The 100 Greatest Opening Credits - An Interactive List

[Mysterious Dude]

You may also include closing credits.

1. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kccafOf4O6Q

[Mysterious Dude]

2. Se7en


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-k2gsEI34CE

[Russ]

3. The Fall


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhARR-zmTCE

[Dead & Messed Up]

4. Psycho


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4L9J-CUAl8

[Lucky]

5. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang


http://youtu.be/YKlSrxuLUPE

[Dukefrukem]

6. Fight Club (can't find w/ titles)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKtpwvsO8Vo

[Mysterious Dude]

7. Superman


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTiTh6ViNLY

[Skitch]

8. HALF A LOAF OF KUNG FU


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzZ80LGWFgA

[Russ]

9. Viva La Muerte (NSFW)



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVGPoaGhRyE

[Spinal]

10. Monty Python and the Holy Grail



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djKPvXDwXcs

[Dukefrukem]

11. Casino Royale



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eje28TK4D00

[Yxklyx]

12. Run Lola Run



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiq1lturAao

[Ezee E]

13. Requiem for a Dream


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6-ogXrqwz0

[amberlita]

14. The Shining


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgCejsyS0t8


p.s. loading this page is painful if the videos aren't spoilered

edit: jesus these credits still give me the willies

[Raiders]

15. Anatomy of a Murder


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sA1en26sgM

[Raiders]

16. Undertow


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KmZc6AnAPk

You have to get through a couple minutes first.

[MadMan]

17. Memento (spoiled because I'm not sure if these credits are a spoiler or not)


http://youtu.be/V7amnpa5CXo

[Gizmo]

18. Children of Men
not a lot of credits per say, but great pre-title sequence.


http://youtu.be/wCTgUq6hzUk

[Lucky]

19. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo


http://youtu.be/sY4f_83t_rw

[Dukefrukem]

I think we can all agree David Fincher movies have the best opening credits.

[Dukefrukem]

Here's a curve ball

20. Half-Life/Black Mesa


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BCGBpdrhFM

[Mysterious Dude]

21. The Pink Panther Strikes Again


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4vO2w5lXaI

[Yxklyx]

22. Kiss Me Deadly



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjVmZAwg7lQ

[Yxklyx]

23. Enter the Void



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dL0lNGXoP8E

[Ezee E]

23. Enter the Void



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dL0lNGXoP8E

Good one.

[Winston*]

24. Do The Right Thing


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U35MvblI4og#t=169

[bac0n]

This list should have just stopped at 10.

[Skitch]

Are we keeping it to only movies? If we let in tv shows this will be completely taken over with my 80s love.

[Dead & Messed Up]

25. Catch Me If You Can


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaLDyrun_Cc

[Ezee E]

#26:
Alien

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpZvXbXzcPA

[Winston*]

#27: The Graduate



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmAHbDSf4jQ

[Ezee E]

#28: Jackie Brown


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0MsKEd6fkk

What you think of that Winston??

[Mysterious Dude]

Are we keeping it to only movies? If we let in tv shows this will be completely taken over with my 80s love.
Go nuts.

[Spinal]

#29: Prospero's Books

(starts at 6:00)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pdoUjdaIVM#t=356

NSFW: Naked people

[Winston*]

#30 Lord of War


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RgH5eDbCLU#t=34

Best thing in a pretty unremarkable film.

[Derek]

#31 Aguirre, the Wrath of God

Surprised this one hasn't been mentioned yet. One of the most mesmerizing openings ever.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJNnKdzgW1I

[Derek]

#32 Naked

Or for something a tad more nihilistic. (titles start at 1:30)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWrhfazp1jM

[Derek]

#33 McCabe & Mrs. Miller



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iYxrsd59-E

[Rowland]

Time to mix things up a bit...

#34 Child's Play 3



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UG5t0TBxmFU

[Yxklyx]

With all due respect, even though a great film why is Naked here? That credit sequence is very run of the mill.

[Derek]

With all due respect, even though a great film why is Naked here? That credit sequence is very run of the mill.

Sure, if you watch it in a vacuum without considering what it follows and what comes after it. Visually, on its own, I agree there's nothing special about it, but following the rape and with that damned music, I think it functions wonderfully thematically, creating a sense of urgency and anxiety that stays with Thewlis' flight/odyssey throughout the film.

