Favorite movie openings (that can be enough)

Movies
1

So I often watch parts of movies. But it’s almost always just the opening 10-20 minutes or whatever. Kind of like a short film.

My favorites which I’ve watched repeatedly:

UltraViolet - The whole courier sequence. Package delivered. Job done. Movie done. I had an excellent time.

Pitch Black - Waking up to a cosmic shitstorm from cryo. Trying to regain control of the spaceship and having to eject cargo. The ship crashes planetside. Everyday dies. The end. It was fun.

Saving Private Ryan - I would be remiss if I didn’t count this. I love just watching the D-Day invasion sequence.

2

Obviously, Up.

3

Romero’s Dawn of the Dead

4

Babylon. I just watched it last night. I cannot recommend the whole movie, but the first 5 minutes were awesome.

5

Definitely

Also Hot Fuzz and How to Train Your Dragon would be tops for me.

6

The first 15 minutes or so of The Empty Man would make for a really solid horror short.

7

Good one. I was just thinking about this. Very self contained from the rest of the movie too.

8

The James Bond movies usually have cool little opening scenes. Raiders of the Lost Ark would probably be my favorite, if we’re counting grabbing the idol as the opening.

9

Oh yeah. That one is almost perfect.

10

The Player - Robert Altman 1992

Very intricate one-r to start the movie, full of really fun hollywood tropes and jokes in the form of some ludicrous movie pitches, plus like a million “ooh, it is that person!” showing up.

Great movie, if you haven’t seen it. I think it is on HBO Max right now.

11

How did I forget one of the greatest openings ever - Touch of Evil

12

Totally personal and not the best by any measure, but the three movies where I watched the first 10-20 minutes the most by far are:

  1. Goodfellas
  2. Casino
  3. The Fellowship of the Ring
13

Can’t not mention the opening to Strange Days, which sets up the premise of tech that can record your memories (or predicts the existence of a bodycam):

And the opening car chase of Baby Driver is arguably the best part of the movie

Oh, and the Circle of Life opener from the Lion King

And that’s my 3x3 submission.

14

Once Upon a Time in the West

15

Love the opening of Drive.

16

Kung Fu Hustle

17

I am not a fan of Saving Private Ryan but if I can watch the opening sequence I will, it is amazing.

18

The Dark Knight is high up on my list.

19

Goodfellas, right up to the freeze frame and “Rags to Riches” and Ray Liotta’s iconic line in narration.

20

The Matrix - sets the tone for a mind-blowing movie.