The Descent : US release, but US ending

Sometimes living on both sides of the Atlantic is fun, other times it just annoys the crap out of me.

The Descent is a low-$ UK independent movie that frankly shoots holes in anything else made since '98, and has been doing verywellthankyou in Europe. Lions Gate (an office in Sony Pictures, turn left by the watercooler and look for a door named "janitor") bought the US distro and are running an August release (yay for my homies, no more region-fighting the DVD...). Now the problem is, the ending of the UK version is a mindfck - I won't spoil it, but think "oh.. phew.. huh?.. ARRRGGGHHHHHHHH". LG decided to talk to some focus groups, and have reshot the ending, so US audiences leave on "phew..." and with their pants still clean. I've just seen the 'domestic cut' and was told this:-

"US audiences wouldn't understand the original version as it left too much unanswered. They require the ending to be explained, and for a positive slant on fates of the main characters. European audiences tend to understand complex themes more, and accept pessimistic endings."

Luckily the DVD will have both, but my question (since I know there are Brits lurking about on here) is: should a movie with brilliant reviews have critical bits like the ending changed because 'Americans are too dumb to get the original'?

The US site is at http://www.thedescentfilm.com/
The UK site is at http://www.thedescentthemovie.co.uk/ - with the original trailer

US trailer : http://lionsgate.arcostream.net/lion...er_1b_300k.wmv
- which was cut using the "scared chicks in wet shirts" principle.

mG

that's a complex question and not really fair, because it makes three assumptions. The first is that we should listen to what "brilliant reviewers" have to say. I've heard brilliant reviews for not so-brilliant movies.
secondly, what is the qualification for deciding what should stay and what should go, and who decides? third is that if americans are too stupid to get the ending, what makes you think they will like any of the rest of the movie?

on the whole it really doesn't matter. If the movie is good people are going to know that it's good, and that may or may not have anything to do with critical reviews and box office scores.

personally I think that a movie maker who really cares about making movies as art should stick to thier vision and not compromise it. chances are that if that is thier motivation, the ending is not going to be stupid or a let down, even if it's not one that people may expect or hope for.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Mindgames

should a movie with brilliant reviews have critical bits like the ending changed because 'Americans are too dumb to get the original'?
mG

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Really, it depends on what you want out of the movie. I suspect Lions gate, thr directers, writers and producers want the movie to be enough of a comercial success that they can make the next movie. If that is the case, well test audiences are for that.

Sometimes you comprimise to get to the next project. That's part of what DvDs are for.

I enjoyed Dog Soldiers, so I will probably grab this DvD. I will probably watch the UK version first, but I won't knock a guy for wanting to pay his bills.

In this case the decision was made for the writers rather than by the writers. LG has no reverse tie-in to Celador, so US box office takings would have little impact on future projects (awards and European takings have more impact for UK indies as their primary footprint is where investors want to clear a profit). For this particular little flick, LG specifically changed the ending because of brainlessness in their focus groups, not because the original ending met bad reviews - the 11 other distros have kept it untouched and did very nicely tyvm.

mG

i think showin both endings in diffrent release;s wouldbe good .
go to one and see one endin ,then go to a diffrent showing and seeing the other ,,
or maybe just wait for the DvD with both endings on it ..

it's not americans as a whole who are too stupid to get a 'mindfuck' ending to a movie... it's american film companies that are too stupid to release it.

look how business gets done in this country, always playing to a imaginary lowest common denominator, that only reflects the predjudices of the folks who control the purse strings.

no one i know sees anything on tv, or at the movies and thinks it's brilliant. they might like something, but it's always lacking somehow, it could always be better. (which is why i don't watch either anymore.)

remember the untited states of america is a highly media saturated, and socially engineered environment, and perceptions about us abroad could have about as much to do with reality as the evening news we watch about you guys, the newspaper articles that get written for us to consume, or the results of our 'elections' to actual voting.