Budding writers urged to pen alternative endings to blockbuster movies
A new writing competition is challenging movie buffs and writers to come up with their own endings to classic films.
Ever thought Star Wars should have seen Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader go off for some father/son bonding? Or what if ET hadn’t got home? Could Casablanca’s ‘this could be the start of a beautiful friendship’ have taken the characters off in a different direction?
The possibilities are endless - as wide as your imagination.
You might not win an Oscar for it, but Alternate Endings, sponsored by cartridgesave.co.uk, invites entrants to write a new ending to a film of their choosing in no more than 750 words.
An A-list judging panel, made of up of respected film critic Kevin Bourke, lecturer in film Andrew Moor and scriptwriter Martine Roche will read through all of the entries before deciding on the finalists and winner.
The shortlisted entries will be invited to a glitzy Oscar-style evening, the ’Alties’ at Home MCR, formerly the Cornerhouse, where the finalists will be invited to present their alternate endings to the judges, and the winner will be announced.
In addition, the winning writer of five categories; Best Comedy (inc. rom coms), Best Action and Adventure, Best SciFi, Fantasy or Horror, Best Family or Animation and Best Drama or Thriller will receive £250, plus a year’s membership to Odeon cinemas.
Budding Hollywood scriptwriters can get hints and tips from the judges, plus full details of how to enter, at http://www.cartridgesave.
Judge Kevin Bourke believes everyone has got an alternate ending tucked away waiting to be unleashed. He says: “Every film has twists and turns right up to the end, that’s why we love them so much. Imagining a different twist than the one you see on screen is something everyone has done in the cinema.
“It’s best to start with a film you really love and characters you know inside out - that will make it easier to imagine how else their story might have played out.
“After that, it really is limitless, these people are under your control and you can come up with a finale more explosive than anything Spielberg, Coppola, Scorcese or Orson Welles could imagine!”
Ian Cowley, managing director of cartridgesave.co.uk, comments: “We are massive movie fans and love the idea of challenging writers to imagine ‘what if…?’ with their favourite films from over the years.
“It’s the ultimate director’s cut - to re-do a classic movie the way they’ve always wanted to see it.”
Closing date for entries is the 28th August 2015.
