i've only ever seen this movie on tv, and i've come across two different endings. the first one has bronson being killed and then vincent being blown up in the car. the second ending i came across has bronson faking being poisened and then watching from a distance while vicent is blown up. anybody else come across this?
shareNo! - but it sounds very intresting, when did you see this ending? was it in another country? cos often some countries are given alternative endings depending on what the culture is.
shareI saw the movie in the theatre in Norway, Europe and it had the original ending where Bronson was killed. I´ve also seen the movie on video and on TV here in Norway with the same ending.
shareman guys, sorry it took me so long to reply. i haven't been surfing in awhile. i saw both endings in the united states...alabama (of all ungodly places) to be specific. i'm sure there are two endings because, though i've seen the main ending where bronson is blown up many times, i distinctly remember seeing vincent being blown up twice. thanks for replying.
shareI´m from Europe and I already saw both endings. The dvd I own has CB dead.
sharei've only ever seen this movie on tv, and i've come across two different endings. the first one has bronson being killed and then vincent being blown up in the car. the second ending i came across has bronson faking being poisened and then watching from a distance while vicent is blown up. anybody else come across this?
To answers the questions at the end of your email.......
It could be that the "army" of hitmen sent to kill Bishop and McKenna weren't aware of McKenna's orders to kill Bishop. The mob boss might've figured that Bishop and McKenna together could've beat the army of hitmen, so as an insurance policy, they hired McKenna to kill Bishop directly if the army plot failed. Plus, the boss could've thought that McKenna and Bishop fighting the army together would've lowered Bishop's suspiscions and made it easier for McKenna to kill him.
You have to remember, we never see McKenna get the order to kill Bishop. All we see is Bishop's file. If you recall earlier in the film, first the file comes for the target, then there is a phone call afterwards whether to proceed or not. We see Bishop's file, but we don't see McKenna getting the final phone call to proceed.
After they both fought together at the end, Bishop must have assumed that McKenna didn't get the final phone call to proceed since the army of hitmen were trying to kill them both. Remember when Bishop was dying, he asked McKenna if it was personal revenge for killing the father, he didn't ask if he was because he was still following mob orders.
Before leaving for Italy, Bishop must have thought McKenna was going to kill him in Italy, but when it seemed they were both going back to the US alive, it must be assumed that Bishop would've unrigged the car before McKenna drove it again or persuaded McKenna to stay away from the house all together since the mob would be looking for them to show up there. But since McKenna killed Bishop anyways, everything worked out as Bishop originally thought it would.
Steven McKenna is a SOCIOPATH!
Bishop trained him to kill ARTHUR BISHOP!
As Steve explains in the strip joint early training, he hates the hypocrisy of his father's generation of mobsters. As Steve explains to the dying Bishop, Bishop is a hypocrite because he won't kill without a "license" from the Organization. He's not really as "outside of it all" as he professes. Steve, however, truly intends to be an outsider because he intends to pick his own marks and kill them in his own time.
But as the note on Steve's rearview mirror reveals ("Game Over" alluding to their conversation while playing handball), Arthur was playing him all along. He never intended to let Steve strike out independently. He'd planned all along to kill Steve once he had no use for him. And what he was using Steve for was suicide by proxy.
"If the Family had tried to kill them both, I don't believe that the Family had told McKenna to kill Bishop."
It was McKenna's own idea to kill Bishop. Don't ask me about his motivation, maybe he was a sadist. The files Bishop found in McKenna's house were made by McKenna himself.
The movie is not very plausible at the end. Why the organisition wants to kill Bishop in Italy with twenty men is not very logical to me. It could have been much easier.
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They don't give you the leads, they don't give you the support, they don't give you dick. (Dave Moss)
Im curious- where can I find this alt. ending? I own the Vincent blowing up one.
I would love to get ahold of the alt. one. :)
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Why would McKenna have wanted to kill Bishop, if not asked to do it by the Organization? Perhaps arrogance, pride, the desire of the apprentice to out-do the master and take his place. And in the business of assasination what better way to demonstrate your superiority than to best the master at his own game.
shareAny news on this alternate ending? Would be interested in finding out about it.If someone out there has it...how about posting it on YouTube? Also I agree, a special edition DVD would be good. You can tell by watching the movie where scenes have been made shorter. I'm sure there are some good out-takes and alternate takes as well.
shareI thought that it was made clear, in his own words, why Steve
McKenna poisoned Arthur. He did it because he didn't want to be under
anyone else's control. He felt that Arthur Bishop could only kill
if he was given a license by "The Family" and Steve wanted to step
outside of all that.
This was clearly stated in the brief scene after Arthur Bishop
first felt the effects of the poison.
My understanding of that scene is that Steve McKenna did not
want any part of contract killing for The Family. he wanted
to choose his own targets and be completely on his own.
So Steve basically wanted to become a serial killer? (choosing his own targets)
shareAnother interpretation might be a vigilante. After all, the alternative title was Killer of Killers. Of course he could have also meant he wanted to become a independent hit man. Perhaps Steve wanted to fashion himself more like The Jackal. Basically, Bishop was a simple mafia hit man. Albeit, a sophisticated and high professional one. But he still needed a license, their license! Steve's motivation may very well have been justified and thoughtfully reasoned.
shareI agree but I think it could have been more clearly stated. Steve could have said "when they say jump, you jump. By coming out here and agreeing to do a cowboy job, you broke your own rule. I'm going into business for myself... freelance... I'll take the jobs I want to take."
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