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BEST opening credits for a film

post #1 of 82
Thread Starter 
Casino

E.T.

Batman ('89)
post #2 of 82
Why did you put worst in the thread subject line?

Was it a typo? Or is this some sort of "incest/insect" humor that I don't get?
post #3 of 82
Star Wars. All of them.
post #4 of 82
I think it'll have to be star wars, really it changed how movies where viewed.

oh, and the one for Jaws was pretty damn cool also.
post #5 of 82
The opening credits in Napolean Dynamite annoyed the hell outta me. Just kept going, and going, and going, and going. God bless the next-chapter button on dvd's, but in the theatre I was close to yelling at the screen (i'm sure it woulda sped it up in some way).
post #6 of 82
Worst: The Fugitive . I swear they go on for fifteen minutes. You're rolling along, you're starting to get into the story, and then an associate producer's name pops up and you realize they haven't even shown the director's name yet.
post #7 of 82
Whoa... I'm so very, very confused. Is it best or worst opening credits?
If we're talking best, my two favorites are Trainspotting and Snatch. I love the way that each movie introduces you to their large cast of characters via the opening credits.
post #8 of 82
BEST. He went back and edited the thread title, but that doesn't change once you submit it the first time. A moderator will have to change it for him.
post #9 of 82
A bit confused, but either way, I like the opening credits to "Easy Rider." Just Dennis Hopper screwing around on his bike and Peter Fonda looking badass.
post #10 of 82
If we're talking worst...the WORST opening credits have GOT to go with Dr Boll's "opening crawl" from 'Alone in the Dark'.
I DEFY ANYONE to find otherwise!!

...as for BEST, I've always had a soft-spot for the original 'Terminator'...oh, shit...add also, the original 'ALIEN'; both things of beauty!!
Both dated and copied to death...but copied FOR A REASON!
post #11 of 82
I liked the Hostage ones a bunch, set the tone nicely for the film that followed - a bit European, a bit over the top (all right, a lot) and a bit moody.

The first time I saw the Spiderman credits, I knew I was in for a safe ride - I just thought they were so damn cool and there hadn't been anything like that a while.

Fight Club. Taken as one shot, its fascinating and original.

Seven too. Wow, once you've seen the film, those credits take on an eerie aspect and add more character to John Doe. Probably the best edited credit sequence i've ever seen.

Catch Me If You Can - stylish, cool, jazzy, excellent mood-setter.

Shout out to Lemony Snicket for best closing credits.
post #12 of 82
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hammerhead
Worst: The Fugitive . I swear they go on for fifteen minutes. You're rolling along, you're starting to get into the story, and then an associate producer's name pops up and you realize they haven't even shown the director's name yet.
This is why I think more movies should run credits at the end, like Tombstone, since it's obviously less intrusive and I wouldn't have to be visually assaulted by a bunch of names of people I don't know or care about.

I didn't think that much of the Dawn of the Dead remake, but I did like the opening credits sequence of the montage of zombie images set to Cash's "The Man Comes Around."
post #13 of 82
Good call on the credits for HOSTAGE, those were very appealing. I like the introduction of the thieves in RESERVOIR DOGS. But the best for me is the way the body bags are zipped up and the lead actors' names are displayed in UNIVERSAL SOLDIER.
post #14 of 82
For end credits, I'm inclined to go with The Incredibles.
Good calls on both Dawn of the Dead (Can't go wrong with the Man in Black) and Seven.
post #15 of 82
One of my favorite opening credits is for T2. The nuclear fire, the Terminator skull.

Favorite closing, "The Return of the King".
post #16 of 82
Quote:
Originally Posted by sackley
The first time I saw the Spiderman credits, I knew I was in for a safe ride - I just thought they were so damn cool and there hadn't been anything like that a while.
Funny, I had the opposite reaction. For a while there it seemed like every superhero comic adaptation was legally required to display its credits on spinning CG skyscrapers. The Alex Ross paintings on Spidey 2, now those were cool.

