Best/worst movie opening sequences?

[Danger Mouse]

=D

Best: Once Upon a Time in the West: deliberate but beautifully done...fantastic and incredible =)
oooorrr...
Alien. A masterwork of very careful and deliberate pacing. There's tension right from the beginning, even when nothing's really going on.

Worst: Alien 3. Pisses on everything that happened in Aliens, and just plain pisses me off. That movie makes me angry.

[Fire Walk With Me]

1. Alien, Raising Arizona, The Hunger, Blade Runner (not the new titles in the 2007 edition).

All my standards. You can search the internet and find me giving these answers across the years.

[Chovexani]

2. Now you've got me queuing up Bela Lugosi's Dead on my iPod

I love The Hunger. :)

[Fire Walk With Me]

6. Me too :)

:hi:

[jonnyblitz]

40. I saw the Bauhaus a few years back with NIN, summer of 2006.

It was an interesting show. oh yeah, some crazy girl named Peaches opened up for the both of them.

[Chovexani]

41. Awesome!

I always wanted to see them but I never had the money whenever they were in town.

[Danger Mouse]

3. What about worst?

Nice call on Alien? Great movie, and one of my personal favorites. :hi:

[Fire Walk With Me]

7. Alien is the all-time killer opening titles. I can't think of anything that will top it.

I'm still amazed to this day by aspects of that film, such as the sound design, pacing, the look, the feel... One of my favorites, period :hi:

Edit: I can't think of many "worst"; I tend to try to put them out of my mind. There are awful films that I've oddly convinced myself to see: Rent, Happily N'ever After, etc., but I can't pick out any bad openings. I'll think about it. (I'm too busy exulting in what I love, trying to cultivate a positive mindset.)

[underpants]

5. OOh good choice on Raising Arizona

the opening is like a movie unto itself

[fizzgig]

4. uhm....

shit, i don't watch movies...can't tell you the last time i saw one

the opening sequence of brokeback mountain was breath taking

and fellowship of the ring...it will never look the way it did the first time, but it was simply amazing

[Danger Mouse]

12. the fellowship of the ring has a fantastic opening...

gives me chills...and i went into it knowing very little about the story!

[fizzgig]

13. it was amazing to see my favorite book on screen

i cried it was so beautiful

i'm a HUGH! nerd

[Chovexani]

28. LOL I cried too

Then again I'm just as HUGH a nerd. :rofl:

(Proof: I can translate your screenname AND I recognize your avatar :P)

[fizzgig]

32. that doesn't make you a nerd

that makes you rad :D

[NewJeffCT]

47. Are you talking about...

the opening scene with Gandalf & Frodo, or the very beginning with Galadriel doing the voice over of the history of the ring? I loved Ian McKellan's expressions in that opening scene with Frodo.

Or, do you mean the beginning of the extended version from the DVD where they go into more detail about hobbits?

(Personally, I thought all 3 parts were great...)

[fizzgig]

61. the very start with galadriel gave me chills

but i was talking about frodo and gandalf :)

[RevolutionaryActs]

8. The one where stuff happened, and then there was an explosion

Yeah, that was coo'

[Danger Mouse]

11. you, ma'am, are a philistine.

i bet all the movies you watch are jerry bruckheimer ones :grr:

[RevolutionaryActs]

15. I will admit I love POTC... but I love pirates

so that's too be expected.... Mmm Johnny Depp pirate....

[Danger Mouse]

18. lookin forward to sweeney todd?

johnny depp singing barber/serial killer?

[RevolutionaryActs]

19. Yes

Tim Burton + Johnny Depp always = Love :loveya:

[lost-in-nj]

9. Neverland

there is not a movie
that can compare....

Once upon a time was an awesome movie,,,
well maybe Hook


the ABYSS is often forgotten....


lost

[jgraz]

10. Damn, you took my answers

Seriously, those are the exact movies that came to mind when I saw your thread. Now I have to think of others. :cry:

[Danger Mouse]

14. So Alien3 also makes you want to garrote David Fincer with rusty barbed wire?

:hi:

[jgraz]

23. I'd blame Fincher, but I've decided the movie Never Actually Happened

[Danger Mouse]

29. Sounds good to me. Aliens was the last movie in the Alien series.

It makes it easier to sleep at night.

