Best movie opening/title sequence

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Post by ShyViolet » February 13th, 2007, 5:13 pm

Have to check that one out! :)
You can’t just have your characters announce how they feel! That makes me feel angry!

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Post by Ben » February 19th, 2007, 1:22 pm

The first 22 minutes of Indy/Doom is probably the best "popcorn" movie opening. It never stops!

And I love the Tarzan opening too...perfectly economical storytelling.

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Post by ShyViolet » February 20th, 2007, 1:09 am

The first 22 minutes of Indy/Doom is probably the best "popcorn" movie opening. It never stops!

Yes very true! :)

Sort of like the first Jurassic Park, right Ben? :)


BTW, speaking of JP, (totally random) did you know that the girl who played Lex in the first JP, Ariana Richards, is a very successful artist/painter now?


http://www.galleryariana.com/pages/thea ... gatart.htm


The boy who played her brother, Tim, is still acting, and directing as well! :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Joseph_Mazzello.jpg
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Post by Jeroen » February 22nd, 2007, 6:58 pm

the first ones that spring to my mind are the austin powers 2 & 3 openings, both genius in their own way.

They always put the biggest creepiest smile on my face

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Post by ShyViolet » February 22nd, 2007, 7:07 pm

Oh G-d yes. :) For me it's probably the Goldmember opening that's my fave!

"Really? (holds up his Oscar) Well, my friend here thinks it's fine the way it is." :P

"Hey, Powers! You better watch your fricken' self because this is one evil doctor who does make house calls!"

---Kevin Spacey as Dr. Evil

Goldmember is probably my favorite of the three....that movie still makes me laugh SO hard....I thought Goldmember was WAYYYYYYY funnier than Fat Bastard (anyway Fat Bastard sounds A LOT like Shrek now! :P)

I think the way Goldmember kept "referencing" stuff was a homage to the fact that at first they couldn't even use the name "Goldmember" for a while, as it was a copyright thing with the people who made the Bond flick "Goldfinger" or something.

"It is Bad News Bears for you! --Walter Matthau"


Plus love Austin and his dad's "English English" conversation! :)

Michael Caine was great, too.
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Post by Jeroen » February 23rd, 2007, 5:37 pm

BTW, speaking of JP, (totally random) did you know that the girl who played Lex in the first JP, Ariana Richards, is a very successful artist/painter now?
I wonder if she'll be in Jurassic 4 since Spielberg said it would reunite most of the principal cast of the original.

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Post by ShyViolet » February 24th, 2007, 3:13 am

Wow, that would be cool, BUT I am only going to see it if either Spielberg, Peter Jackson or Gore Verbinski direct it....:) Otherwise, no sale! :?

Speaking of JP sequels, here's another hilarious Editing Room script, as usual, edited slightly for content: (full version is on his site
www.the-editing-room.com)



*JURASSIC PARK 3: THE ABRIDGED SCRIPT™
By Rod Hilton
FADE IN:


INT. DINOSAUR ISLAND


DIRECTOR STEVEN SPIELBURG is checking out the area. Suddenly, RAPTORS appear!


DIRECTOR STEVEN SPIELBURG
Oh no! Raptors!


They eat the SCRIPT FOR JURASSIC PARK 3.


DIRECTOR STEVEN SPIELBURG
Heavens! I guess I'll just have to use the script from the first movie combined with the tattered remains of the one the raptors ate. Eh, nobody will notice.


INT. LAURA DERN'S HOUSE


SAM NEILL and LAURA DERN sit at a table. For a moment we think they may have married each other, but it turns out they haven't. This misleading setup is SLIGHTLY CUTE, setting the film's trend of being JUST BARELY ENTERTAINING.


LAURA DERN
I was willing to return to the franchise for exactly two scenes. I hear you're willing to do the whole thing, Sam.


SAM NEILL
(smirking like a jacka**)
Well the first one really got my career going. And then I saw how well handled the second one was and I really thought I missed out.


LAURA DERN
Er..


SAM NEILL
I mean, that could have been ME chasing dinosaurs around the city in a terribly absurd manner. I really missed the boat with that one. So here I am. William H. Macy and Téa Leoni have hired me to fly over the island and, since I'm a moron, I'm going to do it.


LAURA DERN
I hope you get eaten.


SAM NEILL
(smirking like a jacka**)
I'll be fine. This movie is an extremely blatant rip-off of the first Jurassic Park and I survived that.


EXT. DINOSAUR ISLAND


Everyone arrives and, despite SAM NEILL's semi-apathetic protests, they land.


