I thought the original version in black and white from 1956 did a good job. So some schmuck decides to remake this with a darker ending and it gets raves? Did I miss something here? Didn't anybody complain about the ending when it came out and go, "Hey, c'mon, there's no hope in this world?"
shareThe 1956 version was supposed to have a dark ending, but this was changed at the last minute. Good old Wikipedia:
Original intended endingThe 1978 version went where Siegel wanted to go, but couldn't. It makes a refreshing change when the aliens win. The ending became so iconic, it was even parodied in an episode of The I.T. Crowd. share
Both Siegel and Mainwaring were satisfied with the film as shot. It was originally meant to end with Miles screaming as truckloads of pods pass him by. The studio, wary of a pessimistic conclusion, insisted on adding a prologue and epilogue to the movie suggesting a more optimistic outcome to the story, which is thus told mainly in flashback. In this version the film begins with a ranting Bennell in custody in a hospital emergency ward. He then tells an arriving doctor (Whit Bissell) his story. In the closing scene pods are found at a highway accident, confirming his warning. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is notified, possibly in time to save the Earth.
Mainwaring scripted this framing story and Siegel shot it on September 16, 1955, at the Allied Artists studio. In a later interview Siegel complained, "The film was nearly ruined by those in charge at Allied Artists who added a preface and ending that I don't like." In his autobiography Siegel added that "Wanger was very much against this, as was I. However, he begged me to shoot it to protect the film, and I reluctantly consented."
There are actually FIVE versions of the story. The original movie was based on a book that takes place in Mill Valley, California where I grew up (how is that for small world). It was bizarre as I knew the street names and some of the businesses mentioned and all of the events in the story took place no more than a few miles from my childhood home.
Well the original novel has the humans winning and the pods leaving the Earth alone.
The 1956 movie as is said already on this thread ends with hope for the human race.
the 1993 version ended ambiguously but with some hope for the human race as the main character and her boyfriend manage to stay human and escape and warn the world.
the 2007 version also has a pretty happy ending.
Of the FIVE versions of this story only ONE of them has the aliens winning.
There is about to be a sixth if what I read is true. Quentin Tarantino wants to do his version. I wonder if the pods will get a 2nd victory? So far they are losing the overall score if you add up all the different incarnations, they are down 4 to 1.
the 2007 version also has a pretty happy ending.
I don't remember the '93 version having a hopeful ending. I thought it ended with the guy landing the helicopter at a place that was already taken over as evidenced by the voice-over from the ground crew "Where you gonna go, where you gonna run, where you gonna hide? Nowhere, because there's no one like you left."
shareSo some schmuck decides to remake this with a darker ending and it gets raves? Did I miss something here?
So some schmuck decides to remake this with a darker ending and it gets raves?
Did I miss something here?
Didn't anybody complain about the ending when it came out and go, "Hey, c'mon, there's no hope in this world?"