[DarkTirade]

31. What, you don't count the ever-so-well-done AvP? :P

[Danger Mouse]

34. i didn't even bother watching that.

it looked like a steaming turd.

[DarkTirade]

35. Actually, as long as you were expecting it to suck, it was mildly entertaining. :)

Although one of the MAJOR things that made the fans get a bit annoyed was something that was apparently explained away perfectly... until they decided to cut the scene that explained it. D'oh.

Still, there was action and aliens and predators and all that fun stuff. Just not much in the way of, y'know, good filmmaking and plot and character development and all those little details. The main character was pretty damn cute though, and that always helps.

I tend to enjoy crappy movies as long as I go in knowing that they're crappy though. If you're willing to have low expectations and just enjoy the ride then you could potentially enjoy the movie. I wouldn't spend money on it though.




(spoiler alert: the thing I'm referring to that got the fans annoyed was the fact that the Alien gestation period was ridiculously short in this movie. The deleted scene apparently showed that they were modified by the Predators to SPECIFICALLY have a short gestation period to make the hunt more challenging. Why they decided to cut the scene, I don't know.)

[DS1]

59. No, Fincher was giving a pile of crap, that had been eaten

by another director then shit out.

There's plenty of reporting on what a fiasco the entire project was available on the intertubes.

I don't blame him for it, and think he's a stellar director.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alien%C2%B3#Reception

[begin_within]

16. Best opening is a tie between:

"Soy Cuba" (1964) the camera zooms over and onto Batista's Cuba, ends up on a hotel rooftop where a beauty pageant is taking place, wanders around the people on the rooftop, then glides gracefully down the side of the building as if the camera has wings, lands gently on the swimming pool deck below, meanders among the hotel's ritzy guests, then drops into the swimming pool and continues to film underwater, showing the guests swimming. It was reported that the shot continued, coming out of the pool and meandering among the sunbathing guests again, but that portion was cut. One of many mind-boggling shots in this masterpiece of cinematography. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058604/

"Contact" (1997) with the earth rapidly receding into the distance, with sounds from each era as time goes backwards, and then various views of the solar system, galaxy, etc., ultimately ending in the eye of the young girl astronomer. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118884/

[Capn Sunshine]

17. Repo Man

The smoking cop boots are just awesome

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

20. The best: Contact.

Second best: The Fifth Element. Funny how both faves take place in deep space! :rofl:

Not sure if I have a passionately hated beginning, so I'll stick with the best.

[Va Lefty]

21. Best: Raiders of the Lost Ark

The first 10 minutes are a roller coaster ride

[NewJeffCT]

49. That was an excellent opening

Really defined the character of Indiana Jones

[Bicoastal]

22. Worst opening's easy!

"Alone in the Dark" by the infamous Uwe Boll.

There's an opening crawl with the backstory, a la Star Wars, except this one goes on for about 5 minutes. And irritatingly, it's also simultaneously narrated by some ominous-sounding guy:

"In 1967, mine workers discovered the first remnants of a long lost Native American civilization - The Abkani. The Abkani believed that there are two worlds on this planet, a world of light and a world of darkness. 10,000 years ago the Abkani opened a gate between these worlds. Before they could close it, something evil slipped through. The Abkani mysteriously vanished from the Earth. Only a few artifacts remained, hidden in the world's most remote places. These artifacts speak of terrifying creatures that thrive in the darkness, waiting for the day when the gate can be opened again. Bureau 713, the government's paranormal research agency, was established to uncover the dark secrets of this lost civilization. Under the direction of archaeologist Lionel Hudgens, Bureau 713 began collecting Abkani artifacts. When the government shut down his controversial research, Hudgens built a laboratory hidden within an abandoned gold mine. There, he conducted savage experiments on orphaned children in an attempt to merge man with creature. Hudgens victims survived as "sleepers" - lost souls awaiting the moment of their calling."

And after all that, the movie STILL doesn't make a lick of sense.

[fizzgig]

24. omg that movie was horrible

even the sex scene was painful to watch

[GaYellowDawg]

25. I'll probably get nailed for these, but Star Wars, Superman, and Gladiator

Star Wars and Superman are primarily because of John Williams' music - but that is part of the opening sequence.

