Best Opening Sequence (in a horror movie)? [Archive]

Juan Rayo

06-29-2005, 11:48 PM

"call me Ishmael". So starts the MOBY DICK novel, and it grips you from that line on. In my experience, it has happened more in books than in movies, but sometimes, there is a horror movie that grips you from the very start with a great, great, opening sequence. To me, one of the very best is the original Halloween, it's at least a 6 or 7 minutes long scene (been a long time, so I am not exactly sure) that includes suspense, horror and, ultimately, a great twist. All that in the start of the movie!!

So, what are your opinions? which horror movie has the best opening sequence of them all?

Edit: hey, I got a "speaking part"! :D

Raven

06-30-2005, 01:11 AM

Day of the Dead

There are some more i just cant think of them right now

Juan Rayo

06-30-2005, 01:15 AM

Originally posted by raven@Jun 30 2005, 06:11 AM
Day of the Dead

There are some more i just cant think of them right now
Quoted post

This is where they are in a choper and land in a deserted (except for the zombies) city, right? Been a long, long time since I saw this movie...

Raven

06-30-2005, 01:24 AM

This is where they are in a choper and land in a deserted (except for the zombies) city, right? Been a long, long time since I saw this movie...

Thats the one, one of the guys starts shouting "hello" and then all the zombies emerge from all the buildings and alleyways, great scene

mrmojo

06-30-2005, 02:27 PM

suspiria the opening is great

Raven

06-30-2005, 02:38 PM

Halloween
The Fog

Juan Rayo

06-30-2005, 04:02 PM

Suspiria... haven't seen this one.. Mr. Mojo, any chance you could describe how it starts? or are there spoilers involved?

As for the FOG... I dunno, that's another movie I haven't seen in a long time, but I remember it started with an old sailor telling some kids a story, right? As I remember, the story takes a while to pick up...

Raven

06-30-2005, 04:11 PM

The Fog does indeed start with an old fisherman telling kids a story and that just kick starts the films atmosphere for me, truely the greatest horror film made

spiritual boxer

06-30-2005, 07:45 PM

Hey Juan, nice thread you got here! As for a good opening sequence in a horror movie...

ZOMBIE
DEEP RED
MY BLOODY VALENTINE
JAWS

Juan Rayo

06-30-2005, 10:02 PM

Thanks, Boxeador Espiritual! Of the movies you mention, I am ashamed to say I have only seen JAWS and I totally agree, it has one of the greatest opening sequences in horror movies. Put the FEAR OF THE OCEAN in people right away.

How do ZOMBIE, DEEP RED and MY BLOODY VALENTINE start?

Raven

07-01-2005, 11:41 AM

if i remember right AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON had a pretty good opening despite being a crap film.

spiritual boxer

07-01-2005, 05:38 PM

Originally posted by Juan Rayo@Jul 1 2005, 03:02 AM
Thanks, Boxeador Espiritual!Â* Of the movies you mention, I am ashamed to say I have only seen JAWS and I totally agree, it has one of the greatest opening sequences in horror movies. Put the FEAR OF THE OCEAN in people right away.

How do ZOMBIE, DEEP RED and MY BLOODY VALENTINE start?
Quoted post

From what I remember, ZOMBIE starts out with a fade in to reveal a man standing there with a gun. The camera is at a low-angle pointing up. The scene cuts to show a body wrapped in a beige cloth. The body starts moving, and the scene cuts back to the man, who then fires the gun.

As for DEEP RED, it starts out with a shot of a living room. A children's lullaby is playing and we see, against the wall, a silhouette of someone being killed. I know there is more, but my memory of it, at the moment, is vague. I think I should watch it again tonight when I get home from work.

As for MY BLOODY VALENTINE, it starts out with a girl and a guy in a mine. We are only focused on the girl. The audience is led to believe that they are down there to get freaky deeky, and then things change for the worse, and the girl ends up getting fucked ( not the good kind of fucked, but the bad kind of fucked).

Thats pretty much it. There probably are some things I left out, but I haven't watched these films in over a year. I think I'm going to watch these films again for my 4th of July weekend. I do recommend all three of these films, and trust me, you won't be dissapointed.

spiritual boxer

07-01-2005, 05:56 PM

Originally posted by raven@Jul 1 2005, 04:41 PM
if i remember right AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON had a pretty good opening despite being a crap film.
Quoted post

Hey raven, you didn't like AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON? I agree with you that it has an awesome opening, but I have to disagree with you about it being a crap film. I have always enjoyed this film. It has a great looking werewolf, a great subway station chase scene, awesome gore and special effects, and a fucking hot nurse. I think it is one of the best werewolf movies out there, with a great sense of humor to boot. I think there are only a handful of horror films that are able to successfully incorporate humor into their story without ruining the film, and AMERICAN WEREWOLF is one of them. The others being RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD, EVIL DEAD 2, and ARMY OF DARKNESS.

