Everybody hates it when they don't explain everything that happened by the time the movie is over. What we need at the end is not open-endedness but clarity, loose-end tying-up, closure. We need more movies like "Psycho" (unfortunately Simon Oakland has passed, but Larry King is still with us) and "Mulholland Dr." -- movies that take a little time to explain exactly what happened so we're not left feeling stupid all the way home. You know what they say: The difference between a comedy and a tragedy is where you end the story. Well, the same goes for the ending: The difference between a good ending and a bad ending is how good the ending is. Here are eleven of the most outrageously unsatisfactory ambiguous endings in movie history:
"Gone With the Wind" (1939) Scarlett O'Hara says, "I'll go home. And I'll think of some way to get him back. After all... tomorrow is another day." That's not the ending of a movie -- that's the beginning of act three! Put up or shut up, Scarlett. Clark Gable has just said the word "Damn" at you and that's it? If tomorrow is such another day, then bring it on!
"Casablanca" (1942) What do you mean Ingrid Bergman goes off with Paul Henreid and all Bogart's left with is the barest hint of a homosexual future with Claude Rains? At the end he puts her on a damn plane (something about how she doesn't amount to a hill of beans) and he and Rains walk off into the fog together as Bogart says, "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Whoa! What the hell happened then? What if "Brokeback Mountain" ended right after Heath Ledger threw up? What kind of ending would that be? And how does Peter Lorre figure into it?
"Do the Right Thing" (1989) What was the right thing? Who did it? What about Tawana Brawley? Shut up and stop playing mind games!
"Chinatown" (1974) If Mrs. Mulwray isn't going to pay Jake Gittes for all the work he did, who's he going to get the money from? Her dad? Does Noah Cross even know how much she owes Jake? You don't just walk away from a case like this. It's unprofessional.
"North By Northwest" (1959) Talk about leaving us hanging: How did they get off of Abraham Lincoln's nose, or whoever's face it was? I don't buy it. And when did Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint get married -- sometime in that dissolve? That was quick. Then -- whoosh! -- the train just goes into the tunnel and that's all she wrote? When does it come out of the tunnel? Ever?
"Zodiac" (2007) Well, Jake Gyllenhaal seemed pretty sure that was the guy, so why didn't they just settle it and arrest him and execute him? He was a Zodiac killer, wasn't he? Probably!
"The Godfather" (1972) Who thinks it's OK for one major character to tell another one a bald-faced lie and then just shut the door and make that the end of the movie? Nobody. Because it's not. No wonder they had to make two more sequels until Michael Corleone finally just keeled over and died of old age. That's an ending. It's not like we never thought Kay would figure out he was bullshitting her. How dumb do they think we are?
"Fargo" (1996) It didn't bother me so much the first time, but now that the USPS has issued "Forever Stamps," who's going to need Norm's 3-cent mallards anymore? What a big, fat bummer. There's more to life than a little money, you know. Especially when it's only 3 cents.
"The Wizard of Oz" (1939) Kansas to Oz I can understand, because it's Over the Rainbow, but how does a tornado take anybody from sepia to Technicolor? And why would you want to go back? Doesn't it seem awfully convenient that the farm hands looked like Dorothy's friends in Oz? Why doesn't somebody just say whether it was a dream or not? And when is Miss Gulch coming back to take Toto to be put down?
"Bonnie and Clyde" (1967) Then what?
"Some Like It Hot" (1959) Was Tony Curtis really Cary Grant? Was Jack Lemmon a man or a woman? I don't get it.
(This post is set entirely in Sarcastica Regular.)
(tip: Sarah Palin)
166 Comments
How about "It's a Wonderful Life".
http://www.hulu.com/watch/4267/saturday-night-live-its-a-wonderful-life-lost-ending
Here are a few more.
No Country for Old Men: And then he woke up. Then what?
Star Trek (2009): "To boldly go where no one has gone before." Where exactly, why isn't Leonard Nimoy (Spock Prime) telling us?
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith: Why does it just end with Darth Vader and the Emperor looking at the big moon thing and with Luke and Leia being adopted? Why does Obi Won become a hermit? Will there ever be a "new hope?"
Vertigo: Will Scottie ever find a new girl friend?
Looking at this post, it's interesting to see how many goods films have endings that are ambiguous. Ambiguity can be exciting, as with "Casablanca". The fact that Bogie and Claude Rains are going off to fight Nazis doesn't have to be seen, just the idea is exciting to an audience.
Dark City (1998) But what's his real name? Aren't he and Jennifer Connelly technically still married, under law? Does he ever get his real memories back? How do they get back to Earth?
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985) C'mon guys! What's beyond Thunderdome?
Antichrist (2009) When do the police come and take this awful man away? BTW, Foxes can't talk.
Blade Runner (1982) Talk about loose ends. I bet the people who made this movie don't even know if Deckard is or isn't a Replicant.
Eraserhead (1977) Does anything ever happen in this movie? Boring.
How about STAR WARS! The original wasn't just to be the start of a saga, but had an open ending so that we could have one. Also RETURN OF THE JEDI just kills off the Emperor. What about the rest of the Imperial forces? Did they just give up when the Emperor died? Food for thought.
How about The Vanishing? I mean, how did he get out of that coffin? I bet he was really pissed-off and ready to kick some ass when he did, and it's a crime we didn't get to see his revenge. Maybe there was a sequel that didn't get released in the USA.
Best non-ambiguous ending: Beneath the Planet of the Apes. The world blows up. Every single character is accounted for and killed off. Let's see somebody make a sequel to THAT.
What about Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid? Did they survive or what?
Oh yeah? What about the ending of Kieslowski's White? What is that she's trying to sign to her ex-husband from her prison window? "No, tonight's not good for me. I've got to feed my pigeons up on the roof, hock my wedding ring and then reignite the matter anti-matter reactors." I mean WTF?
"Close Encounters of the Third Kind" How will Teri Garr be getting alimony payments from Richard Dreyfuss if he's going to be up in space?
Is the ending to Mulholland Dr. really that clear cut? It seemed pretty ambigious to me when I have watched it, but maybe I need to go back and view again. People are still watching that movie and trying to figure it out. Has one interpretatin ever really stuck?
DR. STRANGELOVE: I was really confused by the end to this one. They're all talking in the War Room, and then it cuts away to a bunch of explosions on what I assume is another planet, or the Moon or something--it's hard to tell, because it's in black and white. So how do they stop the Doomsday Device from going off? I assume Kubrick just ran out of money and thought no one would notice.
MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL: Here's a huge plot hole that no one talks about. If there really were cops and cars in Arthurian times, wouldn't we have, like, space ships and laser beams today? I bet that the Pythons didn't think this through at all. And they totally didn't resolve the thing with the grail!
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND: Wait, so they didn't get their memory back? What happens to Lacuna, Inc.--is it still in business? Does anyone try to sue them?
DEAD MAN WALKING: I don't get it. When is the movie going to come out and say that he's innocent? We're supposed to be sad he's being executed, right?
CITY LIGHTS: Oh come on, having the flower girl saying that she can see? Talk about telling, not showing--where's some POV shots so that we know she's serious? And what happens between her and the Tramp at the end--do they get married or what? Why doesn't the Tramp get the millionaire drunk again? So sloppy.
Just wanted to add: Jim, you missed the WORST, most AMBIGUOUS part of Casablanca: after all that, we never even get to find out who won the war!
And what about Gospel according to St. Mark?
Jesus rises from the grave...and then what?
where's the requisite mowing down of the Roman guard with a mounted machine gun a la Rambo?
@Ted
We need more SNL remakes of ambiguous movie endings. They should do a whole series.
To Ted:
Episode's 3 ending is pretty much perfect to me. The sunset represents both the coming of the dark times the lies ahead and is the perfect bridge for a similar shot early in episode 4.
To me the ENTIRE second act of Death Proof is bad, way bad. I am sorry but Stuntman Mike was an incredible character. To see him being dragged over and over in the mud like this was painstaking to say the least.
On the other I thought the Knowing's ending was pure gold, much like another one of Proyas's movie Dark City.
You missed the worst ambiguous ending ever: The Searchers. They had already wrapped everything up really nicely, but then John Wayne walks away. Where does he go? You'd think after a big battle, he'd at least want to take a rest inside and have something to eat before going off again. If they had a scene where he came in, rested, and discussed his plans for the future before taking off, it would make a lot more sense.
Movies should have completely unambiguous endings, just like Citizen Kane. As soon as we see that Rosebud is the sled, all of our lingering curiosity about Kane has been resolved and we understand him completely. Now THAT'S an ending!
When you and your dollbabe look like Cary and Eva Marie in NxNW, that frikkin' train will never leave the tunnel.
Silly rabbit!
"Alfred Hitchcock's "North By Northwest" is just about my favorite movie. No film has ever been more entertaining," - Jim Emerson.
JE: I stand by that. Just watched the new Blu-ray disc (though I think I prefer the less pristine DVD) last week!
"A Serious Man": Does that fat kid get sucked up into the whirling vortex after he gets his 20 bucks? I certainly hope not -- what a waste of money that would have been!
"Match Point": So, what? Mr. Double Homicide gets away with infidelity, murder and (depending upon your views on conception), infanticide?
"Finding Nemo": Okay, they're reunited. But has Marlin taken Dora for a new wife? There are hints of such a travesty, but nothing concrete. I mean, how the hell is Nemo going to cope with his new amnesiac stepmother. They're most certainly doomed, aren't they?
Koyaanisqatsi. Damn Hopi prophecies, always screwing everything up. The Mayans didn't have a patch on those guys, I tell you.
"In Bruges" is another striking example... and one that really tends to divide opinions. Does Colin Farrel live to find redemption, or do the film's forces of fate coldly dismiss his pleas ("I really hoped I wouldn't die")? Does it matter?
"Dr. Strangelove" How come they don't explain how Strangelove can suddenly walk at the end? That makes no sense.
"There Will Be Blood" What are Plainview and his butler going to do with Eli's body? They ended the movie in the middle of a scene. I hate that!
"Apocalypse Now" Did Willard get home safely from his mission? Will Lance return to surfing? Did the war ever end? So many unanswered questions.
"The Matrix" What happens to Neo now that he has all these new powers? I bet that would've been a more interesting story to tell than this.
Do you need sarcastica installed to see it? 'Cause your post was in regular font
Titanic--She throws the diamond in the water. Then what?
How about Das Boot? I mean, sure, das boot sinks at the end of the movie, but it's a submarine, so it's pretty ambiguous. What's more, the movie doesn't show the liberation of Paris or the fall of Berlin - unless you're some kind of history major, how are you supposed to figure out who wins the war?
Ooops. Sorry. I thought that this was one of your worst posts ever. I kinda thought you had gone of the deep end, Jim. Then I re-read and saw the fine print. Again, I feel like an idiot.
why include zodiac in the list. Its very clear that the suspect died before they realize that he was the one. Maybe the authorities should arrest the cadaver.
"JE: I stand by that. Just watched the new Blu-ray disc (though I think I prefer the less pristine DVD) last week!"
Oh? How so? Haven't seen the Blu-Ray, but everyone else has been gaga over the transfer. I thought better quality was a good thing!"
The ending of "Burn After Reading"---um, what?
I defy anyone, including Jim, to name a more ambiguous ending than that.
At the end of Aguirre, Aguirre says "I am the wrath of God. Who else is with me?" Well, is anybody? C'mon, you can't leave us hanging like that.
Also when is Bruno getting off the ski lift at the end of Stroszek? He's been up there a really long time.
Where was that white hotel room Dave was in in 2001? It looked too nice for a Howard Johnson's. Did he have to pay room service for that meal? Was that his baby? Who was the mother?
North by Northwest was ruined for me because we never got to see what was on the microfilm.
"The difference between a comedy and a tragedy is where you end the story. Well, the same goes for the ending: The difference between a good ending and a bad ending is how good the ending is."
That's a screamer. And also: "Then what?"
The Third Man: Is Holly going to go after her? Did she just not see him? How is Holly going to get home? Who really invented the cuckoo clock?
Seven Samurai: What did he mean they were defeated? They killed the bandits, right? Are they about to be attacked by a hundred bandits?
Planet of the Apes: How did the Statue of Liberty get onto that planet?
Taxi Driver: Is he going to take her to a better movie this time (not a porno film)? Is he ever gonna get organizized?
2001 A Space Odyssey: What the hell happened?
The worst thing about the ending of Chinatown? "It's Chinatown." DUH!!
What do you mean ambiguous in Casablanca? It can't be more clear. Do Rick and Ilsa end up together? No! We know who wins the war. There is no homosexual affair. The ending is perfect, the only ending that resonates given the story, and one of the most romantic endings in Hollywood. Now, it may not be the ending you'd like to see - but that doesn't make it ambiguous.
How about The Verdict (1982)? Is Galvin going to answer that damn phone?
Talk about being too literal. Obviously Oz's sepia and color changes were only symbolic, a gimmick in a time when color was new in film. I don't think the sepia was seen that way by the characters, but it was an expression of their state of mind.
