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Alternate Movie Endings Superior to the Original Theatrical Version?

posted 10 months ago by FredBurroughs (20128)
11 replies | jump to latest

As great as Risky Business (1983) is, this ending provides a different kind of coda for the characters:

https://youtu.be/RAgq5HfCenA

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[–] Otter (24464) 10 months ago

The wonderful musical "Little Shop of Horrors" originally had a dark ending, where the Audrey monsters destroyed the Earth. It's on the DVD.

The original ending sucked. The happy ending of the theatrical release is much more enjoyable, and better done.

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[–] FredBurroughs (20128) 10 months ago

I agree that was a wise choice. In hindsight, that original ending might have made for a fun surprise post-credits sequence - back before such a thing was de rigueur.

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[–] Otter (24464) 10 months ago

IMHO the theatrical ending nailed it, with the final shot of the tiny Audrey monster in the garden, smirking at the audience. It added a touch of darkness to the scene appropriate to a dark comedy, but not too much.

IMHO a scene of the monsters destroying the world would have drained all the fun out of the film, the t h eatrical ending left it intact.

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[–] M1sterDoct0r (4026) 10 months ago

The alternate ending of I am Legend (2007) was superior

I love the theatrical ending of The Descent (2005) more.

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[–] FredBurroughs (20128) 10 months ago

Yeah, two good examples.

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[–] [deleted] 10 months ago

this should never be done

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[–] FredBurroughs (20128) 10 months ago

Stories are revised throughout production all the time. Even Casablanca's ending was an eleventh hour decision.

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[–] [deleted] 10 months ago

pick one and stick with it

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[–] FredBurroughs (20128) 10 months ago

Sometimes picking one direction involves testing a lot of other options. I'm all for confident and cohesive narrative decisions, and with that being said very few first drafts end up making it to the screen.

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[–] FentonMeiks (1240) 10 months ago

i think a couple alts that could've been better if they went further.

Fatal Attraction's intended original ending
https://youtu.be/GY_NQK7rJrY
i dont think it goes far enough. forget the audio cassette and send Dan to jail.
punish him for screwing crazy.

True Romance
https://youtu.be/ibRnNsyOw4M
again, it doesnt go far enough for me, but i like the direction better.
i would like something like this.... Alabama gets picked up hitch-hiking. asks him if he likes pie and admits she actually hates Elvis. falls in love instantly with the next guy.... you're so cool, new guy.

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[–] FredBurroughs (20128) 10 months ago

It's intriguing sometimes how original endings get scrapped even though they still contain a solid idea.

The original ending to Army of Darkness, for example:
https://youtu.be/j42eaiLdBTY

It might have worked better if it had been followed with a 1~2 minute montage of Ash going through events similar to the movie translated to the post-apocalyptic world before finding his way back to the present day and finally getting some rest before having to get up in the morning and go to work at S-Mart.

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