What Makes An Amazing Film Opening? 

Spoiler alert: The lava lamp is Georg Rockall-Scmidt. The other guy is an actor reading a script.

Don't you dare touch that lamp! I Love Lamp

You may have added the lava lamp to the mise-en-scène as a joke, but now - whether you like it or not - it is a hallmark of your channel. It is iconic. Long after you are dead, and your videos remain timeless on the internet, historians and scholars will discuss the significance of the lava lamp. For posterity's sake, please do not remove the lava lamp.

The lava lamp is a genius tool of editing. It gives continuity to the shot when you cut your line delivery. Of course, you know this, but it's such a clever idea that is lacking from many "jump-cut" videos.

I think the lava lamp is great! It provides a good atmosphere, and lighting.

The lava lamp is your signature! It really sets you apart. I'm also a fan of when you turn & cut to camera 2 for comedic effect.

I love the opening of Alien, first the pan across the planet, ominous music and the title slowly appearing, followed by the long tracking shot through the empty space ship corridors. Perfectly sets the mood.

The lava lamp is the best thing ever. It's mesmerizing. It makes listening to you like a meditation and very relaxing. I love it!

The lava lamp is ominous, can be an iconic part of your channel. Adds some visual flair to the footage of yourself. I personally love it, and thought it was very deliberate. Quirky but with class

The lava lamp sets you apart from the other film analysis channels and provides a calm, chilled atmosphere.

I think I've just found my favourite film centered channel.

I dug the opening sequence of Contact. Saw it in a full theatre when it opened, the noise slowly fades out and you're deafened by how silent it is. No hiss, no ambient buzz, just dead silent. It was eerie, and it seemed to go on forever. Kind of blew my mind the first time I watched it.

The lava lamp is your thing mate, keep it! You're videos are awesome by the way, I have been binge watching when I had time. Keep up the good work!

I think the best part about the opening of Star Wars was the angle with which the Star Destroyer chasing the rebel ship is filmed. What I mean is, _the low angle implies dominance._

Thank you so much for giving a seizure-warning. You're literally the only person I've ever had do that, and it means so, so much to me.

Long love the lava lamp!!!

My favorite opening to any film is the opening to A L I E N. It says so much without saying anything. It shows us the layout of the ship and give the audience a sense of emptiness and overwhelming dread. All of this before the film"s characters are even introduced hammering home the feeling of isolation.

One of the best movie openings ever: John Carpenter's Halloween. The whole 'from the killer kid's perspective thing, through the eyes of the mask, the music, all of it sets up the psychological effect needed for a slasher flick brilliantly. Also, I came in very late, but I rather like the lava lamp.

Children Of Men will likely always have my favorite opening. it's an insanely looked over film

The opening credits of Enter The Void is one the most incredible experiences I have ever witnessed in a cinema. BTW keep the lava lamp.

I'm usually pretty stoned when I'm watching your vids. The lava lamp is nice to capture the gaze while your soothing voice reverberates through my noggin.

You're doing really compelling work on your channel, Georg, and you deserve a much higher subscriber count than you've got currently (10,069). Your conception, writing, production, and performing are all superlative. I can see that you're experimenting with genre (history, commentary, comedy) and style (documentary, informal dialogue, frenetic stream of consciousness social satire, etc), trying to find a comfortable niche and/or a wider audience. If it's of any help to you, I found you through your movie exposition--I was watching reviews/doco's on The Thing (the GOOD one!) and one or two of your videos appeared on the sidebar. While I'd hate to see you narrow the range of work you're producing, for what it's worth, I think you would increase your audience substantially by doing short reviews of (would-be) blockbusters and getting them posted as early as possible (before hacks like Stuckmann or Jahns) with the movie name in the video's title. I know you prefer to do the longer, deeper examinations of film production (and they're great, btw), but I think you should look to build your supporter base first, then sloooowly transition to more satisfying projects. Just a thought (and no doubt nothing you hadn't already considered yourself). Oh, and keep the lava lamp because it's already become iconic, like your tatty merkin.

i’m three years late but the lava lamp is iconic. i have been going back watching your videos

Although not one of my favorite movies, I've always loved the opening sequence to Apocalypse Now. The elemental contrasts between the green jungle and the searing fire... the helicopter crossovers... the fades into Martin Sheen's character's spiraling, and all blended with The Doors' "The End." Most impressive to me as an amateur movie enthusiast, is it being shot completely with practical effects and seemingly (and necessarily) all in one take.

