most memorable opening sequence in a movie

[belphegor]

a friend and i were talking about that the other day and i mentioned how easy it was to remember movie endings... how about opening sequences??? which ones striked you as standalone masterpieces??? -not talking about credits here but the first few images that set the tone for the story...

mine are:

1. lawrence of Arabia
2. memento.
3. Blade Runner had a pretty good one too...


[This message has been edited by belphegor (edited 08-04-2002).]

[bankholdup]

Saving Private Ryan's opening scene is memorable. Amazing stuff right there.

[flowrchild]

I can't remember if it was at the very beginning or the very end, but I LOVED the colorful travel-through-space scenes from Contact

[Reigh Kaufman]

As a statement of intent, Jaws is pretty hard to beat.

Star Wars is a generic favourite.

My personal favourite is Blue Velvet (even though I am not a big fan of the film). An american Werewolf in London has a pretty memorable opening...

[BadCoverVersion]

*Trainspotting...My all-time favoutite opening sequence!

[Favourite end]

The best one for me -in "Gladiator".

[ColinM]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by bankholdup:
Saving Private Ryan's opening scene</font>

This is my choice too.

[Grebdron]

Saving Private Ryan has the most powerful opening of any film I've ever seen. Bar none.

[Cyclonus]

A CLOCKWORK ORANGE
2001
TERMINATOR 2
ALIENS
BOOGIE NIGHTS
SAVING PRIVATE RYAN
PULP FICTION

[master noam]

Blade Runner
Akira
Farewell my Concubine

But my all time favorite opening scene is in The Emperor and the Assassin, that is my favorite scene in the film. Its jaw dropping and amazing.

[Michael Corleone]

The opening scene of Being John Malkovich with the puppet show.

[daredevil0214]

for me it would have to be the opening in...

Memento
Boogie Nights
Moulin Rouge ][heh heh][
Happiness ][simple but hilarious][

there was this other movie i own but i cant think of it and i thought it was a GREAT opening...

[Downfall]

Scream
Memento
Blade & Blade II *Awesome*
Gladiator


There is a lot more I can't think right now.

[adidas12185]

top opening sequences (in no real order):

Halloween 2
Halloween: H20
Halloween: Resurrection
Blade
Blade II
T2: Judgment Day
Lake Placid

[belphegor]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Reigh Kaufman:
As a statement of intent, Jaws is pretty hard to beat.

Star Wars is a generic favourite.

My personal favourite is Blue Velvet (even though I am not a big fan of the film). An american Werewolf in London has a pretty memorable opening...</font>

forgot about Jaws, but thought of it later. true, that is one of the best ever, in terms of establishing the mood for the story.

[MoNsTeR]

okay, mine is the modern version of ROMEO AND JULIETTE. now that's an opening!

oh yea, the opening for LOTR:FOTR is pretty memorable!

//out.

[the movie guy]

The beginning of:
Magnolia (8/10)
Memento (10/10)
Three Kings (9/10)
Saving Private Ryan (10/10)
Dark City (10/10)

Those all stick out in my head right now.

[Tom Samborski]

The opening sequence in Arlington Road blew me away.

[Dr.strangelove]

A clockwork orange
Heavy Metal !
ill think of more

[pat00139]

The opening shot from Touch of Evil was pretty memorable for me.

Even though his movies suck royally sometimes, Brian DePalma always has some interesting opening sequeces...
which reminds me, the opening from The Player is really nice.

Other than the ones already said, I can't think of any more.

[belphegor]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by pat00139:
The opening shot from Touch of Evil was pretty memorable for me.

Even though his movies suck royally sometimes, Brian DePalma always has some interesting opening sequeces...
which reminds me, the opening from The Player is really nice.

Other than the ones already said, I can't think of any more.</font>

opening of Touch of Evil is a pure classic! work of the true genius that Wells was. you make me want to see it again. thanks for the reminder ;-)

[Cozmic]

The beginning of Batman was great!

[Tapeworm]

Magnolia
Boogie Nights
Requiem For A Dream
Go
Pulp Fiction
Mulholland Drive

[Catania]

The journey through Tyler's brain in Fight Club.

[beastieben21]

The only one I can think of that hasn't been listed is CUBE, now thats an opening that grabs you by the balls!

[Catania]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Catania:
The journey through Tyler's brain in Fight Club. </font>

Sorry, thought you meant credit sequences.

One of my favorite opening scenes would have to be the opening sequence to Die Hard: With a Vengeance; where the Lovin' Spoonfull's Summer in the City is suddenly abrubted by a large store explosion. The movie quickly takes off from there.

[Gregorious8]

Blade 1 & 2

Pulp Fiction

[Danny L]

SCREAM
MAGNOLIA
LOTR

[blitzkrieg]

Have you people forgotten the great FULL METAL JACKET scene? I mean when the recruits are first breifed by GnySgt. Hartman. That one is VERY memorable.

[NumberMSO52]

Pulp Fiction (resteraunt/robbery)
Reservoir Dogs (the diner)
Super Troopers (pulling over the stoners)
Blade (the massacre at the club)
Clerks ("No, i'm not going to work today")
Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (Hawking stolen merchandise/getting chased by the cops)
Trainspotting (the entire opening monologue)

[tayag]

Saving Private Ryan

[Eelco]

1) Austin Powers 3; Goldmember (fantastic!)
2) Goldeneye (James Bond)
3) Star Trek 8; First Contact
4) Desperado
5) Die Hard 3; With a Vengeance
6) Patton
7) O Brother Where Art Thou!
8) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
9) Indiana Jones; Raiders of the Lost Ark
10) Star Wars: Episode IV; A New Hope
11) The Mummy
12) The Blues Brothers
13) Boogie Nights
14) Fearless
15) Das Boot
16) Lord of the Rings; Fellowship of the Ring
17) Gladiator
18) Halloween
19) Jaws
20) Scream
21) The Sixt Sense
22) The Thing (1980 remake)
23) The Big Lebowski
24) Dumb & Dumber
25) Kingpin
26) A Bronx Tale
27) Jackie Brown
28) Saving Private Ryan
29) Spaceballs
30) Vanilla Sky
31) Hollow Man
32) ID4
33) Cube
34) Arlington Road
35) Topgun

[dr.gorman]

A Clockwork Orange
2001
Full Metal Jacket
All the Star Wars movies
Raiders of the Lost Ark

[Scarface98.9]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Swordfish. it's too bad the rest of the movie didn't live up to the beginning 15 minutes

[Tapeworm]

Kids!

[chrissy]

It has to be the first sequence in Jaws. It was the most intense scene I ever saw in a movie. Also, I felt that it was actually happening. That she was really being attacked by a shark. The actress that played Chrissy did a great job in that scene.

[Conor]

the opening credits to se7en were terrifying and great/

[Hannibal21]

The most memorable opening sequence to me is the opening sequence in Citizen Kane.

[charliebobo]

The Godfather
Raging Bull
Magnolia
Citizen Kane
Apocalypse Now
Manhattan

[syxxpac]

- Saving Private Ryan
- T2: Judgment Day
- Jaws
- Pulp Fiction
- 2001: A Space Odyssey
- Full Metal Jacket
- Speed
- True Lies
- Memento
- The Matrix
- The Transporter
- Windtalkers
- Fellowship Of The Ring
- Scream
- Scream 3
- Goldeneye
- Gladiator
- Aliens
- Swordfish

And when I write my script, you better damn well believe it'll have the best opening ever :D

[Congerking]

I always liked the opening scene in Swordfish with john travolta's monologue about cinema.