Raven

07-01-2005, 06:03 PM

ive never been a fan of werewolf films, AWIL had some great scenes and like you said some great humour but for me it wasnt as good as films like SILVER BULLET and THE HOWLING.

CITY OF THE LIVING DEAD also has a great opening really freaky

Juan Rayo

07-01-2005, 06:04 PM

Hmm, I would add DOG SOLDIERS. I saw that movie recently and had a great time, british soldiers meet werewolves in the scotish woods, mayhem ensues! They did a gret job getting humor into this movie.

Raven

07-01-2005, 06:05 PM

DOG SOLDIERS is a film ive been meaning to watch but sadly havent got round to

Fear

07-01-2005, 07:54 PM

anime horror best opening has to be legend of the overfiend

versus

07-02-2005, 05:30 AM

Versus, the man getting cut in half, zombie flesh eaters .

spiritual boxer

07-02-2005, 01:10 PM

SILVER BULLET and THE HOWLING are good werewolf movies.

DOG SOLDIERS is also a good werewolf movie. This film has some cool looking werewolves.

The opening for VERSUS is pretty sick. Love the the zombie that gets split in half to reveal the samurai, fucking awesome!

Man, I remember watching the LEGEND OF THE OVERFIEND back in the days when it first came out. First time I ever saw tenticle dicks and naked anime chicks.

Another horror movie with a cool opening sequence is THE UNNAMABLE.

JUST BEFORE DAWN has a pretty tense opening sequence.

FreddyRulez!

07-02-2005, 07:53 PM

I loved the beginning of freddy VS Jason, That movie rocks.
:devil: :teeth:

versus

07-03-2005, 04:43 AM

Dog soldiers is a very good opening. Man dog soldiers is so good, its violent, gorey and funny what else could you want.

DevilMan

07-03-2005, 12:43 PM

Originally posted by Juan Rayo@Jun 30 2005, 10:02 PM
As for the FOG... I dunno, that's another movie I haven't seen in a long time, but I remember it started with an old sailor telling some kids a story, right? As I remember, the story takes a while to pick up...
I agree with RAVEN, the opening camp fire story told by John Houseman (who could have done it better?) sets up the film's foreboding atmosphere just prefectly. I seriously doubt the upcoming remake will do this as good if they even decide to have this particular scene at the beginning.

-Steve

Raven

07-03-2005, 12:51 PM

I seriously doubt the upcoming remake will do this as good if they even decide to have this particular scene at the beginning.

I doubt the remake will have anything as near as good as the original

DevilMan

07-03-2005, 12:54 PM

Originally posted by spiritual boxer@Jul 1 2005, 11:38 PM
From what I remember, ZOMBIE starts out with a fade in to reveal a man standing there with a gun.Â* The camera is at a low-angle pointing up.Â* The scene cuts to show a body wrapped in a beige cloth.Â* The body starts moving, and the scene cuts back to the man, who then fires the gun.
Ah, man, that was one I was gonna mention. What a great scene!

The jungle drums start in. There's a close up of a pistol pointing at the camera. The white sheet wrapped body (with a zombie inside) starts to rise up. The pistol's trigger is pulled and blood explodes from the top of the zombie's head. The camera zooms in on the wound. Doctor Menard is seen in a silhouette. He says "The boat can leave now. Tell the crew.". Then the opening theme music starts (a classic tune by Tucci and Frizzi). It's great stuff indeed!

As you can tell, ZOMBIE is one of my all time favorite flicks.

-Steve

Juan Rayo

07-03-2005, 10:04 PM

Originally posted by DevilMan@Jul 3 2005, 05:54 PM
As you can tell, ZOMBIE is one of my all time favorite flicks.
-Steve
Quoted post

Humm, yet another one for my list of "Must see" movies. Gotta find a way to get my hands on the ones you guys have been mentioning.

versus

07-04-2005, 10:21 AM

Its amazon its the speacil edition , man that scene with that womans eyes is horrible.

DevilMan

07-04-2005, 10:23 AM

Originally posted by Juan Rayo@Jul 4 2005, 04:04 AM
Humm, yet another one for my list of "Must see" movies.
That's surprising.

