10 Things From Movies People Realized Much Later Do Not Actually Exist

Not long ago, an individual who was active on an online forum admitted that their entire existence had been a lie after discovering that a specialized gun similar to the one featured in the movie “Cliffhanger,” which shoots climbing pitons directly and firmly into the rock, is not real. That brings them to wonder, what other cinematic cliches have misled us? Here are what others volunteered.

1. The Magical Ability to “Enhance” Photos

Enhance button
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There is a unanimous consensus among people that the portrayal of detectives in TV shows, where they investigate a crime and effortlessly utilize a “enhance” button to instantly generate a high-definition image from a previously pixelated and unclear visual, stands as one of the most significant falsehoods in television.

Nevertheless, a few individuals participating in the discussion assert that this technology is currently present. However, its utility for investigative intentions might be questionable, as it depends on software that employs informed estimations to enhance the clarity of indistinct photographs.

2. Telling the Bartender to “Leave the Bottle.”

Stressed man at bar
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How often have you heard “just leave the bottle” in a dramatically somber movie scene where the character is drowning their sorrows? Probably too often, considering it’s entirely made up!

As one person says, “I worked in a bar, and a person can’t just say ‘leave the bottle.'” Yeesh, imagine uttering this line in real life after getting your heart broken, only for the bartender to cringe at you and say, “we don’t do that here.”

3. Cars Automatically Exploding in a Crash

Car on fire
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A movie enthusiast observes that most American action films feature cars that burst into flames quickly upon collision. They elaborate that this recurring theme is frustrating since cars don’t actually catch fire and explode in every real-life accident or when they plummet off cliffs.

As pointed out by another critic, some other funny tropes involving cars in action movies are the idea that people can’t shoot you through a door if you hide behind it and cars explode when you shoot at them.

4. Gun Silencers That Make No Sound

Gun silencer
Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

For quite some time, firearm enthusiasts have satirized the portrayal of silencers in movies. Nonetheless, the term “silencer” doesn’t guarantee the silencing of loud noise produced by a gunshot. An enthusiast pointed out that while silencers exist in real life, they’re wildly misrepresented in cinema, and a second added, “I’ve heard they’re still pretty loud.”

My favorite comment is, “I saw John Wick 2. I know they are silent, and you can have a shootout in a crowded place, and no one will notice.” But, on the other hand, guns are so loud they can cause hearing loss if your ears aren’t adequately protected.

5. Needing to Wait 24-48 Hours to Report a Missing Person

Fake missing person poster
Photo Credit: BD Images / Shutterstock.

This one is important to discuss because it can have devastating real-life consequences. An individual asserts that the widely used cliché suggesting a 24 to 48-hour waiting period before reporting a missing person is false, serving merely as a convenient storytelling element.

A second commenter adds that it’s terrible to think how many people were misled into feeling powerless if a loved one goes missing because they believe they must wait to report it.

6. You Get One Phone Call When Arrested

Prisoner on phone
Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

I wasn’t aware of this, but supposedly, you don’t just automatically get one phone call if you’re arrested as they portray in the movies. Someone claims you can inform someone of your detention, but you don’t necessarily do this yourself.

The police can make the call for you, even if the purpose of the call is to get a lawyer. Upon Googling, I discovered the number of phone calls you’re entitled to can vary wildly depending on the jurisdiction and severity of your crime — anywhere from zero to unlimited.

7. Immediately Extracting Bullets From Wounds

Bullets on ground
Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

Chill out, John McClane. Did you know that immediately extracting bullets from your wounds is a profoundly bad idea? A few commenters pointed out that removing the bullet often makes things worse because the damage is done once the bullet is in there.

People have died from sepsis due to removing bullets from their wounds. Real doctors, one states, often leave the bullet and shrapnel in the body.

8. Chloroform That Instantly Knocks You Out

Chloroform written on box
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Another film buff points to the repetitive depiction of characters holding a chloroform-drenched rag up to a person’s mouth to induce unconsciousness instantly. According to one user, even a soaked item in chloroform would take five minutes of inhalation to knock someone out. Understandably though, five minutes of inhaling makes for boring cinema.

9. Extremely Bright Luminol for Crime Scenes

Footprint under black light
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You know those bright neon colors that pop up all over a crime scene in a criminal investigation, revealing blood spatter? As it turns out, this is less luminous or miraculous looking than it is in the movies, as several suggest.

“Wait, what? So it doesn’t light up like a Christmas tree?” This user clarifies that you need a dark room, and you need to wear glasses, and use UV light, and it still isn’t as fluorescent as shown in the movies. I know, how disappointing.

10. Splitting a Chain Link Fence by Driving Through It

No trespassing sign on fence
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One movie-watcher loves Horrible Bosses because it parodied the cliche that you can split open a chain link fence by driving through it. You’d, in all likelihood, destroy your car, not the fence.

Source: Reddit.

10 of the Worst TV Series Ever According to the Internet

There’s Seinfeld, The Sopranos, Game of Thrones, The Office, and other legendary shows. But have you considered that for each show that garners universal critical acclaim, there is an inverse show lurking on the other end of the IMDb rating scale?

10 of the Worst TV Series Ever According to the Internet

15 Cover Songs that are Better than the Original

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Sometimes, a cover of a song ends up doing far better than the original. Some covers are so good that we didn’t even realize the cover version wasn’t actually the original.

15 Cover Songs that are Better than the Original

These 11 Movies Are So Bad You’ll Wish You Could Unsee Them

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The movies we love best are a combination of excellent characters, plots, stories and cinematography. But if these factors can make great movies, they can also make terrible movies—the ones that make people cringe, the ones we swear they’ll never watch again.

These 11 Movies Are So Bad You’ll Wish You Could Unsee Them

10 Celebrities Who Are Universally Disliked

Kylie Jenner
Photo Credit: Shutterstock.

People will always have preferences and something to say about celebrities. What you might love may not be the same for others. Whether it’s about their past behaviors, legal issues, or feuds with other celebrities, here is a list of celebrities people just cannot stand.

10 Celebrities Who Are Universally Disliked

25 Blockbuster Films With Behind-The-Scenes Turmoil Unknown to the Public

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Several big movies with significant nightmare productions have some seriously delicious tea. After a recent poll on the internet, here are twenty-five films with disasters that made filming difficult.

25 Blockbuster Films With Behind-The-Scenes Turmoil Unknown to the Public

About the Author

Jaimee Marshall
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