My favorite opening is the aperture scene of Conan the Barbarian 1982, the phrase of Nietzsche next to the little drums and the the immortal phrase "between the time when the oceans drank Atlantis and the rise of the sons of Aryas there was an age undreamed of, and unto this. Conan, destined to wear the jeweled crown of Aquilona upon a troubled brow. It's I, his chronicler, who alone can tell thee of his saga. Let me tell you the days of high adventure". And then the strongest drums song meanwhile the steel sword was forged. When you saw that you know that will be an epic adventure.

I kinda like the lamp. It's something unique, and I do look at it quite often while listening to you. It might also be helpful for newer / occasional viewers to remember you by, if they've only seen your videos from the "recommended" section. It's almost like a little mascot that represents the channel.

I agree with your assessment of A New Hope, but my favorite part is between those that you mentioned, namely the chase. Not only does it obviously grab you with "Oh shit, we're in trouble," but the contrast between the Rebel Corvette and the Star Destroyer instantly spell out the relationship.

The opening to Stanley Kubrick's The Shining stands the test of time.

I fucking love your style of video. It's simple and easily to just relax and listen to. The lava lamp is a iconic part of these videos for me now :)

Came for the Yor, stayed for the lava lamp!

The fact that you went to the effort of having your lava lamp be the same unbroken take in your opening joke with the bottle is the kind of attention to detail I love.

I’ve exhausted all your vids and am rewatching and this is a particular highlight Georg

Casino Royale opening scene totally sets up the mood and what kind of the new james bond is in the movie.

I love your videos because you have thoughtful and thorough ideas, and I'm glad I found your channel. Keep up the good work, Georg

One of my favorite openings is from Seven Psychopaths, starting us off cold with two gangsters discussing their line of work in public, something actual made criminals would never do but its a classic set up we all love. As they chat to each other waiting to perform their hit, you're given echoes of something like Goodfellas, or Pulp Fiction. An intro with an element of grit, quiet tension, dangerous men doing casual things while the audience all the while is waiting with baited breath for what's about to happen. Only, as by the nature of this cliché, most viewers figure they'll get at least a couple minutes of this conversation to establish the tone of the film before any action happens. Then the Jack of Diamonds Killer walks up behind them and shoots them both in the back of the head, carefully flicking his signature cards onto their corpses, then walking away. Its a brilliant moment of violence that catches you off guard and shatters the tension, and it is this moment that defines the nature of the film, that of an absurdist take on the crime thriller and an atypical character driven zany narrative. One of my favorite comedy action films of all time, with an intro perfectly tailored to subvert your expectations and let you know to stay on your toes over the course of the movie.

Just found your channel and I wanted to say I not only like your content, but I also love the atmosphere in these videos. Cheers, bro!

Your stuff's really top notch mate, you remind me of every person I've ever met behind the counter of a HMV

The lava lamp is really cool. You should use a different lamp in each video or some type of lighting feature and not even mention it

Just discovered your Channel because of the Fear and Desire video. Great find, congrats on your work mate! Cheers from Brazil

Hey Georg I recently found your channel and now I'm binging all your videos. Really really love them! Lava lamp included!

I quite like the opening for the Final Cut of Blade Runner The music and the scenery greatly help I also quite like the opening of Ghost in the Shell (the original one)

I like the lava lamp because it reminds me of your practical vs cgi video. nothing wrong with this but other channels like nerdwriter use a lot of editing to keep your eyes on the screen, where as your videos I find my eyes drawn to the lava lamp waiting to see if the globs will ever combine into one big glob lol.

I like the lamp. Also your insights on film. Keep up the great work. And the lamp.

definitely keep the lava lamp. it makes your videos feel like an honest conversation with a super well spoken chap i've met at a friend's place or something. the ambience it provides is instrumental to the viewing experience for me and is one of the many things separating your content apart from all the other guys sitting at desks talking about films culture and art on youtube.

Casino Royale has one of my favourite openings. Straight away you know this is a different type of Bond.

The Lava lamp has to stay! You on the other side.....