As for the ending, it's hardly left to debate. It showed that she had a transformation, and whether or not it was real or not doesn't matter. Dorothy's transformation is what matters most.
As for Zodiac, it was based on a true story. In reality, they never arrested and executed anyone. And can you imagine if they took creativie license and said "he did it, lets arrest and execute him!" So wrong on so many levels (everyone is innocent until proven guilty).
I recall having classmates in college who were upset because Homer didn't tell us how the Trojan War ended in The Iliad.....
For me, it's Magnolia: What does Tom Cruise say to Julianne Moore? Do John C. Reilly and Melora Walters stay together? Does Bill Macy find someone to love--and/or a good dentist? Does Michael Bowen become a nicer dad to Jeremy Blackman?
And who the heck cleans up all those frogs?????
The fine print...I didn't see it either! LOL. I should have known better. Anyone who loved The Descent and actually understood the ending couldn't be so niave.
"Up" -- did the old guy ever clean up all that trash and broken glass he dumped all over a pristine landscape? Fine his environmentally unaware ass!
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie: So, like, are these people going to finally get to eat, or what?
The Lady From Shanghai: Who's the stooge that's going to have to pick up all that glass? Will he wear gloves? Because you always get cut at least once no matter how careful you are. Shouldn't Mike O'Hara take some responsibility since he's the one who first went into the funhouse? At least sweep all of it into a corner or something. Also, shouldn't he be reporting those two dead bodies to the police? At least anonymously? Guy just bailed out of a murder trial and this situation ain't helping his case.
It's A Wonderful Life: Did they REALLY have enough money there at the end to pay for all those bills? Sure didn't look like it to me. You know some of the drunk people at the party are going to wind up pocketing a few bills here and there. Also, what happened to the people in Pottersville? Are they still trying to figure out who that crazy guy was, and where he disappeared to after causing all that trouble?
The Lion in Winter: I mean, Eleanor just sails off in the boat. What happens the next Christmas? Do Henry and Alais get back together? Who becomes the next King? And don't tell me to read a book - that's what we have 100%-accurate-to-history period films for.
Notorious: "Alex, will you come in, please? I wish to talk with you." What do they talk about? Do the Nazis find out the whole story? What happens to Alex? (you know, Hitchcock was really bad at these endings for a while - thank goodness he fixed the problem with Psycho)
Say Anything...: Forget the fact that we don't know for sure if Diane's father ever does, in fact, write her. We don't get to see Diane and Lloyd in England. We don't learn if they stay together forever or if this is a typical post-high school romance that doesn't last very long. We don't even know if their plane lands safely or not. For Pete's sake, what happens after the ding?!?!?!
Ummm ... you guys are short in the tooth if you haven't said "Limbo" 1999. Most ambiguous ending ... ever (CBSG accent).
I want to see more people take this post too literally, I love that.
What about 8 1/2: did they have cake after they finished dancing? did Guido ever make his movie? was there a part in it for Claudia Cardinale?
My Dinner With Andre: they finished having dinner, then what?
I was waiting to see how many posts it would take before we got one like Nick's. LOL.
Some literary examples...
1984: Man, Winston's in a pickle now. I can't wait to see how he makes his comeback and leads the proles to overthrow the Party in 1985! Wait, what do you mean there's no sequel?!
Lord of the Flies: So, those kids are gonna be okay, right? Right?
The Great Gatsby: "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past." And THEN what?
Of Mice and Men: Too bad about Lenny. But are those other guys still going to do that farm thing?
"Jesus Christ Superstar" ends with Jesus crucified, then everyone boards a tour bus. That ending just leaves me hanging. I'm sure Jesus would agree.
The Blair Witch Project. What, no witch? Also, what was up with the kid in the corner? What happened next?????
Eyes Wide Shut. Nicole Kidman tells Tom Cruise what they need to do as soon as they get back home from Christmas shopping. DID THEY??????
The Conversation: So is Caul going to keep looking for that bug or what?
I was about to write you a horrified protest of your appreciation for Psycho's ruinous explanatory detective . . . I guess it's a good thing I finished reading first. Bloody brilliant post, sir.
I hereby promise to go straight to bed before I badly misread any more blog posts and potentially make a fool of myself.
Nobody's perfect.
All right, well what about the ending of "Dr. Strangelove"? Did the surviving brass ever breed prodigiously and avoid the mineshaft gap with the Russians?
Well, sure, I agree with all those Jim listed, but what about more movies he likes? You know, movies that tie up just right.
Example: Jacob's Ladder! I was so confused by the film. Like, what was with the girl with the tail? Why couldn't Tim Robbins just tunnel his way out of the problem, like he did in Shawshank and War of the Worlds? And why isn't Macauly Culkin protecting his house from robbers? Then, thank God, the film ends with a thick block of text that explains, in detail, how the hallucinatory, ambiguous previous hundred minutes was just the result of a deadly experimental drug. See? And we learn a valuable lesson, too: deadly experimental drugs are bad.
To Mr. Emerson and everyone who posted. I truly needed a good laugh today. Well done!
JE: You are most welcome! It wasn't intended to fool anybody, but special thanks to the Palinistas who never did figure out that you shouldn't take seriously a post that begins with a sentence like: "The difference between a good ending and a bad ending is how good the ending is." I think I may have unconsciously plagiarized that from Fox News or possibly the Chiffons' "He's So Fine."
The Virgin Spring: So he says he will build a church? I have one word for you, Ingmar: MONTAGE! We see Tore, Mareta and Ingeri start building the church, but it's a church of hurt, baby! They hunt down the relatives of the herdmen, lure them into the church, and torture the crap out of them! What's more, that sring is actually the fountain of youth (sorry about the wrong continent, Ponce de Leon), and Karin comes back to life! Everyone lives happily ever after. Except for the relatives of the herdsmen - those muddyfunsters are in for a world of pain! For all eternity!
Carrie: Talking about zombies, why don't we ever see Carrie crawl all the way out of the grave? Then turn the townspeople into zombies! With periods!
Primer: First of all, why is everyone talking in French all of a sudden? What is it they're building? Is it a church? Is it a church of hurt? SHOW US!
Donnie Darko: If ever there were an ending that simply called for a Bollywood musical number!
Groundhog Day: "We'll rent first!" WE'LL RENT FIRST? Has he learned nothing from his ordeal? Good luck living February 3rd over and over again, buddy! (Name of the sequel: "Groundhog Daze!" Woot!)
