them. She plays the role of a stripper and there’s no scene in which viewers got to see the actress in her birthday suit. But there was one flesh-baring shot of the beautiful actress that somehow made it to the final edit.
In the scene, Portman's exotic dancer Alice can be seen crossing her legs and her bra slips just a little further down than intended. As expected, the scene surprised a lot of people.
Dirty Dancing (1987)
This romantic drama dance film became a pop-culture juggernaut. It earned over $214 million worldwide.
Most viewers were engrossed so much in the film's story to notice the jean shorts that Baby wore. With the film's early 1960s setting, the jean shorts were actually slightly more '80s in style.
Captain America: The First Avenger
The gorgeous Hayley Atwell played the role of Peggy Carter and wasn't she just amazing? Her haircut, though, wasn't quite on the mark.
It's not that the haircut was untimely because it actually fits in with WWII-era style. But the problem was that her character shouldn't strictly have been wearing locks down when serving. Still, it was a minor thing and we loved her role in the film.
Titanic (1997)
Okay, we're not going to talk about that scene in which Rose tells Jack, "I want you to draw me like one of your French girls." Viewers were so engrossed in the moment that most didn't notice the one glaring error.
In Rose's first scene, viewers can see her beauty mark appear on the left side of her face. But then it magically repositions itself on the right in the rest of the movie. How did it bypass the editing team that pays attention to every single detail?
Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
This American musical romantic comedy film was one of the first 25 films selected by the United States Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry. Debbie Reynolds’ character, Kathy Selden, wore the famous pink dress in the film.
Given that the film wasn't set in the 1950s but actually three decades earlier, it wouldn’t have existed in the decade of the 1920s in Western society and Western culture (aka Roaring Twenties).
Wonder Woman (2017)
It is quite amazing that the powerful Wonder Woman still found time to shave her armpits with all that butt-kicking and world-saving going on. As Gal Gadot's character has had no interaction with humans or knew about their beauty standards, her perfectly smooth underarms raised many eyebrows.
In fact, fans were not happy to notice her perfectly clean shaved armpits in the 2017 movie's trailer. Fans also noticed that the color of her armpits was different from the rest of her body.
Teen Wolf (1985)
Made on a budget of just $1.2 million, Teen Wolf went on to gross over $80 million. In a movie where a teenage misfit uses his hereditary curse to his advantage, a costume mishap was inevitably going to happen.
Toward the end of the movie, it can be seen that an extra is fiddling around with their genitals. In reality, it was a woman attempting to zip up her open fly.
Julius Caesar (1953)
Did you know that the first modern bra was created in France by Herminie Cadolle in 1889? Bras have evolved over the years and we have to say that bras today are pretty subtle. But they were different in the '50s. The pointy "bullet bras" were common back then and the lady in the movie was wearing one as well.
There's no problem with the bra, but the issue is that the movie was set in 44 BC (1,900 years before the invention of modern bras).
The Doors (1991)
The Doors is a biographical film about 1960s rock band singer Jim Morrison who died in 1971. The film portrays Morrison's interest in free love, recreational drug use, alcoholism, and also growing obsession with death.
In the movie, Val Kilmer's Morrison wears a style of Ray-Bans, but that style wasn't even manufactured before the '80s.
Braveheart (1995)
Mel Gibson's William Wallace fought for independence against England and proudly wore a kilt throughout the film.
But the problem is that the kilt didn't exist in the 13th and 14th centuries. Moreover, the blue face paint worn by the warriors in the film is pure fiction.
Gladiator (2000)
This epic historical drama film was inspired by Daniel P. Mannix's 1958 book Those About to Die. It became the second highest-grossing film of 2000 and won five Academy Awards. Although the movie was great, there were some major mistakes.
Take an example of one scene in which Russell Crowe thought that he was starring in a spandex-filled British TV series Gladiators. As he's fighting a tiger, viewers get a peek at his Lycra. Just so you may know, Lycra was invented in 1958.
