Topic: Greatest Film Openings

[Munday's Chylde]

Always admired the opening of payback.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

The start of Blue Velvet is very memorable although the symbolism is rather overplayed.

[Frinky]

Hehe Ghostbusters! I've always liked the beginning, that noise over the Colombia Pictures statue is really good. Sounds like I'm taking the piss, I'm not, it's a tiny moment but it's always stuck in my head. Might just be because it's one of the first films I ever paid proper attention to, I don't know.

Yeah, it's not bad... Harold Ramis' commentary over the top of it makes it better.

My favourite intros of "that type" of film are the Blues Brothers and Back To The Future 3... 3 had a really nice intro that sets up the film perfectly. I never really liked the intro to the second (even though it has to line up with the first).

[defmem]

The opening (i think its in the opening bit) to zoolander always gets a giggle out of me. Just the complete idiocy of guys spraying each other with petrol.

Not a huge fan of Stiller/Ferrel/Vaughn films (with the exception of Anchorman), but that little bit makes me laugh.

[lardboy]

The opening to Goldeneye was the perfect way to relaunch the Bond franchise.  I saw it on the opening weekend at the Odeon Leicester Square.  The cheering when he jumps off the dam is one of my favourite film memories.

[butnut]

I've just remembered 8 1/2 (Otto e Mezzo, arthouse fans)

I love how it moves from Guido being trapped in a car in an endless traffic jam, to the end of the scene, with this remarkable shot:



edit - English is my first language, honest.

[The Boston Crab]

Bugsy Malone

"If it was raining brains Roxy Robinson wouldn't even get wet."

[Cardinal Tit Storm]

Star Wars. Needs no explanation.

[TotalNightmare]

As Ghostbusters has been taken...

The movie buff in me will have to say Touch Of Evil.

The long tracking shot of the mexican border and delivery of the bomb, the set up of the characters and the explosion all in one long crane shot, is just fantastic.

And then the opening to Monster Squad was a nice'un too!

Anyway...

[Rev]

Love the beginning of Day of the Dead. The arms coming out the walls. Supoib.

That's never the beginning of the film, is it?  The dream?  I remember it as being halfway through.  It's been a while.

I'd have to go for the Texas Chainsaw Massacre.  The whole opening sequence is just so peculiar.  The camera flashes and whines, the radio chatter fading up in the background, the corpse arranged in a weird sitting position, then the sun bleeding away like a lava lamp and that nutty percussion.

[Brutus Beefcake]

The opening to Goldeneye was the perfect way to relaunch the Bond franchise.  I saw it on the opening weekend at the Odeon Leicester Square.  The cheering when he jumps off the dam is one of my favourite film memories.

Right up to the bit where he catches up with the plane in mid fall.

[Frinky]

That wasn't GoldenEye?

[TotalNightmare]

Yea,

he jumps from the dam, sneaks into the Russian lair/power station, gets 006 killed, runs from the exploding model shots, tries to escape in a plane, gets kicked out, grabs a bike, chases the unmanned plane down the runway and off a cliff face, jumps from the bike, flies down the cliff side, climbs inside the falling plane, grabs the controls and pulls it up to safety JUST as Tina Turner starts to sing...

Goldeneye!

Far fetched, innit.

I prefer the Union Jack parachute larks!

[Munday's Chylde]

Love the beginning of Day of the Dead. The arms coming out the walls. Supoib.

That's never the beginning of the film, is it?  The dream?  I remember it as being halfway through.  It's been a while..

It is the beginning yes.

Loved the start of the dawn remake - perfect 10 minutes or so that was. Woman goes home, turns off the radio, turns off the tv, sleeps for a bit, wakes up and sees a zombie - runs outside, drives off - camera floats above and we see the entire world has gone to hell.

[Frinky]

Yea,

he jumps from the dam, sneaks into the Russian lair/power station, gets 006 killed, runs from the exploding model shots, tries to escape in a plane, gets kicked out, grabs a bike, chases the unmanned plane down the runway and off a cliff face, jumps from the bike, flies down the cliff side, climbs inside the falling plane, grabs the controls and pulls it up to safety JUST as Tina Turner starts to sing...

Goldeneye!

I thought the plane thing was one of the other films?

[Dark Sky]

Bond wise I love the Tomorrow Never Dies opening sequence.  I remember it was the first Bond film I saw at the cinema and I wasn't sure if I really wanted to see it as I wasn't sure how much I liked Bond.  But then in the cinema I remember just grinning like a loon.

Other memorable openings...

...Carpenter's Halloween.  Brilliant single steadycam opening point of view knife murder...then reveal that it's a six year old.  Beautiful.

...Magnolia.  Love all the "chances / coincidences" stuff.  Bit cheesy, but very in-your-face.

...Ozon's Sitcom.  Exterior of a house as a car drives up.  A man exits the car and enters the house, and we hear a crowd of people singing happy birthday joyfully.  Then suddenly it stops, and people start screaming...and then there's several gunshots.  Brrrr.

...The Hours.  The opening scene of Woolf committing suicide and then the montage of the three women across time with the Glass score...oh so beautiful.

