# Movie plots/endings that make you go "Whaaa . . .?" (spoilers inevitable) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 9, 2006, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-plots-endings-that-make-you-go-whaaa-spoilers-inevitable/383478 "2006-12-09T16:24:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MonkeyMule](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc348/32.png) [@MonkeyMule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMule)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2006, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-plots-endings-that-make-you-go-whaaa-spoilers-inevitable/383478/21 "2006-12-10T00:47:55Z")
[QUOTE=RikWriter] I didn’t understand the ending of 2001: A Space Oddysey until I read the book. [/QUOTE] Since that is on my “to read before I die” list, can you explain it to me? [QUOTE=Mangetout] I kept waiting for the plot to develop, then the movie just finished. [/QUOTE] Well at least they got to have a hot forigin lady say “Fuck” right before the end. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2006, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-plots-endings-that-make-you-go-whaaa-spoilers-inevitable/383478/22 "2006-12-10T02:52:27Z")
[QUOTE=MonkeyMule] Since that is on my “to read before I die” list, can you explain it to me? [/QUOTE] Book Version: Bowman arrives at one of Saturn’s moons and discovers a giant version of the same monolith that was found on the Moon. When he goes in a EVA pod to investigate it, it turns out to be a Stargate. He falls through a spacetime wormhole and eventually arrives near a red giant/white dwarf binary in a globular cluster near the center of the galaxy; a star system billions of years older than Earth/Sol and perhaps the original home of the mysterious species that created the monoliths. Drawn into the red giant’s upper atmosphere, Bowman glimpses what appear to be organized energy-structures traversing the link between the two stars- evidence of cosmic engineering on a scale unfathomable to humans. Suddenly Bowman finds himself and the pod inside what looks like a conventional hotel room, evidently a “familiar environment” created for his benefit. Finally falling asleep in the room, Bowman is “downloaded”: the creators of the monoliths have long ago become non-corporeal energy beings; and now as the next stage of their plan to create and uplift Terran intelligence, they convert Bowman into a prototype of what humanity will become: the Star Child. The Bowman entity then returns to Earth to… and the book broke off there. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2006, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-plots-endings-that-make-you-go-whaaa-spoilers-inevitable/383478/23 "2006-12-10T02:57:21Z")
[QUOTE=Winston Bongo] I watched **Primer** \* twice\*, and I still have no idea what the hell happened. It helped my pride a bit when I was at a con recently, and several clearly non-dimbulb panelists admitted the same thing. And yet, others have claimed that the film does, in fact, make sense. Now it’s bugging me, so I’m going to have to watch it again. :rolleyes: [/QUOTE] I don’t think this movie fits in this thread - because I don’t think it HAS an ending 😉 (My thoughts on the movie are exactly the same as yours) ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2006, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-plots-endings-that-make-you-go-whaaa-spoilers-inevitable/383478/24 "2006-12-10T05:24:42Z")
[QUOTE=John DiFool] I believe he was gated through the anomaly to another planet (actually a moon circling a gas giant). Since he could breathe and the temperature was amicable, I’d assume there would be other life forms, perhaps even the humans which “disappeared” earlier. [/QUOTE] I saw the thing on first release, so my memory may be going, but… weren’t we lead to believe that they all might be dead to begin with? Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![The\_Dumbest\_Guy\_in\_the\_Room](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@The\_Dumbest\_Guy\_in\_the\_Room](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Dumbest_Guy_in_the_Room)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2006, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-plots-endings-that-make-you-go-whaaa-spoilers-inevitable/383478/25 "2006-12-10T11:44:53Z")
I didn’t understand, (or even like) _Donnie Darko_ the first time around. In fact if it wasn’t for the constant praise that boards like the Dope gave it, I probably wouldn’t have ever watched it again. I’m glad I did though, and it’s now one of my favourites ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2006, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-plots-endings-that-make-you-go-whaaa-spoilers-inevitable/383478/26 "2006-12-10T13:52:56Z")
_Odyssey_, damnit, not “Oddysey”. And the past tense of the verb “to lead” is spelled “led”. I’ve never really gotten the ending to _Death Race 2000_. Is Mr. President Frankenstein really going to end the Death Race, but retain the personal privilege of running over people? What’s the message here? ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2006, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-plots-endings-that-make-you-go-whaaa-spoilers-inevitable/383478/27 "2006-12-10T18:51:07Z")
