Film: Ex_Machina

[E.H. Ruddock]

Also, Europa Report suffers from bad ending disease just like Sunshine. That movie could have been better without that horrible ending.

[LoathedVermin72]

Also, Europa Report suffers from bad ending disease just like Sunshine. That movie could have been better without that horrible ending.

Seems like a lot of sci-fi movies have ending problems. Well, I guess a lot of movies have ending problems.

[Kaius]

Some movies you just don't want to end.

[LoathedVermin72]

Some movies you just don't want to end.

Some movies you do

[E.H. Ruddock]

Some movies you just don't want to end.

Like The Piano?

[Kaius]

Some movies you just don't want to end.

Like The Piano?

Like Forrest Gump.

[epilogue]

Also, Europa Report suffers from bad ending disease just like Sunshine. That movie could have been better without that horrible ending.

Seems like a lot of sci-fi movies have ending problems. Well, I guess a lot of movies have ending problems.

Yeah, a lot of movies have ending problems, but I think audiences also having ending problems.

[LoathedVermin72]

Also, Europa Report suffers from bad ending disease just like Sunshine. That movie could have been better without that horrible ending.

Seems like a lot of sci-fi movies have ending problems. Well, I guess a lot of movies have ending problems.

Yeah, a lot of movies have ending problems, but I think audiences also having ending problems.

Please do elaborate...

[E.H. Ruddock]

Some movies you just don't want to end.

Like The Piano?

Like Forrest Gump.

Do you think McP liked that movie?

[Kaius]

Some movies you just don't want to end.

Like The Piano?

Like Forrest Gump.

Do you think McP liked that movie?

Pffft...

[epilogue]

Also, Europa Report suffers from bad ending disease just like Sunshine. That movie could have been better without that horrible ending.

Seems like a lot of sci-fi movies have ending problems. Well, I guess a lot of movies have ending problems.

Yeah, a lot of movies have ending problems, but I think audiences also having ending problems.

Please do elaborate...

I just think there's.... I don't know if it's conditioning or what... but there's this sort of (I think very false) idea that endings have to be the best thing about a story/movie/book/etc. Audiences have this notion that it's all about the end, which undermines the journey, and all the hard work of those involved.

We look a something like LOST, for example, -- or actually a better example is Breaking Bad -- and we see many (if not most) true die-hard fans say that the finale wasn't the best episode of the series. And they say that with a negative connotation, like that somehow devalues everything that came before it.

When it's a good story, I think viewers/readers take it on as their own. They become so invested that they feel a sense of ownership of the piece, which is a good thing. But sometimes that backfires when the piece doesn't end the way they wanted it to end. They feel cheated. But it was never their ending. It was never their story to tell.

There are countless perfectly appropriate endings, endings that are relevant and right for the given story that people rebel against because it's not what they wanted, not what they would have done. And rather than appreciate the work that was done, rather than accept that it was the right ending even if it wasn't their idea of the best ending, these people dismiss the whole piece entirely. "That ending was crap. What a terrible movie."

Of course, sometimes endings are just awful and that's all there is to it. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar and all that. But I think the audience, in general, puts far too much weight and importance on how a story ends. There's so much more to it -- to the good ones at least -- than that. I'm a journey over destination type of person. And I could probably count on one hand the number of ends that truly ruined the whole. It absolutely does happen. But it doesn't happen as often as people say.

But everything's subjective. So who am I to speak for others about their experiences?

[LoathedVermin72]

I want to talk about Mass Effect 3 but I feel like I'm going to spew out thousands and thousands of words if I start going down that road.

Generally, I agree with you. A piece of narrative art is much more than its ending. However, there can certainly be cases when a bad ending to a good beginning and middle can largely undermine the quality of the journey as a whole, particularly if the ending somehow deconstructs, redefines, or thematically alters the work. While it's probably not fair to dismiss what was good until its ending as a "piece of shit," I think a bad enough ending can certainly add a huge asterisk when talking about the work of art as a whole.

[epilogue]

I want to talk about Mass Effect 3 but I feel like I'm going to spew out thousands and thousands of words if I start going down that road.

Generally, I agree with you. A piece of narrative art is much more than its ending. However, there can certainly be cases when a bad ending to a good beginning and middle can largely undermine the quality of the journey as a whole, particularly if the ending somehow deconstructs, redefines, or thematically alters the work. While it's probably not fair to dismiss what was good until its ending as a "piece of shit," I think a bad enough ending can certainly add a huge asterisk when talking about the work of art as a whole.

Totally agree. And 10 fold on the bolded.

Like I said, I just think modern audiences tend to use the bad ending thing as a crutch. And it can lead to lazy viewing/reading. And shallow opinions. BUT there are certainly cases.

[LoathedVermin72]

I want to talk about Mass Effect 3 but I feel like I'm going to spew out thousands and thousands of words if I start going down that road.