When people usually talk about Italian horror, LUCIO FULCI's name almost always come up, and his big three, ZOMBIE (aka Zombi 2 or Zombie Flesh Eaters), THE BEYOND (aka Seven Doors Of Death), and CITY OF THE WALKING DEAD (aka The Gates Of Hell).

I truely enjoy his stuff and he's my favorite Italian horror director. While DARIO ARGENTO had all that "style" in his movies, LUCIO FULCI on the other hand went for the more visceral displays of carnage.

I hope you like his movies when you finally see them.

-Steve

Juan Rayo

07-04-2005, 01:09 PM

Originally posted by DevilMan+Jul 4 2005, 03:23 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DevilMan @ Jul 4 2005, 03:23 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteBegin-Juan Rayo@Jul 4 2005, 04:04 AM
Humm, yet another one for my list of "Must see" movies.
That's surprising.

When people usually talk about Italian horror, LUCIO FULCI's name almost always come up, and his big three, ZOMBIE (aka Zombi 2 or Zombie Flesh Eaters), THE BEYOND (aka Seven Doors Of Death), and CITY OF THE WALKING DEAD (aka The Gates Of Hell).

I truely enjoy his stuff and he's my favorite Italian horror director. While DARIO ARGENTO had all that "style" in his movies, LUCIO FULCI on the other hand went for the more visceral displays of carnage.

I hope you like his movies when you finally see them.

-Steve
Quoted post
[/b][/quote]

Yes, as you can imagine, I haven't had a chance to see the Italian directors in action. I am looking goward to both Fulci and Argento, and a friend of mine who will visit from the states in a couple of months offered to bring them all the way here, plus he will look around for Bava as well, so we can go nuts over a whole weekend, beer in hand, and Italian horror in the tube.

spiritual boxer

07-05-2005, 07:59 PM

KOLOBOS is another horror movie with a cool opening.

I also enjoyed the opening for MADMAN.

I also have to mention the opening for RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD. I think it has an awesome ass intro.

Red_Rapids

07-08-2005, 07:38 AM

I just bought VERSUS and I dig it. It's a little cheesy but it's still very good. I also picked up BATTLEFIELD BASEBALL, that's pretty good too.

It's not an opening scene but I like the scene in High Tension when it shows the killer getting a hummer in his truck, then he dumps the severed head out the window.

C,mon, you gotta love AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON. "I'm sorry I called you meatloaf Jack".

JohnShaft

07-12-2005, 02:56 PM

As far as movies made in the last couple of years I really liked the opening of the DAWN OF THE DEAD remake. Particularly when the shit hits the fan and the zombies tip the world into chaos.
It just gave me a feeling of "If you woke up one morning and zombies existed this is what it could be like". It had a lot of that I AM LEGEND feeling, where the battle against the undead isn't an epic one on some global level, but a personal battle to stay alive in our streets and homes. I thought it was a shame they didn't make a little more of it.
And of course that opening promised more than the movie was capable of delivering (sure I still enjoyed it a lot as a film, but it became pretty predictable after the opening).

Raven

07-12-2005, 03:01 PM

the DAWN OF THE DEAD 2004: DIRECTORS CUT has some pretty cool extended scenes which make the film slightly more enjoyable but its still not a brilliant film by any means, and i agree with you about the opening

Juan Rayo

07-12-2005, 05:25 PM

Funny I was just going to mention that movie as well, since I saw it a couple of nights ago. It makes you believe things have gone VERY wrong VERY fast. Chaos in the streets, people confused not knowing what to do, emergency workers and authorities rushing about without a real clue, everything up to where she crashes the car makes for a great begining.

GarryCharles

07-13-2005, 10:46 AM

Not really a true horror film, but the opening of Blade must be the best opening scene of any film ever.

But what about endings, best and worst ever?

Best: Zombie flesh eaters, the sight of the zombies marching across the bridge(spine tingling). Did you know they caused a stir filming that scene, the commuter traffic wandered what the hell was going on.

Worst: Wes Cravens A New Nightmare. Three of the worst effects ever in the space of three minutes (long arm crap, long tongue crapper, exploding head crappest. :devil:

Raven

07-15-2005, 04:03 AM

endings, well Halloween and Halloween 4 both had great endings

worst endings one would have to be Land of the Dead, that ending was weak

DevilMan

07-16-2005, 08:41 PM

Originally posted by Kain@Jul 13 2005, 04:46 PM
Best: Zombie flesh eaters, the sight of the zombies marching across the bridge(spine tingling). Did you know they caused a stir filming that scene, the commuter traffic wandered what the hell was going on.

