Topic: Greatest Film Openings

[TotalNightmare]

i think Evil Dead 2 has a great opening...

in so much that the swirling pools of blood, the book being scribbed in, floating demons, dark swirls and in to the title only to come out the other side of a tunnel.

And then the next 15 minutes is basically the whole first movie cramped down to get to the part where Ash is thrown thru the forest.

Nice.

and its not a move, but Resident Evil 4 has the best 'pre credits' sequence ever.

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

I used to have a bootleg video of Clockwork Orange which didn't feature the opening titles - the opening shot was Alex glaring into the camera. For years, I thought that was how it started - I was quite disappointed to discover that it had straight titles beforehand.

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

I nominate Billy Liar, anyway - you see the postwar urban landscape change before your eyes, scored to ridiculously inappropriate/moving music from Housewives' Choice (Song of the Clyde, Lara's Song, Litolff's Scherzo), until the camera finally comes to rest at the bleakest breakfast table in the world. Hasn't been bettered.

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

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

Too self-conscious. Desperately wants to be seen as an iconic opening sequence.

[Identity Crisis Ahoy!]

Um...


Or... Kill Bill.

[terminallyrelaxed]

Nah, Kill Bill is bollocks but you've got a point about Raging Bull.

[Four Eyes]

The opening sequence of Ghost World, a montage from a 1960s Bollywood video and voyeuristic shots of the neighbours, is brilliant, and had me liking the film straight away.

For all it's faults, Cruel Intentions has a great first scene, revealing Sebatian's sadistic side in a fantastic, satisfying way.

And finally, High Fidelity. Starting The 13th Floor Elevators' "You're Gonna Miss Me" as soon as the touchstone pictures logo flashes, timing the first strum of the guitar at the exact same second of the flash, then the record itself spinning towards you, then volume control....follow the cord to the headphones... and WHAM! The Cusack. Brilliant start to the film, and as soon as I see it I know immediately that I'll be watching the next 1 hour and 49 minutes no matter what.

I love High Fidelity, I do.

[Purple Tentacle]

Are you a female, Four Eyes?

[surreal]

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'.

Have to agree with this - the opening of every Star Wars movies gives me the tinglies... 20th Century Fox drums, Lucasfilm logo, silence.... "A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...", pause.... Williams theme kicks in... awesome....

Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs, the chatty openings are fun, especially RD leading into the slo-mo across the carpark.

What is the opening scene of The Shining?  I can't remember....

[Jemble Fred]

"Once upon a time, or maybe twice..."

Yeah, unless you count the entire 10 or 20 minute opening sequence of An American Werewolf, Yellow Submarine wins.

[El Unicornio, mang]

What is the opening scene of The Shining?  I can't remember....

It's shots of them driving along the mountainside to the Overlook hotel (incidentally, these shots were also used for a "happy ending" which was tacked onto an alternative version of Blade Runner)

[falafel]

'Live Organ Transplants' from 'Monty Python's The Meaning of Life

Not the opener, though! You're either looking at 'The Crimson Permanent Assurance' or the 'Birth' sketch, depending on your sensibility, for that thar movie.

[Four Eyes]

Are you a female, Four Eyes?

Um, no.

Not gay, either.

[mwude]

Panic Room springs to mind

The way the camera pans through the house is superb

Is that right at the start?  Can't say the whole film did much for me but the camera passing through a coffee mug (or jug?) handle was some thing that's always stuck in my head.

I like the woozy sense of hungover despair at the start of Withnail and I.  Especially Richard E Grant's off-screen "No" in response to the offer of a cup of tea.  And for so many years I had a shitty recorded copy with that macrovision brightness thing flashing up & down all the time.  It just added to the whole groginess of it, like the way people get used to a scratch on a certain point of their favourite records.

[terminallyrelaxed]

I suppose someone must have mentioned Saving Private Ryan.

And Raiders Of The Lost Ark.

[terminallyrelaxed]

That tracking shot at the beginning of the The Player.

[mrpants]

Are you a female, Four Eyes?

I always thought High Fidelity was an acceptable rom-com for men.  Is it known as a 'girl' film then?

[El Unicornio, mang]

I'm amazed no-one has yet mentioned the incredible opening few minutes of Contact which zooms through the entire universe into the young girl's eye

[lactating man nips]

I'm amazed no-one has yet mentioned the incredible opening few minutes of Contact which zooms through the entire universe into the young girl's eye

Your right that is a great opening, i think contact is a bit underated actually.