Generally, I agree with you. A piece of narrative art is much more than its ending. However, there can certainly be cases when a bad ending to a good beginning and middle can largely undermine the quality of the journey as a whole, particularly if the ending somehow deconstructs, redefines, or thematically alters the work. While it's probably not fair to dismiss what was good until its ending as a "piece of shit," I think a bad enough ending can certainly add a huge asterisk when talking about the work of art as a whole.

Totally agree. And 10 fold on the bolded.

Like I said, I just think modern audiences tend to use the bad ending thing as a crutch. And it can lead to lazy viewing/reading. And shallow opinions. BUT there are certainly cases.

Oh yeah, I agree with you there. Passive viewing is maybe the biggest problem with modern film culture, and inordinate ending-focus is symptomatic of that.

[epilogue]

I want to talk about Mass Effect 3 but I feel like I'm going to spew out thousands and thousands of words if I start going down that road.

Generally, I agree with you. A piece of narrative art is much more than its ending. However, there can certainly be cases when a bad ending to a good beginning and middle can largely undermine the quality of the journey as a whole, particularly if the ending somehow deconstructs, redefines, or thematically alters the work. While it's probably not fair to dismiss what was good until its ending as a "piece of shit," I think a bad enough ending can certainly add a huge asterisk when talking about the work of art as a whole.

Totally agree. And 10 fold on the bolded.

Like I said, I just think modern audiences tend to use the bad ending thing as a crutch. And it can lead to lazy viewing/reading. And shallow opinions. BUT there are certainly cases.

Oh yeah, I agree with you there. Passive viewing is maybe the biggest problem with modern film culture, and inordinate ending-focus is symptomatic of that.

TEAM DURDENCOMMAVERMIN72!

[LoathedVermin72]

I want to talk about Mass Effect 3 but I feel like I'm going to spew out thousands and thousands of words if I start going down that road.

Generally, I agree with you. A piece of narrative art is much more than its ending. However, there can certainly be cases when a bad ending to a good beginning and middle can largely undermine the quality of the journey as a whole, particularly if the ending somehow deconstructs, redefines, or thematically alters the work. While it's probably not fair to dismiss what was good until its ending as a "piece of shit," I think a bad enough ending can certainly add a huge asterisk when talking about the work of art as a whole.

Totally agree. And 10 fold on the bolded.

Like I said, I just think modern audiences tend to use the bad ending thing as a crutch. And it can lead to lazy viewing/reading. And shallow opinions. BUT there are certainly cases.

Oh yeah, I agree with you there. Passive viewing is maybe the biggest problem with modern film culture, and inordinate ending-focus is symptomatic of that.

TEAM DURDENCOMMAVERMIN72!

LoathedDurden72

[epilogue]

I want to talk about Mass Effect 3 but I feel like I'm going to spew out thousands and thousands of words if I start going down that road.

Generally, I agree with you. A piece of narrative art is much more than its ending. However, there can certainly be cases when a bad ending to a good beginning and middle can largely undermine the quality of the journey as a whole, particularly if the ending somehow deconstructs, redefines, or thematically alters the work. While it's probably not fair to dismiss what was good until its ending as a "piece of shit," I think a bad enough ending can certainly add a huge asterisk when talking about the work of art as a whole.

Totally agree. And 10 fold on the bolded.

Like I said, I just think modern audiences tend to use the bad ending thing as a crutch. And it can lead to lazy viewing/reading. And shallow opinions. BUT there are certainly cases.

Oh yeah, I agree with you there. Passive viewing is maybe the biggest problem with modern film culture, and inordinate ending-focus is symptomatic of that.

TEAM DURDENCOMMAVERMIN72!

LoathedDurden72

Joedan.

[LoathedVermin72]

I want to talk about Mass Effect 3 but I feel like I'm going to spew out thousands and thousands of words if I start going down that road.

Generally, I agree with you. A piece of narrative art is much more than its ending. However, there can certainly be cases when a bad ending to a good beginning and middle can largely undermine the quality of the journey as a whole, particularly if the ending somehow deconstructs, redefines, or thematically alters the work. While it's probably not fair to dismiss what was good until its ending as a "piece of shit," I think a bad enough ending can certainly add a huge asterisk when talking about the work of art as a whole.

Totally agree. And 10 fold on the bolded.

Like I said, I just think modern audiences tend to use the bad ending thing as a crutch. And it can lead to lazy viewing/reading. And shallow opinions. BUT there are certainly cases.

Oh yeah, I agree with you there. Passive viewing is maybe the biggest problem with modern film culture, and inordinate ending-focus is symptomatic of that.

TEAM DURDENCOMMAVERMIN72!

LoathedDurden72

Joedan.

[ABNorman]

Joedan.

[LoathedVermin72]