10 Favorite Opening Film Credits

[maggiethespy]

Serenity
Edward Scisorhands
Napoleon Dynamite
The Graduate
Se7en
The Rescuers Down Under

LD, get out of my head!

I think Serenity is brilliant-- memory within a film within a story!

I personally like Little Women (1994) -- every time I hear Under the Umbrella, I get tingles and goosebumps on my arm! I don't even need to see the whole movie to be reminded of what a wonderful story it tells!

I also like The opening credits for The Parent Trap with Haley Mills and Maureen O'Hara-- the little cupids are just so cute.

Juno's credits are quite good as well.

 

[Diamondback]

Related to Serenity, didn't the opening credits for its parent series Firefly try to give a little of each character's and the show's background in a few quick snippets between lines too?

 

[maggiethespy]

Related to Serenity, didn't the opening credits for its parent series Firefly try to give a little of each character's and the show's background in a few quick snippets between lines too?

The original intro, or simply the credits?

When it first aired there was an intro read by Nathan Fillion intially, then Ron Glass. It told a rough, quick story of the 'Verse and the ship.

following that intro were the Credits, with the theme song, which cut to images of the cast and a scene that shows a bit of their personality. There are also several other clips shown.

 

[Diamondback]

I was considering the intro and the credits together, much like how the 007 films have a "Gunbarrel" teaser sequence between a small lead-in and the main titles. (Paranthetically, did you know that sequence is designed to tell a story itself, of Bond taking out a sniper with his pistol? You just see it from the POV of the sniper's bullet...)

 

[Lady Day]

See, thats why I laid out the question as I did. Its easy to name that 'part before the credits' or that 'little movie that plays before' since of it. I wanted people to list the actual opening credits of a film that stuck with them, not TV show.

TV show credits are generally seen every week, so they get to do something a bit more lavish. Film opening credits are rarely incorporated into the movie, but there are those cases where they become a part (in theme or as their own entity) of the movie and not just one of the bookends.

Thats what I want people to list, so get to it folks!

LD

 

[Diamondback]

And you gotta admit, the Bond title-sequences are very effective at grabbing attention, but I wouldn't exactly call any of them favorites. Now the whole "title with part of the buildup to the story in background" approach of The Hunt For Red October, on the other hand... (I'd say this one's eligible because of how the opening titles and credits are extended, all the way through Red October initially putting to sea and Jack's plane back to the States.)

 

[Spiffy]

Not a movie, but the HBO series Carnivale had an incredible opening credit sequence.

Yes, there used to be a brilliant feature on HBO.com that explained the links between the readings of the tarot cards, the show mythology, and the depression-era art and influences on the cards themselves. Trying to absorb all the plotlines and avatar-y goodness and mythological whatsits still makes my head spin.

 

[miss_elise]

down with love

blade runner

i think 'dark city' as well

 

[Lefty]

I'm a fan of The Big Lebowski in every possible way.

 

[kiltie]

A List...

...in no particular order:

*North By Northwest - Excellent music; great graphics

*Miller's Crossing - If ever opening credits set the tone for a movie...

*Star Wars - There were no opening credits! The movie just started. And if I've got my facts straight, GL gave up his union card for that vision.

*Rear Window - Again, solid music and the opening credit sequence got you settled into the room you were going to spend the next two hours together with Jeff and Lisa.

*24 Hour Party People - The Happy Mondays really get you amped for the story that's about to unfold. Not really a creat credit sequence, but a solid pace setter.

*Clockers - Really helps you appreciate the violence in this movie; it's true horror, even though there's not a lot of it on screen, comparitively.

*Fandango - ...whatever. Some things are just good, and there's no explaining it.

*Close Encounters of the Third Kind - Technically not just the credits, but the way the credits go into the opening sequence. The credits are a part of the mood...aaaaaaaaaBAM!

*Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels - Great movie before a slew of less inspired, similar riffs, including Guy Ritchie ripping himself off (...yes, I'm talking about the far weaker Snatch. Before you even start; I don't wan't to hear it...).

*Mirror Mask - This one just gets a tip for the whole movie, but really it's credit sequence is pretty darn cool.

Can't say they're necessarily my favorites, cuz I'd have to go through every movie I've seen, mentally. I can say at least five of them are faves, though.

Whoever said To Live and Die in LA: Good call. Not the most memorable movie, but that opening sequence bops through my head enough that I had to buy the soundtrack.

 

[Lady Day]

Thank you

LD

 

[ethanedwards]

It has to be Doctor Strangelove........................

 

[Doctor Strange]

Re those Firefly intros

You know, I hate that those little intros with the narration by Mal and Book aren't on the Firefly DVD set. But apparently Whedon did them at Fox's behest under protest and utterly hated them, and he didn't want them included on the DVDs, not even as easter eggs.

Too bad: I thought they laid out the show's characters and themes incredibly concisely, and I will always miss them.

REMINDER: Whedon's new series Dollhouse premieres tonight. (Not that I really expect to like it - Firefly/Serenity is the only Whedon project I love.)

The original intro, or simply the credits?

When it first aired there was an intro read by Nathan Fillion intially, then Ron Glass. It told a rough, quick story of the 'Verse and the ship.

 

[imoldfashioned]

I really loved the credits for the most recent version of Casino Royale. Someone mentioned Down with Love which I would second. It's flawed but I really enjoyed that film and the visuals have a lot to do with why I like it so much.

 

[Rick Blaine]

I can't believe

no one's mentioned the amazing unbroken three-minute shot that starts Wells' A Touch of Evil.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hm0mG2Tb6EM

 

[Doctor Strange]

I really enjoyed Down With Love - particularly as somebody old enough to have seen those Rock Hudson/Doris Day/Tony Randall pics when they were still nearly new, and thought they were incredibly stupid even as a little kid.

 

[Doctor Strange]

no one's mentioned the amazing unbroken three-minute shot that starts Wells' A Touch of Evil.

Yeah, but Welles didn't want the credits superimposed over that shot (it was the studio's decision), so it's not exactly a great opening-titles sequence per the director's intentions. If that matters...

 

[kiltie]

no one's mentioned the amazing unbroken three-minute shot that starts Wells' A Touch of Evil.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hm0mG2Tb6EM

That's not really the credit sequence, though. Can you imagine distracting titles muddling that shot? In any event, it's an exposition, and not opening credits.

 

[kiltie]

Holy Macaroni!

There's two versions of the Touch of Evil opening; one with credits, one without. So in your case, you are absolutely right, making it a great opening credit sequence. AND, now I can imagine titles muddling the scene :eusa_doh: . I need to see which copy I have, though it must be sans titles... It wasn't that long ago I last saw it.

 

[kiltie]

And...
I just read Doctor Strange's reply - I had skipped straight to replying to your post. I will now quietly excuse myself and cry in the bathroom for all my embarassment. Sorry 'bout that.