Great Opening Scenes / Title Sequences

[DukeDeMondo]

Here's some of my favourite opening scenes / title sequences, for fuck sake.

The Turin Horse: https://youtu.be/aoERWukgg_Q

Jesus Christ. The twist of the beast's mouth, the roaring of the elements... an extraordinary scene. 

The Texas Chain Saw Massacre - https://youtu.be/swBoRZaCTPA

A perfect opening to a perfect film. The opening scroll, the sound design, the imagery... everything is perfect.

Do The Right Thing: https://youtu.be/7R310OWZx48

I have issues with the film, but that opening sequence is fucking incredible.

Enter The Void  - https://youtu.be/wNtxgxYY7sI

Brilliant, and memorably co-opted by Kanye for https://youtu.be/HAfFfqiYLp0

Annie Hall - https://youtu.be/EsHwIBR6ivA

Probably the best opening scene of all time.


What are your favourite opening scenes or title sequences, then, I says?

[Mr Banlon]

8 1/2 Dreamy
Le Samourai Moody
Vertigo Bassy
Man Bites Dog Sets the tone
Style Wars Wagner and graff
Get Carter Grim and cool

[zomgmouse]

I can't go anywhere without mentioning Once Upon a Time in the West. Absolutely stunning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ijv0BY22IM (I would argue that the subsequent shootout can be counted as part of this sequence)

The Conversation is brilliant, too - sets up the rest of the film perfectly with this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlwdpNw1FW8

[Noodle Lizard]

For some reason, two black & white Johnny Depp films from the 90s are coming to mind.

Ed Wood:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xN44-Jq0klI (unfortunately missing Criswell's introductory speech)
Dead Man:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtUB8XCrqPg (unfortunately missing the silent minute or two preceding)

Tim Burton always had good opening sequences before he got lazy.  Beetlejuice, Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands, all great.

And now I think of it, the prologue from another Johnny Depp film, The Libertine:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfTPS-TFQ_c

And it all goes to shit after this, but the opening scene in Ghost Ship is very memorable:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22XdYRbFHoE

[Noodle Lizard]

Oh fuck here are some more:

Melancholia is fucking beautiful.  Easily one of my favourite opening sequences ever, with the similar one from Antichrist not far behind:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kP-vuOy8cU

And Once Upon A Time In The West (quite rightly) gets mentioned a lot in these lists, but Leone's less-appreciated Once Upon A Time In America has a remarkable opening.  So much going on, so much hinted at, really sets you up for the four hours you're going to spend in this sprawling, non-linear saga.  And the telephone eerily ringing over the images until it leads to the call actually being made ... fucking yes.  Think that was the first time such wrong-footing had been done, though it's quite commonplace now.  Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a clip of any of it on the YouTube, but I fucking love that sequence.

[DukeDeMondo]

Oh fuck here are some more:

Melancholia is fucking beautiful.  Easily one of my favourite opening sequences ever, with the similar one from Antichrist not far behind:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kP-vuOy8cU

Fuck SAKE! That just broke my don't-be-wankin challenge thing.

Anyway, it is brlliant. Agreed on Once Upon A Time In America too, although I have mixed feelings about that film.

[Noodle Lizard]

Anyway, it is brlliant. Agreed on Once Upon A Time In America too, although I have mixed feelings about that film.

Ahh you're wrong though.

[DukeDeMondo]

Ahh you're wrong though.

I probably am. I mean I thought it was fucking astonishing. Except for That Bit.

[Noodle Lizard]

I probably am. I mean I thought it was fucking astonishing. Except for That Bit.

If it's the bit it probably is, then Christ no and I'll explain why at another time.

[zomgmouse]

We probably shouldn't derail the thread but I also had problems with That Bit presuming we're all talking about the same bit which we probably are because it's by far the most problematic plot point of the film and takes place right before the intermission and is kinda sickening which is the point but at the same time how are we meant to feel compassion for Noodles after he does that?

[monolith]

I can't go anywhere without mentioning Once Upon a Time in the West. Absolutely stunning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ijv0BY22IM (I would argue that the subsequent shootout can be counted as part of this sequence)

The next scene where Frank is introduced is also one of the best entrances for a bad guy in film.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ijv0BY22IM

The best imo.

Fuck, just watched that again, it's so good. Haven't seen this film for a while, need to sort that out quickly. I could just keep mentioning scenes from it but I'd end up posting the whole film. Pretty much every second up to the end of the scene above is the perfect introduction to the main characters in the film.

[Bad Ambassador]

The Hi-Di-Hi parody of Once Upon a Time in the West.

[greenman]

Rather obvious but the opening titles and scene of Alien and Bladerunner.

[madhair60]

aaaah the simpsons, da da da dada na na na ner ner ner ner, brilliant

[Fabian Thomsett]

Cutter's Way https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FpKrKlzV_A

This is rather good and atmospheric - from Alex Cox's Three Businessmen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl_rnpVyeu0

More films should start with people getting off trains.

[Wet Blanket]

Great opening title sequences are close to being a lost artform. Nowadays, if they even feature a title card at all it's just white type on a black background and, worse, it often comes at the end of the film. 

The James Bond films used to be known for having nudey girls in the title sequence, whereas now it's a bit of a novelty that it has a title sequence at all.

I've always liked the Superman one that goes on for something like two-thirds of the run-time of the whole movie.

[Serge]

The opening titles of 'Se7en' are still my favourites (they are preceded by a scene-setting, er, scene), even though they have been ripped off endlessly in the years since.

[The Masked Unit]

Obvious choice alert. It'd qualify as a great opening scene just on the music alone

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI-mDTdeKR8

[Serge]

Enter The Void  - https://youtu.be/wNtxgxYY7sI

This is definitely one of the greatest opening sequences to any film. Sadly, it's then followed by 'Enter The Void'.

Another great one: 'Dr Strangelove': The lush arrangement of 'Try A Little Tenderness' laid over undeniably suggestive shots of aeroplanes refuelling and those fantastic handwritten credits over that.

[Nobody Soup]

the rabbit mythology opening to Watership Down. "all the world will be your enemy, prince with a thousand enemies."

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xyucbo_watership-down-frith_shortfilms

[Sam]

Solaris - reeds swaying in water
The New World - reflections on the water
True Grit - the slow pull in to the light
Heart of Glass - Yodelling and cows in the mist
Manhattan - Gershwin and fireworks

[El Unicornio, mang]

Speaking of Malick, the crocodile in the water at the beginning of The Thin Red Line is one of my favourite opening scenes

[SteveDave]

I vote The Fog

[phantom_power]

The whole first ten minutes or so of backstory in The Royal Tenenbaums

The introduction to the main character in Rushmore

[VegaLA]

Dawn of the Dead

Fran shown mid nightmare before being suddenly awoken and then you and her are thrown into the chaos of a TV station losing its shit. The accompanying Goblin score just plays up to the situation perfectly.

[Gulftastic]

Dawn of the Dead

Fran shown mid nightmare before being suddenly awoken and then you and her are thrown into the chaos of a TV station losing its shit. The accompanying Goblin score just plays up to the situation perfectly.

Yes.

I'm fond of the opening to 'Day Of The Dead' too, with them desperately trying to find survivors but only the dead responding

[Space ghost]

I nominate No country for old men and Zodiac

[Black Ship]

The Lion King
Lock thread and move on

[Steven]

Obvious really, but 2001: A Space Odyssey.

[marquis_de_sad]

While I wouldn't dream of turning my back on Black Ship, I can't help add another.

The opening scene to Millennium Mambo is brilliant. So simple, yet it draws you in.