Kevin's Watch

What is the best opening scene of a movie you have seen?

I'd say the Two Towers really stands out to me. Despite the rest of the movie, which I'd say had both its joys and parts that I grumble about, the opening is beautiful. Take a scene we have seen before that we are familiar with and is a big beautiful moment, and open it sideways by following the events of what we didn't get to see. It made the movies of LOTR seem that much less 2-D at that point. I loved it, and got my excitement way up at the beginning of the long movie that it is.

Another movie I think has a great opening is Fearless. It starts with a character in a cornfield holding a kid (if memory serves) and after wondering what is going on, suddenly he comes out of the cornfield and it is revealed what becomes the centerpiece for the rest of the film: a plane crash. Absolutely stunning. No wonder Lost stole it for opening the series.

The beginning of Cliffhanger, the teahouse shootout in Hardboiled, the footchase in Casino Royale.

The jaw dropping awe of the Stardestroyer in the first scene of A New Hope (although it wasn't known by that then) when I first saw it in the theater in 1977. It is now over 30 years old, and I don't think it translates well to the small screen, but I still recall the initial total amazement my then 17-year old self experienced.

Menolly wrote:The jaw dropping awe of the Stardestroyer in the first scene of A New Hope (although it wasn't known by that then) when I first saw it in the theater in 1977. It is now over 30 years old, and I don't think it translates well to the small screen, but I still recall the initial total amazement my then 17-year old self experienced.

Yeah, that's pretty much the definition of jaw-dropping. I know I'd never seen anything like that in '77.

my alltime favorite opening scene

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf



my OTHER alltime favorite is the title sequence and first scene of

To Kill a Mockingbird

Cagliostro wrote:What is the best opening scene of a movie you have seen?

...

Another movie I think has a great opening is Fearless. It starts with a character in a cornfield holding a kid (if memory serves) and after wondering what is going on, suddenly he comes out of the cornfield and it is revealed what becomes the centerpiece for the rest of the film: a plane crash. Absolutely stunning. No wonder Lost stole it for opening the series.

I thought Fearless was that Jet Li movie about the martial arts teacher? Really enjoyable, disappointing historical accuracy, and nothing about a plane crash...

Anyway, my two favorite opening scenes have got to be:
1) 28 Weeks Later. No question, this one scene shows you just how bad things are, and you wind up saying, with the main character, "Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit!"

2) Finding Nemo. So, we're in the theatre, watching a Pixar flick, happy as clams (or fish) and WHAT THE HELL SHE DIES?!?!? I almost start crying every time I see it, even now

A Clockwork Orange. Kept me glued to it for the next two hours.

Apocalypse Now. Blade Runner. First time I watched their openings, I knew I was watching a masterpiece.

Cagliostro wrote: I'd say the Two Towers really stands out to me.

Agreed.

Rigel wrote: I thought Fearless was that Jet Li movie about the martial arts teacher? Really enjoyable, disappointing historical accuracy, and nothing about a plane crash...

It is, actually, but I was referring to this movie from Peter Weir. It is one of my all-time favorite movies.

Menolly wrote:The jaw dropping awe of the Stardestroyer in the first scene of A New Hope (although it wasn't known by that then) when I first saw it in the theater in 1977. It is now over 30 years old, and I don't think it translates well to the small screen, but I still recall the initial total amazement my then 17-year old self experienced.

Ha, if you thought that was impressive, you should see the opening of Space Balls.

While The Two Towers opening upped the ante, Fellowship's prologue was the most impressive opening I've ever seen. A completely black screen with that Elven music playing, the Galadriel voice-over, still gives me goosebumps every time. Followed up with the giant Sauron hitting men like golf balls, seeing the Last Alliance of Elves and Men(!!), and then cutting the ring from Sauron's hand . . . at that point I thought nothing could ever go wrong with these movies. This film had exceeded my wildest hopes within 3 minutes. And I had been following the preproduction and rumors for a couple years before it opened, so my expectations were pretty high.

