Top 10 Horror Movie Mistakes Spotted By the Fans

Top 10 Horror Movie Mistakes Spotted by the Fans

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 10 Horror Movie Mistakes Spotted by the Fans.

For this list, we’ll be looking at subtle production goofs, continuity errors, and leaps in logic in scary movies that were left in the finished product. These mistakes don’t necessarily make the movies any worse, but they are fun to point out. Make no mistake about it, though, there will be spoilers.

Know of any other notorious goofs? Scream about it in the comments!

#10: Misplaced Body

“Jeepers Creepers” (2001)

Jeepers, indeed! In this turn-of-the-century creature feature, brother and sister Darry and Trish are on a road trip when they see a disturbing sight: a large, imposing figure disposing of a body down a sewer pipe. After being chased by the Creeper, the two decide to double back and see if they can help. Bad decision. Trish tries to lower Darry down the pipe, but her failing grip causes him to slide down. At the bottom, Darry finds the Creeper’s stash, including the still-living victim. Trouble is, despite going down the same chute, the “body” is lying several feet away from where Darry landed. Maybe the Creeper removed his organs and replaced them with bouncy balls?

#9: Slippers Slip-Up

“The Evil Dead” (1981)

Cheryl is already not having a good night before this continuity error comes into play. Investigating a strange noise, she goes outside in her moccasins only to be assaulted by demonically-possessed trees and vines. It’s horrifying stuff, and our heart rate only increases as she’s chased through the night by the Kandarian Evil. Miraculously, she manages to make it back to the cabin. Even more miraculously, she manages to keep her moccasins on the entire time. However, in between the shots of her climbing the porch steps and searching for the hide-a-key, they’ve suddenly disappeared. Not only that, but her feet are incredibly filthy, as if the slippers slipped off a long time ago rather than in the last few seconds.

#8: Knee Pads

“Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation” (1995)

Hey, when you land such promising stars as future Oscar winners Renée Zellweger and Matthew McConaughey, you gotta make sure you’re protecting the talent. In this installment, Zellweger’s Jenny and her friends have a prom to remember when they’re stranded in the middle of nowhere and chased by our favorite chainsaw-wielding maniac, Leatherface. In the third act, Jenny manages to escape the family’s sadistic clutches and make her way to the nearby car. Desperate, she scrambles over the hood to get to the driver’s side, only her dress makes sure we see the production-approved knee pads for just such a stunt. Who knows? Maybe she had a softball game right before prom and forgot to take them off.

#7: Internet History

“Unfriended” (2015)

Though perhaps somewhat kitschy, “Unfriended” is actually a pretty ingenious horror flick, as its strictly screen-based presentation forces the viewer to pay close attention. However, that also means audiences are going to be even more keen to on-screen errors. Early in the film, six high school students begin being haunted by the ghost of their dead classmate over a Skype call. Upon hanging up, Mitch messages his girlfriend Blaire about a creepy message he got. After they both get one more message in, she clicks away to other apps. When she comes back, the last two messages are suddenly gone and they restart the conversation in the middle of the thread. Honestly, we’d love to know how to delete texts after you’ve already sent them.

#6: Dumb Dummy

“Final Destination 2” (2003)

Considering all the gruesome deaths in this horror franchise, we don’t blame the production for putting safety first else they have an actual accident take place. But maybe they could make some of the deaths more convincing. In the second installment, teenager Tim has pretty much the worst dentist appointment ever when some errant pigeons almost lead to his suffocation. Thankfully, he’s saved, but what happens next might make him wish he hadn’t been. After Tim scares away the pigeons outside, the flock distracts a construction worker, causing a glass pane to fall on his head. It’s a pretty solid death, but maybe less so when you notice the dummy looks nothing like an actual human. They really couldn’t get the arms right?

#5: Hydro Hydraulics

“Jaws 2” (1978)

Even though it’s fake, the shark in the first “Jaws” movie manages to make our hairs stand on end all the same. The shark in “Jaws 2?” A little less so, and part of that is due to this unfortunate peek behind the curtain. Whereas the first film ironically benefited greatly from prop shark malfunctions - as this forced the filmmakers to suspensefully hide the thing - the second decided to forgo any coyness from the jump, instead showing the beast in all its toothy glory. Except, some 300 teeth couldn’t disguise the very obvious hydraulics going on at the back of its mouth. The characters should be screaming, but everytime they get a gander past those pearly whites, they should probably smell something fishy.

#4: Fibbing the Defib

“The Thing” (1982)

Coming off the heels of the first “Jaws,” “The Thing” is a masterclass of horror with some truly top-notch practical creature design. However, with that practicality does come some filmmaking hurdles. With mistrust ratcheting up among the group, Norris seemingly suffers a heart attack. Copper promptly attempts to defibrillate him, unaware Norris has been assimilated by the Thing. After a standard shock, Norris’s torso opens up, biting off Copper’s arms in one of the movie’s best scares. Conceivably, the effect was constructed around Norris’s abdomen as this was the most feasible way to do it. However, this means that Copper, a trained physician, was attempting to defibrillate him several inches below his chest. Instead of his heart, maybe he was trying to restart his tummy?

#3: Wrench in the Plan

“Halloween” (1978)

Made for just over $300,000, John Carpenter’s “Halloween” became the little slasher that could, grossing over $60 million back in 1978. However, with that budgeting comes the need for some creative solutions. In the opening scene of the present day storyline, Dr. Samuel Loomis and Marion Chambers arrive at the sanitarium to pick up Michael Myers for an impending court hearing. However, they find the patients loose, and Michael soon starts attacking the car, giving Marion quite a start. At one point he breaks the window with his bare hand, but upon closer inspection, we can plainly see a wrench attached to it. It’s a great way to show the strength of your villain, but this budgetary workaround is no match for discerning fans.

#2: Prop Hand

“Scream” (1996)

Speaking of hands, this is one that probably shouldn’t exist within the world of the movie. Toward the end of the first “Scream,” killers Billy Loomis and Stu Macher reveal they’ve captured Sidney’s father Neil. Once they’re distracted, Sidney manages to get him and herself to safety by hiding in a nearby closet. After Sidney taunts and ultimately dispatches the killers, a still-bound Neil emerges from the closet for one last scare, causing a whole slew of items to come tumbling out. However, we can also see a crew member’s hand pushing the items into the shot. Perhaps this is the secret third killer fans have been theorizing about?

#1: Overlooking the Overlook

“The Shining” (1980)

Is it a mistake if it was put there on purpose? Maybe not. But the fascinating fan dissection of this movie makes it too good to pass up for our number one spot. By now, we all know there’s something not quite right about the Overlook Hotel. Some of its eeriness can actually be attributed to the deliberate inconsistencies in the constructed set. For instance, the layout of several rooms are impossible, as is a window in Stuart Ullman’s office, which should be in the middle of the building. In another scene, the carpet pattern completely changes on Danny in between shots. In any other movie this could be dismissed as carelessness, but here it masterfully creates an unconscious sense of discomfort in the viewer.