Thelma and Louise: If you're going to rip off "Back to the Future II," then do the audience a fricking favour and show us the car as it flies away!
Let The Right One In: Erm? How did the kid get the coffin into the train? Where are they going? What are they going to eat? Questions, questions. (Also: Not all of us can understand Morse code! Or Scandinavianish! Speak English, Olaf!)
2001: A Space Odyssey: Babies can't breathe in space! Game, set and match!
City of Life and Death (Nanjing! Nanjing!) - the ambiguous ending reeks of pseudo profundity! Ha! What is all this nonsense with the boy laughing with tears streaking down his cheeks? Is this meant to be some statement of his being free, yet marred by the violence of his recent past -- youth and innocence as blemished by the crimes of his human predecessors? What happens to him? He survives! Life (it matters!!)! But does he survive the rest of the second Sino-Japanese War, the civil war, the great leap forward, those five year plans, the cultural revolution ...
... wait a minute, seriously, the ending does seem to be a bit crappy.
Gone Baby Gone - Why is Casey Affleck sitting on the couch with the young girl? Is he babysitting? Is he having a casual affair with the girl's mother? Does he not like what he's watching on television? Does he go back home when the mother returns from her date? What happened during Morgan Freeman's impending court trial? Does Casey continue his private investigation business? Do he and his girlfriend reconcile their differences and go back to solving cases?
To the person who said for the Vertigo movie: "Will Scottie ever find a girlfriend?" That was not the point of the ending. All he wanted was to figure out the truth about what happened on that case. It was not about love for him. It was the truth since he was a detective after all.
Big Night: Was Louis Prima going to show up or what? Maybe if he was still in town, the restaurant would have been fine.
Thelma and Louise: Did the car have a James-Bond-Like parachute?
All That Jazz: How is Roy Scheider supposed to keep directing when he's zipped up in that body bag? Is it like a hyperbolic chamber, and he'll be ok in a few hours?
Brazil: Won't Jonathan Price realize that he's just dreaming a better future, and that he's defeating the purpose of existance by being strapped down and haven being given a lobotomy? Shouldn't Michael Palin realize that zapping Pryce's brain was bad, apologze, and make things right again?
North By Northwest: They need to run footage of the train going into the tunnel in forward/reverse a few times to make sure that at least 70% of the audience gets the metaphor.
JE: I feel a video essay coming on...
Tom B.: LOL. Perfect post! Comments on the topic and the post above yours. =)
8 1/2: Why is everybody dancing? Was there something I missed; did I fall asleep? And won't that guy in the white suit please shutup already?
The Seventh Seal: WTF! Second night in a row that I watch a movie only to have it end with the characters dancing. I MUST have fallen asleep because I never even saw the seven seals. I mean, that dude was near the water at the beginning, but no seals. WTF!!!
Nights of Cabiria: What's so great about getting screwed over? Wipe that stupid smile off your face.
A History of Violence: Cronenberg omitted Sarah's line of dialog in the last shot: "Daddy, you're home!!!"
In Bruges: All they did was rip off the ending of Menace II Society. And, in both cases, they don't even tell us if the dude died! C'mon!
A History of Violence
The Vanishing comment reminded me of a ridiculous exchange me and my friend had. It required some careful word choices so as not to ruin the ending for the others in the room:
Me: You like the Vanishing?
Friend: Oh yeah, it's one of my favorites.
M: It's great.
F: It's like, he does the thing, then he wants him to do the thing to him, and then he does it. It's perfect!
M: You ever see the remake?
F: No. Why? Do they not do the thing?
M: Oh no, they do the thing. But then he gets out of the thing, then they do the thing to him?
F: What?!?
M: I know right.
F: So they do the thing, get out of the thing, then do the thing to him?
M: Yeah, and there's another love interest. She does the thing to him?
F: What?! That's ridiculous, how could she do the thing to him after they did the thing to him?
Others: What the hell are you talking about?!!?!
I always wanted Gone with the Wind to end with a slave uprising and beheadings. Actually, all the movies listed here should end like that.
Somebody mentioned The Searchers. Homeboy just went out to take a leak. That's clear by the way he walks.
Hey man - I don't want to be a party pooper, because I get the joke ... and I agree with the sentiment ...
But I think everyone's satire (including the original post) is losing impact because it's not distinguishing between ambiguous and unsatisfactory.
Just my 2 cents...
"It's a Wonderful Life": Isn't anyone ever going to figure out that Potter stole the money from Uncle Billy and arrest him? Is George Bailey ever going to get out of Bedford Falls?
"The Shining": How did Jack get into that old photo?
"A Clockwork Orange": So, does Alex go back to a life of crime? Is the government forced to stop treating criminals with aversion therapy? Does Alex sue?
"Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory": Where is that elevator going? Is Charlie going to have to pay taxes on his windfall? Are his other three grandparents ever going to walk again?
"The Rocky Horror Picture Show": What becomes of all the party guests? Do Brad and Janet ever get their car fixed? Do they still want to get married?
"Sleepless in Seattle": So, does Annie move to Seattle, or do Sam and Jonah move to Baltimore?
"The Candidate": So, what DO they do now?
Adam,
Kevin is scratching his head right now and wondering what you mean by "satire." And, apparently, he's not alone.
The funny thing is, the IMDB forums for every notable movie contain at least one post complaining about this kind of nonsense.
I was just the other day looking at the forum posts for The Stunt Man, and there were a number of posts asking "what happened to Burt?" and other pointless questions. The style of the movie is what counts, especially that movie. And it just passed right over their heads.
"Three Colors: Red": Why were Karol and Julie on the boat? And who IS that young judge? Do he and Valentine get together? How is this going to make the old judge feel? Did Kieslowski originally plan to make a quadrilogy? That would explain a lot.
"Mephisto": I mean, what happened to Hendrik? Did the Nazis kill him he in the courtyard? How was he treated after the war?
"12 Monkeys": So the woman was pretending to be an insurance salesman and she stopped the virus? Why didn't they just tell us this? And why do we get all these shots of that random boy?
That was not the point of the ending [of Vertigo]. All he wanted was to figure out the truth about what happened on that case. It was not about love for him. It was the truth since he was a detective after all.
Forgive me for spewing on this topic, but this film has been a major topic between me and friends in the real world for the last few weeks. It's been heavily on my mind...
