Mine would be a close up of the 10 tons of dirt that covers The Car, and really muffled - but still noticeable - you can hear The Car blasting it's horn.
shareIve read people claiming that there was an alternate ending shown on the old HBO cuts of this back in the '80s where you see the grill coming out from under some rocks just before credit roll. I don't think this is accurate though
shareMy ending wouldn't end there, after they deal with the car they all get in the truck and drive home now while they're going home they're tired and after what they've just seen they're speechless some of them are even shaking their head at each other in disbelief then out of nowhere BOOOM!!!! the car smashes into them broadside and the truck explodes into a fiery ball and the screen cuts to black
Then you hear the car's horn.
Well whatever he was, he isn't anymore
I kind of like that. Another idea would be - remember when the Car first appears way way off in the distance (right after the credits)?? Right at the end, I'd do the same shot, but there's like 3 or 4 Cars heading in, ready to take out everyone in the town, all of them blasting their horns. You have to admit that town would be totally screwed.
sharethat was what the ending in the novel hinted at.
shareIn my ending, it would show a car dealership in a completely different town with a subtitle saying "Two weeks later." The Car would be just be sitting there and the salesperson would walk up to it and say "Hmm, that's strange. I don't remember seeing this car before." Then he would be examining the car, and the headlights would turn on by themselves. The screen would fade to black as you could hear the salesperson screaming.
Come, fly the teeth of the wind. Share my wings.
That'd be a good ending, because there isn't a car salesman anywhere that doesn't deserve to die a horrible screaming death.
shareHow about an ending that sets up a prequel?
That dust-filled final scene crossfades to a frontier town in the Old West -- which just happens to be on a rail line. A sign at the train station reads "Santa Ynez." The station agent checks his pocketwatch, listens to make sure it's running, looks up at the town clock to see that his watch is indeed correct, and tells the boy who likes to hang around and watch the trains come through that the 12:20 is overdue. Off in the far distance he can see no train approaching -- just a dust storm.
The station telegraph begins to chatter, catching the agent's attention; it seems to be repeating the same short string over and over. He's about to sit down and decipher, when a strange sound is heard in the distance -- something like a train whistle...but something like a roar. He looks down the track again, and can discern nothing but the dust cloud getting closer -- and quickly. Taking up pencil and paper, he listens to the telegraph, and begins to write: " --N--R--U--N--R--U--N--R--U--N--". He frowns, sets aside the paper, and peers into the distance down the track again. From the dust emerges a glistening black steam engine, traveling impossibly fast, belching flame from the whistle...
That's not bad at all.
Lots of good, creative responses here. Good thread.