MovieChat Forums > A Kiss Before Dying (1991) Discussion > Deleted scenes - Alternate Ending

Deleted scenes - Alternate Ending


I know this movie is not very popular among critics and viewers.
I'm a big fan of the book that inspired the movie, and although James Dearden's script changes a lot of the story I still think the movie has a lot of highpoints.
I really like Matt Dillon's performance (ok Sean Young's not so much lol), the murder scenes are really powerful (the bathtub scene gave me nightmares when I was a kid, that chopping sound is terrifying) and the final chase scene is heart throbbing.
Maybe it's not Silence of the Lambs but I still find it underrated. The early 90's had a lot of dreadful thrillers (Final Analysis, Malice, Body of Evidence, to name a few), so this one doesn't deserve all the bashing it gets as one of the worst thrillers of its time.

Ok, now that I finished my defense, would like to share a few images found online from scenes that didn't end up in the film for some reason, and from the movie's original ending (that I'd love to see someday, but probably won't).

DELETED SCENES -

Thor grabs Ellen in a discussion
http://cineplex.media.baselineresearch.com/images/91548/91548_full.jpg
(part of this scene is in the movie, when Thor reveals to Ellen that Dorothy was pregnant but he never grabs her in any moment. this is probably an extension of that scene)

Jonathan looks through a window blind
http://cineplex.media.baselineresearch.com/images/296787/296787_full.jpg
(there's also an alternate shot of this scene in the trailer)
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-8qTAXQRZypU/U2H3DzhnjNI/AAAAAAAAADw/pe5BIaNrqWM/w357-h317-no/Untitled%2B2.jpg

Jonathan and Ellen wearing flowery shirts holding drinks
http://cineplex.media.baselineresearch.com/images/343570/343570_full.jpg
(maybe the trip to the Amazon Jonathan talks about? still looks more like Hawaii than the Amazon)

Jonathan and Ellen
http://cineplex.media.baselineresearch.com/images/343573/343573_full.jpg
(can't tell what this scene is about but Ellen definitely never wore that outfit in any scene of the movie)

Ellen and Cathy chatting
http://images3.cinema.de/imedia/6545/2456545,MqveFMRzikFV7Hc_8n63Uc1ipmVb1vLp9msrFhS3XaFwpWgi6UYEvgJgPeOS3+TzP7qqwCcLyODdR79920XjOw==.jpg

Jonathan kisses Dorothy before pushing her
http://images3.cinema.de/imedia/6550/2456550,MqveFMRzikFV7Hc_8n63Uc1ipmVb1vLp9msrFhS3XaEtcAt+Fsvlg6ONLfyZMTzjSXWrTFvr7eQHr2OVvq3ulg==.jpg
(in the movie there's no kiss. this is probably an alternate take)

A door knob is forced while Jonathan hides behind it armed with a belt
(trailer)
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-HPZiyoBLjko/U2H-NQvWcII/AAAAAAAAAEM/OCh0iwgYBqQ/w352-h315-no/Untitled%2B3.jpg
and
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-2d7SKOEl1hw/U2H-oFWvDcI/AAAAAAAAAEg/nyRxqJvZmoE/w357-h309-no/Untitled%2B4.jpg
(looks like an alternate take of Tommy Roussell's murder scene)

ALTERNATE ENDING -

The original ending of the film took place at the Carlsson Copper Factory. According to a New York Times article, a steel mill in Wales was used for the factory. Apparently the public had negative reactions during test screenings so the ending was rewritten and reshot at Jonathan's childhood home in Pennsylvania.
I personally like the ending as it is, I find the final chase extremely heart throbbing and Jonathan's fate quite ironic. Still, would love to see the original ending as it stays closer to the book's ending, which is marvelous.
The theatrical ending was probably shot very late since we can still see scenes of the original ending in the trailer.

Matt Dillon, Sean Young and Max Von Sydow pose next to the helicopter that will take their characters to the factory.
http://cineplex.media.baselineresearch.com/images/343567/343567_full.jpg
(we can briefly see the helicopter flying in the trailer)
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vFDAR9HQM8E/U2Kf5Oy0rFI/AAAAAAAAAE8/ki-_-y2IDsQ/w354-h317-no/Untitled+6.jpg

Jonathan and Ellen in the factory
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-R9zMGK3T2j0/U2KkYQF4hzI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/-gn-Gr3clhE/w354-h314-no/Untitled+8.jpg
and
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LH01JKIzB1c/U2KkzzM3pcI/AAAAAAAAAFk/edTA0XFGW9w/w353-h312-no/Untitled%2B10.jpg
(only seen in the trailer. in the second scene we see Jonathan saying to Ellen "We're young, rich, love each other...")

Jonathan throws a man off a catwalk in the factory
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-sF42wBCt0_Y/U2KnqCjZa2I/AAAAAAAAAGM/KckVRfL8pxc/w353-h314-no/Untitled%2B14.jpg
and
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-UmldX8KC25E/U2KnqCuUkWI/AAAAAAAAAGI/80akjjuWOsg/w356-h318-no/Untitled%2B12.jpg
and
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ZYgmsytbgTE/U2KnqJ96HUI/AAAAAAAAAGE/788kYoJcDI4/w350-h314-no/Untitled%2B16.jpg
(only seen in the trailer. can't tell who the man is, possibly detective Corelli? one murder scene that was left out of the movie)

Jonathan chasing Ellen
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-TI2V5IdHDbo/U2KnrVtfMYI/AAAAAAAAAGY/4GsEPt5pF28/w353-h318-no/Untitled%2B18.jpg
(here we see that Ellen almost falls from the catwalk but manages to hold herself)
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-wl-S4iLxVGs/U2KnrcqwINI/AAAAAAAAAGc/ecN7782qGbc/w350-h314-no/Untitled%2B20.jpg
(and here the publicity still, in better quality)
http://images3.cinema.de/imedia/6558/2456558,6iGnVQeFyzFlzpCT75_5xujK6tP8G8ttg77ULNENDHr67_E7rcN3WH3zLFXCjk0m_I6Z5OehPopFeQz5KPoleg==.jpg

Finally, here's the theatrical trailer if you wanna check the scenes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gfo3YLPMfC0

Unfortunately, since this is a very underappreciated movie, it's doubtful Universal will ever restore and release these scenes so they will probably rot in their vaults (if they still exist). Another movie that will be forgotten because big studios only care about making money. Shame.

Hidden fans of this movie like myself, please step out and comment :)

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I don't really think Matt Dillon quite registers in the way he's supposed to, either - but that has probably at least as much to do with the screenplay he's saddled with as his failure as a performer.



'facts are stupid things' - Ronald Reagan

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I disagree. I think the script is pretty decent and this is my favorite performance of Dillon, very different from the type of character he usually plays.
I guess I'm the only defender of this flick lol

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Interesting.

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