Can the past change? It sounds incredible, but scientists are debating exactly this, with various theories ranging from quantum mechanics to the many-worlds interpretation. If it could, how would it appear to us? The internet is buzzing with wild ideas, so it's time to go over where they originated, and consider in detail what exactly might be causing it.
Alternate:
Pirate talk originated with the seafaring pirates of old
Current:
Pirate talk originated in Disney's 1950 "Treasure Island" movie
Where did Pirate talk originate?
Oooh arrr, shiver me timbers landlubbers!
If it doesn't sounds too obvious a question, where did this distinctive pirate talk originate?
If you thought it must have been with, well, pirates on the high seas think again. It was in fact first heard in Disney's 1950 movie "Treasure Island", and started a trend that's now ingrained so deeply into our culture it's true origins are largely forgotten.
There's even a full online dictionary of pirate terms and phrases, so yo! ho! ho! and a bottle of rum, fill yer boots me hearties!
Alternate:
Well, that escalated quickly
Current:
Boy, that escalated quickly
Ron Burgundy: ___, that escalated quickly
Another movie quote Mandela Effect which turned into a meme.
The 2004 movie "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" starring Will Ferrell has him at one point saying "That escalated quickly", but what word did he use first? Many remember "Boy", but the movie today's shows he sad "Well".
It wouldn't be such a big deal if it hadn't become an internet meme now, appearing in such crazy guises as Hilary Clinton, R2D2 etc and regularly pops up as a comedy parody, so you'd have thought the actual quote would be pretty well established.
Alternate:
'The Birds' from 1963 was filmed in black and white
Current:
'The Birds' from 1963 was filmed in color
The whites of their eyes
Here's another Mandela Effect, like The Fly, which is concerned with whether a movie was originally filmed in color or black and white. This time it's Hitchcock's 1963 thriller "The Birds".
Based on the 1952 Daphne Due Marier story of the same name, the movie shows a series of unexplained attacks by birds on a small, ordinary American town over a few days.
Many of the special effects were actually firsts, including a precursor to the green-screen technique used throughout the video and movie industries today.
Alternate:
Say 'Candyman' 3 times
Current:
Say 'Candyman' 5 times
Say his name how many times?
Candyman was the 1992 movie in which all who saw him were certainly not about to receive a sweet treat.
Written by Clive Barker, from Hellraiser fame, it focuses on an urban legend which describes the summoning of an entity by saying his name a certain number of times in front of a mirror. The Mandela Effect here is that number, because whilst today it shows it was 5, many people are saying they remember it being 3.
Even weirder is that this is shown in the movie to be able to change, because at the end one character says "Helen" 4 times to summon a spirit.
Alternate:
Cats vs Dogs
Current:
Cats & Dogs
The 2001 movie where cats fought dogs was called...?
It is an epic battle that has been fought for thousands of years.
Brought to the big screen in 2001, the legendary tale of the ongoing war between otherwise cute-looking cats, and their friendly-looking (but that might be just an act) dogs was made into a movie, which saw a sequel in 2010.
Many remember the movie Cats vs Dogs, which showed just how much is going on in this battle which we mere humans are totally unaware of. The problem? That movie never existed.
The movie everyone is thinking of is called "Cats & Dogs", but it's remarkable how many are sure they see the "vs" in mental image when they conjure up the movie poster.
Alternate:
I couldn't be fonder of my big home
Current:
I couldn't be found of my big home
The Bare Necessities: "I couldn't be ____ of my big home"
The famous Jungle Book Disney movie from 1967 featured many memorable songs, arguably the most stand-out being "The Bare Necessities". There's a Mandela Effect around a line in it though:
Wherever I wander, wherever I roam
I couldn't be fonder of my big home
That's the way it's currently printed when you Google "bare necessities official lyrics". Yet listening to the original, it's clearly, even deliberately, sung as "I couldn't be found of my big home". Go ahead - it's at the 23 second mark here. The emphasis is very odd because it no longer rhymes, and of course turns the line into nonsense compared to the way everyone remembers it being before.
Alternate:
"Inception" was the first movie the distinctive foghorn sound was in
Current:
The distinctive foghorn sound was not in the movie "Inception"
Inception: Hollywood's distinctive foghorn sound
Everyone knows movies have stylistic trends. This goes back to the early days of cinema, when no comedy was complete unless someone's face received a generous helping of flying pie. Looking back, certain stylistic cliches can be spotted which almost date them. Your movie is set in a remote jungle? The opening sequence must have a low fly over shot. Your action thriller must have the hero being beaten up, and only winning through when all hope seems lost.
Technology plays a role too. Once some gimmick is tried once, and seen to catch on, it seems to be everywhere and usually gets it's name from the first time it was used. There's an example of this with the loud, dramatic, pounding, repeating sound that directors just can't seem to stay away from, and it's known affectionately as the "Inception Foghorn". The problem? It's not in the movie. At all.