I dont think anyone has mentioned the Once Upon a Time in the West opening yet. Beloved by film studies classes everywhere.

I agree with whomever said opening a film is easy, well i wouldnt say easy but good endings are a lot harder. Blade had an ace opening but the ending was a bit wimpy.

[neveragain]

The Naked Gun films always had tremendous openings, and then you had the opening credit sequences themselves which are utter class. Can't remember anything of the opening bits now except for of the third one, which was a bit shit in comparison.

How did the Hot Shots films begin?

If only the Final Destination films restrained from putting the credits up until after the 'I've had a vision'-'No you haven't - YAAAAARGH!' pieces then they'd have absolutely cracking contenders for this thread.

Ah, Nuts In May is lovely - driving along singing merrily in the car.

Oh, and any film that starts on the same scene that ends the film with any perceptible degree of success gets in my book. Can anyone think of any good examples of this?

[Purple Tentacle]

Are you a female, Four Eyes?

I always thought High Fidelity was an acceptable rom-com for men.  Is it known as a 'girl' film then?

Heh, not as far as I know, but I did hate it.

[El Unicornio, mang]

Oh, and any film that starts on the same scene that ends the film with any perceptible degree of success gets in my book. Can anyone think of any good examples of this?

I think Memento did that, and Pulp Fiction kind of did too

[mrpants]

...and Fight Club.

[Orias]

...Magnolia.  Love all the "chances / coincidences" stuff.  Bit cheesy, but very in-your-face.
...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
...Annie Hall.  Woody talking directly to the camera
...Star Wars. Star Destroyer
...Fellowship Of The Ring.  Prologue  
...Wild Strawberries.  Dream Sequence
...Witchfinder General.  Hanging
...Goodfellas.   "As far back as I can remember I always wanted to be a gangster"
...Saving Private Ryan.   . Carnage on Omaha Beach.
...Un Chien Andalou.   Freeing the conscious mind through shock
...'A Production of The Archers'..  
...Trainspotting. Lust for Life   .

Agreed

...Rear Window.  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.

ABSOLUTELY. One of the finest kisses in screen history,

I'll add:
...Manhattan.  One man's cinematic paean to New York.
...The Wicker Man. The montage over the Isle of Skye, landing at Summerisle, to some fantastic mouth music and Paul Giovanni's "Corn Rigs"  
...Jaws.   Breathtaking montage of unseen terror
...Citizen Kane.  "No Trespassing", the zoom into Xanadu, Kane's death and "Rosebud"
...Vertigo, North By Northwest. Marvellous Saul Bass titles, with a fantastic rooftop chase in "Vertigo"  

and I'll go for one from TV.
...Robin Of Sherwood - The Swords of Wayland.  Devil worship, dead priests, graverobbing and fantastic imagery all in a 3 minute pre-credits sequence at 5.35 on a Saturday afternoon.  Listen to the commentary on the DVD to hear producer Paul Knight stunned into silence at how good it all is even 20 years later.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

I can't believe I forgot about Memento. The reversed shot of the photo fading away while Leonard desperately shakes it is such a great metaphor for his condition.

[TheWizard]

The Pledge also starts and ends with the same scene

Susparia
Fargo
Casino
City of God
The Royal Tenebaums

Blade Runner

[Sam]

Oh, and any film that starts on the same scene that ends the film with any perceptible degree of success gets in my book. Can anyone think of any good examples of this?

I love films that have the same start and end (bookends). Terry Gilliam's 12 Monkeys is an obvious example of this.

[Tokyo Sexwhale]

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

Another werewolf film, "The Beast Must Die" starts with a warning to watch out for the "Werewolf Break" with some suitably spooky music over a picture of an admittedly crap werewolf.  It then kicks into seventies blaxploitation as Calvin Lockhart is pursued through a forest, only to be shot down in front of a typical English country mansion, where a group including Peter Cushing and Michael Gambon are enjoying afternoon tea.

Fantastic!

[klaatu!]

The opening sequence of Ghost World, a montage from a 1960s Bollywood video and voyeuristic shots of the neighbours, is brilliant, and had me liking the film straight away.

Featuring clips from the film Gumnaam. Right click and save as

[Purple Tentacle]

Blade Runner

Ooooh fucking hell yes.

Awesome, literally.