I'd say it goes beyond just a detective's search for the truth. Scottie had "fallen in love" (i.e., became obsessed) with a walking ghost, an entity that mirrored his own state of being (still hanging from that gutter, trapped between living and dead) and how he comes to reject her once he discovers that she is not the idealized object that he thought she was. The discovery undermines his pain, his depression, and his "love." Yes, he wants to discover the truth, but only as a means of revenge against Judy, to strip her bare of the very embellishments that he'd forced on her. He wants to prove that she really is just Judy (the very thing she wanted Scottie to see and to love all along) and to punish her for ever pretending to be the the mysterious, beautiful, upper class, other worldly Madeleine that he so strongly identified with. There are many readings for the Judy's death at the end, some of which are:
1. Judy leapt from the tower to prove that she was a person of free will, not an object to be controlled by Scottie.
2. Judy leapt from the tower when her true identity is discovered by the cinematic apparatus and the audience (the nun standing in for Hitchcock's camera)
3. Judy fell from the tower because she didn't belong in the upper class and had only made it there in the first place my playing the part.
4. And many others...
In any case, Scottie ends up destroying the person to spite the object. If I was to pull out a single meaning of the film's ending, I'd say that the death of "Madeleine" signals Scottie's return to the world of the living.
you know... on a serious note, I kinda did wonder how the hell Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint got off of Rushmore.
Stupidest article I ever saw. Lousy list with no validity whatsoever. A waste of time.
JE: OK, there goes another one. How much more obvious could it have been?
For worst ambiguous ending of all time consider Gremlins 2: The New Batch. Is Robert Picardo going to have sex with that female Gremlin? What if they have kids? Will you be able to feed them after midnight?
MARS ATTACKS: What happens after Tom Jones finishes his song?
When the Wind Blows: Do the government agents come and rescue Jim and Hilda? I was waiting for the happy ending the entire time!
Aguirre, the Wrath of God: Do the monkeys help Aguirre find El Dorado? They don't seem to be able to speak the native tongue. Can Aguirre talk to them, like Dr. Doolittle? Does he apologize to the Spanish crown?
In the Company of Men: Does Christine ever listen?
Prince of Darkness: Does he touch the mirror? What then? Why did Carpenter have to fade to black? Similarly,
The Thing: WHAT HAPPENS? They wait and see, but we don't get to?!?
Psycho: The psychiatrist doesn't explain ENOUGH, dammit. We still don't know what happens to the leering Texan! And do they ever clean up the car? It sure would cost a whole lot. Very naughty of mother to have Norman sink an expensive automobile like that without asking Marion's permission.
Blood Simple: Does Loren give Marty the message?
I can't believe no one mentioned Citizen Kane. Come on!! Does the reporter ever learn the secret of Rosebud if they burned the f$%&ing sled in a fire place??!??! WTF? We spend the entire movie going through this whole guy's life story only to discover that the reporter is going to be left without the answer? Well what was the point of that?
Best Movie Ever? Yeah, whatever.
I agree with George S. Williams. Not only was this a worthless waste of time, but it only made me mad to see how many people like George S. Williams aren't down with ... um ... something.
I really don't know how anyone who reads your blog regularly could have even remotely thought this had anything to do with reality. Maybe I should watch more Fox news. Or read less. Or something like that.
JE: It does have to do with the reality of how some people (don't) watch movies, unfortunately, which was the whole point -- and the point of the CollegeHumor video satire I posted last week. Some folks don't read, either. I said it before: If this sentence doesn't raise flags I don't know what would: "The difference between a good ending and a bad ending is how good the ending is." I'm afraid some talk-radio listeners would consider that a valid argument. (Not to mention saying that we need more movies like "Psycho" and "Mulholland Dr." that "take a little time to explain exactly what happened so we're not left feeling stupid all the way home." Sheesh.)
Taxi Driver, does Travis Bickle continue to kill pimps and drug dealers or was that it?
and
2001: Space Odyssey - Baby in space - need I say more?!!
(although I do love both endings)
I posted films that already were posted
But to comment on Nicks post.
Planet of the Apes -
Hello, Mcfly! The Statue of Liberty didn't land on a new planet, it turns out Heston was on Earth the whole time!
The ultimate irony!
The Princess Bride: does Grandpa come over the next day to read the story a second time to the boy?
JE: I said it before: If this sentence doesn't raise flags I don't know what would...
...apparently the reference to Sarcastica Regular font didn't either. Or maybe they're just objecting to your linking this to Sarah Palin.
Or maybe...maybe...they're being sarcastic, and they really loved your post and are replying in sarcastic mode too...
I'm Not There: So, wait, which one is Bob Dylan?
Picnic At Hanging Rock: What happened to the damned school girls!? Fell off the rock? Eaten by dingos? Was that one girl REALLY the valet guy's sister? Did Miranda and that girl ever get it on? Were they lesbians?
Nashville: I don't care about all of that "assassination our musical idols" mumbo jumbo, I want to know how the campaign panned out for Hal Phillip Walker! Did he get elected?
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?: Why IS Martha so afraid of Virgina Woolf? Is it because she made up the story about her kid?
"The difference between a good ending and a bad ending is how good the ending is."
Seems like a perfectly valid Yogi Berraism.
In all seriousness, am I the only one here who finds the ending to "Broken Flowers" to be maddeningly unsatisfying, and frustrating in the worst possible way?
"The difference between a good ending and a bad ending is how good the ending is."
EVERY movie needs a good ending! That's why they call it a good ending!
Pulp Fiction. OK, so John Travolta and Sam Jackson tuck their guns in their shorts and leave the diner. WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?
Raiders of the Lost Ark. What's with the guy in the warehouse?
Forrest Gump. Forget the feather; I'm wondering whether Forrest was still there waiting when the bus came back.
I posted hours ago, but I think the email's wrong.
I said it was like looking in a mirror(Faustian picture?), because my first post on this brilliant page, years ago, was in exactly this vein - without the satire. Can't find the link, or I would have used it - a Citizen Cane comment on a Sopranos Finale post. No doubt you laughed your arse off; but it was rude and stupid, and relevant to this(and pretty much everything you write).
I understand a lot more about film, and my own brain.
I'm proud that I recognised this for what it is. And I thank you and your esteemed upstairs neighbour for your generosity.
But I still love the end of CK.
Keep bringin' the learnin'(sorry:)
D.
JE: Glad to have you back, D!
Gallipoli: The actor (who's NOT Mel Gibson) strikes that pose from the movie poster to make that the last image we see. It's the kind of gratuitous self-referencing thing I've never understood.
As for 8 1/2: Well, since Guido is interacting with his dead parents and younger self, it's clear a time-travel occurrence has taken place. The problem is Fellini doesn't adequately explore the consequences of such temporal disruption.
"Last Year at Marienbad" Do they ever catch that wacky monkey that keeps getting into hi-jinks?
