# When did movies stop having all the credits at the beginning? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 10, 2011, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-movies-stop-having-all-the-credits-at-the-beginning/592177 "2011-08-10T09:14:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Tanbarkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@Tanbarkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanbarkie)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2011, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-movies-stop-having-all-the-credits-at-the-beginning/592177/21 "2011-08-10T21:26:44Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > Go see Captain America, which uses the Apocalypse Now approach – no opening credits at all, not even the _ **title** _ – and then _ **ends** _ the movie with a parade of triumphantly over-the-top retro credits built around WWII-era propaganda posters as the patriotic music cues up. Because, hey, we all know you’re going to stick around until after the credits, so you might as well have something to watch, right? > > (Though on preview, I see this is going to bug **Tim R. Mortiss** …) This is the way to do it for modern audiences. Opening credits (with a few notable exceptions - “Spider-man 2” being the first to come to mind) are usually a snoozefest for the audience, especially considering that said modern audience already had to sit through 15+ minutes of trailers, commercials, and theater informational clips. Creatively produced end credits can be used to “call back” to the movie the audience just watched in an entertaining manner. Sometimes this comes in the form of a blooper reel. Pixar movies frequently use the approach described above for “Captain America,” using animation to create little side stories involving the characters (“Finding Nemo,” “Ratatouille”) or even to add epilogues to the main story (“Wall-E,” “Toy Story 3”). In a few particularly inspired instances, Pixar even created animated fake blooper reels for their credits sequences. By putting the credits at the end, modern moviemakers avoid deflating the audience’s enthusiasm before the movie even begins. By using the raw material of the movie the audience just watched to pep up the end credits, they create an incentive for people to stick around and find out who is responsible for the production. It’s a win-win situation. ---
**Author:** ![Nature\_s\_Call](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nature_s_call/32/19006_2.png) [@Nature\_s\_Call](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nature_s_Call)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-movies-stop-having-all-the-credits-at-the-beginning/592177/22 "2011-08-12T15:30:04Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > I feel the same way about trailers. After sitting through 20 minutes of trailers, of which only maybe one of them looked at all interesting, and most likely gives away the entire movie anyway, I’ve actually forgotten what movie I was there to see. Amen! Years ago, when the actual movie finally started and the opening credits reminded me of the movie I let out a quite audible, “Oh yeah!” as in “Oh yeah, THAT’s the movie we came to see.” Ever since it has become a running joke in our family to say “Oh yeah” in unison when the movie finally starts. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2011, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-movies-stop-having-all-the-credits-at-the-beginning/592177/23 "2011-08-12T16:40:07Z")
I recently bought a DVD of [this Disney movie from '79](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079639/) for screengrabs to post at the IMCDb. All credits are at the beginning. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-movies-stop-having-all-the-credits-at-the-beginning/592177.md?page=1)