The Descent

[lenore]

OK,  I've never posted before, and my friend Ronnie (Ron Merchant) has been bugging me for months.  But finally I have something to ask you folks about.  I just recently saw "The Descent" on Directv, on the "Chiller" channel.  But I remember seeing this film on VHS, and the ending was totally different.  What I recall as the original ending involved the woman who had lost her child seeing the lights in the cave and equating them with her dead daughter's birthday cake candles.  END. (And presumably she died.)  What I saw on cable had her making her way out and then she "sees" her most recently deceased friend in the front seat of the car ....  Which I don't think is as much of an honest ending, but perhaps the other was too much of a downer for them to release to the cable channels.  Anyway, am I correct that there was another version?  And also, is this the correct place on this site to post questions like this?  Apologies if not;  and perhaps more experienced site users might give me a little guidance.

[Jack]

Welcome to the site Lenore!  I'm pretty sure there were two different endings for that movie.  I've got it on DVD and I think the second one is included in the special features.

[akiratubo]

Yes, there are two endings.  Both are worked into the unrated DVD.  She dreams that she makes it out of the cave and sees her dead friend, then she wakes up still in the cave but hallucinates that her daughter is there with her.  Then the monsters close in on her.

[Rev. Powell]

My guess is the "cable channel" ending was probably made at the studio's insistence to leave open the possibility of a sequel (which they are making right now).

[akiratubo]

My guess is the "cable channel" ending was probably made at the studio's insistence to leave open the possibility of a sequel (which they are making right now).

According to Neil Marshall's commentary, he wrote and filmed both endings just because he didn't know which one he wanted to use.  For the American market, test audiences liked the ending where she got away, so that's what we got.  For pretty much the rest of the world, test audiences liked the ending where she didn't make it out.  The director's cut DVD has them both because, well, why not?

[RCMerchant]

Hi Lenore! Glad to see you onboard(finally!  )

Lenore had asked me about this ....I had no clue. Of course,this board is the place to find out. Lotsa varied movie knowledge here. Everyone has their areas of expertise! 

[Jim H]

My guess is the "cable channel" ending was probably made at the studio's insistence to leave open the possibility of a sequel (which they are making right now).

According to Neil Marshall's commentary, he wrote and filmed both endings just because he didn't know which one he wanted to use.  For the American market, test audiences liked the ending where she got away, so that's what we got.  For pretty much the rest of the world, test audiences liked the ending where she didn't make it out.  The director's cut DVD has them both because, well, why not?

I didn't realize Marshall created both endings...  That's interesting.  It's also kind of silly, since the American market ending is merely a truncated version of the ending everyone else got. 

But yeah, the darker ending is much better.

[Torgo]

I loved The Descent. Truly a nerve wracking, original and dark thriller. I had wanted to see it as I was a fan of the director's previous film Dog Soldiers. I have a bit of a phobia about tight enclosed spaces and the scenes in which the girls initially get stuck in those hellish series of caves almost did me in the first time I saw it. Just make sure to stick with the original British ending however.

[akiratubo]

I didn't buy the women being able to fight so many of the monsters at once.  Those monsters supposedly kill things like wolves and elk with their bare hands and teeth.  I wouldn't buy Rambo fighting off so many with nothing but a pick axe.  In such close quarters, the monsters' blindness wouldn't be that big a disadvantage.  Keep in mind the women would be having a hard time seeing, as well.

Aside from that, it's a good movie.  I watched it twice in a row.

[Neville]

A terrific movie. 

I was lucky enough to watch it in theatres. And for some cheap laughs, I invited this spectacled friend of mine who never watches horror. When the women go through that narrow tunnel down in the caves we were already moving unconfortably in our seats. And then came the blood and the creatures. That was intense.

I hadn't been this scared in ages, really.