Which film do you think has the best opening scene? Let us know below, and be sure to also check out our video of the Top 10 Movie Scenes That We'll Never Forget: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-nPSfS6OLaSo.html
Other Considerations: 1) When A Stranger Calls 2) The Sixth Sense 3) John Carpenter’s Halloween 4) Donnie Darko 5) Spike Lee’s The Inside Job 6) Memento 7) Undercover Brother 8) The Fugitive 9) 10 Things I Hate About U 10) It’s A Wonderful Life
Rear Window. Not one word spoken and we learn everything we need to know about the protagonist, his predicament and introduces us to all his neighbours in 3 and a half minutes. Brilliant.
The openings of Jaws, A New Hope, and Raiders Of The Lost Ark still hold up. Those must have been really special to see in theaters when they originally came out
They were! (Although I didn't see "Jaws" in the theater. I was 6 and we lived in a beach town, so my parents nixed the idea. The only respite they got during summer break was taking the kids swimming in the ocean, and they weren't going to risk that, lol!)
@@alyzu4755 I never got to see them in the theaters when they originally came out although a few months ago, my local theater showed Star Wars a new hope in the theaters and I couldn’t believe how awesome it actually was
In June of 1977, my brother and I took the train into Boston to one of the largest movie theaters in town and stood in line to buy our tickets to "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope". I will never forget that jaw dropping entrance of the star destroyer as it enters the screen from the top, our seats vibrating and not blinking for the entirety of its entrance=showcasing the mighty size of the spaceship. We looked wide eyed at each other in the dark theater realizing we had just witnessed something theatrically life changing. It's more than 45 years since then, and I am still in awe of it to this day and the film is as good as that June day in 1977!
yup I too saw it in 1977 and thought it was one of the best opening scenes ever, funny though I remember it titled as Star Wars, and I will forever call it that, sorry, but I'm not going to apologize.
I remember a "Police Squad" movie in the 1990s (this was before Star Wars was re-released) showed a comedy cut of the squad car diving into the Death Star trench. For just a few seconds, all of us were transported back to 1977. The theater erupted in cheers and applause--to see it again on the big screen!
I remember watching "Trainspotting" for my film studies class, and being completely blown away by how the opening scene captures your attention, along with Iggy Pop playing over it. The first time, Renton is clearly being sarcastic, but the second, he sincerely believes the words, and urges the viewers to as well.
I just replied that (Sept 8th). I can't believe no honorable mention even?! Leone at his best. Can you hear the creaking windmill? The water drips. Woody Strode and Jack Elam. I gotta watch it now. DvD time.
Great list!! I must be honest. The older movies had depth, originality, and amazing characters. Today, there is no originality. Remakes and 5,000 comic book movies made over and over again. The 80's and earlier were the best with a few exceptions. Thank you my friend.😊
The opening of Raiders is iconic, from the initial fade from the Paramount logo to Kalalea Mountain (Kauai, HI) to the camera blocking, almost like a side-scrolling video game, as we follow the party through the jungle, to the iconic silhouette of Indy and his trademark hat, to the final reveal as he turns and brandishes his whip, that was a master class in filmmaking. Then the tense trek into the temple, the frantic escape and the triumphal music of the getaway... all just to introduce the main character's primary attributes and skills before we even get started with the main story. Spielberg at his best.
Can't argue. Raiders was a great movie theatre experience, too. Right there with Jaws, Star Wars ... and I'm gonna mention Alien although the intro is the crew waking up which admittedly is all character development and slow mood science fiction development which finally evolves into the face hugger jumping onto John Hurt's space mask ... yes I digress but Alien was a great movie threatre experience. Just not classic opening scene. The early intro sets up THE iconic Chest bursting alien. It doesn't get much more memorable than that.
Touch of Evil has, imo, the best opening sequence. Written and directed by Orson Wells, its first three minutes and twenty seconds is a single continuous shot, breathtakingly suspenseful.
Exactly! It's definitely top 10 of opening scenes. That it culminated in a bomb going off sets up the movie brilliantly. It's my favorite Welles film, even better than Citizen Kane.
I was going to post this one - thank you. It would have been an insult to rate this low but it wasn't even mentioned. THAT is a travesty and at this point I seriously question the smarts of Mojo's research team. PS: I think most people find the opening sequence (not scene - these are mostly sequences) of 2001: A Space Odyssey a major bore. Could have taken that out, put Touch Of Evil in, then ranked ToE within top 2.
I actually got the privilege of meeting Janet Leigh when a local theater hosted a festival of her films. That day featured this film and "The Manchurian Candidate."
Because of this movies I won’t never go to swim in the sea. After this movie vie I studied everythings about shark. And whatever I did it, I’m still afraid about to swim in the sea. And plus, in the movie, the captain’s boat who wants to capture the shark, told a true story of a sailor whose boat was sunk during the Second World War and remained in the sea waiting for rescue for a long time and were almost all devoured by sharks. in the morning only a few survivors remained.