[QUOTE=ivylass] **Planet of the Apes**. Not the one with Charleton Heston. The _other_ one. [/QUOTE] Well, technically, Charlton Heston’s in both of them. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2006, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-plots-endings-that-make-you-go-whaaa-spoilers-inevitable/383478/28 "2006-12-10T19:48:52Z")
[QUOTE=Tangent] David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive. When I first watched it (on video) and the end credits started to roll, I stood up and shouted “WHAT THE FUCK?” … [/QUOTE] While watching pretty much anything by David Lynch, I start shouting the same thing. Only I start at the opening credits to avoid the crunch at the end. ---
**Author:** ![ivylass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@ivylass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivylass)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2006, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-plots-endings-that-make-you-go-whaaa-spoilers-inevitable/383478/29 "2006-12-10T23:12:07Z")
[QUOTE=ArchiveGuy] Well, technically, Charlton Heston’s in both of them. [/QUOTE] Okay, then go with how **John DiFool** identified it. Besides, IIRC, Heston is rather heavily made up as an ape in the _other_ one. ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2006, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-plots-endings-that-make-you-go-whaaa-spoilers-inevitable/383478/30 "2006-12-10T23:19:22Z")
[QUOTE=Baldwin] _Odyssey_, damnit, not “Oddysey”. And the past tense of the verb “to lead” is spelled “led”. I’ve never really gotten the ending to _Death Race 2000_. Is Mr. President Frankenstein really going to end the Death Race, but retain the personal privilege of running over people? What’s the message here? [/QUOTE] Doesn’t matter. The only thing that really matters is, “hand grenade.” ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2006, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-plots-endings-that-make-you-go-whaaa-spoilers-inevitable/383478/31 "2006-12-11T04:13:14Z")
[QUOTE=Winston Bongo] The all time champ in this category for me would be \*\*[Primer](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0390384/) _. I consider myself pretty savvy when it comes to convoluted plots. I followed **The Usual Suspects** on the first viewing, ditto for **Memento**. I watched **Primer** twice_, and I still have no idea what the hell happened. It helped my pride a bit when I was at a con recently, and several clearly non-dimbulb panelists admitted the same thing. And yet, others have claimed that the film does, in fact, make sense. Now it’s bugging me, so I’m going to have to watch it again. :rolleyes: [/QUOTE] Same here for that one. It just gets more confusing if you read the wikipedia entry, because it talks about tons of stuff that’s not apparent in the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2006, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-plots-endings-that-make-you-go-whaaa-spoilers-inevitable/383478/32 "2006-12-13T00:06:07Z")
[QUOTE=Cuckoorex] Doesn’t matter. The only thing that really matters is, “hand grenade.” [/QUOTE] Well played. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2006, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-plots-endings-that-make-you-go-whaaa-spoilers-inevitable/383478/33 "2006-12-13T08:09:56Z")
[QUOTE=Cuckoorex] Doesn’t matter. The only thing that really matters is, “hand grenade.” [/QUOTE] Truly Stallone’s finest performance. 😃 The ending of _Black Dahlia_ had me screaming, “What the fuck was that about?” in my best Lewis Black voice. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2006, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-plots-endings-that-make-you-go-whaaa-spoilers-inevitable/383478/34 "2006-12-13T11:12:32Z")
[QUOTE=Lumpy] Book Version: Bowman arrives at one of Saturn’s moons and discovers a giant version of the same monolith that was found on the Moon. When he goes in a EVA pod to investigate it, it turns out to be a Stargate. He falls through a spacetime wormhole and eventually arrives near a red giant/white dwarf binary in a globular cluster near the center of the galaxy; a star system billions of years older than Earth/Sol and perhaps the original home of the mysterious species that created the monoliths. Drawn into the red giant’s upper atmosphere, Bowman glimpses what appear to be organized energy-structures traversing the link between the two stars- evidence of cosmic engineering on a scale unfathomable to humans. Suddenly Bowman finds himself and the pod inside what looks like a conventional hotel room, evidently a “familiar environment” created for his benefit. Finally falling asleep in the room, Bowman is “downloaded”: the creators of the monoliths have long ago become non-corporeal energy beings; and now as the next stage of their plan to create and uplift Terran intelligence, they convert Bowman into a prototype of what humanity will become: the Star Child. The Bowman entity then returns to Earth to… and the book broke off there. [/QUOTE] Except that the book doesn’t end there… The Bowman Star Child then sets off the nukes orbiting the Earth because he “preferred” a clearer sky. The question then remained- did he destroy the Earth or just the orbiting nukes? The ending was not used in the movie, which was made as the book was being written, as it seemed too DR STRANGELOVE. Of course, with the writing of 2010, we found it was just the nukes & not the Earth that was destroyed. ---