I know, it's an easy, obvious choice. But nothing can top the first 20-30 minutes of Fellowship in my eyes.

In my defense, there was no gayness in the opening!

Ok, there were too many dreamy-eyed stares between Hobbits for my taste. And the joke about "even the trees walked" was funny. But Jackson's trilogy is the most incredible achievement in the history of film. In my opinion.

Cail wrote:Randal, with plenty of foul language, perfectly sums up my feelings towards the LoTR movies.

Mrm, both LOTR fan and Star Wars fan make pitiful arguments. "25 endings"? I thought the ending was swiftly done and also hit on everything I wanted to see from the book (and without being slavishly faithful, like many poor adaptations). Jedi really dropped the ball with the Ewoks, and the movie all around paled to Empire. LOTR was damn good through all three movies, so I'd say it's the more complete trilogy. Kevin Smith...pff.

And yeah, Two Towers' opening was grand.

Malik23 wrote:

Menolly wrote:The jaw dropping awe of the Stardestroyer in the first scene of A New Hope (although it wasn't known by that then) when I first saw it in the theater in 1977. It is now over 30 years old, and I don't think it translates well to the small screen, but I still recall the initial total amazement my then 17-year old self experienced.

Ha, if you thought that was impressive, you should see the opening of Space Balls.

While The Two Towers opening upped the ante, Fellowship's prologue was the most impressive opening I've ever seen. A completely black screen with that Elven music playing, the Galadriel voice-over, still gives me goosebumps every time. Followed up with the giant Sauron hitting men like golf balls, seeing the Last Alliance of Elves and Men(!!), and then cutting the ring from Sauron's hand . . . at that point I thought nothing could ever go wrong with these movies. This film had exceeded my wildest hopes within 3 minutes. And I had been following the preproduction and rumors for a couple years before it opened, so my expectations were pretty high.

I know, it's an easy, obvious choice. But nothing can top the first 20-30 minutes of Fellowship in my eyes.

I thought about including it in there because I agree that the opening of FOTR is impressive, and I STILL pop it in when I want to test a sound system as the sounds of Sauron going foooom is one of the best sound achievements I can think of. At least on a good sound system. Without a good sound system, it isn't so exciting.
But I still think opening TTT trumps it as it starts quiet, moves into the crack, swings through the material we know, and then we dive down. It's like when a rollercoaster starts up, and you start moving slowly toward the top of the big hill, and right at the top is a sign that says, "Fly you fools!" And then the plunge.
But yes, FOTR made me breathe a sign of relief and feel like, yes, this is in good hands, and there is going to be some cool huge battles coming up. In that regard, I was never disappointed.

Oh yeah. The adaptations could have been turned into some Hollywood monster, which I'd have avoided like the plague if it had gotten less than a stellar reception.

The Usual Suspects had one of the most amazing opening scenes ever...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zyaP8TBaBw

Cagliostro wrote:

Rigel wrote: I thought Fearless was that Jet Li movie about the martial arts teacher? Really enjoyable, disappointing historical accuracy, and nothing about a plane crash...

It is, actually, but I was referring to this movie from Peter Weir. It is one of my all-time favorite movies.

mine too. i love peter weir movies! picnic at hanging rock!

also i have to agree about Bladerunner. another one of my favorites.

Jedi really dropped the ball with the Ewoks, and the movie all around paled to Empire. LOTR was damn good through all three movies, so I'd say it's the more complete trilogy. Kevin Smith...pff.

Funny, because Kevin Smith already said about the same exact thing 15 years ago.

Empire had the better ending. Luke gets his hand cut off, finds out Vader is his father, Han gets frozen, taken away by Boba Fett. It ends on such a down note. I mean, that's what life is, a series of down endings. All "Jedi" had was a bunch of Muppets.

More proof, then, that Kevin Smith has lost his magic touch (as if Jersey Girl wasn't enough proof).

Cail wrote:Randal, with plenty of foul language, perfectly sums up my feelings towards the LoTR movies.

Ya gotta love Randal!