# Favorite opening credits **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 5, 2005, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548 "2005-02-05T18:28:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2005, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/1 "2005-02-05T18:28:09Z")
“The Man Comes Around” just came up on my iTunes shuffle, and it reminded me of what the freakin’ masterpiece that is the opening credits of _Dawn of the Dead_. There’s a _long_ run in to it. We follow one of main characters through the Evening Before the Dead, the Nookie Before the Dead, and the Cuddling After the Nookie Before the Dead, then the peaceful slumber before Night Before the Dead. And then, Dawn comes. The main character wakes up to the new zombie reality, and gets the everliving crap scared out of her, then flees like any reasonable person would, only to find that the whole world has gone made. Cue the music. It’s a plucky, upbeat tune about the Apocalypse by Johnny Cash. What’s not to love? The opening credits roll over a montage of terrifying zombie mayhem. Not the usual shambling, brain-eating zombie mayhem, mind you, but a new breed of fast-moving, hard-hitting, take-no-prisoners chaotic zombie mayhem. All the while, Johnny’s tellin’ us about the father hen who calls his chickens home, and the wise men bowing down before the throne. Brilliant. What movies make you feel like you’ve already gotten your money’s worth before you even know the name of the casting director? ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2005, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/2 "2005-02-05T22:05:26Z")
I’m not sure if it counts, but I love theopening credits to **School of Rock**. There’s no scroll, just a few signs on the wall a poster or a bit of graffitti. Very memorable. The closing credits were equally good. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2005, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/3 "2005-02-05T22:29:37Z")
IIRC, the credits for [Se7en](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0114369/crazycredits) were terrific (in a bizarre sort of way). ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2005, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/4 "2005-02-05T22:31:48Z")
And, at the risk of completely revealing the depravity of my soul, I thought the opening credits of **The Wild Bunch** were a mark of genius. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2005, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/5 "2005-02-05T22:36:16Z")
I’ll always have a soft spot in my heart for the opening credits of _Star Trek: First Contact._ ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2005, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/6 "2005-02-05T23:05:35Z")
The opening credits of the original “Star Wars” (later called “Episode IV - A New Hope”) still knock my socks off. Extremely corny, but so memorable. ---
**Author:** ![pasunejen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/58956e/32.png) [@pasunejen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pasunejen)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2005, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/7 "2005-02-05T23:32:08Z")
_The Royal Tenenbaums_–They do an excellent job of setting up/developing characters as actors are introduced. _Gattaca_–just cool. _Fight Club_–ditto. ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2005, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/8 "2005-02-05T23:43:34Z")
A Møøse once bit my sister… No realli! She was Karving her initials on the møøse with the sharpened end of an interspace tøøthbrush given her by Svenge - her brother-in-law - an Oslo dentist and star of many Norwegian møvies: “The Høt Hands of an Oslo Dentist”, “Fillings of Passion”, “The Huge Mølars of Horst Nordfink”… ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2005, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/9 "2005-02-05T23:53:53Z")
_Bambi Meets Godzilla_ ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/10 "2005-02-06T00:03:27Z")
I gotta admit that my favorite opening credits are the ones for the American “Ring” movie, “Pirates of the Carribean” and “The Incredibles.” I’m sure there’s more. In other words, I love the recent trend of not having opening credits and getting straight into the movie. Then, if I liked the movie I can stay around after and see who made it! ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/11 "2005-02-06T00:08:33Z")
**Napolean Dynamite** … just way too cool and creative. ---
**Author:** ![pasunejen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/58956e/32.png) [@pasunejen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pasunejen)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/12 "2005-02-06T01:00:09Z")
> [@Silentgoldfish](#): > > I gotta admit that my favorite opening credits are the ones for the American “Ring” movie, “Pirates of the Carribean” and “The Incredibles.” I’m sure there’s more. > > In other words, I love the recent trend of not having opening credits and getting straight into the movie. Then, if I liked the movie I can stay around after and see who made it! This is one of the things that’s kind of cool about the Royal Tenenbaums…the credits show up after the backstory has been explained. They’re so perfectly woven into the movie that you don’t notice you’re…well…watching the credits. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/13 "2005-02-06T01:08:47Z")
People people people _PEOple._ TITLES are opening. Credits are _closing._ I’m pretty sure my favorite opening title sequence was designed by Saul Bass for Hitchcock. I don’t remember if it was _Vertigo_ or _North by Northwest._ I do remember it was in color. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/14 "2005-02-06T01:15:18Z")
> [@Beware of Doug](#): > > … > > I’m pretty sure my favorite opening title sequence was designed by Saul Bass for Hitchcock. I don’t remember if it was _Vertigo_ or _North by Northwest._ I do remember it was in color. Here’s a list of [Saul Bass’ opening title sequences](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000866/) Just about any of these could be on my favorite list of opening sequences. Some of them were actually far more entertaining than the movie itself. ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/15 "2005-02-06T01:39:42Z")
Agree about **Napoleon Dynamite** , though it sort of reminded me of MTV. I thought that the credits for **Catch Me If You Can** had a real nice retro look to them. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/16 "2005-02-06T01:42:42Z")
Anything by Sam Bass. Like _Psycho_, for instance. ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/17 "2005-02-06T01:50:10Z")
> [@Beware of Doug](#): > > TITLES are opening. Credits are _closing._ Aw, darn it. You know, I googled around trying to figure out whether it was “opening titles” or “opening credits.” I guess I shoulda googled harder. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/18 "2005-02-06T02:01:47Z")
I always thought the opening credits of _Green Acres_ were pretty funny. They’d be printed on shirts, hanging laundry, and so forth. Oliver seemed to be oblivious to these, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/19 "2005-02-06T02:05:54Z")
West Side Story North by NorthWest Rear Window City Slickers Raising Arizona ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/20 "2005-02-06T02:14:51Z")
_Tour Of Duty_. Not my favourite show ever, but those opening credits with “Paint It Black” thumping jaggedly over…great stuff. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548.md?page=2)