Great movie endings....

[Scud49]

I was thinking of this one, excellent choice. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly would qualify as well. I love watching all three films in the Dollar trilogy. It's a rare thing where each succeeding film is a bit better than the one before it.

Yes, with the success of his early movies, Leone was able to obtain a bigger budget for each succeeding one. By the time he did "Once Upon a Time in the West" I believe it was 5 million, quite a sum for 1968.

I loved them all, but my personal favorite of them all has to be FAFDM, it just seemed to have everything- great tough guy humor, poignant, beautiful score (as they all did) wonderful cinema photography (ditto) a hidden and intriguing backstory, a psychopathic outlaw and his gang, , etc etc. Every couple years I have to watch them all - they never, ever, get old.

 

[dbmill]

Yes, with the success of his early movies, Leone was able to obtain a bigger budget for each succeeding one. By the time he did "Once Upon a Time in the West" I believe it was 5 million, quite a sum for 1968.

I loved them all, but my personal favorite of them all has to be FAFDM, it just seemed to have everything- great tough guy humor, poignant, beautiful score (as they all did) wonderful cinema photography (ditto) a hidden and intriguing backstory, a psychopathic outlaw and his gang, , etc etc. Every couple years I have to watch them all - they never, ever, get old.

All three hold up very well to repeated viewings, which I have indeed done repeatedly. The Morricone music scores to these films I can listen to repeatedly as well. I agree with you on what there is to like about For a Few Dollars More, but to me The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly has pretty much all that, just on an epic scale, plus the addition of Eli Wallach. Love it.

Of course, Fistful of Dollars is an unauthorized remake of Kurasawa's Yojimbo. If you don't mind subtitles, Yojimbo is very entertaining as well, and it is interesting to see the things that Sergio Leone lifted from that movie, such as the escape in the coffin.

 

[Mano]

I agree with a bunch so far and would've said a few myself. I'll try and name some new ones:

- There Will Be Blood
- Fight Club
- Rosemary's Baby
- Raider's of the Lost Ark
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

 

[FrostyNuggets]

A Boy and His Dog.

 

[CardiacAndre7]

Ending of The Godfather has always been a favorite of mine. Just the part from Kate’s perspective watching Michael’s transformation has always stayed with me.

Even with that being said, and it being a fantastic, legendary movie in all phases, I personally think Godfather 2 is a better movie.

 

[storrsroars]

All three hold up very well to repeated viewings, which I have indeed done repeatedly. The Morricone music scores to these films I can listen to repeatedly as well. I agree with you on what there is to like about For a Few Dollars More, but to me The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly has pretty much all that, just on an epic scale, plus the addition of Eli Wallach. Love it.

There are several clips on YT of just the cemetery scene that I'll watch periodically. In addition to it being a great ending, it was a great piece of technical filmmaking, beautifully cinematic, innovative for its time, directed beautifully with an amazing score and as compelling in 2017 as it was in 1967.

I have to throw in Field of Dreams. Admit it, you teared up. And still do.

 

[Waquoit]

There are several clips on YT of just the cemetery scene that I'll watch periodically. In addition to it being a great ending, it was a great piece of technical filmmaking, beautifully cinematic, innovative for its time, directed beautifully with an amazing score and as compelling in 2017 as it was in 1967.

About 10 years ago, they showed a restored The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly on the big screen at Trinity and it was awesome. The difference between it and the TV version was striking, especially that scene. Now it wouldn't be such a big deal since pan-and-scan has thankfully gone away.

 

[Mano]

I have to throw in Field of Dreams. Admit it, you teared up. And still do.

Field never got me, but a couple with great endings that did would be Braveheart and The Last of the Mohicans.

 

[dbmill]

There are several clips on YT of just the cemetery scene that I'll watch periodically. In addition to it being a great ending, it was a great piece of technical filmmaking, beautifully cinematic, innovative for its time, directed beautifully with an amazing score and as compelling in 2017 as it was in 1967.

I have to throw in Field of Dreams. Admit it, you teared up. And still do.

Field of Dreams. Great ending sequence, and a terrific movie if you are able to buy into the premise like I did. Marvelous cast as well. It's one of my favorite films, and is one of my favorite baseball movies together with Bull Durham.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Good calls on a bunch already listed.

Rocky- Not the "Yo Adrian". The Apollo and Rocky "Not gonna be a rematch", "Don't want one" lines at end of fight. Somewhat funny because I think everyone knew a sequel was coming. and another. and another......

Argo- Saw this yesterday on a plane ride. Usually I'm not in to biopics because I already know what happens. Yeah, great you make a story about the people not the historical part, but I get bored since I know the history part. See: Titanic, Pearl Harbor. What had me going with Argo was I had forgotten if those 6 hostages actually made it out or were caught and put in with the rest of the hostages. I was a bit too young to know all the details of the Iran Hostage Crisis and found it interesting. Also thought it was cool to hear President Carter at the end of the movie saying how the US had to lay low and let everyone give Canada praise in order to protect the remaining hostages.

A Few Good Men

Debbie Does Dallas

Shawshank

Hoosiers

Jaws

 

[huskyrob1]

Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid
Rocky
The Godfather
Animal House

I think Departed is DQ'd for the rat on the window pane

I'll throw in another one...M*A*S*H...., the whole movie is great but the classic football game ending pitting the 4077th against General Hammond's boys might be the funniest 20 minutes ever put on film.