Troy (2004)
How good was Brad Pitt in Troy, right? There was nothing he could do wrong in the film. But let's talk about Orlando Bloom and how goofy he looked under a flamingo-pink parasol. Even if you try to ignore the parasol, you cannot deny the fact that it didn't even exist at the time.
According to historians, ancient Greece came to know about parasols in the 5th century BC. The siege of Troy – widely thought of as non-historical – happened in the 12th or 13th.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
If you're a fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean series, then you must be familiar with the role of the British Empire in it.
Although the redcoat is a symbol of the British Empire, the uniform's variation in the movie didn't come into existence until 1747. Whereas the movie is set during the reign of King George I, it started in 1714 and ran for 13 years.
Elizabeth I (2005 miniseries)
Helen Mirren portrayed Elizabeth I and did an outstanding job, but the problem was with her costume. Her character frequently wears a neck ruff, which is accurate as they were fashionable in Tudor England.
However, they were worn with shirts that ran all the way up to the neckline. In Mirren's case, there was no such garment.
The Ten Commandments (1956)
Anne Baxter wore a beautiful aqua-blue silk dress in her role as Egyptian queen Nefertiti. Although she looked breathtakingly beautiful, the problem is that it is historically incorrect.
It is because during those times (around 1350 BC), there were no natural dyes that could have caused that hue on silk.
Glory (1989)
In this American Civil War movie, everything was pretty much spot-on, except for one thing. You could see someone's digital watch in one scene.
The problem with it is that self-winding wristwatches weren't invented until 1923. And we're not even talking about digital electronic watches that first appeared in 1970. Phew, this is one embarrassing mistake.
Gangs of New York (2002)
Martin Scorsese directed this epic historical crime film. It grossed $193 million worldwide and was nominated for ten Oscars at the 75th Academy Awards.
So when a fire breaks out in the film, it must have been comforting to know there was one modern-day firefighter with the yellow pants. One wonders why no one really cared about the modern fireman in the 19th century’s movie set.
Pompeii (2014)
This romantic historical disaster film was a big-budget sword-and-sandal adventure that didn't do well at the box office. It reminds us of how Kit Harington (aka Jon Snow) said about the film's reception, "more of a disaster than the event it was based on."
In the movie, purple dye capes are historically incorrect. It is because the purple dye did exist in ancient Rome under the rule of Emperor Nero, but he made it punishable by death for anyone other than him to wear the color. No wonder why he is one of the most infamous men who ever lived.
Ben-Hur (1959)
Winner of eleven Oscars, Ben-Hur remains one of the best movies ever made. If you appreciate classic filmmaking, this is that one movie you should definitely watch. There is a scene in the movie where Sheik Ilderim pins a Star of David onto Ben Hur’s belt.
The problem with the scene is that such a symbol would've meant nothing to the Romans at the time. After all, it was 26 AD, and the Star of David's first records go as far back as the 12th century.
King Arthur (2004)
Although historians have not been able to confirm that King Arthur really existed, it doesn't mean that film had to be wrong on so many levels.
Take an example of how the film shows that it is set in the 5th century A.D. and then the heavy plated armor worn by the knights contradicts the depiction because it wasn't common until the late middle ages.
Unforgiven (1994)
There's an error in the movie that we can 'forgive.' After all, it is a Clint Eastwood-directed movie and we deeply respect him.
In the movie, you can see Gene Hackman's character Little Bill Daggett wearing belt-loops on his pants. The issue with the scene is that they didn't appear on trousers other than sportswear until the late 1920s.
Django Unchained (2012)
If you haven't seen Django Unchained, we urge you to give it a shot. It grossed $425.4 million worldwide on a budget of $100 million. In the movie, Jamie Fox plays the character of Django, who looks totally awesome in gold-rimmed sunglasses.
Although these types of glasses were around when the film is set, the problem is that his particular style of black-shaded lenses is an invention of the 20th century. Given how cool he looked, nobody had any problem with them.
