# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![chukhung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e79b87/32.png) [@chukhung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chukhung)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/21 "2005-02-06T02:19:04Z")
I particularly remember the titles for [Life of Brian](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079470/). But was it Terry Gilliam’s animation? Or Sonia Jones _way_ over the top rendition of the title song? ---
**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, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/22 "2005-02-06T02:49:31Z")
> [@pasunejen](#): > > 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. That’s good too – I just don’t like it when it’s 5-10 mins of titles over music. Even when there’s animation or something happening I just want them to get on with it and start the movie! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/23 "2005-02-06T03:14:58Z")
The titles for **The Stand** rawked. Great use of **Don’t Fear the Reaper**. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/24 "2005-02-06T08:33:29Z")
> [@Crusoe](#): > > _Tour Of Duty_. Not my favourite show ever, but those opening credits with “Paint It Black” thumping jaggedly over…great stuff. “Paint It Black” was pretty much the reason I ever watched that show – I would sit through the teaser waiting for the song, and the teaser would hook me. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/25 "2005-02-06T09:06:37Z")
What, no mention of _Catch Me If You Can_? I also like the opening shot of _Rescuers Down Under_. The opening titles of _Panic Room_ are just odd. Meaninglessly elaborate. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/26 "2005-02-06T09:08:40Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > What, no mention of _Catch Me If You Can_? Post 15. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/27 "2005-02-06T14:07:10Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > 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. Absolutely! “If they move - kill 'em!” **Directed by Sam Peckinpah** ( **KarlGauss** knows what I’m talking about) Color me depraved as well! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![kiffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/d78d45/32.png) [@kiffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiffa)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/28 "2005-02-06T14:21:41Z")
So Sam Bass did Walk on the Wild Side - that black cat slinking along the alley way just says SEX. the movie on the other hand was a total bomb. ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/29 "2005-02-06T14:46:06Z")
I liked the opening to **Contact** , with the TV and radio signals getting older and older as the camera went further into space. As to closing credits, **Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events** was awesome. Great music and animation. ---
**Author:** ![RancidYakButterTeaParty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/53a042/32.png) [@RancidYakButterTeaParty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RancidYakButterTeaParty)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/30 "2005-02-06T14:49:26Z")
I have always enjoyed the opening of StrangeBrew. The McKenzie brothers showing their own movie,talking about what a “grip” does, and then releasing moths into the theatre to cover the projector and cause panic is classic. Rancid ---
**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:** [February 6, 2005, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/31 "2005-02-06T16:56:40Z")
**Man in the Moon** – Jim Carrey comes on as Andy Kaufmann, tells the audience the movie is over and to go home. And you see all the closing credits in the beginning. Not only good in its own right, but just the sort of thing Kaufmann would have done. ---
**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 6, 2005, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/32 "2005-02-06T19:14:52Z")
> [@Labdad](#): > > Absolutely! “If they move - kill 'em!” **Directed by Sam Peckinpah** > > ( **KarlGauss** knows what I’m talking about) > > Color me depraved as well! 😃 You know, I heard that the “If they move, kill 'em!” line was actually a bit of an ad lib, or possibly an outright mistake. Supposedly, the script called for him to say, “If they move, they’ll be sorry!”, although it’s not listed that way in [this](http://sfy.iv.ru/sfy.html?script=wild_bunch) which may simply be a transcription of the dialogue that made into the final cut of the film. [PIKE: We want Angel. MAPACHE: (chuckling) You want Angel, no? I am going to give him to you.](http://sfy.iv.ru/sfy.html?script=wild_bunch) ---
**Author:** ![Paladud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Paladud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paladud)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/33 "2005-02-06T19:28:54Z")
Being John Malkovich ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/34 "2005-02-06T19:34:38Z")
**Ed Wood** ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/35 "2005-02-06T20:11:13Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > You know, I heard that the “If they move, kill 'em!” line was actually a bit of an ad lib, or possibly an outright mistake. Supposedly, the script called for him to say, “If they move, they’ll be sorry!”, although it’s not listed that way in [this](http://sfy.iv.ru/sfy.html?script=wild_bunch) which may simply be a transcription of the dialogue that made into the final cut of the film. Well, if it _is_ an ad lib or a mistake, then I say thank God for William Holden’s goof! I just don’t think, “If they move, they’ll be sorry” packs the same punch! ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/36 "2005-02-06T20:47:26Z")
Maurice Binder, who did the titles for the early James Bond films among others – THUNDERBALL, GOLDFINGER, FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, et al. ---
**Author:** ![Darkhold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@Darkhold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darkhold)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/37 "2005-02-06T20:57:25Z")
The Babylon project was our last best hope for peace…it failed. ---
**Author:** ![buns3000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c89c15/32.png) [@buns3000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buns3000)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/38 "2005-02-07T02:08:44Z")
I absolutely shat myself during the opening credits, er, titles of the John Frankenheimer film, [Seconds](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060955/). Its another Saul Bass effort with music by the incomparable Jerry Goldsmith. OK, so I was by myself and I had the lights out and the set up really loud. ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/39 "2005-02-07T04:35:56Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > _Bambi Meets Godzilla_ I agree completely, but it could be argued that it is the entire movie. ---
**Author:** ![uglybeech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/82dd89/32.png) [@uglybeech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uglybeech)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548/40 "2005-02-07T04:47:07Z")
The opening for **Airplane**! with the rutter of an airplane cutting through the clouds like a sharkfin - to the theme from Jaws. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-opening-credits/288548.md?page=3)