I loved that movie, but the last time I saw it I felt it was flat, empty, pretty ridiculous - something about Nolan's movies that never finds depth. Except for Interstellar, otherwise he's a pretty shallow director.
'Once upon a Time in the West' has the best opening - something totally different from anything you've seen before. Charles Bronson stars in this spaghetti Western - totally worth checking out.
That iconic opening of Raiders of the Lost Ark is why I always recommend newcomers start with that film first. I don’t care if Temple of Doom takes place chronologically before Raiders, Raiders does an excellent job of introducing Indiana Jones as a character that the other films can’t pull off as effectively.
When a film opens with a character narrating from beyond the grave, a la "Sin City", "Sunset Boulevard" or "American Beauty", you know that you're in for an enthralling ride.
HECK YEAH!! 🤠 The Boulder Temple Escape from 'Raiders Of The Ark's has always been my most favorite epic opening scene to start the adventures of Indiana Jones!
This may be a weird one, but I remember watching Cliffhanger when I was young, and that opening scene has stayed with me all these years! Not the best or most known movie, but man, that's a memorable scene!
Cliffhanger and Eye for an Eye are the two best openings in film. I just watched EFAE again (it’s on RU-vid) just to be sure it’s the opening scene & the sequence that I’m talking about starts with the Director credits so there might be one scene before it while the cast credits are listed but I wouldn’t count that. This is the 1st FULL scene & Sally Field crushes it. Same with Sylvester Stallone in Cliffhanger. 👏👏👏
Opening scene from Star Wars, A New Hope was groundbreaking and monumental. Clearly the best opening scene of all time. If you were lucky enough to see it in a theatre when released in the summer of 1977, you understand just how awesome and impressive it really was. It changed the entire industry after that opening scene.
Should have been in the top 5 at least. Large leap for special effects at that time! The laser bolts were all hand drawn. Just an amazing ride to get things rolling.
They clearly didn't see it in a movie theatre. For those that did, the movie industry was forever changed after that opening scene. It was awesome and inspiring.
"Children of Men" is such a brilliant, disturbing film. There's an interview with Alfred Molina in which he talks about filming the opening scene of "Raiders". It was his first film, he'd never been on a set, and he didn't understand what Spielberg meant by "hit your mark". After a couple of takes (in which he completely missed his mark), Spielberg came over, complimented him, and, very quietly, asked if he knew what a mark was. When he confessed he didn't, Spielberg, again, very quietly and low-key, explained it to him. Molina says that Spielberg is always very kind and respectful to the people on his sets.
You must be younger than me. NOTHING beats that Star Wars opening. Oh maybe not now, when we are used to such visuals, but in 1977 when we had just been ooing and ahhing that little starship zipping into view, and then that star destroyer barreled in, filling the entire screen space with a vessel like nothing we'd ever seen before, the theater I was in went wild. As good as "Raiders" opening is, it is not groundbreaking in the way that "Star Wars" achieved. And because I was born in the 40s I knew just what "Rosebud" was the first time it was mentioned.
It was not intense like many of these, but the opening to Back to The Future was fun and it hooked me right away with Marty going to Doc's place and you're wondering if he's starting up the time machine (you knew this movie was about time travel) when he's actually just hooking up to a bigass amplifier and going to play guitar (attempt to play).
Several people in the comments have mentioned Once Upon a Time in the West, but I really like the opening of The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. The introduction of the 3 main characters
Those of us who are old enough to have seen Indiana Jones when he first appeared on movie screens in 1981 in Raiders of the lost ark knew we would never see a better opening scene in a movie, ever. Nothing has come close to the excitement that scene generated. It was absolutely amazing to see it in a theater with hundreds of others, having no idea what we were about to witness. That was when movies were events, and not just entertainment. It was a different time.
My family went to see it, because my parents wanted to see Sean Connery's "Outland" but it was rated "R" so we all went to Raiders with no expectations whatsoever.
The Openings of New Hope, Jurassic Park, Raiders of The Lost Ark, The Sound of Music, The Dark Knight and Jaws are classic and fantastic beginnings to the most amazing movies ever 😊❤️❤️
Spielberg's movies have the most gripping opening scenes of most movies . Jaws, Saving Private Ryan, Raiders, West Side Story Even Schindler's List, with the disappearing flame, sucks you into the fun, the exhilaration,and even the horror to come. Master class.
Yeah, how can Saving Private Ryan not be here. It was half an hour of war at its realist (in cinema). Fascinating, enthralling, gripping ... and finally too much to, really, want to watch again. Another war movie that was so well done and so real that I asked myself: do I really want to watch that, again? Black Hawk Down. Although, I can't think how it begins ... just the recreation of a soldier dragged thru the street ... Too real because based on truth.
