Hollywood big mistakes.

[Villavic]

I'm planning to see Indiana Jones this weekend, since I was traveling last one. I know I'll enjoy it anyway, but some friends (and also tv shows) have commented about the scene of (peruvian) Nasca lines and several absurd mistakes and incongruities they have showed:

When Indy arrives to (allegedly) Cusco, they play MEXICAN music, not peruvian. Maybe you don't know but it's veeeery different.

Besides they arrive to Cusco to look for the Nasca lines. Hey Nasca (or Nazca) is in ICA, not CUSCO. It's like confusing New York with Wyoming, or Sydney with Melbourne.

And they show kind of maya pyramids.. mayas are from Mexico, not Peru.

It's not the first big mistake about history or geography in Hollywood movies. The greatest mistake could be the title: "Krakatoa, east of Java", a movie from 1969, where (not?)everybody knows Krakatoa is WEST of Java and Sumatra.

And recently Mel Gibson showed APOCALPYTO, about mayas and violence. Well, mayas were not that violent in their sacrifices. Besides, at the end they saw the spaniards arriving, but spaniards arrived 300 years or more after mayas dissapeared.

It's not big deal since they are just fiction movies, for fun. But it hurts a bit, anyway. And any innocent american tourist could get hurted if they fly to Cusco to see the Nasca lines..

It would be funny if any foreign movie shows Liberty statue in Chicago near Sears tower, or Grand Canyon in Florida.. but even if they are fiction movies.. is a bit disrepectful and.. it shows how ignorants are the producers.. and director.

[Gypsy-Rhiannon]

Sorry but none of the above bother me at all (not that I noticed anyway!) I can understand that it must frustrate and annoy you though when the inconsistencies are about your country

EDIT: I didn't mean the beginning of my post to sound insensitive.

[Villavic]

Originally Posted by Gypsy-Rhiannon

Sorry but none of the above bother me at all

It didn't bother me that much.. as I said is not big deal, but it did bother some people. In some case is fine to change the story a bit (the story, not the history), like in Great Scape with Steve McQueen. The main characters are americans, but the truth is that they were most europeans who escape, not americans.
Or the way IRS closed Studio 54, it wasn't at New year's party as we saw in the movie (it was morning during a weekday, with no customers).
So it's fine if you want to tell something in a easier or more exciting way. There's a show in History channel called "History vs. Hollywood", very interesting.
But putting Eiffel Tower near the Thames.. that would be ridiculous

[skcin]

It's become so commonplace to not worry about accuracy in movies and on TV - I don't know if it's laziness, or they think it makes for a better movie/show, or what. At this point I just roll my eyes & let it go. Medical shows are the worst, as far as TV goes.

[David]

Originally Posted by Villavic

It's not the first big mistake about history or geography in Hollywood movies. The greatest mistake could be the title: "Krakatoa, east of Java", a movie from 1969, where (not?)everybody knows Krakatoa is WEST of Java and Sumatra.

The island is indeed west of Java -- at least what's left of the island. Also, the name KRAKATOA itself is an incorrect transliteration of the name the Indonesians gave to it. The preferred name is KRAKATAU.

I have this movie on DVD. It really sucks. Apart from sucky aesthetic qualities it has in abundance, the science is also bad. The tsunami generated by the eruption is shown as a large storm-type wave out in the middle of the strait. The captain of the Batavia steamer turns the bow into the wave to "ride it out." This is ridiculous. A tsunami in deep water, as most people know by now, is unnoticeable to people aboard boats & ships. You couldn't even feel it -- you couldn't distinguish it from the thousands of wind-driven swells you were riding atop of. Only sensitive water pressure instruments can detect it in the open ocean (or satellite/GPS from space).

IMDb often lists goofs like those you're talking about in its movie listings. Bring up a movie & look under the menu items at the left. Follow the GOOFS link under FUN STUFF. Check out these goofs -- continuity & otherwise -- for JAWS:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073195/goofs