SAM NEILL
(smirking like a jacka**)
You landed? You actually landed on an island full of free dinosaurs? Am I the only one here who actually SAW the other two movies? Are you all complete idiots?


TÉA LEONI
I am.
(cupping hands and yelling)
SON!? SON?! WHERE ARE YOU!? ARE YOU OVER THERE!? BECAUSE YOU CERTAINLY DON'T SEEM TO BE RIGHT HERE, AT THE ORIGIN POINT OF ALL THIS YELLING!


Amazingly, a DINOSAUR shows up and eats the helpless crew people.


TÉA LEONI
Unbelievable. Who would have thought that yelling endlessly would attract things that could kill us. Hi everyone, I'm a worthless dungheap.


SAM NEILL
(smirking like a jacka**)
Jesus, you're the dumbest human alive. What would William H. Macy want with you? Hmm...that's a good question. Something isn't right.


WILLIAM H. MACY
I guess now is as good a time as any to explain things. Téa and I aren't married anymore. Our son went off with Téa's boyfriend or stepfather and got stranded here. I wanted you here because you've been on this island before.


SAM NEILL
No I haven't. I was in the first movie, not the second.


WILLIAM H. MACY
Oh. Whatever. I never really paid attention to any of them. They all kinda suck. Anyway, I know that I'm placing the lives of you and these crew people at risk, but hey, I'm selfish. Also, I'm not rich and the check I wrote is fake. I run a paint business.
(pause)
It's a good thing I'm such a likeable actor or I'd look like a real scumsucking piece of s*** right now.


TÉA LEONI
Lucky you. I'm not likeable at all. In fact, I appear constantly spaced out and there's something vaguely annoying about the way I talk. Plus I keep yelling, so I'm putting everyone's lives as risk two fold.


SAM NEILL
(smirking like a jacka**)
I see. Well it's a good thing I'm here to help you to escape alive. As an expert, I must advise you that the best defense against any dinosaur is to kick them in the mouth as much as possible. I also recommend fattening yourself up a bit and pricking yourself so you bleed every so often. F*****s.


WILLIAM H. MACY
Gee, shucks. We ought to find our son. Please help, even though you aren't getting paid and we're both complete a******s.


SAM NEILL
Hey, wait, how were you able to convince the airplane pilot and crew people to come along on this trip? Unlike me, they wouldn't be so stupid as to risk their lives before making sure the check is valid.


WILLIAM H. MACY
Uh... HEY LOOK, DINOSAURS!


DIRECTOR STEVEN SPIELBERG throws a dart at the WHEEL-O DINOSAURS and it lands on SPINOSAURAUS.


Suddenly, a SPINOSAURAUS APPEARS and eats a GUY WITH A CELL PHONE!


AUDIENCE
Finally, a movie where carrying a cell phone is a death mark. If only it were real life...


SAM NEILL
Let's run! Quick, into these bushes!


The dart lands on RAPTORS.


SAM NEILL
Oh no! Raptors! Let's run away from them into this big open field!


The dart lands on SPINOSAURAUS again.


SAM NEILL
Oh yeah, him.


The dart lands on T-REX.


The SPINOSAURAUS and T-REX fight. Through all of this, NOBODY DIES.


SAM NEILL
Everyone into the abandoned lab!


RAPTORS chase them.


SAM NEILL
(smirking like a jacka**)
How will we ever escape? First, let's give back the raptor egg.
(he does so)
Good, now that we did that, they should probably just eat us right here.


The RAPTORS stare at the CAST.


WILLIAM H. MACY
Great! The raptors were killing machines in the other movies, but apparently they discriminate about what they eat now. How extremely lucky for us. Now if only they'd go away.


SAM NEILL
(smirking like a jacka**)
The only way to truly escape is to use my Raptor Call.


He blows into his RAPTOR CALL.


RAPTOR
I don't understand what you mean by that.


He tries again, apparently now mastering the Raptor's language.


RAPTOR
Oh, you want us to leave. Well why didn't you just say so? See ya. Oh, and watch out for the Spinosauraus, cell phones give him indigestion and he gets really grumpy.


They LEAVE, illustrating that they are quite STUPID, despite the entire movie repeatedly insisting they were INTELLIGENT.


SAM NEILL
We must get to the coast! It is our only hope!


TÉA LEONI
Why? It's not like anyone will see us.


SAM NEILL
(smirking like a jacka**)
Hey, we need some kind of damn goal. Otherwise, there would be no suspense!


WILLIAM H. MACY
Actually, there already is no suspense; I think everyone in the audience wants us to get chomped to bits.


Suddenly, we hear a CELL PHONE. This is REALLY ANNOYING, because it sounds like some A*****E in the audience is getting a call.