FWIW, I also considered posting the Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me credits eventhough 98% of it is just credits over tv static. But that 2 seconds of the tv getting smashed at the end is such an amusing and clever representation on where Lynch takes the movie, as opposed to the direction the tv show went, that I find that too to be one of the more memorable credit sequences to me.

And it's an interactive list, so deal with it. ;)

[MadMan]

Yeah I'm gonna be that guy.

35. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)


http://youtu.be/e-QFj59PON4

[Mysterious Dude]

36. Robin Hood


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHu6x8Cwah4

[Dead & Messed Up]

Time to mix things up a bit...

You're right.

37. House on Haunted Hill (1999)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRlCbei3Uuc

[Grouchy]

38. The Last Circus


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PImeKOkzlMM

[Skitch]

39. MacGyver

a.k.a the greatest collection of Hands Doing Things and Synth Drums ever


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNl9M5TxGC8

[Rowland]

40. Halloween III: Season of the Witch


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BICyGaJRT18

[Fezzik]

41. The Incredibles (End Credits)


http://youtu.be/nJtUdm3TLZ8

[Mysterious Dude]

42. West Side Story (end credits)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C36llSobVHc

[Skitch]

43. SERENITY

The opening credits is the LONG take/walkthrough of the ship. Amazing shot. And I cannot find a decent video of it.

[Russ]

44. Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen (begin and end credits)

OMG, has anyone seen this yet?

Sadly, no credits clips on YouTube. Geek-tasm alert: this film is pure cineaste gold.

Basically, the director of Hukkle (György Pálfi), crafts a collage-ical love story from 15-seconds-or-less snippets from close to 500 classic films, featuring hundreds of actors in the role of two characters.

Amazing film. Amazing credits.


http://www.leedsfilm.com/wp-content/themes/leedsfilm/timthumb.php?src=./wp-content/uploads/FinalCut2web.jpg&h=330

[Derek]

44. Final Cut: Ladies and Gentlemen (begin and end credits)

OMG, has anyone seen this yet?

Sadly, no credits clips on YouTube. Geek-tasm alert: this film is pure cineaste gold.

Basically, the director of Hukkle (György Pálfi), crafts a collage-ical love story from 15-seconds-or-less snippets from close to 500 classic films, featuring hundreds of actors in the role of two characters.

Amazing film. Amazing credits.


This played several times at one of the more cult-friendly theaters in LA, but I never made it out. I saw the trailer, which in itself was pretty incredible. Because of the rights, they've said it'll never see the light of day, so I'll be sure to make the effort if/when they have another screening.

[Russ]

This played several times at one of the more cult-friendly theaters in LA, but I never made it out. I saw the trailer, which in itself was pretty incredible. Because of the rights, they've said it'll never see the light of day, so I'll be sure to make the effort if/when they have another screening.

Derek, prepare to be stunned. Get this torrent and just try to wipe the grin off your face. Calling Spinal, Watashi, et al; this is literally a wet dream for hardcore cinephiles, especially those who love to play "spot the reference". This film is a master-class in editing, a clinic in marrying sight and sound.

Here's a small taste of the opening credits:

http://i536.photobucket.com/albums/ff324/astrojester/vlcsnap-2013-11-22-00h49m42s251_zps34609f09.png

I love this pull-quote from one of the IMDb critics' reviews:


If there is a film buff who exits a screening of Final Cut - Ladies and Gentlemen without their cheeks aching from the 90-minute ear-to-ear grin that Gyorgy Palfi’s stunning montage film inspires, they need to hand in their union card. It is inconceivable that a lover of all things cinematic will not find this extraordinary work just about the most fun they’ll have in a theatre over the duration of their love affair with movies.

[Rowland]

A more conventional choice, but whatevs:

45. Terminator 2: Judgement Day


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGrH901xMFI

I now recognize The Terminator as the obvious (to me) masterpiece in Cameron's ouevre, but its sequel and sequences like this did more to foster my sensibilities at an impressionable age than I can articulate. Thank you Aunt Denise (who I haven't seen in ten years because of the ravages of cancer) for inappropriately introducing me to films like this as early as the age of seven, taking a vital role in sculpting me into the person I am today, for better and for worse.

[Mysterious Dude]

This is a twofer. My favorite understated credits.

46. The Conversation


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlwdpNw1FW8

47. All the President's Men


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldMGOaMs4uw