Hey, ZOMBIE's been nominated as having the best opening and the best ending now. That's gotta count for something.

-Steve

Unconscious

07-17-2005, 03:30 AM

I like the opening to EVENT HORIZON.

Carmilla

07-25-2005, 01:33 PM

I like shocking starts, but not too shocking. Just let the plot kick in, too. Not many come to mind right now -I shouldn't even be here at this moment- but off the top of my head:

1) Ringu (or The Ring, since they respected the start).

2) Darkness Falls http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0282209/

Both of them work the same way: Normal conversation in which an odd subject is introduced, moving on to tension. Then you know something's about to happen, and when it does it's brilliantly done.

The problem is that sometimes the start is good and then the movies don't live up to it. Darkness Falls' best stuff is in the first five minutes.

Mickey Tadanaki

07-26-2005, 04:24 PM

I love the opening of the original Texas Chainsaw. It never stops scaring the shit out of my best friend Sam! :)

Fear

09-28-2005, 05:51 PM

have to agree american werewolf in london is a classic "stick to the road and beware the moon"

Hoagy

11-05-2005, 04:07 PM

Originally posted by Raven@Jun 30 2005, 07:11 AM
Day of the Dead

There are some more i just cant think of them right now
Quoted post

I gotta totally agree with you on that one, it drops you straight into the hopelessness of the situation, and you know straight away its gonna be unpleasant...

I visited the locations in Ft Myers, Florida earlier this year, I will dig them out and scan them, and put them up here. The place was almost as deserted as it was in the movies lol!

...and of course, who would'nt be tempted to do the obligatory zombie impressions... :whistling:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y173/Hoagy/arielshot.jpg

Raven

11-05-2005, 05:11 PM

:lmao: nice one

versus

11-06-2005, 07:43 AM

I know its not scary but the begining of the shining with the music and of course tony the imaginery freind.Oh yeh what was in that room?

Juan Rayo

11-15-2005, 01:49 PM

"Neard Dark". It's just a couple of seconds, but gotta love a Vampire movie starting with a mosquitoe sucking on someone's arm. And then getting squatted. SPLAT!

ph0tochik81

12-28-2005, 01:38 PM

I would say that "the Grudge" had a good opening scene. lots of suspense.

ph0tochik81

01-03-2006, 09:33 AM

Have any of you seen 'Canibal the Musical" by Trey parker and matt Stone, the creators of South Park. Talk about an awesome movie and opening scene. Everything is so accentuated and over dramatized which I find helarious. :spike:

Raven

01-20-2006, 03:30 PM

i really like the opening to LAND OF THE DEAD its similar to DAY'S opening only without the zombies pouring out onto the streets. LAND'S opening just had a great eerie tone to it

Tenebraeuk

02-19-2006, 05:14 PM

You have gotta be kidding about Land of the Dead, the phrase "without the Zombies" says it all. I like the opening few minutes of Suspiria, the music is perfect and the transition from the normality of the airport to the chaotic storm outside sets the tone brilliantly for the whole film. The only slight problem is that I dont like that voice over at the end of the opening credits!

Raven

02-19-2006, 05:34 PM

im deadly serious about Land's opening, it was probably the films best point

VIDEODROME

02-20-2006, 06:25 AM

I love the opening to Creepshow. Probably because I used to be a major comic book collector.

deadagain

02-21-2006, 01:30 AM

Ghost Ship. The rest of the movie sucked.

jay o2 waster

03-06-2006, 11:54 AM

My personal favorite is the opening from Shaun of the Dead.

SUPREME

04-04-2006, 06:42 PM

Ghost Ship. The rest of the movie sucked.

I remember it having some bad CGI in the 'slicing-in-half' sequence though.

SUPREME

04-04-2006, 06:49 PM

HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER, with the sequences of dead victims backed with their (recorded?) struggles with the killer.

Trioxin245

04-05-2006, 11:27 AM

The Return of the Living Dead. "This movie is based on an true story" gets me everytime. And I must aswell include the beginning credits with the leak of Trioxin.

Halloween 4 The Return Michael Myers. One of the best openings I have ever experienced. I LOVE how they show the season of Halloween, with leaves blowing and that chilling music. Really turns up the Halloween atmosphere.

The Fog. I honestly don't need to say anything, now do I? ;)

SUPREME

04-05-2006, 03:59 PM

I must have mist the opening to THE FOG.