SAM NEILL
That cell phone means the Spinosaurus is near! See, we used to know dinosaurs were approaching when water rippled. It was ominous and foreboding. Now they have a musical tone ring. I'm sure that doesn't make the dinosaurs less scary or anything.


THE SON
(appearing conveniently)
Hi! I've managed to survive all of these dinosaurs! You know why? Cause I'm a kid in a Jurassic Park movie! I AM INVINCIBLE!!


SAM NEILL
(smirking like a jacka**)
Wow, you have T-Rex p**s? I'm impressed, but you may not be able to see that through my wall of confident, smug-as-hell facial expressions. So how did you get that, anyway?


THE SON
I walked up to him and kicked him and yelled "P** for me, m*****f*****!" until he did. He couldn't do a damn thing about it - not in this movie!


SAM NEILL
Nice. I'm going to stick close to you since you can't get eaten. Let's walk through this fog until we meet up with some Pteranodons. They were finally used heavily in this movie because we can actually use computers to make them look real now!


THE SON
Hmm, not really.


They hear the CELL PHONE ringing.


SAM NEILL
Who keeps calling this thing anyway?


They find it in a pile of SPINOSAURAUS POOP.


SAM NEILL
Great, now I can call actress Laura Dern!


He does.


SAM NEILL
Oh no! I am unable to say anything into the phone to communicate my problem! Surely she will be able to deduce from some random grumbling sounds that I am on an island full of dinosaurs. Then she will use her Laura Dern Superpowers to save me!


WILLIAM H. MACY
We're gonna die.


They make it to the coast, upon where they discover a RIDICULOUSLY LARGE RESCUE TEAM and the EXTREMELY ABRUPT ENDING. LAURA DERN flies in on her Invisible Dernjet!


LAURA DERN
Hello Sam! Thought you could use a little help courtesy of my fantastic Dern Powers!


SAM NEILL
(smirking like a jacka**)
Thanks Laura Dern! Tell me, how was someone in your position able to pull enough weight to get this enormous recuse team?


LAURA DERN
Well Sam, I think it's quite clear that Director Steven Spielburg has gone totally insane.


DIRECTOR STEVEN SPIELBURG
Actually, I didn't direct this. Or write it. I really just threw money at Director Joe Johnston and repeatedly sent him copies of the first Jurassic Park. I was busy making A.I. unwatchable.


WILLIAM H. MACY
I can't decide if that makes this movie better or worse.


SAM NEILL
I can't imagine a whole lot that would make this movie worse.


The Pteranodons fly off as the credits roll.


SAM NEILL
Scratch that.


TÉA LEONI
Aww, look at the flying dinosaurs. They're so cute and dangerous.


SAM NEILL
Hey wait, why are we all okay with this? Dinosaurs are escaping.


WILLIAM H. MACY
Because if we cared, we'd have to do something about it. I want to go home and return to acting in good movies.


END
Copyright 2001 Rod Hilton. All Rights Reserved. This document may be reproduced verbatim (allowing censorship and translation) as long as the author's name is preserved and this notice is either preserved or referenced.
Last edited by ShyViolet on February 24th, 2007, 3:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
You can’t just have your characters announce how they feel! That makes me feel angry!

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Post by Josh » February 24th, 2007, 3:24 am

ShyViolet wrote:Wow, that would be cool, BUT I am only going to see it if either Spielberg, Peter Jackson or Gore Verbinski direct it....:) Otherwise, no sale! :?
I think Spielberg still wants Jurassic Park III director Joe Johnston to helm JP4.

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Post by ShyViolet » February 24th, 2007, 3:45 am

Um.....why? :P :roll: :roll:

(No offense to Joe, I liked Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Jumangi, and Rockateer--well it's not his fault, too many high expectations, not enough freedom to make JP his own....:()

Spielberg is the producer though--so, does even CARE what happens to this franchise? Does he WANT it to go the way of Jaws?? :shock:
You can’t just have your characters announce how they feel! That makes me feel angry!

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Post by Josh » February 24th, 2007, 4:29 am

I think with a great script, Johnston would be a fine choice for Jurassic Park IV. As for Spielberg possibly directing any future JP films, though, Wikipedia has an interesting piece of trivia:
Wikipedia wrote:In hindsight Spielberg expressed his view that this sequel [The Lost World: Jurassic Park] was a movie he wanted to see, but didn't necessarily want to make himself. He would relinquish the opportunity to direct any more Jurassic Park films.
With that written, it seems Spielberg is being extra careful this time around in choosing a script for another JP adventure.

