The opening scene of a movie can in an instant suck the audience into its world. Over the years there are some that have stayed with me. Even crap-movies can have great opening scenes. Cliffhanger, for example, the 90's Stallone-actionflick starts out great. After that, the crapness begins. Some establish a theme and a mood which stays with you throughout.
Again, as all my lists. Some very, very obvious intros I have tried to avoid. These include: Star Wars Episode IV, Indiana Jones, Jaws, Touch Of Evi, Vertigol etc. The obvious ones I've chosen to include are the ones closest to heart.
1. Contact (1997)
Again, as all my lists. Some very, very obvious intros I have tried to avoid. These include: Star Wars Episode IV, Indiana Jones, Jaws, Touch Of Evi, Vertigol etc. The obvious ones I've chosen to include are the ones closest to heart.
1. Contact (1997)
"Untss! untss! DJ Tiesto pwns!"
Originally a novel by the Richard Dawkins of the seventies, Carl Sagan, I read the book before I saw the movie. The movie dissappointed me, but this opening scene conveys so much so sparingly and so poetically it was a no-brainer to include it first.
http://www.youtube.com/wat
2. Pulp Fiction (1994)
"Give us a pucker on the ol' mouth, ey?"
"Any of you fucking pigs MOOOVE, and I'll execute every motherffffucking last one of ya!"
The subsequent guitarsnapping interlude of Dick Dale & The Del Tones' "Miserlou" would make movie history and usher in a new form of cinema. I still to this day want to rob diners when I hear the song.
http://www.youtube.com/wat
3. Lion King (1994)
"UHNYAAAAAAAAAAAAA-WHENZHEEEGONNABEEEE!!?"
Lion King was the pinnacle of the Disney Animated Epic crossed with Über-Broadway-kitsch-gayne
http://www.youtube.com/wat
4. The Godfather (1972)
"MumbleJumblemumbleSantinomumblejumbleMichael
First, the piercing, somehow very Sicilian trumpet to a black screen. Then, the title. Fadeout title, Bonasera's words: "I believe in America," then fade-in Bonasera. "America has made my fortune." Then the camera zooms slowly out while he talks to finally rest behind the shoulder of Marlon Brando's Don Corleone who has been listening intently the whole time. Bonasera's conundrum becomes the viewer's concundrum as it takes on the subjective viewingpoint of Brando.
And then it gets better.
http://www.youtube.com/wat
5. Raging Bull
Badabing Badaboom!!
The striking blend of stillphoto black & white composition, epic scoring and slow motion is so elegantly thought out by Scorsese.
http://www.youtube.com/wat
6. Trainspotting (1996)
"Thess remoynds me ouvh th'teim I go'ma cock peearsed."
The sheer brilliance of combining the introduction of the main characters with Ewan's voiceover and Iggy Pop's "Lust For Life" made Scotland the coolest place on Earth when this came out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmzaBvKzrZI&fmt=18
7. Chariots Of Fire (1981)
"Tally ho, chaps, another round along from Dorset to Leicester and then Sherry at the club? Cheerio!"
A bit of a boring flick about rich, gay English twats who enjoy jogging, the film sets the mood with the formal and stringent mise-en-scene of a church, but when Vangelis' music fades in and the scene cuts to the beachrunning part, I dare you to not want to bust out running.
http://www.youtube.com/wat
8. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
"Uhm, I just..."
"yeah, you shit your pants. Get in line."
"yeah, you shit your pants. Get in line."
When this came out, I was serving my compulsory service in the Norwegian Army in the Arctic North. Me and two buddies from my squad, Morten and Bjørn came in to Tromsø on Friday and planned a "getting shitfaced" weekend. We thought we'd kick it off with a Spielberg flick from WWII. 30 minutes into it I was physically ill, and after the movie we walked back to the hotel without hardly saying a word. That feeling stuck with us the whole weekend, and we ended just taking it easy, chilling with a few beers and good food at a restaurant instead. As a first scene goes, it's absolutely unbelievable in how it hits you hard and profound.
Warning, it gets quite graphic, if you haven't seen it:
http://www.youtube.com/wat
9. Jackass The Movie (2002)
"Idiots! How are we going to find the aisle where the beer is now!??"
Yes, it's infantile and stupid, but this is awesome as hell.
http://www.youtube.com/wat
10. Raising Arizona (1987)
"My name is H.I McDunnough, and ya'll betta lock up yo daughtas, ya'll hear? Yeehaw!"
GAWD, I love this movie. I cannot emphasize that enough. I'm going to be bashful enough in saying that I loved the Cohen brothers long before it was cool to like them, and they only got better. I was practically shitting myself in joy when they won the Oscar for "No Country..."
It's a long opening scene, but it sets the tone so incredicly well, it's tightly directed and photographed and the lines keep on coming. It's like the hillbilly version of Fargo only nicer.
http://www.youtube.com/wat
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