A buddy's take on alternate endings made me rewatch everything

Last month my friend said the alternate ending of I Am Legend 'ruined the whole point' and I got defensive, but then I pulled up the deleted scene on YouTube and saw the original theatrical cut actually works better with the family photo moment. Now I check the deleted scenes before I decide if a movie's ending was bad, and it's changed how I talk about half the films I used to trash. Anyone else flip their opinion on a movie after seeing the deleted scene first?

2 comments

2 Comments

averywilliams1mo ago

Deleted scenes really are a game changer for how you see the whole story. It's like the director had a different movie in their head, and you only get the watered down version at the theater. That extra context makes you realize the "bad" ending was just the wrong ending.

lewis.troy1mo ago

The part about the director having a different movie in their head really hits home. I've sat through a few special edition rewatches where a single cut scene totally flipped my opinion of the main character. My advice is to always check the deleted scenes before you judge the ending, especially if the theatrical version feels rushed or off. A lot of times the "bad" ending is just the studio forcing a cliffhanger they never set up properly. It's like getting the missing puzzle piece you didn't even know you needed.