Hey you know that New Twilight Zone episode where the guy brings the couple a box and says they'll get money but it will kill someone they don't know, then at the end he takes the box and he's like, "It will go to someone you don't know?"
What the heck is that all about?
I want to know what he meant by that.
I want to know his name, where he came from, what his motivation is, who he works for, how the box works, whether it's part of a huge conspiracy, and exactly what it means to me and to everyone else, and I want it explained to me repeatedly but I still don't want it to actually make any sense.
what happened to peter lorre? maybe he took a cue from bogart and claude rains and decided to go gay himself, explaining his character in The Maltese Falcon (which i suppose would make Casablanca a prequel? obviously bogart and rains' friendship didnt last THAT long.) It's probably a healthier sexual lifestyle for Lorre than the one he led in M.
Looking at the comments, it's pretty funny (scary?) how many people seemed to actually take your list seriously.
Why hasn't anyone mentioned The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly? Does Tuco go after Blondie to get the rest of the money back? Do the authorities come after them for possession of stolen property? And surely that final gunshot indicates that Blondie is open to re-establishing their original partnership--is Tuco?
At the end of "Private Benjamin," Goldie Hawn has a fight with Armand Assante for spending more time with his old flame on their wedding day, punches him out, and leaves him at the altar. She walks out into thin air and throws off her bridal veil with a big smile on her face. Wasn't "Private Benjamin" meant to be a comedy? It did have some dramatic overtones.
Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory: Does the Wonkivator crash land? Do the three survive? If so, does Charlie continue the tradition of innovative candies or does he begin a slow trend of outsourcing to poorer third world countries where workers can be hired for pennies an hour, for twelve hour work days?
The Naked Spur: Does James Stewart really make it all the way out to California with Janet Leigh, or does he ditch her around Winslow and goes back, digs up Robert Ryan's by now quite ripened carcass, and carries him back to Abilene Kansas, much to the olfactory delights of the awaiting populace?
The Third Man: Does Joseph Cotten pick up that match he threw down?
"Taxi Driver, does Travis Bickle continue to kill pimps and drug dealers or was that it?"
What kind of ending would THAT be, even?! I mean, come on Travis! This is a movie! Step on the brakes, back the cab up, jump out and confess your undying love to Betsy, at which point you sweep her up in your arms, put her in the taxi and drive off into the horizon!
I'm not quite sure if I qualify as a "Palinista" (I respect the hell out of her but do not want her to run for president), but I got the obvious humor and love the list. I'm now off to watch Fox New- seriously.
"The Wizard of Oz" - Before the twister hit the house, Dorothy was freaking out because Miss Gulch was going to take away her dog. At the end of the story Dorothy realises there's no place like home...but Toto is still in jeopardy!
"The Searchers" has already been mentioned, but there are still some lingering details that would have warranted a sequal - "The Searchers 2: Wandering Between the Winds".
1. Did Martin and Laurie ever get married?
2. Was Debbie ever able to assimilate into white society?
and, most importantly,
3. Did Ethan and Martha ever meet in the afterlife to discuss their secret romance?
Sorry Jim I respect you and your writing but, this has the most incoherent, poorly written, and utterly ridiculous rant I have ever read. I hope the intention of this article was satire.
JE: I dispute your first two assertions. "Utterly ridiculous" I can completely get behind.
Captain Ron: What happens after the credits?
Unlike most people, I love ambiguous endings. To me, they resemble something a little closer to real life. Movies which end with everything neatly squared away seem phony to me. All the movies on this list have amazing endings I wouldn't have it any other way.
This talkback is beyond hilarious. Or is it...?
I just watched Requiem for a Dream, and boy was that ending ambiguous! Did Mrs Goldfarb go on the TV show or not? Help me out someone!
In Bruges:
Does Ray live or die?
If he dies, is it heaven or hell?
If it's heaven, is it because he "saved the next boy", even if it was incidental (Marie's unborn child)?
If its hell, is it really like Bruges?
Or maybe he just went to purgatory. Hope he's a Tottenham Hotspur fan.
Great list Jim. Just a few people who apparently haven't downloaded the Sarcastica Regular applet but I guess that's to be expected. You're living proof that the difference between a good blog and a bad blog is how good the blog is.
BTW-I saw that you follow James Urbaniak on twitter. Tell me you watch Venture Bros.!
Here's one that still drives me nuts after all these years:
VIDEODROME! Was James Woods character dreaming, really high, or already dead? And what was the point of the "new flesh"???
...star wars,return of the jedi...how to explain how james earl jones turned into a pathetic,sad white guy...and luke must have taken after his mother.
"The Graduate" -- talk about your "THEN what" ending! Why the long faces? Did they get on the wrong bus or something?
The ending to "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" was not ambiguous. Jim Carey and Kate Winslet's memories were erased, but they came across each other again, not knowing who the other person was, met again, and started a whole new relationship with each other.
Cashe, no really I know that in the conner of the screen there are 2 people who do not know each other, but I have no idea who they are,
The most ambiguous movie I ever saw was that Schrödinger's Cat fiasco...I mean the cat's dead, no, its alive! WTF!!!!??!!
CAST AWAY: So, he's at the crossroads... he drives to the nearest travel agent's office for a boat ticket back to the island... RIGHT?
You're not very funny.
I remember that pile of crap, [i]White Noise[/i], with Michael Keaton, where his wife, murdered by a psycho, tries to contact him after death through her images on a television screen. Keaton's character becomes obssessed with this while neglecting his son, a worried and hurt young tyke who gets scared seeing his dad running around like a weirdo and ignoring his child. In the end - spoiler here - he dies and, in a gooey coda, meets his wife in the afterlife. Ahh, lovely.
Hold on. What about his son? You see Keaton and his wife hugging in the afterlife, but there's no mention of what'll happen to his kid, who, we imagine, will now either be taken in by his relatives or foster parents. His parents are in heaven, enjoying blissful eternity. But to hell with the kid.
Bit of an unexpectedly nasty aftertaste which makes a mediocre film a little bit worse.
Here's a couple...
The Devil's Own. Sure, the cop vs. IRA gunrunner thing kinda ends when the one of them dies on the boat. BUT the movie ends with the boat still sailing around New York Harbor with the two of them and the Stingers on it.
The Patriot. Did The Ghost ever figure out how to build a stable rocking chair?
Master and Commander. After the Surprise defeats the Acheron (and that right there is movie-marketing; in the books the ship wasn't French, but American)... they just sail off? And we never hear of any of them again? (I know, it was a hook for a sequel that never came. But still...)