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Some military history buffs noticed that Matt Damon's paratrooper character wears black jump boots in this famous Steven Spielberg film.
But the problem is that black boots weren't even available until the 1950s. One wonders why they couldn’t pay a little more attention to history.
The Last Samurai (2003)
It won't be wrong to say that The Last Samurai is a modern classic with a captivating anti-hero turned hero story. With its memorable performances and outstanding action scenes, it is a must-watch movie.
In the movie, Tom Cruise's traditional Samurai armor looks cool until you realize that the film was set in the late 1800s and that particular style of gear was last used in the 1600s.
The King's Speech (2010)
To sum up the movie, we can say that it is a competent historical drama that gives you a gratifying experience. However, there was one mistake in the film that did upset some Scottish citizens. You can see that Colin Firth’s character George VI wore a kilt in the Irish tartan style.
In reality, kilts worn by the British royal family members are of the Scottish Balmoral design traditionally worn by the British royal family since 1853.
American Hustle (2013)
Although this film did a fantastic job of capturing the music, styles, and spirit of the late '70s, it did make one big blunder. In the movie, Louis CK plays the role of FBI supervisor Stoddard Thorsen who wears a gold Rolex GMT-Master II watch. We can hope that you've guessed it by now.
The watch was launched in 2005. And another thing to notice is that his character is not paid well enough to be wearing an expensive Rolex watch.
Quadrophenia (1979)
This is a movie about the early '60s conflicts between two warring subcultures – the mod and the rockers – defining themselves by their taste of clothes and music.
The costume designers made a mistake as the rockers wore Motörhead t-shirts, but the band was formed in 1975 and the movie is set in 1964.
There Will Be Blood (2007)
Daniel Day-Lewis as Daniel Plainview was simply mind-blowing. He then went on to win the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. The Hollywood legend did everything perfectly, but there was one thing that wasn't his fault.
Yeah, we're talking about his grippy waffle soles on his shoes in one fireside scene. Nike invented those shoes with the help of the waffle iron.
Robin Hood: The Prince of Thieves (1991)
This 1991 American action-adventure film had a curious casting decision. The silly attempts at an English accent weren’t a big problem because of one major blunder: the telescope.
Yeah, the device was invented almost 300 years after the time when the movie is set. Guess they just wanted to make Kevin Costner look cool.
Back to the Future (1985)
Would it make us bad people if we try to criticize anachronisms in a movie that is all about time travel?
You got to admit that they could do a lot of silly things in the movie and still people would've loved it. There is a scene in which Marty McFly plays "Johnny B. Goode" using a 1958 ES-345 guitar in 1955. Indeed it was time travel.
Seabiscuit (2003)
If you love horses or Tobey Maguire, you should definitely watch this movie. If you love Jeff Bridges or Elizabeth Banks, you should give this one a shot. And if you do watch it, make sure to forget about this minor mistake.
Tobey Maguire shouldn't be wearing chin straps in the movie as they weren't invented until the Caliente Safety Helmet in 1956. Therefore, it is a slightly inaccurate film.
Where Eagles Dare (1968)
Where Eagles Dare is an exciting action film. Quentin Tarantino is a big fan of the movie, and it is Steven Spielberg’s favorite war movie.
Although it is based on World War II, actress Ingrid Pitt couldn’t resist the temptations of the fashions of the time and inexplicably sports a beehive haircut and light pink lipstick that is very 1960s.
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Director Steven Spielberg and writer/producer George Lucas joined forces to recreate a note-perfect adventure movie of the 1940s. It is, without any doubt, nothing short of a masterpiece.
However, there were some minor issues. For instance, a guy in the background is strolling around in jeans and a T-shirt. As local Egyptians surround Indiana Jones in traditional clothing, that person does make the scene unintentionally funny.
Amadeus (1964)
This American biographical drama film is known for its stunning costumes, sublime music, and charismatic performances.