Best? Once Upon a Time in the West . That's a ten-minute sequence I don't mind at all.
post #17 of 82
^You beat me to it.

Saul Bass also did great opening sequences for North By Northwest and Psycho.

I think Monty Python and the Holy Grail needs a mention, too.
post #18 of 82
Good ones:
Panic Room, Superman, A Clockwork Orange
Special Mention to the closing credits of Seven.
post #19 of 82
I won't call it the best, but the Dark Castle remake of House on Haunted Hill had a pretty good opening credit sequence.
post #20 of 82
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason P. Thompson
BEST. He went back and edited the thread title, but that doesn't change once you submit it the first time. A moderator will have to change it for him.
Fixed.
post #21 of 82
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan Whitehead
Fixed.
*envy*
post #22 of 82
Quote:
Originally Posted by mole
The opening credits in Napolean Dynamite annoyed the hell outta me. Just kept going, and going, and going, and going. God bless the next-chapter button on dvd's, but in the theatre I was close to yelling at the screen (i'm sure it woulda sped it up in some way).
Really? I’m the exact opposite, I loved the opening credits. They were so clever and quirky, thus being the perfect opening for a movie like Napoleon Dynamite. The White Stripes’ song playing in the background isn’t bad either.
post #23 of 82
I'll always remember the opening titles to "Repo Man".

knoly mentioned Saul Bass a few posts back. Check out this site where you can click through stills of the master's work from "Carmen Jones" to "Casino".
post #24 of 82
The credits for Sharkskin man and Peach hip girl were pretty cool. It was basiaclly footage of all the actors standing in front of a whitescreen one at a time. They each were doing something that represented their characters and the editing and music were pretty bad ass.

Partry 7 had bad ass credits as well. They were animated introductions to the main characters. Actually they were the best thing about the whole movie by far.

Doberman had kinda cool credits, a giant CG doberman pissing on the names and dissolving them.
post #25 of 82
My two favorites have to be the Dawn of the Dead remake and Once Upon a Time in The West. Both are brilliant in their own way and both move the story forward. They are both great examples of a clever way to give opening credits while keeping the film moving along. As far as traditional opening credits, Seven is still hard to beat, even after all the many imitators. I also like Cabin Fever's rotting opening credits.
post #26 of 82
I probably whore these films out more than the people who made them, but the opening credits for Ginger Snaps 1 and 2 are my favorites.

I think Midnight Cowboy has great opening credits too, for some reason I love the shots of Joe's shoes and suitcase as he's walking.

Ed Wood is pretty cool too, Burton really nails the fifties sci-fi feel, especially with the theremin in the background.
post #27 of 82
A few off the top of my head:

Natural Born Killers: The collage of sound and images is as crazy as the rest of the movie. It'smanic, hyper, and all over the place.

The Shining: Just the steadycam shot through the mountains, tracking the VW with the music. They took something simple and made it creepy.

Shaun of the Dead: People are already zombies.

Orgazmo: More for the song, "Now You're a Man", but it doesn't hurt to have the characters done comic book style.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre (original): I love the clicking camera and the flashes of light, revealing quick shots of body parts. But technically, the shots of the solar flairs would have to be the credit sequence, which I also dig.

Ghost in the Shell: The cyborg being put together looks sweet, but the music makes it even better. Especially cranked up, with that pounding BOOM.
post #28 of 82
I'll have to go with 'Willard' I adore those credits.

I'm also going to agree with werewolf girl on Ginger snaps 1 & 2, but maybe that's because we're Canadian.
post #29 of 82
Yeah, we're biased bastards that way.
post #30 of 82
Can't believe I'm the first to mention the Bond franchise. Pick one. Ummm, Goldfinger.

Monty Python's Quest for the Holy Grail qualifies as an example of the opening credit sequence becoming self aware, rising up, and attempting to strangle the rest of the movie in its sleep.

