# Best opening credits ever? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 11, 2008, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-credits-ever/433083 "2008-01-11T04:13:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-credits-ever/433083/21 "2008-01-11T11:59:47Z")
[These](http://youtube.com/watch?v=iVEgK3nCkao), which besides being beautiful to look at, also prove that John Williams can write something \*besides \* fanfares. ---
**Author:** ![Octalcode](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Octalcode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octalcode)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-credits-ever/433083/22 "2008-01-11T12:45:56Z")
**The General’s Daughter**. The whole plot is summed up in the first five minutes or so,(credits rolling) and in the backround plays the completely eerie \*\*“Sea Lion Woman”. \*\* Totally sets the mood for the movie ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-credits-ever/433083/23 "2008-01-11T12:46:39Z")
[QUOTE=Mr Shine] _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_ in a walk. [/QUOTE] Seconded. \*We apologise again for the fault in the subtitles. Those responsible for sacking the people who have just been sacked have been sacked. \* Brilliant! ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-credits-ever/433083/24 "2008-01-11T14:28:42Z")
[QUOTE=Mr Shine] _Monty Python and the Holy Grail_ in a walk. [/QUOTE] Funniest opening credits ever. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-credits-ever/433083/25 "2008-01-11T14:32:19Z")
City Slickers has a really funny cartoon for its opening credits. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-credits-ever/433083/26 "2008-01-11T14:44:55Z")
I’m suprised to hear people actually LIKED the opening credits to Superman. I remember seeing it for the first time and they seemed liked they just went on and on and on and on. I nearly fell asleep before the movie even started. My favorites (and remember, we’re talking opening credits here not opening scenes) were North by Northwest which captured the fast paced daily rush of the streets of New York city in the 50s, and Flash Gordon, that spun credits over the pages of classic Flash Gordon comics to the pumping Queen soundtrack. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-credits-ever/433083/27 "2008-01-11T14:49:07Z")
**The Shining** … perfect stage-setting, putting you on the edge of your seat with nothing more than an overhead shot and Berlioz. You just _know_ something unseemly is going to happen. ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-credits-ever/433083/28 "2008-01-11T15:03:43Z")
[QUOTE=NDP] –[**NIne Hours to Rama**](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwFI55COceI) [/QUOTE] Holy shit! THANK YOU! That was one of my favorite films when I was growing up, but I hadn’t thought of it for years! Thank you for the reminder. I need to find the ancient videotape (taped off late-night TV). I just looked for the DVD and [found this](http://www.lostsilver.com/movies/N/Nine%20Hours%20to%20Rama.html). I don’t know how trustworthy this place is. ---
**Author:** ![ArizonaTeach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@ArizonaTeach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArizonaTeach)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-credits-ever/433083/29 "2008-01-11T16:26:05Z")
[QUOTE=Hampshire] and Flash Gordon, that spun credits over the pages of classic Flash Gordon comics to the pumping Queen soundtrack. [/QUOTE] Oh, that’s a good one. A very good one. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-credits-ever/433083/30 "2008-01-11T16:33:53Z")
[The Dead Zone](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmGV5XagqII) – best use of shards, ever. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-credits-ever/433083/31 "2008-01-11T16:42:21Z")
I liked the opening credits for Men In Black, with the bug that winds up splattered on the windshield. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-credits-ever/433083/32 "2008-01-11T16:50:40Z")
My all-time favorite: [_The Wild Bunch_](http://youtube.com/watch?v=Zc4m-4586sI) (unfortunately, the clip is truncated and leaves off the best part: “If they move, kill 'em” followed by “Directed by Sam Peckinpah” I can’t find the whole thing ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-credits-ever/433083/33 "2008-01-11T16:53:03Z")
I like the credits for **Almost Famous** , handwritten by director Cameron Crowe with pencil on yellow legal paper. Great for he sound of the pencil on paper alone (plus the use of the eraser to correct the spelling of Frances McDormand). For TV shows, \*\*Get Smart \*\* has to rank up there. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-credits-ever/433083/34 "2008-01-11T16:53:56Z")
This film doesn’t have any opening _credits_; however, I think it has the best opening sequence I’ve ever seen: **G. I. Joe: The Movie** ---
**Author:** ![vison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e47774/32.png) [@vison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vison)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-credits-ever/433083/35 "2008-01-11T17:00:31Z")
Saturday Night Fever ---
**Author:** ![LateComer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5ac83/32.png) [@LateComer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LateComer)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-credits-ever/433083/36 "2008-01-11T17:07:21Z")
I thought the opening of [Tenacious D: In the Pick of Destiny](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmCtU1C3dcc&feature=related) was pretty awesome, both the Kickapoo musical number and the tarot card credits. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-credits-ever/433083/37 "2008-01-11T17:17:07Z")
_Panic Room_ had some pretty cool opening credits. [Link](http://youtube.com/watch?v=sqIclb4qsJIhttp://youtube.com/watch?v=sqIclb4qsJI) although I don’t think this really gives off how cool they are. ---
**Author:** ![Labtrash](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/labtrash/32/528_2.png) [@Labtrash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labtrash)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-credits-ever/433083/38 "2008-01-11T17:22:00Z")
Raising Arizona ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-credits-ever/433083/39 "2008-01-11T18:00:04Z")
**Napoleon Dynamite** has already been mentioned, so I’ll nominate **The Court Jester.** ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2008, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-credits-ever/433083/40 "2008-01-11T18:26:11Z")
The Pink Panther had a good sequence - the only one I know of that invented a character that got used in a TV series. (And commercials.) I saw the cartoon show long before I saw the movie and found out what the Pink Panther actually was. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-credits-ever/433083.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-opening-credits-ever/433083.md?page=3)