Mediocre films with great endings

[byron lomax]

The Devil's Advocate - Just when Keanu Reeves thinks he's got the DeNiro beat, he still loses. Horrible film, but an amazing ending.

Pacino, you mean.

Oops. Yeah, you're right. For some weird reason, I've always mixed up Pacino and Deniro.

Me too! Perhaps it's because De Niro had a similar role in another, earlier film with Mickey Rourke - but to go any further might spoil that particular film for somebody here!

 

[Greg Cox]

Arlington Road and Mothman Prophecies (the Richard Gere one right?) both had amazing endings that redeemed so-so movies.

Weren't those both directed by the same person?

 

[Aragorn]

Arlington Road was garbage. And it didn't help that their marketing campaign spoiled everything.

 

[Reverend]

Arlington Road and Mothman Prophecies (the Richard Gere one right?) both had amazing endings that redeemed so-so movies.

Weren't those both directed by the same person?

So they were.

A bit off topic, but has anyone here ever read the "The Mothman Prophecies"? It's crazier than a sack full of rabid monkeys. Seriously, give it a look! It makes 'Men In Black' seem mundane and ordinary. In fact there are some (supposedly true) accounts that wouldn't look out of place in that film.

Getting back on topic, I'm not sure if it counts but 'Abyss' had a great ending, in the special edition at least. Personally I thought the rest of the film was good too, but I gather that I'm in the minority in that regard.

On a similar theme, '2010' was a so-so film (which I like, regardless) that had a rather strong ending.

 

[davejames]

Predator 2 has always been the biggest example of that for me. It's dull as hell most of the way, but then from the fight on the rooftop to the spaceship, I'm suddenly on the edge of my seat.

 

[barnaclelapse]

Arlington Road was garbage. And it didn't help that their marketing campaign spoiled everything.

Arlington Road was a letdown. It was really solid in terms of performance (I especially liked Joan Cusack), but the story was just awful.

One of the those wasted opportunity movies.

 

[Greg Cox]

Arlington Road and Mothman Prophecies (the Richard Gere one right?) both had amazing endings that redeemed so-so movies.

Weren't those both directed by the same person?

So they were.

A bit off topic, but has anyone here ever read the "The Mothman Prophecies"? It's crazier than a sack full of rabid monkeys. Seriously, give it a look! It makes 'Men In Black' seem mundane and ordinary. In fact there are some (supposedly true) accounts that wouldn't look out of place in that film.
.

Thanks for bringing up the original book by John Keel. I'll take credit for bringing it back into print just in time for the movie, but even I was surprised at just how well it's sold ever since. We're still going back to press on that book, which, yes, is probably the weirdest thing I've ever published at Tor!

 

[Stiletto]

I agree about Predator 2. He gets his reward while pretty much standing there incredulous.

 

[byron lomax]

A bit off topic, but has anyone here ever read the "The Mothman Prophecies"? It's crazier than a sack full of rabid monkeys. Seriously, give it a look! It makes 'Men In Black' seem mundane and ordinary. In fact there are some (supposedly true) accounts that wouldn't look out of place in that film.

I've read it too, and enjoyed it. I just love the idea of beings from a higher plane of existence invading our own realm, sparking terror and confusion in ordinary people simply to amuse themselves.

The writer, John Keel, isn't the first one to connect modern UFO and monster sightings with the spirits and fairy folk of earlier centuries - the first was Jaques Vallee, who inspired the "Lacombe " character in Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

 

[Greg Cox]

John Keel is an interesting character. When I suggested we get together to discuss Tor's plans for the books, John asked that we do so at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in Times Square. Not the usual place for a business meeting, but it was a fun afternoon!

(Sorry for the topic drift, but how often do I get a chance to plug THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES around here?)

 

[DeadmeatDiggory]

The Devil's Advocate - Just when Keanu Reeves thinks he's got the DeNiro beat, he still loses. Horrible film, but an amazing ending.

Pacino, you mean.

I thought it was Dustin Hoffman

 

[coolghoul]

Completely agree with T-3 being here. The movie was really bad except for it's ending.

 

[DeadmeatDiggory]

Jokes aside, I thoight Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes had a great ending. The idea that any future sequels would be set in a monkeyized version of modern-day Earth was xciting to me at the time, that any stupidity of the movie was ignored by me.

That was until repeated viewings.

 

[Starbreaker]

Memento. I like Christopher Nolan and all... but I think this is his weakest film, except for the super awesome ending.

 

[The Borgified Corpse]

I don't have much new to add here. I'd just like to echo the sentiments regarding Alien 3 & Terminator 3.

IMO, Alien 3 has a lot of good parts but the movie just never quite comes together due to poorly shot action scenes and indistinguishable supporting characters. But the bit at the end with the return of Bishop and Ripley's death was really powerful stuff.

Terminator 3 is just a shameless rip-off of Terminator 2. But when T3 ended with Judgment Day actually happenning, I was squealing with delight at the possibility of new sequels depicting the future war. (Shame then that Terminator Salvation sucks. Oh, we need James Cameron back so bad!)

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I like the ending of 1964's The Time Travelers:

Spoiler: ending

Everything is apparently stuck in an endless time loop that just gets faster and faster - it keeps repeating the events of the movie at a faster rate each time - until it ends with things running so fast that they're in a blur.

 

[JediKnightButler]

Completely agree with T-3 being here. The movie was really bad except for it's ending.

I totally agree with you about T3. I was expecting (and got) the standard "Terminator-chase-to-the-end" formula of the first two movies and for most of the movie, I seemed to be proven right- Until the mindblowing twist ending when John and Kate(?) end up in the military bunker when "Judgement Day" happens. I totally did not expect it but loved it. It almost makes up for the rest of the movie being so boring and formulaic. I always felt, though, that T3 undercut (if not ripped to shreds) the positive, hopeful message of T2. Ah well..............

 

[Gary Mitchell]

I like the ending of 1964's The Time Travelers:

Spoiler: ending

Everything is apparently stuck in an endless time loop that just gets faster and faster - it keeps repeating the events of the movie at a faster rate each time - until it ends with things running so fast that they're in a blur.

Have they put this movie out on DVD yet? My vhs copy is getting a little frazzled.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I like the ending of 1964's The Time Travelers:

Spoiler: ending

Everything is apparently stuck in an endless time loop that just gets faster and faster - it keeps repeating the events of the movie at a faster rate each time - until it ends with things running so fast that they're in a blur.

Have they put this movie out on DVD yet?

No.

 

[Nardpuncher]

The Devil's Advocate - Just when Keanu Reeves thinks he's got the DeNiro beat, he still loses. Horrible film, but an amazing ending.

Pacino, you mean.

Oops. Yeah, you're right. For some weird reason, I've always mixed up Pacino and Deniro.

I think many people do! Kind of like lions and tigers...it takes my brain about 2 whole seconds (kind of a long time) to remember which is which when I look at a picture...heck...hippos and rhinos too!