Favourite start to a film...

[palexander]

Whats you favourite start to a film. VS reminded me of 'Closer' by Nine Inch Nails which was used at the start of 'Se7en' along with clips of the nutter piecing together his scr*pbook...

Anyway, after watching 'Apocalypse Now:Redux' for the first time in YEARS, I now appreciate it a lot more. The start of the film for me is right up there with the greatest cinamatic moments of all time...

The sound of chopper blades, flying over dense Vietnamese jungle whilst the intro of The Doors 'The End' plays... just as the words start "..This is the End..." the jungle lights up in napalm... quality. Then cut to a great monologue by Martin Sheen... "Saigon..."

Excellent...

 

[Napster]

Surely nothing beats the start of Star Wars, when you see a tiny ship being chased by a Star Destroyer. That, at the cinema, is mindblowing.

 

[Greenelk]

That Tarantino chap knows how to start a film!! Both Pulp Fiction and Resevoir Dogs started brilliantly...

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

A mainstream choice, perhaps... but the opening sequence of Gladiator, with the battle in Germany, is quite simply awesome. The brutal ferocity of those scenes leaves an indelible and breathtaking mark on the rest of the film...

Matt

 

[palexander]

Yea, good ones - then of course Saving Private Ryan is a very intense 20 mins...

 

[palexander]

Quote[/b] (Greenelk @ Mar. 03 2004,15:09)]That Tarantino chap knows how to start a film!! Both Pulp Fiction and Resevoir Dogs started brilliantly...

Funny really. I always used to love the start to both of those films when they first came out. Now looking back on them again, I realised they are a bit self-indulgent writing.

Reservoir Dogs was on SkyOne on Friday and I sat down and made my missus watch it (great chick-flick!) and felt that slight uncomfortable embarrassment of hyping something up that actually is a bit pants!

Its a classic piece of filmography no doubt, but its too much blabbering dialogue, until of course, the classic music and opening title sequence.

"Charlie, Charlie Wong, who's Charlie" etc

 

[palexander]

As well as being a top film, the start of American Beauty is also very poignent.

"Today is my last day on Earth - of course, I didnt know that"

Or something similar!

 

[The Fitter]

Have to agree with a lot of these choices, Apocalypse Now, Gladiator, Private Ryan, all great starts.
Also loved the start of The Thing (John Carpenter version).

 

[Napster]

Quote[/b] (pboreham @ Mar. 03 2004,15:10)]Yea, good ones - then of course Saving Private Ryan is a very intense 20 mins...

whereas I thought Shaving Ryan's Privates took ages to get into.

 

[Wessex Blue]

Trainspotting - Renton and Spud being chased through Edinburgh to the soundtrack of Iggy Pop's Lust for Life.

 

[Mad Cyril]

Raiders of the lost ark.

Dirty Harry.

 

[Napster]

Quote[/b] (Wessex Blue @ Mar. 03 2004,15:55)]Trainspotting - Renton and Spud being chased through Edinburgh to the soundtrack of Iggy Pop's Lust for Life.

Even though it's completely geographically rubbish?

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Quote[/b] (Napster @ Mar. 03 2004,16:16)]Even though it's completely geographically rubbish?

Shrimpboy alert!

Anyhow back to the topic - one of my favourite starts to a film is, as discussed on here not so long ago, Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. Quality.

 

[* ORM *]

Just for starters ......

Deliverance to the point of the Duelling Banjos sequence.

I know it's cheesy but the opening sequences of Beverly Hills Cop never fails to make me laugh.

The Fast n the Furious

Shrek

Virtually all of the spaghetti Westerns starring Clint

 

[canada shrimper]

you're never gonna beat the blues brothers.

 

[Bob Cratchitt]

I feel Saving Private Ryan is the best opening to a film, mainly due to the sheer impact of it. When i went to see it the whole cinema just sat there staring in disbelief. Normally at the start of films you can hear people munching snacks or slurping drinks but not that time!

 

[Leeboy]

The Matrix - especially the bit where Trinity jumps up and the whole "slo-mo" thing kicks in - a whole new way of filming action sequences had just been born.

Often copied, but never bettered

 

[Napster]

The Spy Who Loved Me- Roger Moore leaves some blonde tart in bed, saying England needs him, then an excellent chase on skis, followed by one of the best stunts done to this day, (jumping off a cliff on skis) followed by the Union Jack opening on his parachute. Combine that with the 70's funky remix of the Bond theme and it's one of the best starts to a film.

 

[Leeboy]

I know its a bit cheesy, but the beginning of Goldmember when "Austin" turns around and its Tom Cruise................

 

[Napster]

Quote[/b] (Leeboy @ Mar. 04 2004,10:26)]I know its a bit cheesy, but the beginning of Goldmember when "Austin" turns around and its Tom Cruise................

I was just thinking that as well- although the Danny Devito bit is the best, as well as good old Britney looking lovely.