MovieChat Forums > Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone (1983) Discussion > A question about the 'goofs'

A question about the 'goofs'

posted 16 years ago by hapashby
5 replies | jump to latest

I must have seen this film a hundred times over the years. In the theater, then on VHS, then on TV, then on DVD, in 3-D, Full-screen, Flat-screen, Wide-Screen, even a telecine, a pirate video and a Super-8, but never-ever-ever have I ever seen the goofs that have been reported. The rumor that there is a very 1980's style parking-lot seen in the background at some point during this movie has become more famous than the film itself. At least, that's what I understand. You mention "Spacehunter" and people say "Did you see the cars in the background?"

I've never seen the cars. I'm thinking this is utter bull-hickey (I can't say "Sh!t", can I?).

So, I'm asking you; the IMDB faithful, to enlighten me. Where is this mythical parking-lot? And where is the visible crew member just before Wolf recieves the distress-call? I've never seen him, either.

I've seen Carl Weathers' arm in "Predator", I've seen the Stormtrooper bump his head and I've seen the 'Ghost'(or cardboard cut-out) in "Three men and a baby", but I have never, ever, seen the Cars in "Spacehunter".

Or the visible crew member.

Maybe I should find better things to do with my time? But, hey! This is the IMDB message board! What else would I write?
So, guys, help me out. Those cars.....those cars......Where they at?

[–] ttaskmaster 15 years ago

No idea, mate.

I've been watching this since I was five and never ever, ever seen the parking lot or the cars.

I have quite a few photos of these scenes being filmed and none of them show cars or a parking lot that would be visible on camera. In fact, the parking lot where the miniature sequences were shot was empty at the time.

So I think it's an erroneous goof.

[–] MichaelM24 15 years ago

Agreed, I've never seen the parking lot or cars in the background goof. I don't know where it comes from.

As for the crew member who's supposedly visible when the ship is first seen . . . I used to have a copy of this I recorded from Encore in 1995. It was a full-frame print, and to me it always looked like you could just barely see the floor and what looked like the support rod holding up the model ship. It wasn't easily visible, but if you looked long enough, it would apparently to be just slightly visible. But now with the widescreen print on the DVD, I can't see that anymore.

[–] ttaskmaster 14 years ago

Okay...

In the DVD release, I can see the rod that holds the foreground rock, as it moves. The shadow passes over the ship, too.

The DVD is in 1.85:1, so perhaps the 3-D version in 2.35:1 shows more...
I'll have to check that and the 'car park' goof out.

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[–] ttaskmaster 14 years ago

The car park goof is not quite accurate.
It does occur... but not in any finished release of the film. In interviews, Gene Warren jnr, head of the special effects company, explains that the error only featured in an unfinished workprint and occurred due to a mismatch in frame sizes.
A local LA news company got hold of the unfinished shot and used it in a review of the film at the time, which is where it became public knowledge.

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[–] unhappening (1) 2 years ago

i know this is really old chat but this is totally correct and i've seen it when it aired on HBO... as the ship is flying in and crashing you see the parking lot on the lower right screen... i will never forget it... so even though they say it was only in a print that never aired that is not true i saw it as a kid on HBO