I saw “The Italian Job” starring Mark Wahlberg and Edward Norton in a theater over the summer. When Wahlberg and company blew up the street to make the armored truck fall to the sewers, a shot of people running from the blast caught my eye.
In the middle of the screen, I saw a flash of red run to the left. Perplexed, I asked people, “Did you see that?”
Everyone thought I was crazy. I bought “The Italian Job” on DVD Oct. 7 and skipped to the same scene. Playing the movie in super slow-motion, I confirmed I was not crazy.
Running across the screen was an extra dressed up in a cheap Spider-Man costume, not even wearing gloves.
Movies often are filled with eye candy and movie mistakes. It’s fun finding these hidden treasures in a final edited version of a movie.
For your entertainment, here are 10 other hidden treasures to go find for yourselves.
1. “Star Wars” – Pay attention to the stormtroopers when they break into the control room where R2-D2 and C-3PO are waiting. One stormtrooper cracks his head on the doorframe and nearly renders himself unconscious.
2. “Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones” – Maybe George Lucas felt like paying homage to the stormtrooper that cracked his skull in “Star Wars,” or maybe it’s pure coincidence. After the fight between Obi-Wan and Jango Fett, Jango boards his ship, the Slave I, but the door comes down too early and hits him in the head. There’s even a sound effect to go with it.
3. “Matrix Reloaded” – When Agent Smith is talking to Neo in the park where he meets the Oracle, if you look in Agent Smith’s sunglasses, you can see the bright white screen used for lighting up the set.
4. “Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring” – In the scene near the beginning of the film where Sam comes to the point where if he “takes one more step, this will be the furthest away from the Shire” he has been. If you look in the hills, a car sits in plain sight in the distance. Unfortunately, Director Peter Jackson saw this too after the movie was released and he edited the car out on the DVD. Fear not, you can still see the car on the Extended Edition DVD. Just watch the music documentary and when they show this scene, the car will still be there.
5. “Titanic” – The Titanic sank in 1912. Can you explain how people getting on the lifeboats have digital watches on their wrists?
6. “Pearl Harbor” – Pearl Harbor was attacked Dec. 7, 1941. When Evelyn first enters Pearl Harbor, there is a tall building where it says clearly on the side, “Est. 1953.”
7. “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” – After the end-of-the-year exams, Harry, Ron, and Hermione all rush to Hagrid. Harry says a line that ends with “why didn’t I see it before.” The funny thing is Hermione is mouthing Harry’s lines.
8. “The Wizard of Oz” – After Dorothy lands her house, the Wicked Witch scares the people of the town. She disappears in a cloud of smoke that she created. If you pay attention, you can see her “disappearing” through a trap door below her.
9. “Gladiator” – A chariot is turned over during the battle of the Barbarian Horde. Look closely at the chariot. A gas cylinder is attached in the back of the chariot and can be seen when the dust settles.
10. “Austin Powers in ‘Goldmember'”- Right before the opening dance number, Gwyneth Paltrow and Stephen Spielberg do back flips. Look carefully at Paltrow. Right after her first flip, her blonde wig falls off making it obvious it was a stunt double and not Paltrow.
Know of any other hidden treasures in movies?
E-mail Kevin at [email protected]. They might appear in a future edition of Revelry.