Okay, so I have three.
The first is the opening from one of the best movies ever made, Once Upon a Time in the West.
The opening scene is a virtuoso performance, basically just ambient Western sounds for ten minutes. It culminates in one of the most bad-ass lines in any movie.
"You bring a horse for me?"
"Ha. Looks like we're shy one horse."
"You brought two too many."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW-jSa9_k3M
The second is the opening scene to the first Kill Bill. The opening line, "Do you find me sadistic?" is a direct response to Tarantino's reputation. The ending line, "Bill, it's your bab--" was a notice that absolutely anything could happen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew5EYd5_i6M
The third, to get back to our b-movie basics, is the opening of "Hideous!" which is not a great movie by any standard. But what an opening!
I can't find video of that, but basically it is two sewage workers talking about the weirdest things they've ever had to pull out of storm drains. After trading stories, they pull out something that is truly weird.
What are your favorites?
I think ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST may be the greatest movie opening ever. Nice choice.
has to be the intro of DEAD AND BURIED (1981) for me. disturbing!
MANOS?
Oh wait, you didn't mean "best for going and grabbing a beer and popping some popcorn AFTER starting the movie"? :bouncegiggle:
I'll plug another QT favorite...PULP FICTION. I really like the opening sequence because you are basically wondering what in the WORLD is going on here...and the slide from "Jungle Boogie" as soundtrack to in-scene music is well done.
The opening of PUMP OF THE VOLUME is pretty catching, as well. Open line gets your attention pretty quick.
Star Wars
Raiders of the Lost Ark
For me, the greatest movie opening ever is the one from the SA film Katrina:
1. Sound of waves on a beach and a shot of the setting / rising sun
2. Sun's rays seem to burn straight through the camera
3. Bass drums on soundtrack
4. Movie starts this way and ends this way.
The start to one of the best and most controversial films ever made. :teddyr:
Oooo, I cannot believe I forgot my all time favorite movie....THE THING (1982). The opening tones of music in the bleak "antarctic" setting...wow. The whole movie mood in a few seconds.
A Clockwork Orange and Pulp Fiction for me
Always liked the way Vanishing Point starts with the cops setting up their trap as the news media and assorted rubberneckers begin to gather for what will be the movie's ending. Then we go back a couple of days to see how it came about.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM975_Ld9S0
In keeping with my theme of music and tone, how about HAMBURGER HILL, with Philip Glass' theme backdropping the panning shot of the Vietnam Wall in Washington, DC morphing into the opening battle sequence?
I recall that transition being very moving.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPjhb3D587Q
Le Mans
Maaaayyybbeeee opening credits is not the opening off the acctuall story aspect off the movie per say! But the opening credits to Zombie land definatly deserve some Praise.
Old school Metalica fans may also enjoy this! Being a zombie movie goer or not.
:)
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7AFnThY472c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
... I am no good off inbedding Youtube Videos in Forum posts >_< lol
Dressed to Kill (1980)
QuoteWow what a way to start a movie... Great!!!
FuneralDust666 4 months ago
One of many user comments at youtube :wink: For those interested, search "Dressed to Kill.avi " on youtube - but caution: some nudity.
THE HIDDEN
YcpUGycWN5Y
NINJA III THE DOMINATOIN
xdQldhv_KK4
Quote from: Living_Dead_Girl on March 24, 2012, 03:52:20 AM
... I am no good off inbedding Youtube Videos in Forum posts >_< lol
Don't use the embed code from YouTube to post on this forum. Use the "youtube" icon in your control panel (above the emoticons). When you select the icon it will add text that looks like this:
[ youtube ][ /youtube ]
Paste the address between those two brackets to get this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7AFnThY472c
Cannonball Run wastes no time getting started.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtMvkA84s4Y
Always loved that turbo Trans Am highway patrol car.
Kelly's Heroes, likewise, gives you some excitement right up front.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA9581o27uA
BLACK SUNDAY (1960)
F$cking WOW. Start off a movie by punching Barbra Steele in the face with a real big hammer. s**t! I'm on Barbra's side for the rest of the movie.
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTC2vRfyVJY
This. Is. Awesome.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bC8aCymVnwo&feature=fvsr
:teddyr:
I liked House Of A 1000 Corpses. That was the only part of the movie I liked actually.
Quote from: Mr. DS on March 28, 2012, 07:53:04 AM
I liked House Of A 1000 Corpses. That was the only part of the movie I liked actually.
True. The movie wasn't great, but the first scene with Sid Haig as Captain Spaulding was brilliant.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmH-qgnPiUs
Faster p***ycat Kill! Kill!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACu2AR7fbCo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNvzNWuzI9Y&feature=related
Don't judge me!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nly-bfguf4k
Don't judge me!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nly-bfguf4k
[/quote]
Good call
From Dusk 'Til Dawn
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9m4hRQkVSA
Wish I could find a clip that included the dialogue before this.
It's not the greatest movie of all time or anything, but I've always thought that the opening of Close Encounters of the Third Kind was one of the greatest opening sequences ever. The scene where they discover the disappeared planes of Flight 19 in the middle of the desert. It's such a great opening scene because it creates such an air of mystery and so completely piqued my interest in seeing the rest of the film.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tWJ9Ec2TC4
Big Trouble in Little China. Not the tacked-on scene with Victor Wong and Jerry Hardin, but rather the real opening with Ol' Jack Burton in the Pork Chop Express giving his monologue over the CB.
Also, the opening of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, with the first appearance of the new, meaner-looking Klingons. Very exciting beginning, followed by not a whole lot worth recommending, unless you've got a bald woman fetish. In that case, cha-ching.
While not great movies, 28 WEEKS LATER, GANGS OF NEW YORK and WATCHMEN all had really strong openings.
Personal favorite would probably have to be DESPERADO
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKvU2DumWuk
but ONCE UP0N A TIME IN THE WEST and BLACK SUNDAY are definitely up there too.
Pulp Fiction begins extremely well, I would say.
Amanda Plummer's mousy, eccentric delivery of the line "I'm don't wanna hurt anybody..."
followed by...
"IF ANY OF YOU f**kING PIGS MOVE, I'M GONNA EXECUTE EVERY MOTHERf**kING LAST ONE OF YOU!!!"
and then 'Misirlou' thunders as the bright title screen scrolls up.
I wouldn't say it is one of the greatest openings ever, but it is one of the few openings in a movie to just hook me into wanting to know more about what is happening:
Paprika
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMfjMdY0t1k
I also really like the opening to Hugo, where we are entering the train station and just sweeping through it giving a look at the world presented and the characters within it. It's really breathtaking.
Though I am really offended by you people. Not one person mentioned the opening to Jaws at all!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8SnZmUjhAA
Oh yeah, JAWS. Ok. I'll agree about JAWS.