Wow. This has to be one of the most idiotic blog post I've ever read.
Making fun of the Taxi Driver and No Country For Old Men endings - great job. 'What happens next?' - watch the film again - actually watch it. These comments all sound like they are from a bunch of dumb, arrogant computer geeks. They are among the best film endings ever.
Citizen Kane is a great film with a great ending. But we don't understand everything about him from Rosebud. That explains a little... But you actually missed the point.
JE: Alex, you got the point, but missed the joke.
Adding "Then what?" to the end of any serious movie or book is now the funniest thing ever. The person with the Gatsby one above and the Bonnie and Clyde one were hilarious
"Everybody hates it when they don't explain everything that happened by the time the movie is over."
Well, out of the US a LOT of people like that. You know, when you have to THINK about the movie after it ended. Sometimes, you don't have to know everything.
And I highly disagree with this article. It's a joke, isn't? But if Jim Emersonon wasn't joking while writing this, he doesn't know movie buisness at all.
The exaples are very childish.
Oh, and "The difference between a good ending and a bad ending is how good the ending is."
Really!? Are you serious? I never knew that...
JE: So, you recognized the ridiculousness of those introductory sentences and you still weren't sure what the joke was?
The Godfather has one of the most amazing ends ever. I think that's maybe the best part of the movie.
The worst ambigous ending (not mentioned in this article or subsequent comments) has to be "Sideways". Miles drinks his bottle of precious wine in a frickin Mc. Donalds???? (WTF????) and then he goes up to Maya's place and we are expecting her to open up and door, where he would say something like "I love you more than wine" and then she would immediatley hug and kiss him and they would get married in the next scene and ride off into the sunset not before a scene from the wedding with Jack reaching for a glass of wine and Stephanie's kid hits him in the crotch with a ball and everyone laughs because Sideways is a comedy and gor forbid we have a comedy without someone getting hit in the crotch...
But instead the movie just ends when he rings the doorbell.... what the hell???? Am I supposed to figure out what happened next??? I didn't pay $10 to think after the movie!!!111!!one!!!!
I agree with Gone With the Wind. I always thought it would have been absolutely perfect had the film ended right after Gable said the famous lines but Viv's monologue is so cheesy, it almosts ruins the film.
Laughing my ass off at the idea that Bonnie & Clyde's ending was too "ambiguous."
Frank Booth....uh , they did make a sequel to Beneath the Planet of the Apes. In fact three. Not everyone blowed up real well.
MAGNOLIA. i guess that when it rains it pours. frog-wise.
What about The Italian Job? Talk about a cliffhanger.
The Neverending Story - Technically, shouldn't this movie never end? I mean, it says it right there in the title. I guess a sequel or two were made which were horrible. Come to think of it, I wish the story would end.
While this article(and many of the comments) did make me laugh, I have to admit, there are a few movies that I think are ruined by ambiguous endings:
-Total Recall: Throughout the movie, Arnold is experiencing the exact scenario described at the start of it all. Then, at the very end, the love interest asks him if he thinks it might STILL be just part of the simulation. Show credits. Aaaarrrgh!!!!
-Jagged Edge: The face of the killer is shown upside down. Was it the main character, or was it the similar-looking tennis pro? To this day, I'm still unsure of who I saw die.
-What Lies Beneath: The face in the graveyard...WTF??? So, she's STILL haunting her? Why? The killer was discovered, she could finally rest in peace--what would she need to linger for, exactly???
There are many, many others but these were just the ones that always kinda bugged me as unsatisfying endings for otherwise fun movies.
Wow, you people are either joking or dense. Ambiguous doesn't mean bad. These are some pretty perfect endings. The flaw isn't with the movies, it's with you, for needing everything wrapped up in an unrealistically tidy little package. That's not how the world works, why should movies work that way?
Kind of surprised people are actually taking this list seriously. I mean even if he didn't say its a joke at the ending the descriptions themselves give it away.
I know, right??? The one that bothers me is L'Age D'Or. Does someone call the police, or what? I mean, whoever stole that poor guy's beard can't just get away with it, right?
I can't believe this post... maybe you're too "slow" or really stupid to believe that every movie must give you the answers of all your questions. THINK PEOPLE!! THINK!!! Godfather?!! Zodiac?!! That's the reason of the movie! Is a presence, a representation of evil and the oportunity of the media that begin massive paranoia.
Don't even dare to watch films of quality. Stay with Transformers.
"Raiders of the Lost Ark. What's with the guy in the warehouse?"
The guy is putting a crate away that contains the Ark. I think the warehouse belongs to the governement.
ROLLERBALL (1975): So at the end of the movie now that Johnatan E has succeded in getting Bartholomew to hightail it out of the arena and the crowd is chanting his name, what does he plan to do. Take over for Mr. B? Fire Rusty the coach of Houston? Get back Ella his first wife? Keep skating? Have Moonpie brought over from Tokyo and build a room for him? P*ss in his pants?
The Thing - ok, at the end. Is it the one with fog coming out of his mouth or no fog?
The Big Bus - did it make it to Denver?
Dr Stangelove - did the crew of the B52 make it to the weathership?
The original post wasn't that funny. What's funny is how many people took it seriously.
The WORST ending ever: Lost In Translation. What the f? What was Bill Murray whispering in her ear?
"Meet me in Vegas in a week"?
"An army of ninjas are coming to kill your husband, stay out of the room for an hour"?
"I think you're one McRib away from being a fatty...and I love it"
COME ON!
To JKChicago, when asking about Notorious, come on, you KNOW what the Nazis are going to do to Alex, especially after watching that other guy freak out over the wine bottles and then conveniently dissapear...
Another one that really steams my mussels: The Departed. So, there was some cheese in the groceries? Or is the rat looking for corpses to eat? Maybe it's, like, trained to steal jewelry off the corpses it eats? But who trained it then? Alec Baldwin? I'll never know. Because of ambiguity!
Passions of the Christ: Jesus comes back to life..and then the movie ends. What up wit that? Does he get revenge on the Romans? I want to know!
Another one: "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?"
So, we've figured out Judge Doom (foreshadowing crimes 101) did it, and Toon Town is saved, right? Cartoons go off into the sunset in Town town.
Well, dammit, I've been to California on several occasions and HAVE NEVER SEEN TOON TOWN! THERE ARE A HELL OF A LOT OF FREEWAYS, THOUGH! SO SOMEBODY MADE IT DISAPPEAR! WHAT HAPPEND?! Did Cloverleaf have other investors that went forward with the plans? Did Marvin Acme use some other type of ink that changed the will to give everything over to some corporation?
