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Forrest Gump (1994)
Almost Famous (2000)
For a film about music, you’d think Cameron Crowe would get his release dates right – among the many anachronisms in the film are songs that weren’t released til after the setting of the film in 1973.
At one of the party scenes, the song ‘Burn’ by Deep Purple can be heard playing – a record that wasn’t released until 1974. Also post-it notes are seen in use, which although were invented in 1968, weren’t marketed to the public until the late ‘70s.
The Godfather (1972)
Francis Ford Coppola is still sore about a shot in which 70s style hippies are visible through a window when Michael is making his way into Fredos - a scene set in the 1950s.
Other faults include a police car with a design that didn't debut until 10 years after the events of the film, and the appearance of Italian wines with the DOC classification - not designated until 1963.
The Hurt Locker (2008)
During one scene. Brian Geraghtys character sees a cameraman filming him and says “he’s getting ready to put me on youtube.” The film is set in 2004 - youtube wasn’t launched until 2005.
Similarly a character is seen playing the game Gears of War on the Xbox 360 console. The console wasn’t launched until 2005, and the game followed in 2006. Sergeant James also has an iPod Touch, which wasn’t released until 2007.
Kate and Leopold (2001)
Not discounting the fact the entire film should probably not exist, Hugh Jackman’s character, a Duke from 1876, chastises a man for not knowing the plot of the opera La Boheme, an opera that didn’t premiere until 1896.
More? a US flag can be seen in the past with the full 50 stars present, when in 1876 it would have only had 37 stars, and Leopold is seen listening to a speech by the architect of the Brooklyn bridge, John Augustus Roebling, who died in 1869.
Titanic (1997)
During a conversation with Rose, Jack reveals that he and his father went ice fishing out on Lake Wissota, a real lake in Wisconsin. The problem is Lake Wissota is a man-made reservoir that was created five years after the Titanic sank, in 1917.
The Statue of Liberty would have still had a brownish colour as it wasn’t yet fully green in 1912, the world map in the radio room shows countries with 1997 names and borders, and Rose admires a Monet, 'The Nymphs' - which wasn't painted until 1915.
10,000 BC (2008)
The inaccuracies are too numerous to list here in full, but for starters 18-ft Sabretooth tigers didn’t exist at that time, certainly not in Mesopatamia. Nor did the mastodon.
Horses did not become domesticated by man until about 4000 years after the setting of this movie. Metal working was not mastered before 5500 BC. The earliest pyramid was erected in Egypt circa 2630 BC; and Mammoths had never been domesticated.
Braveheart (1995)
Kilts weren’t invented until Vicorian era, some 400 years after the events of the film, nor did the Scots ever wear their kilts in over the shoulder fashion depicted in the film.
Rumours abound that many of the battle sequences filmed in Ireland had to be reshot after it was discovered that extras from the Irish Army reserve could be seen wearing watches and sunglasses.
The list is longer than we have time for, but also includes dental fillings, not invented until around 1300, and a coat of arms worn by Isabelle wasn't introduced until the reign of Edward III in 1340.
The Doors (1991)
During a scene in Stone’s biopic of the infamous rock band, a shot of Val Kilmer on a window ledge in 1971 has a billboard for the 1991 film Another 48 Hours clearly visible in the background.
Another error occurs when The Doors’ manager tells Jim that he is not going to lose him at the bottom of a bottle like Janis. This is referring to Janis Joplin. The scene takes place right before a 1969 concert. Janis Joplin did not die until October 1970.
Apollo 13 (1995)
In April, 1970, Jim Lovell’s daughter can be seen clutching The Beatles’ Let it Be – quite an achievement, as the album wasn’t released until August of that year.
Also, a Sharp model television is seen that wasn’t made until the late 1980s, and several of the logos on official Nasa uniforms weren’t introduced until after the events of the film took place.