The opening space battle scene in Star Wars? Probably the most geeked out I've ever been in a movie theater. The crawl had Williams' incredible theme and then the special effects in the space battle were just unreal for 1977. And Darth Vader? Damn, what a complete badass. I was so hooked it wasn't even funny.

The Superman opening credits were incredible, again, because of Williams' theme. Then the opening with Krypton - damn, I thought it was great.

I also thought that the opening battle sequence for Gladiator was hugely exciting. Again - the theme was great, and even though the battle itself was pretty simplistic, I thought it was visually stunning.

I agree with the Fellowship of the Rings opening sequence. I was thrilled and relieved at the same time, and both emotions were because someone was doing it right.

[Dr. Strange]

50. Yep, the whole Star Wars series.

Anytime you have to pay a fine for an opening sequence, it must be good!

[stuntcat]

69. Star Wars

my answer for everything lol :headbang:

[ruiner4u]

26. Best.. Gladiator

worst?.....cant think of one...

[Tommy_Carcetti]

56. Gladiator was good...

I liked how the snow starts falling just as the the fighting begins. The whole beginning battle was sort of the antethesis of the whole movie, i.e. where Russell Crowe is the favorite here fighting the underdogs, it gets turned around on him.

Plus there's a great line in the opening where one of the Roman generals says about the barbarians, "Don't a people know when they've already been defeated?" (or something to that effect.) Good quote about the arrogance of imperial power.

[Chovexani]

27. The first Matrix.

I saw it in the theater opening night, and I'm not lying when I say the ENTIRE THEATER gasped audibly when Trinity hung in the air.

That entire sequence was just mindblowingly cool. Still is.

[Phillycat]

45. Agree! That was my pick.

[MilesColtrane]

30. I have always thought the opening sequence of "Goldeneye" was great...

..., but I was really fucking high the first time I saw it.

[GaYellowDawg]

33. I have to second that one.

Goldeneye, that is, not being high.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

36. Patton: George C. Scott in front of a GIGANTIC flag, and memorable speech

Godfather: "I believe in America" story



And one other classic:

[ghostsofgiants]

37. I haven't seen an opening sequence yet that can fuck with Seven's

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEZK7mJoPLY

[mitchum]

80. THAT's the only thing that is good about that wretched movie...

And it is indeed a great opening sequence. The rest of the movie is just a typical boilerplate "Oooo look! A serial killer!" movie.

[alfredo]

38. Touch of Evil. The opening is one long take. Video below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nn1VO1HIPk&feature=related

the text at the beginning is not part of the movie.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

39. That's what I would have mentioned

:thumbsup:

[Rabrrrrrr]

46. Geez. I can't believe it took 38 posts before someone mentioned Touch of Evil.

That should be first on everyone's list.

:grr:

[alfredo]

57. I was surprised too.

[Paladin]

60. Agree With You, 1000%

As many good intros for movies as there are, none of them is better than the first few minutes (and minutes, and nerve-wracking minutes) of "Touch of Evil." Absolutely masterful---as many times as I've seen it, I never miss a chance to watch it again when I get the chance.....

[regnaD kciN]

78. Other great single-take openings...

Boogie Nights and The Player.

[Richard Steele]

42. 39 posts, and no one's mentioned STAR WARS yet? That sequence was THE SHIT for 1977!

I don't know you people anymore!

[muriel_volestrangler]

43. Movies are better when you pay attention, and so are threads

see #25 and #36.

I'll put forward "The Spy Who Loved Me", for the ski/parachute jump - and I'm counting Carly Simon's "Nobody Does It Better" as part of it, which I think is the best Bond theme.

[Richard Steele]

62. D'oh! nm

[meegbear]

44. High Anxiety ...

What a dramatic airport!

[terrya]

48. Best: "The Spy Who Loved Me"

That is the most exciting opening sequence I've ever seen.

[FloridaJudy]

51. 2001

That planetary convergence with Zarathustra blew my mind.