 

[The X Man]

You guys are articulate. I would love to hear your explanations why you think they’re great endings instead of just making a list.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The coaching train wreck by both sides at the end of Hoosiers bothers me as someone that has coached basketball.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Good calls on a bunch already listed.

Rocky- Not the "Yo Adrian". The Apollo and Rocky "Not gonna be a rematch", "Don't want one" lines at end of fight. Somewhat funny because I think everyone knew a sequel was coming. and another. and another.

Argo- Saw this yesterday on a plane ride. Usually I'm not in to biopics because I already know what happens. Yeah, great you make a story about the people not the historical part, but I get bored since I know the history part. See: Titanic, Pearl Harbor. What had me going with Argo was I had forgotten if those 6 hostages actually made it out or were caught and put in with the rest of the hostages. I was a bit too young to know all the details of the Iran Hostage Crisis and found it interesting. Also thought it was cool to hear President Carter at the end of the movie saying how the US had to lay low and let everyone give Canada praise in order to protect the remaining hostages.

A Few Good Men

Debbie Does Dallas

Shawshank

Hoosiers

Jaws

Nothing says "I am old" like a Debbie does Dallas reference.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Rocky- Not the "Yo Adrian". The Apollo and Rocky "Not gonna be a rematch", "Don't want one" lines at end of fight. Somewhat funny because I think everyone knew a sequel was coming. and another. and another.

Too cynical, Stallone shopped the script for years and it wasn't getting made because he insisted on being in it, I don't think 'everyone' knew anything when Rocky was first written or made. The movie kind of matched the rags to riches story of Stallone and it seems really cliché now, but he was legitimately a fringe guy that conjured a transcendent story. That movie is still unbelievable great if you saw it before the sequels and can still appreciate it as a singular story - when you wrap it into the sequels it loses the singularity of the moment, but the first time was truly special.

 

[Waquoit]

...but the first time was truly special.

Because Stallone didn't direct.

 

[Fishy]

No Country for Old Men and Barton Fink.

Two very similar endings; the hero doesn’t win, justice doesn’t prevail and life isn’t always or even usually fair.

The Sixth Sense, Moon, The Usual Suspects, Arrival.

Twist endings that I didn’t see coming and that didn’t cheat on the way to the twist.

Up, Monsters Inc., Ratatouille, etc., etc.

Pixar can end a movie.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Up

Pixar can end a movie.

In this case they really nailed starting a movie as well. That wordless five minute montage at the beginning told more of a story than many films manage to do in 90 minutes.

 

[Waquoit]

In this case they really nailed starting a movie as well. That wordless five minute montage at the beginning told more of a story than many films manage to do in 90 minutes.

But truth be told, the middle dragged.

 

[Palatine]

The Parent Trap.

 

[Husky25]

Ending of The Godfather has always been a favorite of mine. Just the part from Kate’s perspective watching Michael’s transformation has always stayed with me.

Even with that being said, and it being a fantastic, legendary movie in all phases, I personally think Godfather 2 is a better movie.

Actually, even for all of its faults, I think The Godfather, Part III had the better ending than both the first or Part II. For all of the power and family that he had in his past, Michael dies alone, without dignity (face down in the Sicilian dirt), and only in the presence of a dog. Presumably, his last thought also being he is solely to blame for losing them both (family and power).

 

[Dogdeacon]

Actually, even for its all of its faults, I think The Godfather, Part III had the better ending than both the first or Part II. For all of the power and family that he had in his past, Michael dies alone, without dignity (face down in the Sicilian dirt), and only in the presence of a dog. Presumably, his last thought also being he is solely to blame for losing them both (family and power).

Eh, it only mattered because of the first 2 movies. As far as I'm concerned the last one never happened.

 

[Husky25]

Eh, it only mattered because of the first 2 movies. As far as I'm concerned the last one never happened.

Thanks, Captain.

Part III was miscast (specifically Joe Mantegna and Sofia Coppola) and it drags in places, but don't make the mistake of thinking the story isn't phenomenal.

I wasn't really a fan of the 1st cousin love arc, but it doesn't work otherwise. The only other way it would is if Vincent was the love child of Tom Hagan and his Tahoe mistress (as mentioned in Part II). However, that takes the religious and biologic "danger" out of play because while Tom Hagan was "as much as son to [Vito] as [Sonny] or Mike," he was not blood related.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Actually, even for its all of its faults, I think The Godfather, Part III had the better ending than both the first or Part II. For all of the power and family that he had in his past, Michael dies alone, without dignity (face down in the Sicilian dirt), and only in the presence of a dog. Presumably, his last thought also being he is solely to blame for losing them both (family and power).

I thought the ending of III was excellent too. The last 20 minutes were very tense and I had no idea how the movie would turn out. As great as the first two movies were, the endings were basically Michael deciding to kill everyone. If it was that easy, why didn't he just do it earlier? Godfather III is the quintessential "great movie ruined with terrible casting" because of Sofia Coppola. Replace her with any of the half dozen actresses considered for that role (Julia Roberts, Wynona Ryder, Madonna, etc.) and it would have been one of the great movies of the decade, if not all time.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I scanned thru the whole thread, don't see "Se7en." Entire movie fills you w/ this gnawing sense of dread. Where's it going, how is it going to end? What's in the box?! I don't think I've ever been as creeped out by a movie as that one.

"Lucky Number Slevin" was pretty good too. Twisty, keeps you guessing about what the heck is really going on.