As I was writing our Sylvester Stallone role call gallery, I stumbled onto the opening scene of Cliffhanger (below). Fifteen years after the film’s release, it still had me on the edge of my seat. Is it one of the best opening movie scenes ever? Which other films would you put on the list? The line for Scream starts behind me.
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Comments (1-30) of 122 Add your comment
Trainspotting has a great opening scene.
Hairspray is another with Good Morning Baltimore.
“Raiders of the Lost Ark” owns this category.
Also, the sequence in “Rushmore” showing all the clubs/activities Max is in.
“Reservoir Dogs” with the roundtable discussion at the diner.
2004’s Dawn of the Dead. Those first 15 minutes are intense!
“Someday, and that day may never come, I’ll call upon you to do a service for me. But uh, until that day – accept this justice as a gift on my daughter’s wedding day.”
The opening of SCREAM was great, and they kept the same feel for both sequels. As far as gruesome goes, does anyone remember the opening of GHOST SHIP?
My absolute favorite opening film scene is from APOCOLYPSE NOW! Picture it – Fade in: the quiet stillness of the Cambodian jungle trees as the music of The Door’s “The End” starts to creep in. Within seconds, the whole scene goes to Hell in a fireball of napalm as Jim Morrison’s voice gets louder and the flying helicopters invade the scene. Slowly, it desolves to an overhead shot of Martin Sheen lying on his bed, alone in his room, and smoking…”Saigon. Sh*t. I’m still only in Saigon.”
I didn’t know anything about “Scream” when I bought a ticket to see it at the theater back in ‘96, but after that first scene I knew I was in for a fun and frightening time. And Nathan brings up a good one with 2007’s “Hairspray.” “Good Morning Baltimore” is fantastic, and the way it segues into “Nicest Kids in Town” is brilliant.
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“Easy Rider”- I have no desire to ride a motorcycle, wasn’t born until 18 years after it was made, and didn’t even like the rest of it aside from the scenes with Jack Nicholson, but that opening sequence of two guys barreling down the highway to “Born to Be Wild” is just cool.
Hey Phil, I loved the opening scene in Ghost Ship! Very cool and the movie is a guilty pleasure. Loved it!
Also have to agree that the opening scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark will have to rate very high on my list along with the diner scene in Reservior Dogs.
But I also think that Saving Private Ryan may have them all beat. I was worn out after the first 30 minutes!
“Jaws.” ‘Nuff said.
DalGal: Right on with “Saving Private Ryan.” Phenomenal.
The Breakfast Club- The teens show up with their parents, and if you know your John Hughes films, Anthony Michael Hall is dropped off by his real life mother.
Risky Business- Shows up naked to his SAT exam but it’s just a dream
Pretty Woman-Richard Gere gets into an arguement over the phone with his soon to be ex-girlfriend.
Dazed & Confused, Sweet Emotion no contest. Psychs me up every time I see it.
I’d say either Raiders or Last Crusade.
The Birdcage: straight sweeping shot goes directly from out over the water so you can see all of south beach and then directly into the club where they’re performing. no breaks or cuts. it’s awesome.
All right you’ve piqued my curiousity. What is the beginning to Ghost Ship?
Great ones have already been mentioned, but “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure” sprung into my head.
Pulp Fiction. How can one NOT want to dance around to “Jungle Boogie” before the blood bath begins?
A Hard Day’s Night, complete with George Harrison’s unscripted and unplanned spill onto the sidewalk.
Oh yeah…..Fight Club. Coolest EVER!
The Godfather–absolutely genius. A minor character revealing the grisly wrongs done to his daughter. The lighting, the horror on his face, the shot to Marlon Brando. If that opening scene doesn’t suck you in, I don’t know what does.
I also agree with Hairspray–loved the shot of Baltimore, seguing into the opening rhythm of Good Morning Baltimore. Set the tone beautifully.
Ok, so this is a tad lame but I love the opening sequence for Dinosaur. James Newton Howard’s score soars as we sail over the “what looks like” Utopian planet following the path of the egg. It gives me goosebumps everytime!
Contact.
“Star Wars”! It begins with an explanatory crawl and then — WHAMMO! All of a sudden, you’re in the middle of a major space battle.
Pulp Fiction “…and I’ll execute every m*****f****** last one of you!!”
Jackass the Movie (Shopping carts on an epic level)
Oh, and Super Troopers “I’M FREAKIN’ OUT, MAN!”
To Shawn…I was going to post on here just to say Dazed and Confused – it was the first and only opening I thought of. Good call.
I just watched “Raiders of the Lost Ark” last night, so I’m going to throw my vote in for that one. The bloody deaths, the rolling boulder, the cowboy cool of our hero…it still gets my blood pumping after all these years
.
From a more pop-cultural standpoint, I’m also going to say “X2″. Yay Nightcrawler.
I have two: Gangs of New York with the whole walking out to fight and then the actual fight scene in the streets of the five points, and at the end it pans out to show New York as it was back in 1860 or whenever, loved it. But my fav has to be the highly underrated Miami Vice movie. Not the directors cut, but the original, with the cold opening, no credits or anything, just puts you right in the club. One of my favorite movie going experiences.
Jurassic Park! Where they’re putting the raptor into his cage and OH NO he’s trying to escape and he grabs hold of a guys legs and drags him up and down. Through out the whole thing we only see a glimpse of the raptor, hear it’s crazy scream roar and we never see the after math of the guy who was gnawed on. Man. Spielberg knows how to open a movie.