10 Greatest Endings (In My Opinion)
Tuesday, July 21, 2009 at 08:22PM ;)
Now it goes without saying that there is absolutely no fucking chance that anyone will agree with my choices here but these are ten of my all time favourite film endings. They're not all shock endings or fuck me really that was that? They're more of a mix of things. Films that have made we watch in awe, go oh my fucking god, no way or quite simply wet myself with excitement or laughter. I've spent the last week or so writing down films that have had that effect on me and the list just kept on growing. Getting it down to ten was fucking hard and I even tossed a coin for a couple of them. I hope they make you think about yours and maybe even comment on what were your favourites. OBVIOUSLY IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN ANY FROM THE LIST BELOW THEN DON'T FUCKING READ IT AS IT WILL HAVE SPOILERS. FUCKWITS! So in no particular order.
1. Enter The Dragon.
;)
Not every ones cup of tea I know but my name on here should suggest to anyone with a small knowledge of films that I fucking love Kung Fu flicks. Enter The Dragon was probably the film that made me love them. After going undercover to bring the brutal Han(Kien Shih) to justice Lee (Bruce Lee) finally faces off against him in a massive hall of mirrors and an icon was born. To this day I still consider this to be one of the greatest Martial Arts films ever made and the end still blows me away
;)
It is a fucking crying shame that this film has only in the last few years got the recognition it deserves. When your nan says that classic line "They don't make them like they used to" just push her back into her wheelchair and make her watch this. Imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) is raped, beaten and faces the savagery of a brutal prison regime. Only his friendship with Red (Morgan Freeman) allows him to survive while he moves towards redemption. Crawling through a tunnel of shit and then standing arms outstretched in the pouring rain as he is finally free. Man I fucking cried!
3.Jaws
"We're going to need a bigger boat" You're damn fucking right we are. the first film to truly frighten the shit out of me. A sinking boat, a giant rubber shark, a gas cannister and Chief Brody (Roy Scheider) all make for fucking hell of an ending. Throw in top class performances and the most famous monster music of all time and we have one of the finest films of its kind ever. This is just a great film and to me probably Speilbergs finest. I'm sure that will cause a few arguments, but fuck you because if you haven't watched it in awhile then do and remember why those holidays in the south of France were never the same again.
I just had to put this in. Forget the tripe that was the prequels and remember why you fucking love Star Wars. Star Wars set us up for the mother of all shockers in The Empire Strikes Back as Vader reveals to Luke that he is his father. "No Fucking Way" we all cried as this secret was revealed. As if finding out that the most evil person in the galaxy is his dad isn't shit enough Lucas throws in later the nasty thought that Luke has just spent most of the film fancying his own sister! Like a family get together in Norwich.
When Eastwoodreleased Unforgiven in 1992 the Western was considered well and truly dead. Using a script that had been knocking around Hollywood for nearly 20 years he assembled as cast that was to deliver one of the finest Westerns of all time. Thought to be his Western swan-song Eastwood plays retired gunfighter William Munny who is brought out of retirement to right a wrong. What makes this film great as it builds to its brilliant climax is that Eastwood doesn't really define between good and evil and portrays a dirty Wild West full of corruption. Its after the final shootout that seals it for me though when Eastwood peers from the saloon door after disposing of Hackmans corrupt sheriff and suggests that if anybody wishes to take a shot that he will not only kill them but their families as well. Cinematic gold.
I know that hardly anyone will agree with this choice but I don't give a fuck because this list is mine not yours. I grew up reading Batman and even loved the old series with Adam West. I followed Batman always but believed after the rubber nipples of Batman And Robin that there was no way back for the Caped Crusader and then Nolan gave us Batman Begins which I know is a great film because even the Boss loved it. Not only did he give the greatest Batman film ever but also one of the best comic book adaptations. I creamed myself throughout the film but when Oldmans Gordon reveals the card with the Joker on at the end my pants were positively wet. Think about it. Who else didn't want to know what was coming next.
It's always a shame that you can only watch a film like this just the once to get it's full impact. As the tale of crime and violence unveils itself the name Keyser Sose is mentioned over and over again. A giant of a man, the most violent criminal ever but who is he? As Spaceyscrippled Roger Kint limps off we see the reveal and fuck me what a reveal it is. That geeky little nervous fucker is Keyser Sose! The surprise ending to end them all.
8.Carrie
I hope I've made it quite clear that these are my favourite endings and not yours so its with this in mind that I include Carrie. We've all seen it, felt it or been a part of it, bullying the strange kid and boy does Sissy Spaceks Carrie get some fucking stick including the memorable pigs blood drenching. But its not the bloody revenge that I want to talk about because its the music and the grave at the very end. Just before the film finishes a rotting hand shoots out of the ground. I've jumped a hundred times to this and even though I expect it, it still makes me jump.
;)
The film that inspired The Departed is probably one of the greatest films to ever come out of Asia. A film where you never really know who the bad guy is. Is it Tony Leungs Chan who has been undercover in the Triads so long that he's risen to a point of authority or is it Andy Laus Lau Kin Ming a triad infiltrater in the Hong Kong police? This film twists and turns all over the place and you never know who is who. The end face off is memorable as we discover what's really being going on. If you've only seen the ok Hollywood remake then do yourself a favour and watch this now!
10.If....
Not Rudyard Kiplings classic poem but Lindsay Andersons 1968 anti establishment classic of the same name. Malcolm McDowells Mick Travis is pushed to the point of no return in the militaristic environment of the boarding school which he attends. Having attended a boarding school and experienced the bollocks that is the pecking order within it I could truly sympathise with the rooftop shootout ending. There's definately a few of my teachers I'd have happily gunned down with a Bren. This is a British classic and maybe a little lost on those who never schooled away from home but so what I fucking did and this film will always for me reflect that.
Well that concludes my top ten and I know you won't agree but it's mine so shove it up your arse. This was damn difficult for me to collate and I give honourable mentions to Seven, Saw, The Italian Job, The Fellowship Of The Ring, Hard Boiled, High Noon, Open Range and Severance to name a few. Anyway hope you enjoyed it and if you didn't fuck you as there was no fucking way I was going to put all the Harry Potter films on this list!
Lots! in Top Ten Endings
Reader Comments (4)
I'd put DOTD2004 in there (because i'm a total fanboy) and the bodysnatchers ending. Otherwise cracking list & you're not wrong about Batman Begins!
Welcome back Mr T. Long time no hear. Do you know I forgot about DOTD2004! I spent around two weeks writing down films and ended up with a list of around 50. I then got it down to about 20 and in the end I even had to toss a coin for a couple of them! It's alot harder than I thought.
Glad to be back, getting a new jobs sucks
Can imagine it was tough, would have been easier if you'd picked 5 good films directed by McGee....
Well that would be easy because there was ........................fuck what was it?