Just stumbled across this channel with The Thing 2011 Practical Effects video and have checked out a few other videos and have found them quite enjoyable, so you have a new subscriber! As for film openings that immediately immerse you, the two that spring to mind are Full Metal Jacket, with Gny. Sgt. Hartman inducting the new recruits at boot camp with a barrage of insults, and the The Two Towers with its smooth shots over the mountain ranges before taking you back to the confrontation between Gandalf and the Balrog. There's so many good ones, but these always stuck out to me.

My fave film opening? Persona. Hands down. So glad I found your channel.

"The Thing" / "Predator" got some cool-ass openings. However, my favorite opening CREDITs are from the "Universal Soldier" when JCVD and Dolph are presented just a few seconds before zipping their body-bags up. BTW, THE lava lamp must stay.

I grew up loving the Pink Panther openings, as well as a lot of other 60's era films that opened with animation. Even I Dream of Jeanie cones to mind for that reason.

The Lava Lamp is your signature "look". When I'm browsing through content I will intentionally look for it in the thumbnail because I like your film commentary so much. I wouldn't change it bro. It's part of your brand and adds a cool bit of production design to your set.

I'm not sure why I like this channel. I'm partly convinced it's the accent and the lava lamp. I'm not even super into movies, or like, critiquing them, but he definitely knows his shit and is pretty damn informative.

I find Watchmen's open credits scene one of the best opening scenes of all time,cheers!

I wonder if its frustrating to be seeking actual conversation about the video topic and the only thing anyone is talking about is the damn Lava Lamp....

Speaking of musically driven openings, one of my favorite films Scott Pilgrim vs. The World has a really entertaining one. Starting with an 8-bit version of the Universal Studios theme which is inspired by 80s video game culture (which is a prevalent theme in the film), the opening hits you with loud, fun indie music played by the fictional band Sex Bob-Omb with the credits overlaying the screen. That opening won me over.

Keep the lava lamp, through set re-design and everything. Looks cool mate, gives the vids a nice tone and a splash of colour.

When I see that lava lamp, I imagine the globs of lava are actually egg yokes, floating in a tiny ocean of sprite. The idea of floaty sprite-eggs amuses me, thus I'd quite like it to stay.

All hail Lava lamp, all obey lava lamp!

There Will Be Blood gave you the whole character's backstory up front with no talking and tension that was unreal, really set the ton. Unfortunately at the time when I was watching that great intro in theaters at opening a geriatric was taking about a minute to sit down.

The Lava Lamp is spot on, also thank you for saving me the time and hassle of making my own RU-vid channel

Lava lamp is a definite keep, adds personality to the shot.

I've always loved the opening of Drive, but my all time favourite opening has to be John Carpenter's The Thing.

Criminally Underrated channel

I have grown quite attached to your soothing voice paired with the hypnotic visual of that gorgeous lamp . I would really hate to see it go.

The opening of 2001: A Space Odyssey is incredible.

I vote for the Lama lamp to stay forever.

I love the openings to Road to Perdition, The Dark Knight, The Prestige, and Reservoir Dogs. Also, even though it's technically not an opening scene, I love the dueling banjos scene in Deliverance. I think it does a great job of establishing the calm before the storm idea you mentioned. And I just found your videos today, but so far I'm liking the lava lamp. I don't mind if it stays.

I think the lava lamp is perfect; I just commented before finishing the vid, and almost mentioned it after seeing another comment about it. I wouldn't say it's distracting, I think it's soothing and relaxing which complements the tone of your videos in a good way. As you mentioned, it's something to look at besides you talking, and again I mean that in a good way.

Lava lamp is love. Lava lamp is life!

Love the lava lamp. Love your videos. Also love the openings from Watchmen and from Sucker Punch, which are basically music videos.

I just found your channel, and I like the lava lamp! I thought it was a simple way to put a mark on your videos without much effort, and it made me a little jealous you thought of it. Keep it!

Love your videos. Great stuff.

2001's beginning is brilliant as is Apocalypse Now's

As far as movie openings go... you could have mentioned John Travolta's iconic sidewalk strut from Saturday Night Fever. That opening set up everything for the rest of the film.

I like the lava lamp. Once Upon a Time in the West has the greatest opening, it was great you included it. Another opening I like is Alien! How we are taken around the quiet ship waiting for the crew to wake, a masterpiece.

