Best Movie Openings

[InformationGeek]

The idea came to me when watching N.C.'s review of Blank Check and I thought to myself, what are good ways to open a movie or good opening scenes that get the people interested right off the bat?  I find the Star Wars opening always pretty good.  The booming and exciting music and the film title exploding onto the screen.  Jaws did it pretty good with the shark slowly moving through the waters and of course the attack on the girl.

So, what are some of the best movie openings you have seen that get you excited or interested in the movie right away?

[Mr. DS]

I mentioned in another thread how I can't stand House Of 1,000 Corpses but loved the intro.  

NSFW
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgyGEkt3wfY

[Vik]

Pulp Fiction 

[indianasmith]

1989's BATMAN - the opening rooftop scene is AWESOME!!

[oxode]

My favorites: MIB and Azumi

[Jack]

Ghost Ship has a great first 5 minutes 30 seconds.  After which it goes straight down the crapper.  Um, not too safe for work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kl-IaNSZtYE

[Rev. Powell]

BLUE VELVET. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM975_Ld9S0

[Psycho Circus]

The super cheesy, sunset supermarket showdown at the start of Cobra (1986)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5kpZ3-FQoY

[joejoeherron]

To me, one of the best movie openings is the opening to Mad Max. After watching it for the first time, I wondered if the rest of the movie was going to be as awsome.

[Trevor]

Mathieu Kassovitz's The Crimson Rivers has a eerie beginning in which you're not quite sure what the camera is panning over. When you realize what the camera was showing, you better not be eating anything. 

[The Burgomaster]

I love the opening credits in THE POPE OF GREENWICH VILLAGE, with Mickey Rourke picking out some slick clothing from his closet, getting dressed, and shaving, while a very smooth Frank Sinatra sings SUMMER WIND.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZ41Xgmi53M

[Allhallowsday]

1989's BATMAN - the opening rooftop scene is AWESOME!!

That's true; too bad the rest of the movie is like a homily that goes on and on and on. 

BLUE VELVET.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM975_Ld9S0

That opening made me turn it off and I've never really looked at it since.   

[Rev. Powell]

BLUE VELVET.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM975_Ld9S0

That opening made me turn it off and I've never really looked at it since.   

If I may ask, what about it turned you off?  I think it's a brilliant montage, the way it moves from sunshine to darkness. 

[Allhallowsday]

BLUE VELVET.  

That opening made me turn it off and I've never really looked at it since.    

If I may ask, what about it turned you off?  I think it's a brilliant montage, the way it moves from sunshine to darkness.  

Just testing to see if you're reading...    The truth is, I got as far as DENNIS HOPPER's "Mommy" breakdown (with an oxygen mask...?)  I have probably seen all of this film, but only piecemeal and in no order.  I recently sat through a couple of parts of it.  I think DAVID LYNCH is a mixed bag for me... at times inspired,  creepy, claustrophobic, sometimes just plain unhealthy (I hated WILD AT HEART the first time I saw it, but sat through all of it then and after multiple viewings since think pretty highly of that film now).  I don't like ERASERHEAD, but I think THE ELEPHANT MAN is a masterpiece.  I know BLUE VELVET is very highly regarded... perhaps someday I'll give it another chance.  

Oh! Best movie openings... JAWS (the following youtube is the only one that actually shows the opener and hasn't yet been removed - it's a video of a videotape... but it's still there.)    And it's still some scary sh!t.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42kvAeoFm4A

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD grabs me with its creepy music... and by 7 minutes in, the heroine is in mortal danger. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBc18J5cUcs

[voltron]

I love Deep Red's opening scene. The juxtaposition between the opening murder and the children's song gets me every time.

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