My favorite movie opening will always be The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring. Not only is that one of my favorite movies ever but the opening is just…so perfect. The plot is perfectly set up, Cate Blanchett’s soothing, quiet voice is so lovely to listen to, you get the backstory of the Ring and all the people that are and will be affected by it….It’s such a perfect and awesome opening
The Opening of "From Dusk til Dawn" should absolutely be a part of this list. It perfectly sets the tone for the script, George Clooney's character, and also hits with a twist half-way through that foreshadows the huge twist half-way through the movie. One of my favorite scenes of all-time.
Absolutely Raiders of the Lost Ark. I never had more fun watching a movie. I also love Lord of the Rings - Gandalf and the Balrog, or any and all of this immaculate story. Tolkien created an extraordinary world and Jackson, cast and crew had immense respect for it.
I like when MsMojo (Rebecca) is the voice. She has a friendly, knowing smile (to her voice). Good video! Hard to argue about best movie intros mentioned. Although I was starting to wonder: Where is Once Upon a Time in the West. Sergio Leone. Train station, Wood planks. Windmill creaks, water drips. No dialogue until Bronson (and that harmonica): "You have 2 horses too many." classic. Not even an honorable mention? For Once Upon a Time in the West? Ok I'll say it: That is almost a crime! otherwise great video WatchMojo, er, MsMojo
The opening to all 3 Guardians of the Galaxy movies, and all 3 Deadpool movies, Avengers Endgame and Spiderman No way home were some of my favorite movie openings that weren’t on this list
A lot of people really don’t realize how much James Bond influenced Indiana Jones. They all begin at the end of the last (untold) adventure. Or in Goldeneye or Last Crusade, an adventure in the past that connects the story.
How can Gladiator not be on this list? The only spell seen one of my favorite openings and is iconic. For action enthusiasts, the opening scene in Dwayne Johnson’s The rundown is awesome.
As much as I love Raiders, Inglourious Basterds deserves the top spot. I don’t think I took a breath during the entire first scene the first time I saw it.
Speaking of the Cohen brothers, I love the VERY long opening sequence in Raising Arizona. “Her womb was a barren and rocky place where my seed could find no purchase". 😂
The opening sets up the entire plot and main characters in rapid fashion with incredible black humor, and the pace really doesn't ever let up. The "Huggies" chase scene is almost as good as the intro but not quite. This is one of my favorite movies ever.
I like the Cohen Bros but for some reason I always felt Raising Arizona was a bit overrated. The Big Lebowski too. I need to watch those 2 again. And Millers Crossing. I truly like Blood Simple; and The Husducker Proxy is just as entertaining the third time as the first (probly cuz its easier to understand the dialogue). Anyways glad you mentioned Raising Arizona. Need to see No Country for Old Men again, too.
Right. And I am going to resist (sayin) why I think some of Tarantino' movies are overblown and overrated. Still, I don't dislike his movies. even the ones I am tempted to complain about. I actually liked Once Upon a time in Hollywood as one of his best. Pulp Fiction and Resevoir Dogs👍
My top pick are: 3. lord of the rings: fellowship of the ring "War of the Last Alliance", 2. Titanic: searching for the Heart of the Ocean and found Jack Dawson's Drawing, 1. It's a Wonderful Life: Everyone in Town says a prayer to God to save George Bayle
Many great opening scenes, but the best one for me-the one that forced me to watch even though I was shaking and scared silly-was Jaws!!!! I still watch that movie over and over…
"Desperado (Buscem "Hand cannon exposition) *Baby Driver (has two great openings-chase & credits) *28 Days Later *The Thing (husky and music score) "Reservoir Dogs (round table discussion into blood) *Hardcore Henry (live action 1st person shooter disorienting) *Demolition Man (straight to the action, only 5 minutes in the past) *Due Date( RDJ shows his character's anxiety) *300 (life of a Spartan) *From Dusk Till Dawn (didn't see it coming) *Lord of War (birth of a bullet)
The shining is simple, but the eerie music set to something as mundane as driving down the road on a sunny day sets the tone for the whole movie and puts the watcher on edge
I think it depends on what you mean by "opening scene". The opening in the cemetery is poignant, and does set up the film coming full circle - nice, but not really "all-time great". If you do include the entirety of the next 30 minutes on D-Day, then it must be the greatest opening scene in history, and no film is close.
The stunt woman also suffered some broken ribs...they had two boats pulling on her...they both pulled in opposite directions at the same time. Her pain was real!
I have seen most of these but being there in the Theater at 13 years old living on the gulf coast with the beach right down the road nothing and i mean nothing topped Jaws..That was a scary summer...
For an amazing opening, I love the music and cut from black to a blown out sandstorm in 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' - editing, cinematography and music all coming together.
This list Since should have had THE THING (1982). The Norwegian's in the helicopter trying to shoot the fleeing Husky dog before being blown up and shot was great. The audience is aghast at them trying to kill an innocent dog until later they find out the dog is not really a dog.