**Author:** ![Lilacs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Lilacs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lilacs)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2006, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-plots-endings-that-make-you-go-whaaa-spoilers-inevitable/383478/35 "2006-12-13T12:52:08Z")
[QUOTE=Talon Karrde] Same here for that one. It just gets more confusing if you read the wikipedia entry, because it talks about tons of stuff that’s not apparent in the movie. [/QUOTE] I agree with Primer. I got the beginning well enough which was almost painfully slow, but then they rushed through the end of the movie and none of it really made a lot of sense. Details on building a fake time machine- check Understanding paradoxes? - not so much I decided that it wasn’t supposed to make sense and moved on, but it kinda ticked me off. ---
**Author:** ![ArrMatey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrmatey/32/3522_2.png) [@ArrMatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArrMatey)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2006, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-plots-endings-that-make-you-go-whaaa-spoilers-inevitable/383478/36 "2006-12-13T18:56:56Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] **Eyes Wide Shut** - I kept waiting for the plot to develop, then the movie just finished. [/QUOTE] Actually, while I agree that it was a ‘weak’ ending, it was one that made sense to me. Guy gets in over-his-head in a conspiracy, and is told to walk away. And he does so. While I felt I had wasted a lot of time watching for something to happen, the ending just seemed perfectly reasonable to me. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2006, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-plots-endings-that-make-you-go-whaaa-spoilers-inevitable/383478/37 "2006-12-13T19:31:12Z")
_The Ninth Gate_. I’m still waiting for something to happen. I think my copy was defective because the damn thing just ended. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-plots-endings-that-make-you-go-whaaa-spoilers-inevitable/383478/38 "2006-12-14T02:41:44Z")
[QUOTE=SSgtBaloo] I was certain someone would mention _ **The Time Bandits** _. The whole movie was a hilarious romp until the very end, when the parents touch the lump of _Evil™_ and explode while the firemen just wave at the newly-orphaned kid and drive off. WTF?!? [/QUOTE] What’s not to understand? Kind of a fucked up ending for the kid, but it’s not really mysterious or anything. > [@Loach](#): > > The Ninth Gate. I’m still waiting for something to happen. I think my copy was defective because the damn thing just ended. If you want a good idea of how far the movie deviated from the book, consider that the novel was called _The Club Dumas_, because much of the plot revolved around a fan club of _Three Musketeers_ author Alexandre Dumas, and how studying his manuscripts led to the rediscovery of the ritual that was supposed to summon the Devil. The movie based on this book does not, so far as I remember, even mention Dumas in passing. I was a good three quarters of the way through the book before I realized that it was the source material for _The Ninth Gate_. Needless to say, book = awesome and movie = teh suck. ---
**Author:** ![ShelliBean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@ShelliBean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShelliBean)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-plots-endings-that-make-you-go-whaaa-spoilers-inevitable/383478/39 "2006-12-14T15:05:26Z")
[QUOTE=Gatopescado] While watching pretty much anything by David Lynch, I start shouting the same thing. Only I start at the opening credits to avoid the crunch at the end. [/QUOTE] I wanted to third this sentiment. I even rented it again and made someone else watch it with me. Then I realized I just rented it again for the lesbian sex. I would like to add Lost Highway to this. Same deal - rented it four times. Have never been able to make the entire movie mesh. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2006, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-plots-endings-that-make-you-go-whaaa-spoilers-inevitable/383478/40 "2006-12-14T15:26:23Z")
What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? Ma’s dead! Let’s burn the house down with her in it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-plots-endings-that-make-you-go-whaaa-spoilers-inevitable/383478.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/movie-plots-endings-that-make-you-go-whaaa-spoilers-inevitable/383478.md?page=3)