What about Lawrence of Arabia? He just drives off in the end? Sure I only saw the second half but they wouldn't have killed him off in the first scene, right?
First of all, i love the sarcasm. But, it got me thinking about other ambiguous movie endings. In all seriousness, there are a few movies I still wonder about.
FIGHT CLUB: Does "the narrator" ever get charged for Tyler's crimes? More importantly, does he die from the horrible gunshot wound on his neck?
THE BREAKFAST CLUB: Do the two couples stay together? Do they all act as friends at school or do they go back to hating each other on monday?
SCREAM trilogy: Okay, which one of them REALLY killed her mom? There were different killers in each movie.
I thought the article was serious 'til I saw the list of movies. Then I shifted gears and laughed.
I appreciate what you've done here. I wouldn't have though it was all that subtle (satire seldom is), but apparently it was too subtle to some of the posters.
And additionally, those same posters couldn't recognize the lampoons by other posters.
Even if you were to parody the endings of Disney animated films, they wouldn't get it.
The Italian Job (The original).
The coach hanging off the edge of the cliff.
"Hang on lads......I've got an idea".
THELMA AND FRICKIN' LOUISE. It just stops in the middle of the scene. Just stops! BAM! What happens to them???
The Dark Knight: So, who was Batman's real identity?
The 1966 UK flick Blowup has me scratching my head to this day. What was the point of the mimed tennis game at the end? Did David Hemmings find the mysterious girl who might have stolen the incriminating photos? Who was the victim anyway?
Rose dropped her diamond into the ocean, then gently drifted off to sleep and died a happy old woman warm in her bed like Jack said she would.
This is one of the funniest posts on this blog. Stinking spot-on. I had to stifle my laughter; my roommate's asleep.
I have no idea what was going on with Five Easy Pieces. I mean, you don't just get on a truck in Nowheresville, British Columbia or wherever it was and call that an ending. And if you're gonna dump your girlfriend, at least tell her you've dumped her. Can't this guy make up his mind if he's a hardhat or a concert pianist? And what the hell's wrong with Tammy Wynette anyway?
I love it.
Incidentally, how in the world could anybody take this article at face value?
Just because I thought you'd enjoy this - I showed my seven-year-old "My Fair Lady," which she watched attentively for 2 1/2 hours, and then:
"Now where the devil are my slippers?" [credits]
[beat]
"What? That's it? What kind of ending is THAT?!"
Mike Leigh's "Life is Sweet" has at least a half dozen story lines unresolved at the end, and is one of my favorite movies. Did Aubrey apologize for his drunken behavior the next day, and did his restaurant succeed? Did Andy make a go of the lunch caravan he bought? Did Nicola get treatment for her bulemia and other problems? I wish I could have seen a movie about the next day. I think that's why I liked this movie, I wished I could visit their world and see how they got on in life.
I'm feeling like this string of comments will end abruptly, leading me to wonder what they all meant. So many different themes created by each post - how does it all tie together? Was it all a joke, or is Jim Emerson really just stupid? And, will Glenn Beck EVER deny raping and killing a young girl in 1990??? We're only moments from the end of this string of comments and I can already tell that there's not enough time left to come to a satisfactory conclusion. All this ambiguity makes me think this might just be the worst. post. ever.
@lazarus:
The ambiguity in "It's a Wonderful Life" is (as shown on the SNL ending) whether Mr. Potter gets away with it or the Baileys have to pay off the $8,000 debt.
The money on the table doesn't have to be enough, because Sam Wainright (via telegram) offers to stake George up to to $20,000, no questions asked.
I get the ending of "Raiders of the Lost Ark." Yes, the guy was a government employee. Yes, it was a government warehouse. Yes, it does turn up again in "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull." Yes, that was the Ark in the crate. Sarcasm does not travel well in this kind of environment, unless you come right out and label your comments as "sarcastic."
"Frank Booth....uh , they did make a sequel to Beneath the Planet of the Apes. In fact three. Not everyone blowed up real well."
They WHAT?!!!
Those maniacs! Damn them! God damn them all to hell!!
Or Soylent Green. Now that the secret's out, will the market become flooded with generics that have just as much humany deliciousness? Or are there federal regulations to prevent the competitive use of that trade secret for a period of time?
What about When Harry Met Sally? He sits next to her on the plane, and then suddenly the film's over.
Thinking about it, I may have had a power cut.
Off all the horrible Kubrick endings the worst one is Spartacus.
We spend almost 3 hours thinking Kirk Douglas is Spartacus and at the END of the movie it turns out it could have been ANY one of those guys?!?
Gimme a break.
Hey Kubrick, desperate for a twist ending much?
Spartacus - most uninspiring ending of all time.
Children of Men: Did Theo die?
North by Northwest: I don't see any ambiguity, but I always cut it off before Grant lifts Saint off the head into the train berth. Hitchcock could be very corny, and I despised that transition.
No country for old men: what was that dream about?
Passion of Christ: Where was Jesus when he came back to life? Where did he go?
Sorry, you're *all* wrong. ;-) The worst movie ending, ever, was the original X Files movie: stranded with a semi-conscious, mostly-clad woman in the middle of the north (south?) pole, no shelter, and the base they were just in blew up, the wind blowing, the temperature clearly somewhere around zero, and...
Whoah, hey, presto! It's a beautiful day in DC!
Tana: "...I always cut it off before Grant lifts Saint off the head into the train"
But then you miss out on one of the cinema's great sex scenes! =O
Man in the Moon: What happens after the credits?
Barton Fink, Se7en, etc: What WAS in the box??
Superman: He turns back time, makes sure Lois is alright, then flies off into space??
Doesn't he still have to stop the rockets again? Lois is a sitting duck for that earthquake once more, not to mention all the other s#!t that's coming and he IGNORES! What the hell, Donner??
Raising Arizona: so does Ed finally get pregnant? Does HI really go straight? Gale and Evelle just break back into prison with no repercussions? How does this affect their next parole hearing?
and does Nathan Arizona Sr ever file kidnapping charges on any of them?
And most importantly, do Glen and Dot continue their swinging lifestyle?
Shock Treatment: so the whole town really exists in a TV studio? And they all lock themselves up in this fictitious asylum?
Does no one bother to file grand theft auto charges against Brad, Janet, Betty, Judge, and Frankie (and the band?
What was her name? Frankie or Frances??
and was Bert a blind insomniac or not?
What THEN????
Going back to what was said about Three Colors: Red - what's up with the English bartender? Maybe the fourth movie in that quadrilogy is about him.
Leave a comment