The ending killed the awesome movie ***Spoilers*** - Red Lights (2012) Discussion

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] divisionbell-2 12 years ago

Because he spent his life trying to repress the fact that he had powers.

"The world is indeed comic, but the joke is on mankind" - Lovecraft

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[–] jegperez 12 years ago

THANK YOU FOR THIS.

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[–] DonaldFDraper 12 years ago

Because he spent his life trying to repress the fact that he had powers.

He was being strangled, you'd figure now would be the time to use your powers.

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[–] divisionbell-2 12 years ago

Just curious, but what kind of ending would you have preferred?

"The world is indeed comic, but the joke is on mankind" - Lovecraft

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[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] reekreekitrythmeswithfreak 12 years ago

An ending that acknowledges that the paranormal is *beep*

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[–] daddie0 12 years ago

I think this was part of the film makers intent...to show that we all have bias. I was with you, thinking the main character was proving everyone to be a liar and thief, but never saw it coming that he was looking for someone like himself. Someone else he could believe in.

Also, if you're so set on forcing the movie to align with your beliefs, then try this on for size: he rigged the theater to do all those things (just as Silver "had") to shake Silver out of his lies and open the possibility that he is the only "real" psychic. Get it? This works too.

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[–] nrkist2424 12 years ago

Why did Silver go into seclusion? That rumored psychically induced heart-attack in the audience. Margaret died the same way. Suggests the two incidents are connected. So Buckley, as a child, was at Silver's last show and was accidentally responsible for the incident. It scared Silver and he ruminated for many years about the incident. He researched and determined that he believed Buckley was in fact a psychic. He came out of hiding to expose Buckley and the reality of paranormal phenomena. This would also make sense from Buckley's perspective and why he suppressed his abilities as he had accidentally killed someone as a child. Buckley's intense interest in Silver and the escalation of his psychic activity due to anxiety makes sense. The fact that Silver seemed to be harassing him makes sense as well.

We only needed a flashback to Silver's last show as Buckley sits in the theatre watching Silver in the present. We flashback to Buckley as a child in a similar theatre and realize he was there for Silver's final show. Now the seed has been planted and the audience can already start to figure out what it going on.

Then Buckley psychically rages in front of the audience and Silver simply smiles. Buckley realizes that this sham artist has manipulated him into exposing his powers. Buckley, the man whose entire life has been about exposing shams, has been exposed by a sham psychic...as a genuine psychic. Clever, and a nice twist as well as finally revealing the relationship between Buckley and Silver.

I dunno that much else needs to happen at that point. Perhaps Silver dies on-stage of a mysterious heart-attack as Buckley walks out into the rain and walks through the streets. Once Silver finally breaths his last, the rain stops and Buckley looks upwards and muses about his life and regrets and Margaret like in the film.

Seriously, this film was BOMBED and ruined by 10 minutes worth of film!

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[–] jorgito2001 11 years ago

Kudos to you nrkist2424 for explaining some bits that went over my head! I realized Buckley was the psychic, but never made the connection that Buckley was responsible for the audience members death when he was a kid, and the whole 'return' was to expose him.

The story was excellent, but the way it was directed left a few more question marks then should've been.

--
I'm your average ordinary everyday, jorgeegeetooo!

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[–] nrkist2424 11 years ago

I was typing hastily after a few drinks. I was explaining how this film should have been presented to make sense. These elements aren't there though, but I am theorizing what the original story to this mess of a film was. Why exactly the blatant loose threads central to the plot exist. Most notably: Silver's inexplicable seclusion, Silver's inexplicable return, Silver's inexplicable focus on Buckley, Two paranormally induced heart-attacks, Buckley's deception.

These don't seem like intentional black-holes in the script, but rather things that were lost in rewrites and editing. They all sink into the same point though. I think the studio decided the role reversal of Silver as the clever 'hero' and Buckley as the lurking antagonist in the climax didn't go over well with audiences.

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[–] EJverh 12 years ago

I liked it. No, it wasn't extraodinary by no means. But, it WAS good. There are a lot of phonies but also those who aren't (is the film's message). However, I would have liked to see the subject taken even further. If there are people with certain 'gifts', from whom are they from? Now, that would have been an ending I'd like to have seen.

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[–] BRADFORDRYOUNGS-1 12 years ago

ending could have been better thats for sure.. movie was horrible as far as a REDBOX rental goes... Am I the only one who kinda thought they were implying maybe CM was the 2nd coming? He kept looking at his hands then up to the heavens... maybe he wasn't psychic, thus he got his as kicked, maybe he's Jesus thus birds flying into windows and snuff. This makes sense because at the end when all hell breaks lose, CM just stands there while God brings a little wrath since all these fakes keep denouncing God... just my 2 cents.

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[–] jorgito2001 11 years ago

movie was horrible as far as a REDBOX rental goes

I paid nearly as much as you, actually picked this up at the DOLLAR TREE for about $1.06 (includes tax)...watching the special features now...a few interviews and a making of, I've wasted many $1 dollar bills in my life, but I wouldn't say this is one of 'em.