(Of course, I was indulging in home-grown pharmaceuticals at the time: it was the sixties)

[Burma Jones]

52. I like the opening sequence of "O Brother Where Art Thou?"

I don't have an opinion about worst

[Orrex]

65. Raising Arizona's opening is likewise magnificent

Not sure about a "worst" one, though.

[MrScorpio]

53. My Fave Movie Opening of all time: Highlander. Still hit's ya in the face

The Music, the aerial sweep shot INSIDE Madison Square Garden, the opening sword fight

Damn that's good!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yxg6qY4at98

Worst: Yep, Aliens 3

[redqueen]

54. I like the opening sequence of Blade Runner.

Starts around 2:32

http://youtube.com/watch?v=AbWNZkoQHuE

[Tommy_Carcetti]

55. Well, I don't know if it qualifies as "best", but...

The D-Day invasion on "Saving Private Ryan" certainly takes your breath away. It's unusual for a war movie to have its most intense action scene at the beginning, and not the end.

Worst? "Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me." I know the Austin Powers character isn't expected to stay with one woman through all of the different movies, but couldn't they have thought of a better way to explain the Elizabeth Hurley character away other than saying she was a fembot? (Plus, Heather Graham's acting in that movie just stunk to high heavens, but that's another story). It made the fun of the first movie so pointless.

[DS1]

58. I was going with Alien3 as well

[Kajsa]

63. Elrond, I can't think of any right now.

Lousy endings come more to mind.

I have to tap my memory bank harder.
:D

:pals:

[Orrex]

64. Alien3 would have been much better if Hicks and Newt had died in Aliens

I liked it just fine as a standalone film, and the choice to switch the male leads in the middle of the second reel is pretty unusual for a sci-fi film IMO.

And if we're listing them in order from best to worst, then it still comes in at a solid three, above Alien4 and AVP (as well as any AVP sequels that may still be brewing).

[Danger Mouse]

70. Well, yeah, it woud've made sense if Hicks and Newt were already dead.

but just to kill them off like that was weird.
Alien3 isn't bad on its own...it's really bleak and gritty, and I kind of like that. It's just that horrible start that sours the whole production.

[martymar64]

66. Blue Velvet

It was just a terrific weird scene. Lynch at his best.

[MnFats]

67. absolutely right about "ONce Upon a Time..."

all the great character actors.....waiting at the train station....Woody Strode (see him in Spartacus'), Jack Elam....the tension on their faces is unbelievable.....Charles Bronson (the GOOD GUY; with HENRY FONDA, the BAD GUY) steps off the train....looks around...the guys have come to escort him...but then Bronson notices....there's no horse for him.......all hell breaks loose.
film-making perfection if you ask me...

[Danger Mouse]

68. Leone was a master, and Once Upon a Time in the West was his masterpiece.

No western I've ever seen compares.

[stuntcat]

71. Best- Dawn of the Dead 2004

little Vivian. IT'S NOT QUITE THE FIRST SEQUENCE i DON'T THINK BUT IT'S THE START OF THE ZOMBIES

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyQK8RZOQbQ

I can't think of the worst, I'd have to pick a movie I don't like :shrug:

[east texas lib]

72. Let's see,,,

Let's see...Best ..... Catch-22.
Worst ..... Evil Dead.

[TimeChaser]

73. Original Night of the Living Dead

They're coming to get you, Barbara....

[Broken_Hero]

74. Easy...

Xmen II...the whole Whitehouse scene with Nightcrawler, was truly....damn.

[Broken_Hero]

75. Worst, Superman Returns

the whole Lex/Deathbed scene was...bleh, who thinks of this crap?

[Gidney N Cloyd]

76. Any of the Naked Gun movies.

But probably the one with Zsa-Zsa.

[regnaD kciN]

77. The sublime and the ridiculous...

Best: Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The "gift in the desert" sequence builds suspense beautifully, and lets you know just enough to keep you wondering about what you don't.

Worst: Swamper. Most likely a film you've (mercifully) never heard of, this totally-unfunny "indie" comedy about a janitor at a nude-dancing joint begins with a paid encounter between one of the dancers -- behind glass -- and a customer, including a graphic display of just what a janitor has to clean up at that place. (I'm not making that up, although I wish I was.)

[ldf]

79. 28 days later

right off the bat, full frontal, male nudity.

what can i say....

:-)