TOP TEN: Opening Credit Sequences
Delving into the ten best movies... before the movie
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A month or two ago I went to see Peter Berg's The Kingdom and loved the opening title sequence. It's almost like a mini-movie unto itself and it's always a little refreshing (and promising I might add) when the filmmakers put forth some effort to entertain you from the start. This got me thinking about other title sequences that set you up perfectly for the movie you're about to see. Then I thought, it'd make for a great top ten. So here we are. Below are my picks for the top ten greatest opening credit sequences put to celluloid. Just so you know and before you start sharpening your spears, I'm not including The Kingdom's terrific opening title sequence from this list dubbing it as my source of inspiration.
Now I know many of you are going to come at me guns blazing. I didn't forget about Batman, JFK, The Thomas Crown Affair or, a particularly tough one to leave off, To Kill a Mockingbird. I didn't forget about Delicatessen, Casino or Kill Bill. The Sting, All The President's Men and Raging Bull were not far from the mind. But you have to whittle these things down to ten and that's usually a recipe to piss a whole lot of people off. I say bring it on! Somebody has to make the tough decisions around here. Oh, and yeah I purposely didn't include any Bond films because that is a list unto itself.
 | North By Northwest |
I could have picked any number of the Hitchcock's great title sequences like Psycho or Vertigo but I think they are best represented by this. Partly due to the animation and titles, but mostly due to Bernard Herrmann's fantabulous score … this is one of the greats. You actually get a little pumped watching this opening, you know you're in for a good movie. It has good movie vibe smudged all over it. Get some on you:
 | Fight Club |
This title sequence has been ripped off a couple of times, most notably by the X-Men and – to a certain degree – Spider-Man franchises as we passed through Tyler Durden's neurons and brain mass and whatnot to the wicked sounds of the Dust Brothers' sick soundtrack. I once had a semi-automatic rifle, two shotguns and about five police-issued handguns pointed at me as I was listening to this baby. It's a long story, but the short version is I Am Tyler's Keen Ability to be at the Wrong Place at the Wrong Time. You can enter Tyler's brain below:
 | Lord of War |
The only reason this might not rank higher for me is because the movie is too much of a mixed bag. Things work, others not so much. I know I shouldn't base it on that; I should look at these sequences as if they were in a vacuum but I just can't. It's that flawed human part that says screw logic. It's a brilliant opening though as we follow the life-span of a bullet from creation to, quite literally, execution to the tunes of Buffalo Springfield.
 | Panic Room |
I may get some crap for this one but I don't care. I always loved the simplicity of this sequence. David Fincher clearly loves his title sequences. This is the second (of three) of his films to make this list and it’s a beauty. Subtle yet cold with Howard Shore's danger-brewing score. What makes this sequence stand out is how real and right-there the titles look. They float against skyscrapers and downtown churches as if they belonged. At first glance you're not even sure whether or not they're really there. Ooh and ahh by watching the vid:
 | Dr. Strangelove |
I remember the first time I watched this (my favorite Kubrick film) opening credit sequence and how odd I thought it was. From the instrumental version of "Try a Little Tenderness" to Pablo Ferro's bizarre titles to the stock footage of war planes in flight, Kubrick managed to create one of the most original and bizarre openings to any movie I've ever seen. Something about this sequence makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. And something about that disturbs me.
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Not that I've seen all of these films…Only some… "North by Northwest," "Fight Club," "Panic Room," "Catch Me If You Can," and a few others, but I certainly agree with you on almost all. I, too, thought "Panic Room" had amazing titles. The only thing that bothered (the perfectionist) me was how it was all rough, hard cuts, if you know what I mean. No fade or transitions…just cuts. And that, to me, always looked unprofessional and annoyed me. Ha. But that's just me. Alfred Hitchcock always did come up with some interesting title sequences on his later films…"Psycho" was pretty neat, although I think it worked better in the 1998 version with the green (even though a green is an odd choice, it seems perfect to me for some odd reason).
Seriously, how can you have a top ten opening title list and not include a single Bond film? That just doesn't make sense at all.
That said, it's hard to disagree with very many of these. Speaking of man-crushes, though, how big a one do you have for David Fincher?
(Side note, the opening titles for "Anatomy of a Murder" have to be in the top three. Saul Bass was certainly The Man, and that films proves it pretty much bar-none. I'm just sayin…"
This is true…the Bond films do get quite creative with all those damn double-O 7's.
You know, I thought of the Bond films when I was looking over Dre's list, but there really isn't one that is all that good. Also, if you include one you pretty much have to include them all… I don't really see any of them differentiating themselves. I thought the Casino Royale one was cool, but in no way as memorable as most of these.
Out of curiosity, what Bond film would you say should be on this list?
There are a bunch of good ones, but I would probably go with Goldfinger if only for the fact it was the one which set the template the rest of the 007 movies would follow. (By the way, of the latest round of Bonds – Brosnan and Craig – I'd have to say I wasn't blown away by the opening titles for Casino Royale. I actually like the ones for Goldeneye better.)
Really, Goldfinger? The thing about the credits Dre mentioned is that, for the most part, they forward the story along. Bond credits do none of that. Trying to remember them off the top of my head I think The World is Not Enough is the one that comes closest with all its oil references before oil was ever mentioned.
Yeah, I purposely left off any Bond films because you always know going in they're trying to come up with a cool intro and it wouldnt be much fun to include three bond sequences in the top ten overall. Lets get some other original pieces in there. I figured they could be a whole other list. Maybe thats coming next, the top ten bond sequences.
I almost included Anatomy of a Murder and one other Saul Bass opening but in the end, I think these are cooler.
You missed three of my favirites: "Footloose," "Hairspray" (original John Waters version) and Coppala's "One From the Heart!"
How about a top 10 Bond opening's?:D
That would be an interesting one wouldn't it… I may have to let that one stew for a while, break out the Bond collection and see what surfaces.
However, I did do an article about this back in March here's the link.
i agree on the superrman opening would be number one! & good points for david fincher's 3 films making it in the list!
An opening credit sequence I think a lot of you are going to love once the movie is released is the one for The Orphanage. As it is playing the first time you see it you are going to be like, "What the hell? Why is this so long?" but by the end of the film you will immediately think back to that title sequence. It is great.
Pink Panthers anyone?