A few that don't seem to have been mentioned: Trainspotting - an absolutely iconic opening monologue, with "Lust For Life" setting the pace and tone perfectly; Land And Freedom - sets up the framing device in a very spare and economical, yet emotionally impactful way, seguing nicely from David's grand-daughter leafing through his old papers and pamphlets to the archive footage of the Spanish Revolution and the fantastic strains of "A Las Barricadas", with the title cards explaining the political context fitting neatly into the film screening at the 1936 meeting where David decides to go to Spain - classic Ken Loach really: unfussy yet artful; finally, Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas - the slightly off-kilter rendition of "Favourite Things", the archive footage of the 60s counterculture and the blood spilling over the Samuel Johnson quote, followed by that swipe cut and the Great Red Shark whipping past and one of the greatest opening lines in either literature or cinema: "We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold...."

You should have more subs

I'm surprised he didn't talk about the James Bond films when talking about the Fistful of Dollars opening

one of my favourite openings ever is from Cube 2: Hypercube. It begins with showing the ink within the fibres of paper, then the lines being drawn, and finally slowly zooms out to reveal the architectual plans if the cube and the entire structure. Very minimalist, but probably not very thematically deep.

I suddenly feel the urge to get myself a lava lamp. New subscriber here, love the content and the way you present it.

Inglourious Basterds is one of the best openings ever imo, Tarantino at his best. Amazing ramping up of tension through masterfully written dialogue.

I think the lava lamp is important! Your set is pitch black, there are long scenes of just you talking, no cuts to screenshots or clips, no movement from you at all, in fact you're perfectly still. None of this is inherently problematic, but if the lava lamp weren't there, and it was just you, motionless in the darkness, talking directly at me, I would feel the need, after a moment, to look away. Or I would wish for a cut to a clip. Or at worst, I might stop watching. The lava lamp, perhaps surprisingly, relieves that impulse entirely. Now, it's not the lamp specifically that I like, It's the fact that there's something at all I can watch while listening to you, to avoid constantly staring right at you. If, for instance, you replaced the lamp with an occasionally changing image, say, of a movie poster or screenshot or headshot related to your current topic, that'd work just as well, for me. Or if you cut away to full screen clips or images more frequently, or even if the set itself had more incidental things I could rest my eyes upon... all of these would probably perform the same function as the lamp, and equally well. But for now, if you make no other changes, the lava lamp should stay! (I'm on mobile and can't figure out how to vote, so add one to the 'im for it' pile for me!) Thanks, loving the content.

Very good vid. At least 3 movies that I never even heard of I now must see.

Loved the intro to Soylent Green and how it bookended at the end with the cropped shot of the hand.

The Departed has a great opening.

Keep the lamp, lose the shirt. *wink*

One of my favorite movie openings is from Back to the Future, immediately the film introduces its main plot device, (time) gives away a spoiler (one of the clocks has a figure hanging from it in the same manner Doc Brown would later) and shows us how it all started with Marty's skateboard hitting the plutonium crate. Very subtle but very effective. Second favorite is the opening to Beetlejuice as it builds up both tension and atmosphere in the first minute of the movie with an impressively​detailed town model. Long live the 80s!

The lava lamp is part of you. Keep it . I love it. I can watch the lamp when needing a distraction from the sometimes caustic banter.

The intro in La La Land

That's not a Lava Lamp, it is a jar of sentient pickled eggs.

The Dark Knight. Tense, exciting, dynamic and sets the stage for a cracking future classic.

The cross of iron. Brilliant opening. Gets you straight in to the characters sence of defeat in minutes.

Dapper!

If I had to pick my favorite opening, Lion King wins BY FAR, after that, Jurassic Park, Speed Racer losing to his dead brother's time, usually if a movie has a good opening then it's pretty telling that the rest of the movie will be good.

I’ve watched this episode more than a dozen times at this point. It’s just so good!!!

the lava lamp is iconic for this channel. definitely keep it

pulp fiction has one of the best openings

Love your vids man!

The first opening scene that came to mind was from "The Cell", which is in my opinion very underrated. The visuals in the entire movie are breathtaking, and hate on J. Lo as much as you'd like, she delivered a solid performance. Furthermore, I thought of Saving Private Ryan's cemetery scene. Gets me every time.