Kill Bill Vol. 1- This is how you set a mood.

Star Wars can't qualify, it doesn't have opening credits.
post #31 of 82
For Christ, people, it's called Monty Python and the Holy Grail. How is it people keep fucking this up?

Anyway, best opening credits:

edward Scissorhands--Burton used to have such cool and inventive openings. What's happened?

The Usual Suspects--I just like its simplicity. It really sets up the film's slow-burn approach, as well as showcases John Ottman's killer score.
post #32 of 82
The Seven Year Itch has a great little sequence, another Saul Bass classic.
A recent addition that comes to mind is A History of Violence. It's not so in your face but its damn effective.
post #33 of 82
The Untouchable had great opening credits.
I love that the credits to Raising Arizona happen after Hi's opening monologue.
The oepning credits to Cronenberg's Crash were really cool.
post #34 of 82
Ditto on the Spiderman 1 and 2 Credits.

but my personal fave at the moment is the opening to Sahara. I love how it pans across the office revealling little bits about the two main charaters, nice touch.
post #35 of 82
-X-men 2: Xavier's voice, as we see the universe, then man, then the biological and then the artificial, ending in just one letter and a number: X2.

-Wallace and Gromit: Curse of the were rabbit: The way the camera advances through the wall of pictures, and we relize they are sequential in every way.

-Any Blake Edwards "Pink Panther" opening credits sequence is absolutle genious.
post #36 of 82

Oscar bad film good credits

Oscar (the stallone mob-comedy) had a fun set of opening credits that set a fun tone that the actual film never came close to living up to.
post #37 of 82
Irreversible, as I recall. The final credits are at the end, because it's all backwards, ya see, and they start spiraling around to mimick the crazy camera work. I also like the thudding techno beat with the single last names. Really sets up some of the movie's themes nicely.
post #38 of 82
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
post #39 of 82
Superman: The Movie. It's 27 years old and the opening credits still blow me away like no other opening credit sequence has.
post #40 of 82
i've gotta agree with the 'fight club' opening credits.
i love the prologue at the beginning of 'fellowship of the ring' and gandalf and the balrog in 'two towers'.
Also the opening shot in 'revenge of the sith' when obi-wan and ani fly over all those ships.
post #41 of 82
Not strictly opening credits, but you can't beat TOUCH OF EVIL.

Also, MEMENTO.
post #42 of 82
Ichi the Killer title raising up in splooge.
post #43 of 82
Catch Me If You Can (especially with John Williams' score) was a great throwback to the 60's style of credits, of which the Pink Panther films are notable, among others.
post #44 of 82
The Wild Bunch
post #45 of 82
Do The Right Thing. Rosie Perez gyrating like a maniac against vividly lit, West Side Story-type backdrops while Public Enemy's 'Fight The Power' plays.
post #46 of 82
Bullitt because it's so damn cool.
post #47 of 82
Raging Bull
post #48 of 82
Quote:
Originally Posted by knoly
I wouldn't have to be visually assaulted by a bunch of names of people I don't know or care about
Yet you'll go and pay money and see their film ? What kind of weird movie enthusiasm is that ?
post #49 of 82
The Warriors has a great opening. The credits seem like they are going to zoom at you, then the next cut has the credit picked up by a train. Genius.
post #50 of 82
The best end credits for me are the ones for West Side Story, with all the credits done as graffiti and a fantastic medley by Bernstein. Probably would have worked at the beginning, but there's something about it that makes it work so much better as a coda than an overture.

While I don't think it's the best, I love the opening credits for Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. A rousing Kamen score doesn't hurt, and there's something about the tapestries that help the whole thing set a mood for a much better film it never turned out to be.

But yeah, hard to argue with Superman: the Movie as the best. That awesome prologue with the comic book segueing into those soaring titles, capped by one of the greatest signature tunes of all time. Hells yeah.
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