Favourite opening credits sequence?

[Matt H. Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Matt H.]

I watched Almodovar's MATADOR the other day and it has an amazing opening credits sequence (a guy jerking off to clips from BLOODY MOON and BLOOD AND BLACK LACE) and it got me thinking about other classic openings:

MULTIPLE MANIACS - A simple homemade credit crawl with the opening chords of "Endless Sleep" playing on a loop. Awesome.
MASTER OF THE FLYING GUILLOTINE - Stills from the film accompanied by the best possible use of a NEU! song imaginable.
BLUE COLLAR - One of the best ever and one of the easiest ways to hear the uncut version of Beefheart's "Hard Workin' Man".
HARD EIGHT - Just simple white credits over a black screen, but the dread-filled music is incredible.

I'm also a fan of a well-placed shock cut title card and cool music plays a big factor as well. What are some of your favourites?

[Alex K. Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Alex K.]

Off the top of my head:

The Beyond. "Because through that gateway evil will invade the world!" Zoom out from the book of Eibon catching fire, Fabio Frizzi's amazing score booms, credits play over the fire. Epic stuff.

Swamp Thing part 2 (Return of Swamp Thing, whatever it was called). Opening titles over a montage of Swamp Thing comics. Best thing in the movie.

Shirley Pimple. I like movies that surprise you like that.

Alien. Seeing the title slowly form is a stroke of genius.

Batman 89. Purely nostalgia for me but having the Danny Elfman score play as we explore a massive stone carving of the Bat Symbol is a pretty interesting way to start your superhero flick.

Day of the Dead. Doctor tongue. The dead walk. Enough said.

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Warning, NSFW:

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[Matt H. Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Matt H.]

That song from VIVA LA MUERTE has been stuck in my head for years!

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That song from VIVA LA MUERTE has been stuck in my head for years!

Glad to see I'm not alone! :)

[Paul L Scholar of Sleaze Find all posts View Profile Close Paul L]

I
BLUE COLLAR - One of the best ever and one of the easiest ways to hear the uncut version of Beefheart's "Hard Workin' Man".

That would be on my list too, along with:
LISA AND THE DEVIL's stylish card-dealing titles sequence
THE WILD BUNCH's symbolic ant/scorpion shenanigans cut against the bank robbery ('If they move... kill em!')
THE GETAWAY's superb montage depicting the mundanity of Doc's life in prison, culminating in his destruction out of frustration of the model bridge he's been painstakingly constructing in his cell

[Tom Clark Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Tom Clark]

Not feeling particularly descriptive at the moment so the video's will do all the explaining:

Torn Curtain (1966)
Succubus (1967)
Bad Timing (1980)
Crash (1996)
Lost Highway (1997)

[The Silly Swede Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close The Silly Swede]

Spitfire from 1994 cause of its tacky James Bond ripoff style. Also Lance Henriksens stand in on a Jetpack is top notch.

The Delta Force opening, with cannon logo and alan silvestris score gives me an 80s boner

And if TV and parody is included, the intro to Garth Marenghi's Darkplace:

Also, the Hidden from 1987. With the whole security camera and credits which leads into a balls to the walls car chase and shootout.
(Could not find a good enough clip on youtube)

And the french film Entre chien et loups AKA Break of Dawn, by Alexandre Arcady. The whole plane heist during the opening credits is absolutely fantastic. (Sadly the film goes downhill from there though)

Will think of some more and post again....

[SuperDevilDoctor Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close SuperDevilDoctor]

CASINO ROYALE (2006).

Love the retro-style graphics matched with Chris Cornell's song.

[JLG Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JLG]

i like the opening for The Last of the Mohicans. used to run around on the playground at school pretending i was in that movie

[Matt H. Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Matt H.]

Another good one is Altman's NASHVILLE. Sort of like a commercial, with an excited announcer introducing the cast, accompanied by painted portraits of them.

"...in NASHVILLE!!!"

[Tom Clark Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Tom Clark]

Some more that came to mind:

The Birds (1963)
Eureka (1983)
Dead Ringers (1988)
Mulholland Drive (2001)

Also Female Vampire (1973), the reasoning being fairly obvious to anyone who's seen it.

[Matt H. Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Matt H.]

I remember Cronenberg on the eXistenZ commentary talking about the importance of a strong opening credits sequence, and his films definitely have some memorable ones.