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3. Back to the Future
We’re pretty sure that everything about time travel in this movie is completely scientifically accurate, but that’s not what we’re here to discuss. Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) can be seen rockin’ on a Gibson ES335 guitar during the Under the Sea dance. This might not seem like a big deal, but guitar lovers around the world cringed knowing that this particular model was released in 1958, a full three years after the dance was supposed to take place.
We wish this was all this classic film had wrong about the past, but unfortunately, the opposite is true. While Marty is at a dinner with his young mom, an episode of Honeymooner’s is playing on TV. That episode, which Marty calls a classic in the film, aired on December 31, 1955. Their dinner took place on November 5, 1955.
4. Malcolm X
This film starring Denzel Washington has been praised for not only excellent performances from all involved but for staying true to many of the events that actually happened in Malcolm’s life. Historical facts in this Spike Lee film did not sway too far away from the true happenings of Malcolm’s rise and demise.
However, in the film, the Nation of Islam’s involvement in Malcolm X’s death was toned down to such an extent that Louis Farrakhan, the man who called for Malcolm’s death repeatedly, was not at the scene of his murder.
Furthermore, the man in the film who introduced Malcolm to the Nation was not a fellow inmate but rather his own brother. In the end, not staying completely true to historical evidence did not tarnish Malcolm’s legacy, nor did it raise the Nation to any praiseworthy status. We couldn’t have asked for more.