…but otherwise are still great films…so i don’t mean films that go into the shitter after.
Dances With Wolves…particularly the shot of The General leading the charge across the field.
Don’t know if it’s the best scene in the movie but the first 7 minutes of Once Upon a Time in the West is amazing.
The first scene of “Inglorious Basterds” in the farmhouse is the most thrilling of a movie with many thrilling scenes.
And of course the first 15 minutes of “Saving Private Ryan”.
Most 007 films put their best scene before the titles.
Patton
I went to Mad Max: Fury Road just to hate on it. No one was going to replace Mel Gibson as Max. But not only was the first 10 minutes some of the best action movie cinematography ever, it restarted the franchise.
Now Tom Hardy is Max.
See, this is why one of my favorite things to do is scroll through Netflix and watch the first ten minutes of movies…
So thanks for the recommendations, this is great!
Glengarry Glen Ross! Alec Baldwin for the win!
“What’s my name? Fuck you, that’s my name!”
“Coffee’s for closers!”
“First prize is a Cadillac. Second prize is this set of steak knives. Third prize… you’re fired!”
Classic
MtM
The first 10-15 minutes of Pixar’s Up is some of the best storytelling EVER.
Saving Private Ryan and Up were the two that immediately sprang to my mind.
Gunnery Sergeant Hartman greeting the new recruits at the beginning of Full Metal Jacket.
Fast Eddie Felson playing a marathon game of pool against Minnesota Fats at the beginning of The Hustler, and completely falling apart.
The train wreck was the best part of The Fugitive. Not saying I didn’t like the rest of the movie, but I could have walked out of the theater after the train wreck and felt like I got my money’s worth.
Midnight in Paris. Pretty good movie, but the first scenes of Paris are stunning.
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
There is no dialogue for the first ten and a half minutes of this movie.
Favorite scene:
Opening sequence of Fight Club.
Yes, a better love story in ten minutes without words, than the entire five film Twilight franchise.
Including the opening credits, Joe Vs. The Volcano.
I’ve seen detailed breakdowns of this scene in many writers craft lectures. Tarantino is a master of the scene, and this is one of his finest.
That scene is such a great kick in the ass.
We use “… are for closers!” all the time in my house.
Is Omar Sharif’s introduction in the first 10 minutes of Lawrence of Arabia? There are many wonderful scenes in that movie, but that approach is my personal favorite.