...Scream 2.  Beautiful set up and scares, with hilarious parody of the original Scream.  Jada Pinkett's death is brilliant; the idea of being murdered in public with people all around you not realising what's going on makes me shiver, and despite being mocked by Scary Movie, I love her final desperate anguished cry whilst the ghostface mask is projected onto the large screen behind her.  Ghoulish.

...The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy.  So Long and Thanks For All The Fish.  'Nuff said.

More when I think of any.

{edit}

...Don't Look Now.  What an incredible opening which combines beauty and tragedy and some incredible editing which provides a focal point for the rest of the entire film, which constantly refers back to it.  Fantastic use of the cinematic medium.

[Purple Tentacle]

It has to be Star Wars, really. Not just the Star Destroyer over-the-camera bit, but the whole title roll, it sets me in goosepimples every single time. Even Phantom Menace, up until 'the greedy Trade Federation'.

Also the beginning of Goldfinger. ("Shocking!", the suit under the wetsuit, the cigarette timed just as the huge explosion erupts... perfect.)

Also, the prologue of Fellowship of the Rings kicks serious arse.

[Suttonpubcrawl]

I thought the plane thing was one of the other films?

I'm pretty certain it's Goldeneye.

[Lt Plonker]

Raider of the Lost Ark.


The Paramount Mountain. Indy turning around. Alfred Molina. The Golden Statue. "No time to argue. Throw me the whip." The BIG BOULDER! Indy being chased by the natives. And the bi-plane getaway. "I HATE SNAKES."

Fucking amazing.

[Ged]

Dead or Alive

[Sam]

The Thin Red Line: A lingering shot of an alligator slipping into some water accompaniment by a surging crescendo of strings. Then cut away to a spiralling upward shot of light falling through leaves as the voice-over intones "What's this war at the heart of nature?" This was the first Malick film I saw and I was sucked in within seconds. In fact the first 8 or 9 minutes of the film, which act as a kind of prologue, is probably the most beautiful uninterrupted sequence of images and sounds I've ever seen. The shots underwater, looking up, of the Melanesian children swimming in the beautiful blue tropical water accompanied by Faure's Requiem literally makes my spinge tingle.

Annie Hall - Woody talking directly to the camera.

Snake Eyes - Bravura, apparently single take (actually multiple takes ingeniously covered up) 10 min or so shot of Nic Cage walking around a busy stadium, wheeling and deeling and being a generally corrput fuck.

Dead Man's Shoes - Perfectly sets the mood with Smog's "Vessel in Vain" against grainy super 8 footage and the two main characters walking across beautifullly photographed countryside. Meadows is a master of mood and choosing the right music.

More to come.

[Catalogue Trousers]

Theatre Of Blood. After the cod-Shakespearean silent movie opening credits, following Michael Hordern to his unexpected, bloody demise, and "Oh, pardon me, thou bleeding piece of earth, That I am meek and gentle with these butchers..." - collapse of Hordern. Brilliant.

The Adventures Of Baron Munchausen (Gilliam's version). The calm of the Age Of Reason being shattered by cannon fire, "It is FORBIDDEN to eat HUMAN FLESH" notices, huddling masses, and then that wonderful pan over the broken statue of the Baron as that glorious, hopeful music surges up...

Mars Attacks!. "is it Chinese New Year? - 'Cause it smells like you're cookin' up a feast! What is that? - Barbecue?" Followed by a stampeding herd of blazing cattle, that casual sweep up and away by the Martian saucer, followed by a full-scale invasion fleet being launched over the credits. Yes.

[terminallyrelaxed]

Grace Kelly wakes James Stewart up in Rear Window.

I've seen a lot of fancy panning shots, close-ups, special effects and slow zooms, but haven't seen it bettered yet.

[Bamber Hopcraft]

Star Wars. Needs no explanation.

But please do enlighten us Cardinal

[Ambient Sheep]

Surprised nobody's mentioned Trainspotting yet.  Ewan McGregor and pal legging it down that street to the accompaniment of "Lust For Life".

[Captain Crunch]

I like that werewolf one with the woman falling down the rocky slope - splat!  splat!  boof!  splat!.  Brotherhood of Lupine something or other, that was a good one.

[Frinky]

I like that werewolf one with the woman falling down the rocky slope - splat!  splat!  boof!  splat!.  Brotherhood of Lupine something or other, that was a good one.

Pity it was the most boring film that I'd ever seen, becuase it started well.

Edit: ahaha Horrorwatch

Brotherhood of the Wolf is a breathtaking film, even if it is French

[terminallyrelaxed]

I've got a list of those as long as all our arms.

Starting a film well is piss easy. I think thats why so many bad films are made. I have at least ten original ideas of how to start a film well, but couldnt make a whole film for toffee.

[Ghost of Troubled Joe]

The opening of Heavenly Creatures has yet to be beat for sheer visceral power: the quaint Englishness of that New Zealand film-reel, before being overtaken by screaming and rushing camera moves...leading up to the immortal shot of the two girls, drenched in gore, pleading straight to the camera. Shivers.

The beginning of Mirrormask is also totally beguiling: two arguing socks, and pop-up book credits.

[mr. nice guy]

Panic Room springs to mind

The way the camera pans through the house is superb