But there is one question that we have about the film: why did it show ballet dancers doing up their costumes using zippers when they were invented in 1913?
The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)
This movie is about passion and desertion set against the backdrop of the Tudor period. In the movie, Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman wear French Hoods.
As far as we know, hoods are used to cover your head. In the case of the French hood, a veil at the back covers the hair. So, it seems like both actresses were just wearing French headbands.
The Color Purple (1985)
We think it is a fantastic movie that brilliantly represented the early 1900s and you find yourself emotionally attached to the main character.
The movie is awesome but there was something that should have been prevented. In 1913, Albert wore a clip-on tie that was actually invented 15 years later.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
We really loved Indy's last crusade because of the chemistry between Ford and Connery (RIP, you great soul). The embarrassing mistake in the movie has nothing to do with them. Nazis loved their swastikas and big shiny war medals. But wearing them required you first to fight a war.
Given that the movie is set in 1938 (a year before World War II started), it seems like the medals are there as decoration pieces.
My Girl (1991)
There was a time when mood rings were a thing. Some of you may remember them as an accessory that changes color depending on the temperature of your finger.
Given that this movie was set in 1972, the filmmakers mistakenly had Vada wear one. Mood rings were invented in 1975 by two New York inventors, Josh Reynolds and Maris Ambats.
Schindler’s List
This Oscar-winning epic historical drama film is powerful and important. We all know about the Nazi concentration camps of the 1940s and how they were used to torment and kill mercilessly.
This is a beautifully crafted and hopeful film. In the movie, we can see that women had shaved their armpits and legs. Although there is nothing wrong with it, the issue is that shaving armpits and legs was not a norm at that time - let alone in death camps.
The Informant! (2009)
Based on a true story, this is a smart, cynical movie in which Matt Damon turns into an FBI mole. We loved how Steven Soderbergh didn't take the usual serious notes to present a biography. In one scene, Matt Damon is playing golf in Hawaii and we can see him wearing Nike golf spikes.
Although it was a sneaky bit of product placement, it is actually anachronistic because the movie is set in 1992 and only four years after Nike produced its golf shoes.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
This movie truly made Johnny Depp one of the best and most paid actors in Hollywood. We absolutely loved the movie, but we're sure not many people noticed a cowboy in the background.
Maybe the franchise decided to add a little twist to the tale, but there's a huge chance it was Matthew McCaughey’s cameo. What do you think about it?
Zulu (1964)
This British epic war film depicts the Battle of Rorke's Drift between the British Army and the Zulus in January 1879. But the strange thing about British soldiers in this movie is that they had shaved faces.
Michael Caine and other stars had shaved faces in the film. It is improbable for a British colonial soldier in 1879 not to have a mustache.
Hello, Dolly! (1969)
It won't be wrong to say that Hello, Dolly! is one of the last big, old-fashioned musicals. After all, those were the times when movies were big, bold, and beautiful. Stunning Barbra Streisand as Dolly Levi did an excellent job.
However, there is one little problem in the film. As the movie is set in the 1890s, her thick cat-eye make-up just wasn't a thing back in 19th century New York City.
Captain America: First Avenger (2011)
Captain America: The First Avenger was made on a budget of $140 million and it is surprising how they couldn’t spot such a silly, little mistake. We're not being harsh here but they should’ve told actor Kenneth Choi (playing the role of soldier Jim Morita) to cover his 21th-century headset in a movie set in WWII.
Of course, fans don't really bother looking closely to find such mistakes, but we think Bluetooth headset is not acceptable.
Pearl Harbor (2001)
As not wearing stockings and showing the bare flesh on legs in the fusty 1940s was not flattering, it is hard to believe that the leggy ladies in this movie didn't know about it (or maybe they didn't get the memo).
To put it into perspective, there was a nylon shortage during World War II. To overcome the problem of not wearing nylon stockings, women started drawing lines on the backs of their legs just to create the illusion of wearing stockings.