That being said, I don't see myself rewatching this, so I posted the DVD to my DVD trade site...here's hoping.

--
I'm your average ordinary everyday, jorgeegeetooo!

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[–] Myth-and-Mayhem 12 years ago

Nice spelling, grammar & punctuation. How are we supposed to take anything you write seriously?

My Ratings: http://www.imdb.com/user/ur10767293/ratings

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[–] BRADFORDRYOUNGS-1 12 years ago

Was just sent from my phone and the auto spell correct changed it. Sorry about that. Didn't proof it, just sent it.

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[–] Myth-and-Mayhem 12 years ago

Haha, now I understand. Sorry...
Dang auto-correct has screwed me a number of times on Twitter. Once it's sent you can't take it back. Sucks.

My Ratings: http://www.imdb.com/user/ur10767293/ratings

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[–] BRADFORDRYOUNGS-1 12 years ago

no need for a sorry... it's just the damn Iphone.

I mean if you look at my IMDB page you would laugh because I'm a produced witer,producer and director... lol. BTW... grammer is highly overated.

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[–] chaney1888 12 years ago

You're right: we are laughing. As for "grammer": you're wrong. (Or should I say "ur rong"? Would that make more sense to you, Mr. "writer,producer and director"? Way to blame technology for "ur" shortcomings, you visionary, you!)

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[–] riddle13 12 years ago

The ending wasn't the problem, it was a great ending really... it was the setup. The long-windedness, and far-too-strangeness of everything that went before makes the ending seem like a bit of a cop-out. It's not, it's great. But this film needed a producer with an iron fist that knows how to say NO to a director with a few too many ideas. With a slightly more straightforward narrative and less rambunctiousness, this could have been a truly great film, in the vein of the Sixth Sense. As it is, it's an interesting failure.

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[–] azncutie147 12 years ago

I agree with the main post. The ending screwed the movie over, the movie was entertaining from beginning until end ( yes including the ending) but it would've been better if the movie ended with Buckley proving that Silver was a fraud. Since the entire movie was pretty scientific. I guess they want us to believe their is more to life after death. But with this kind of movie, I don't think it should work that way.

if you never lie, then you dont have to remember anything- Mark Twain

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[–] stef-530-138 12 years ago

I don't agree the ending killed the movie - I thought it reinforced it.

I have seen far too many movies where the ending spoiled a very decent 2 hours of my day, but thought all the pain, suffering & remorse (& being bludgeoned to a pulp) Buckley went through to discover if there were another like him in the world (Silver) just added a cherry on the top of a well iced, & exceedingly tasty, cake!

Correct me if I'm wrong anzcutie147, but I thought Buckley did do precisely that when he tossed the coin at Silver & he caught it (symbolically standing on his glasses to further instill that his deception had been broken). This was noticed by the crowd who 'gasped' when he caught it. Plus his repeating - 'How did you do that?!' solidifying that he was no more than a stage entertainer.

Loved the little show of 'power' when Buckley leaves the auditorium by opening & closing the double doors - nice touch :)

"What did one shepherd say to the other shepherd? Let's get the flock out of here!"

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[–] ubcool 12 years ago

i agree, the ending was by far the best part of the film. Apart from the silliness of it all, What hurt the film was the poor pacing, the first hour could of really been trimmed down a lot, it took way too long for the plot to even begin, and it didn't get to really start to get going until the Sigourney weaver character died. In fact was the Sigourney weaver character even Necessary? in fact was even the olsen character necessary? it was a bizarrely constructed film. way to ambitious for the director, i think he should stick to one actor and a box .

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[–] Mrohnoes 12 years ago

I didn't think the twist was as bad as I heard it was supposed to be. Sure, some parts of it don't make sense, and it goes against everything the movie stood for, but you could do worse as far as plot twists go. Hell, Passengers has a MUCH worse plot twist.

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[–] henrimaine 12 years ago

I agree, the ending was not good. What was bad about it was NOT the revelation that the guy was himself a psychic, but the way it was all presented.

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[–] bellaalma 12 years ago

I agree, the ending was not good. What was bad about it was NOT the revelation that the guy was himself a psychic, but the way it was all presented.

I agree with this. A better producer/editor might have made this a much better film. It had elements to be good, and I am sure that on paper the script was intriguing. However, the execution of it all was a bit off. The "twist" was good, but it could have been handled better. The final scene in the theater with all the destruction and Silver asking how Buckley did that wasn't good to me. I wish the revelation had been handled better.

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[–] tastelikecandy 12 years ago

Also what I found weird was that the coin-catching was the reveal. He could do all the 'psychic' stuff such as bending spoons etc and people can catch stuff blindfolded, a person with gifts and who had been blind for years would've honed such skills especially as the world is full of skeptics. A man who was a fake and remained unknown as a fraud for so long would've learned this stuff in case of such challenges. It took me ages to get what it meant. Seemed to simple a catch out

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[–] SnoopyStyle 12 years ago

The coin catch happened because DeNiro's character was stumped for the 1st time. It would be too simple except the roof was coming down on them just 10 sec before.

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