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Post by Jeroen » February 24th, 2007, 5:36 am

Jurassic 4 can only stand in the shadows of 1&2.
I don't think heres a good enough script out there to make this a truly exciting movie.

The 3rd one was so ridiculously bad that I couldnt believe Spielberg produced it.
The Island didn't look a bit like the one from the 2nd and whoever came up with the Spinosaurus idea is an idiot in my book.

I can still hear Téa Leoni screaming for her son, annoyed the living daylights outta me!!

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Post by Meg » February 24th, 2007, 8:24 am

Heh, I was watching it last night.

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Post by ShyViolet » February 24th, 2007, 6:52 pm

I think with a great script, Johnston would be a fine choice for Jurassic Park IV.
Maybe...BUT I think there's one thing that is sometimes forgotten when people are looking at what would make a "great" Jurassic Park film--

This film is SUPPOSED TO SCARE THE LIVING *BLEEP* OUT OF PEOPLE.

Spielberg kicked a** at that when making the first one, and to an extent wtih the second one too.

The third one....um, how many people here were actually SCARED while watching Jurassic Park 3, no I don't mean "slightly nervous" here and there, I mean, covering-your-eyes edge of your seat terrified....and NOT at how awful the film was, because yeah, that WAS pretty scary, I'll admit. :P

Was there ANY scene in Jurassic Park 3 that approached the nail-biting terror of the "Kids trapped inside the car and T-Rex wants to eat them" sequence of J1, or even the "adults trapped inside the trailer and two T-Rexes want to eat them" scene in J2?

Not that I could see. :(

Spielberg....what a wishy-washy hypocrite he can be sometimes....!! :x

(I still think he's the world's most amazing director however, and that AI is brilliant, ditto Minority Report, and that IMO Schindler's List is the greatest movie ever made, EVER, in terms of cinematic achievment and narrative force. )

BUT that's why it's such a disappointment that he doesn't care more about the franchises that contributed to his enormous success, it's almost (but not quite on par with) Lucas screwing up Star Wars with the prequels, Spielberg acts like he cares about the "big" films he produces like Monster House and Jurassic Park 3, etc....if he cared so much, why doesn't he get more involved, why doesn't he seem to care more about the E word, "Entertainment" something he used to do with such effortlessness and grace?

******************************************************

If Spielberg actually wants there to be good Jurassic Park films again, he should either make the films himself or pass them on to another capable, experienced director AND LET THE GUY RUN WITH IT. JP 2: The Lost World and Jurassic Park 3 are basically warmed-ove JP1, don't deny it!! Spielberg should either COMMIT to making slam-bang action/entertainment films all the way, or give his franchise to someone who knows how to make good scary stuff like Peter Jackson (um....King Kong ring a bell anyone? :P) or Gore Verbinski (even knowing that the video in The Ring is based off surrealist films by Dali doesn't stop that upside down spinning chair from scaring me senseless every time.)

So....where was I going with this? Oh yeah! Stevie, do it yourself, or for all our sakes, learn to LET GO! :roll:
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Post by Josh » February 24th, 2007, 7:23 pm

Wow, we are getting far from the thread's original topic! :)

Anyway, here is an IGN article I found pretty interesting: "Back to Basics:
What Blockbuster Movie Franchises Need a Reboot?"
Though the writer, Scott Collura, has never really enjoyed the Jurassic Park films, he still feels that the series has potential. Thus, he writes that the JP franchise needs a reboot - with a scarier, bloodier prequel.

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Post by ShyViolet » February 24th, 2007, 7:27 pm

We also need some of the "wonder" of JP1, partly that was the trailblazing VFX, but also the fact that MAGIC and awesomeness of dinosours was very well conveyed.

You saw some of that with the dinos in King Kong, but IMO no one did it as well as Spielberg in JP1, particularly with that "Welcome to Jurassic Park sequence" early in the film, when he first unveils the Brontosorous.

About 70% of that wonder was lost when JP2 was made. With JP3, the other 30% was gone.
with a scarier, bloodier prequel.
Um, wait, a prequel? What kind of prequel exactly? John Hammond as a young man trying to clone dinos or something? I don't see much potential with this unfortunatly....:(

And making it "bloodier" isn't going to make it better...they need a darn good director and a good story, plus appealing and UNIQUE actors (that's one thing JP 1 had, even if people didn't realilze it then) to make us care about the story at all....

Jurassic Park 1993 is a "blockbuster" in all senses of the word, but it also had some great acting, good writing and immensely clever filmmaking. You can't just pull that out of a hat.

*******************************************************


Like that IGN article though Josh! :)
You can’t just have your characters announce how they feel! That makes me feel angry!

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