Best opening scenes? (1 Viewer)

[Bob Spears]

My wife and kids have been out of town for the last three days so I have had unlimitled Home Theater access and have been re-watching all of my favorites. It just struck me after I watched the opening scene of Reservoir Dogs for the first time since I saw it in the theater many years ago what a GREAT scene this is. I immediately pulled out Pulp Fiction and watched that opening scene and was again blown away. I just wanted to see if anyone agreed with me and if you guys had an other movie suggestions that have really well performed opening scenes that just GRAB you.

cheers and happy holidays

bob spears

 

[Cees Alons]

I have to throw in the tracking shot of The Player here. But to mention two other movies with openings that are almost the best scenes of the movie (and of a reasonably good movie as well): Glory and Blade.
Cees

 

[Adam_S]

Dances with Wolves 'looks like a suicide' if you have the dts, crank it up, and glory in the brilliant marriage of score and image, damn, if only they'd provided an isolated score.
Dogma, pre credits with Loki and Bartleby, one of the funniest opening sequences!
Jaws, need I say more
Raiders of the Lost Ark
The Shop Around the Corner (great cast interaction!)
The Godfather (this scene always kicks my ass, so beware, it will be excruciating turning the film off)
Gangs of New York
Mononoke Hime
Chariots of Fire "and wings on their feet" always gives me chills, up through the vangelis credits
Christmas Vacation - going to get the christmas tree! (this is so true, and if the light doesn't shine down on the tree with the hallelujah angels chorus playing in the background, you know you haven't gotten the right tree yet IRL)
Saving Private Ryan
LAwrence of Arabia
Bridge on the River Kwai
The Great Escape
The Aparment
DR. STRANGELOVE!!!
2001 (the apes part is my favorite!)
Ehh I can't think of any more, though there are all sorts popping around in my head
Adam

 

[Rob Lutter]

Just about every James Bond film after From Russia with Love

 

[Chris Farmer]

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Gandalf v. Balrog. 'nuff said.
Gonna have to second Jaws, Saving Private Ryan, and Raiders of the Lost Arc.
The World is Not Enough, the boat chase down the Thames River
Fight Club, just wondering what the hell is going on, then the immediate jump to the testicular cancer therapy group
Star Wars IV, the Rebel ship goes overhead, impressive. The Star Destroyer goes overhead, and keeps going, and going, and going, real impressive.
Analyze This, the meeting at the country mobster's house, just hilarious
There are others, of course, but those just jump out at me.

 

[James Bergeron]

Oh come one, we all know the winner here!

Austin Powers: GoldMember!

Come on that opening is CLASSIC! Could you imagine an entire movie with the likes of Cruise, Devito and Spacey?

 

[Travis Olson]

Nothing beats the first 20 min of Saving Private Ryan IMO.

 

[Andrew_Sch]

I held a tournament on this very subject a while ago, you can probably find it if you search for it. The winner was Raiders of the Lost Ark .

 

[Adam_WM]

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Gandalf v. Balrog. 'nuff said.

Seriously. It's a shame I can't watch this on DVD tonight.

 

[Declan]

Strange days- the robbery blackjack clip

Swordfish- "you what the problem with Hollywood is....they make shit" "each one of the 22 hostages has been wrapped with explosives"

Raiders/Crusade- might give the laser of each of these a spin tonight

Private Ryan- one of the best

Fellowship- the prologue

 

[Sean Patrick]

Minority Report's opening is great.

Also, i love the opening to Big Lebowski.

 

[Dome Vongvises]

Star Wars
- Grabs you by the balls the first minute and never lets go.
Glory
- Awesome stuff
Saving Private Ryan
- Made you glad for the sacrifices that were made that fateful day.

 

[Rob Gardiner]

I'll second FELLOWSHIP.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned:
VERTIGO - opening titles (Bass & Herman) follwed by rooftop pursuit and the first vertiginous shot
MANHATTAN - Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, Allen's monologue, and Gordon Willis' magnificent black & white scope photography. I used to watch this sequence every day after I came home from work.
CITIZEN KANE - reveal of Xanadu, Kane's death, followed by NEWS ON THE MARCH newsreel
HEAVENLY CREATURES - sardonic newsreel featuring "Christchurch, New Zealand's city on the plains" cuts to a tragic scene at Hagley Park

 

[Angelo.M]

Cliffhanger...
...but I can't say much for the rest of the movie.

 

[cwhite]

I would like to add "A Touch of Evil" directed by Orson Welles. One long shot of many events for the movie's plot lasting 11 minutes.

 

[Patrick McCart]

Here's some of my favorites:

8 1/2 (nightmare)

Napoleon vu par Abel Gance (snowball fight)

City Lights (statue scene)

The Playhouse (Starring Buster Keaton...co-starring Buster Keaton in a Buster Keaton film produced by Buster Keaton is association with Buster Keaton. Key grip - Buster Keaton...etc)

Yellow Submarine (Once upon a time...or maybe twice...)

Fantasia (Orchestra warming up)

Moulin Rouge (2001)

 

[Stan Rozenfeld]

Let's not forget John Ford's The Searchers, which has one of my favorite opening scenes, and also one of my favorite closing scenes.

 

[Tim Ke]

i love the opening to Dirty Harry - the rooftop sniper and Harry's investigation with that cool Lalo Schifrin score!

 

[Chris Hopper]

IMO I think, Ghost in the Shell, Leon, and Jackie Brown have some of the best openings ever, though I know I can think of more.

 

[Scott D S]

Monty Python and the Holy Grail - When I grow up, I want to be a moose technician!

Manhattan - I second this one.

Deconstructing Harry - I just like the the intercutting of a pissed off Judy Davis with Annie Ross' Twisted playing in the background.

Everyone Says I Love You - First musical number, Ed Norton sings Just You, Just Me (although I like the Captain Spaulding and My Baby Just Cares for Me numbers better).

North by Northwest - I love Bernard Hermann's music for this one!

Back to the Future - I only came to appreciate it recently, and I'm not talking about the long shot of the clocks. The entire film is a perfect example of giving exposition.

Contact - I wish the Star Trek films would use a cosmic pull-back like this one.