Arnav Srivastav
Alternative endings are often filmed before being scrapped and may be subsequently included as a special feature in the film’s DVD release. As creative and artistic people, auteurs and screenwriters often tend to diverge scenes and take them in many directions. Sometimes, the endings are prompted for revision on the request of the production execs. And at other times, directors warrant an alternative to fit the underlying tenet of the film. Motion pictures are the opium of the masses. They are made for the people. At times, to quench their inquisitorial urge for happiness and well-being, the endings are changed. They are schemed on the basis of the demand of the masses. Many films have alternate endings which are obscure to the public eye. Worry not, my sisters and brothers. Here is the list of best films with alternate endings. Decide the best for yourselves!
10. Orphan (2009)
The ending we know: After Leena’s masquerade is unmasked, she ambushes and kills John by stabbing him. Max witnesses this and hides. Kate rushes home and finds John dead. Leena gets a gun and shoots Kate. Kate manages to take the gun and flees with Max. Leena finds Kate and Max near a frozen pond. She lunges at Kate, hurling them both into the ice. Kate climbs partially out of the pond, and Leena begs Kate not to let her die, but Kate kicks her in the face, breaking her neck and killing her.
The ending we don’t: In the alternative ending, Esther is sen scurrying back to her room, wiping of the blood and re-applying the make-up. The police arrive frantically to John’s gory cadaver. She then puts on the dress she wore for her first day of school and greets the police. It is not explained whether or not she has killed Kate or Max in the alternative ending, although the dead body of John can be seen. There are certain indications that she has killed Max and Kate as well.
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9. Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
The ending we know: Returning to the shop, Seymour learns that Audrey II is actually an alien from outer space. Audrey II traps Seymour and destroys the shop, but Seymour grabs an exposed electrical cable and electrocutes Audrey II. Leaving the destroyed shop, Seymour safely reunites with Audrey. The two wed and move to the suburbs: arriving at their new home, which is the one seen in Audrey’s daydreams, a smiling Audrey II bud can be seen among the flowers in their front yard.
The ending we don’t: Audrey 2 attacks and kills Audrey, who before dying, tells Seymour that he should feed her to the plant so that he can be famous. Then Audrey 2 eats Audrey, then Seymour, and spreads her buds across the country, taking over all major cities and, presumably, the world. In the final shot of the film, Audrey II is shown bursting through the movie screen as the camera comes closer and closer to its open mouth.
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8. Donnie Darko (2001)
The ending we know: After Donnie sacrifices himself, others with whom Donnie had interacted in the 28 days awaken, some looking disturbed. Gretchen rides by Donnie’s house and learns of his death from a neighborhood boy, David, but says she did not know him. Gretchen and Rose exchange a glance and wave as if they know one another, but cannot remember from where.
The ending we don’t: The alternate ending didn’t have Donnie getting killed. A montage is reflected in Donnie’s eyes, which indicate towards the end of the world. We finally see the universe collapsing and rewinding, as Donnie travels back in time. The final overlay is of chapter 12, Dreams, which explains why everyone seems to be having a sleepless night as Mad World plays.
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7. Fatal Attraction (1987)
The ending we know: Alex confronts Beth and sentients her of the resentment. A struggle ensues. Dan hears the screaming, runs in, wrestles Alex into the bathtub, and seemingly drowns her. She suddenly emerges from the water, swinging the knife. Beth, who went searching for Dan’s gun, shoots her in the chest, killing her. As Dan finishes talking with the police, he walks inside, where Beth is waiting for him. They embrace and proceed to the living room as the camera focuses on a picture of them and Ellen.
The ending we don’t: Alex Forrest (Glenn Close) commits suicide at the end of the movie and makes it look like Dan (Michael Douglas) had murdered her, in which he was arrested. The makers opted for a much happier ending, owing to the reaction they got at the initial screening.
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6. Clerks (1994)
The ending we know: hen Randal enters the Quick Stop after closing RST, Dante attacks him and the two fight, making a mess of the store. Afterward, they lie on the floor exhausted. Dante claims that Randal does nothing for him but make his life miserable by getting him fined, offending his customers, and ruining his relationship. They reconcile and the film ends.
The ending we don’t: After Randal leaves, Dante proceeds to count out the register and does not notice another person entering the store. Upon Dante’s informing the latecomer that the store is no longer open, the customer shoots Dante, killing him in cold blood. Afterward, the killer makes off with all the money from the cash register. The dark ending was termed ‘berserk’ and was ditched by the production house for a much subtle and accepting end.
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5. Dr Strangelove (1964)
The ending we know: In the War Room, Dr. Strangelove recommends that the President gather several hundred thousand people to live in deep mine-shafts where the radiation will not penetrate. He suggests a 10:1 female-to-male ratio for a breeding program to repopulate the Earth when the radiation has subsided. Turgidson, worried that the Soviets will do the same, warns about a “mineshaft gap.” Just then the doomsday device kicks into operation and the film ends with a montage of nuclear detonations.
The ending we don’t: It was originally planned for the film to end with a scene that depicted everyone in the war room involved in a pie fight. The reason for dropping the original ending has a multitude of accounts. Anyways, this would definitely had been fun to watch!
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4. I am Legend (2007)
The ending we know: The dead manage to locate Neville’s lab and their comparator. The hiding is compromised and a torrential influx of the dead overwhelms the house. Neville decides to sacrifice himself, blowing up the dead and the house and allows the mother and son pair to escape safely. They are seen to arrive at a military establishments, discovering other survivors. The ending we don’t: As the “Alpha Monster” begins to break into the lab area, he stops, and Robert Neville suddenly realizes that all they want is the “Monster Woman” back. So Robert Neville rolls her out of the lab and awakens her out of her medicated state, and the “Alpha Monster” picks her up and takes her away, leaving Neville alive after his ordeal.
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3. Rocky (1976)
The ending we know: The quintessential under-dog manages to survive the barrages of punches and twelve brutal rounds of boxing against Apollo. He finally manages to knock him out and win the match, much to the joy and elation of the crowd. The ending we don’t : Rock throws away the match, taking the money being offered by Apollo. Using that money, he opens a pet store with his girlfriend Adrianne. Huh, can you imagine!
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2. The Shining (1980)
The ending we know: After killing Dick, Jack, overcome by a hysteria of anger and death-rage starts hunting down Wendy and Danny. As he chases Danny through the maze, and eventually fails, Wendy incumbents the deserted cat by Dick, and the mother-son duo abscond. Jack freezes to death in the maze, as the camera cuts to a photo in the dining hall, showing Jack as a part of the party. The ending we don’t: Kubrick envisioned a darker and more convoluted end to the film. Dick, who was decent throughout the film, gets possessed by the hotel into a surrogate chimera for Jack and takes his place. But in the end, things didn’t materialize and they didn’t opt for this ending. And thank God for that!
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1. The Terminator (1984)
The ending we know: The finale is set in the factory, where Kyle activates machinery to confuse the Terminator. He jams his final pipe bomb into the Terminator’s abdomen, blowing the Terminator apart, injuring Sarah, and killing Kyle. The damaged Terminator reactivates and grabs Sarah. She breaks free and lures it into a hydraulic press, crushing it. We then see Sarah set up the plot for the sequel.
The ending we don’t: The alternative ending, included in some DVD releases, shows the cleanup and police response at the factory shortly after the final battle between Kyle and the terminator. A group of company representatives find the terminator wreckage and decide to hide it from police and have it analyzed. The film then ends by the screen panning out to show that the factory was owned by Cyberdyne Systems. The sequel is based on this alternative ending.
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