MovieChat Forums > Brainstorm (1983) Discussion > The original ending...?

The original ending...?

posted 18 years ago by khu
8 replies | jump to latest

I just rewatched this movie and left pretty impressed. Despite the period costumes and so forth there's a very interesting story in here.

My question is, has anyone heard ANYTHING about what the original ending was supposed to be before Natalie's death?

In the existing version, Mike just says "We made it." and presumably has found some insight into life/death. What the insight is exactly it's hard to say, though. What we get are glimpses of a fairly religious universe. Hell, heaven, etc.

Was there anything more in the original drafts?

[–] cubdukat 17 years ago

From what I understand, that was the original ending. Doug Trumbull managed to finish the film using outtakes and a body double, and I think that final scene was one of the ones they were able to shoot with Natalie herself.

"I've been kidnapped by K-Mart!"
--Barbara Stone (Bette Midler), "Ruthless People"

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] macadamnut 17 years ago

Yeah, I saw that too. Some of us still wear cardigans and brown shoes around the house just for kicks, and oh hell! now I've got ink from my quill pen all over the flatscreen writing this reply!

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] khu 17 years ago

The 'period costumes' remark was tongue in cheek :)

When I watched it I thought the clothing looked pretty dated.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] VivaMongo 17 years ago

"Oh, sorry. You should use Emoticons!"

No, no and no again. Emoticons are the devils droppings and should be avoided like the plague by any interweb user over the age of..oh..lets say 14.

Sir Thomas Beecham advised "try everything once in life, except incest and folk-dancing" I'd like to add emoticons to that list.

Blue Rat "all the energy of a rat....trapped in a can"

[–] trash1-5 17 years ago

From what I've been able to gather that IS the
original ending, (Movies are rarely shot in the
same sequence of the final product you see on screen.)

There were supposedly a few key scenes plot wise
that hadn't been filmed before Natalie's death
and alternate scenes had to be written and shot
for the sake of continuity hence the movies delay
of original release amongst other headaches.

A nightmare for the editors I'm sure but they
pulled it off nicely.

I like this movie very much. It's the first flick
I remember seeing with Mr. Walken in the lead role.