Isn’t it frustrating when you’re watching a film that seems so thoroughly fantastic, but it can’t quick stick the landing, and we’re stuck with a dissatisfying ending? It’s all the worse when you can tell the ending has been tacked on after a disastrous studio test screening, in which audiences didn’t think the ending was happy enough. As a result, a lot of the endings featured in this list are resolutely downbeat, but they’re also more in tune with the tone of the film prior to its climax, and in one instance, the ending was so strong that it was reconstituted into the film for home video releases.
Here are 10 alternate endings that actually improve movies.
10. Clerks – Dante Is Murdered
Granted, with this ending, we would never have had the surprisingly excellent Clerks 2 to marvel over, but this alternate ending to Kevin Smith’s breakthrough indie is nevertheless a tragically ironic way to end Dante’s day, in line with the “two middle fingers to the audience” endings that European cinema is better known for. Smith did admit that he wrote this ending originally because he couldn’t think of another way to end it impactfully, though a few key remnants remain in the film that would have made the ending even more thematically resonant. Not only does this ending remind us of Dante’s assertion that Empire is the best Star Wars film because of its downbeat ending, but the fact that Randall unplugs the security camera earlier on in the film means that, on the most devastating note of all, the killer will probably get away with it, too.
Still, changing the ending meant that we got a hilarious, resonant sequel, so we’re not to be too hard on Smith for it, and when you’re trying to crack the film business, why wouldn’t you give the studio a happy ending?
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7 Comments
Dodgeball. In the alternate ending Ben Stiller’s team wins the dodgeball game…and then the credits roll. No redemption for the heroes whatsoever. We see the jerks we’ve been rooting against the entire movie march triumphantly off the court…and then credits. Just filming that ending took, no pun intended, BALLS.
Romero’s Day of the Dead. According to the original screenplay, Peter and Francine were to kill themselves, Peter by shooting himself and Fran by driving her head into the spinning helicopter blades. The ending credits would run over a shot of the helicopter blades turning until the engine winds down.
Its a while since I’ve seen The Butterfly Effect but was the alternative ending not meant to imply that it is the 4th miscarriage because the other 3 had similar experiences and went back and decided to kill themselves in the womb also?
Maybe it’s just me, but I prefer the version of Blade Runner with the VO and happy ending.
Fords VO performance may have been intentionally bad, but I think it fits perfectly with the character of Deckard.
Die Hard with a Vengeance. Can’t believe over half these ending are considered “improvements” and somehow this was left off. Russian roulette with a fuggin’ bazooka FTW.
“Though the film remains a hugely popular cult classic, it would probably be held in higher regard had the studio has the stones to stick to Frank Oz’s original – not to mention damn expensive – vision, which we’re only able to view now through these sparse, if awesome, YouTube clips.”
Or you could buy the Director’s Cut on DVD or Blu-ray. Excellent research BTW
I would have included “Brazil,” though it’s more of a complete rework than just an ending. So my pick has always been a great little scene cut from the end of “E.T.” that appeared on the extras on the laserdisc box set (gosh, remember those?) In it, Elliott, Michael and all of Michael’s friends are assembled for another game of Dungeons & Dragons, like at the beginning of the film, though now Elliott is in the role of dungeonmaster (a nice little bit of character development). The camera watches from overhead for a while before pulling up through the skylight and onto the roof, where the device that summoned E.T.’s ship is clicking away, talking to the sky. While the departure of E.T.’s ship is a nice ending, this just added a perfect coda that added a final bit to Elliott’s character and a fun “what-if” idea (and invitation to a sequel, of course).