Raven

04-05-2006, 04:01 PM

The Fog. I honestly don't need to say anything, now do I?

I love that film (original, the remake can burn in hell) that opening sets the mood for the film perfectly. That film still creeps me out:lol:

42nd Street Freak

04-09-2006, 10:34 AM

Nice one on "The Fog"
Of course "Suspiria" may well top this list...Too good in fact as the rest of the film never quite reaches the heights of it's extended opening.

"Bride of Chucky". How can you not love the gorgeous Jen slicing up a Cop, licking the blood off her nail file and with an "Hello dolly" strutting off in that tight PVC dress to the strains of "Living Dead Girl"?!

"Island of Terror" with it's fog enshrouded, boneless corpse discovery.

"Deep Red" and it's mysterious, creepy nursery rhyme backed, murder.

"Tattoo" Shockingly in your face opening of a naked woman staggering down the centre of the road, with her back skinned to the bloody bone, just in time to be hit by a bus!

"Blood on Satan's Claw" The overcast skies of Ye Olde England drip with atmosphere as an innocent spot of plowing uncovers the rotted skull of some hideous creature, with one geletinous eye staring upwards at the crow filled sky, just before that great theme tune kicks in.

Tenebraeuk

05-13-2006, 02:44 PM

Suspiria is a fantastic opening, Argento made himself a mountain to climb, but it was intentional. You spend the rest of the movie wondering (or, rather, hoping) he matches it at some point so you don't get bored or tire of the film!

The first ten minutes of the Exorcist are also a landmark in horror movie history, the whole middle east scene is pure atmosphere that sets you up perfectly for the evil to follow.

Aylmer

07-24-2006, 07:39 AM

The beginning to Pieces was kind of shocking

Crystal

08-01-2006, 06:29 PM

Night of the living dead (original)
"They're coming to get you Barabara"

Brothers Shamus

11-20-2006, 10:57 PM

I think the opening sequence to The Shining is awesome, very simple but really sets the tone for the entire movie.

michaelmyerslives07

04-08-2007, 04:31 PM

Night of the living dead (original)
"They're coming to get you Barabara"

That line always creeps the hell outta me.

Honey23

05-17-2007, 08:29 AM

I would have 2 say Jeepers Creepers!!

BlackWidow

05-17-2007, 12:29 PM

Would have to say Ghostship.. one hell of a massacre.
I also have to admit that Jeepers Creepers opening was pretty good.. I was expecting a lot from that movie based on the first 20 minutes.
Haute tension have an awesome opening too...
Finally, Cube, the opening was shocking so was the movie

BW

Honey23

05-17-2007, 12:53 PM

i agree with haute tension, it was really good...then it got so stupid so fast.

DeadWatch

05-17-2007, 09:06 PM

Night of the living dead (original)
"They're coming to get you Barabara"

:teeth:...You hit the nail on the head!!!

internationalgentleman

05-30-2007, 05:13 AM

dog soldiers is a new classic indeed, and the argento and fulci films almost always have superb intros. but, i'd have to say that JAWS might be number 1 in the opening scenes division.

The_Thing_82

05-31-2007, 07:01 AM

if i remember right AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON had a pretty good opening despite being a crap film.

:shock: ....I loved this film! :erm:

OK, my favorite opening sequence.....the original Halloween

Scream Queen

05-31-2007, 04:41 PM

Argento's Susperia has a great opening. The use of colours and setting up the movie is class.

Adonais

05-31-2007, 08:57 PM

The Premature Burial, with the whistling gravedigger. Most horror films, even the very good ones, start you off in a perfectly normal world which then goes awry. Here, though, from the first frame, you're someplace you wish you weren't.

Scott Norton

06-01-2007, 08:30 AM

Not the best by any stretch, but the opening to the Hills remake was good, I thought.

michaelmyerslives07

07-13-2007, 02:13 PM

Once again i am forced to pick house of 1000 corpses. Captain spalding is funny as fuck. This opening scene is dark, funny and bloody. You think that these guys are a bunch of pussy rednecks but then when the robbers come in it all changes. 'Fuck yo mama, Fuck yo sister, and most of all fuck you!!!!!!' BANG. Lol pure genius. Ive lved Rob Zombie since that masterpiece, I hope i can say the same for halloween.

Honey23

07-15-2007, 07:53 PM

I would have to say Idle hands. Even though it is a pretty funny movie, the begining scared me more than I thought it would.

Roulette

07-26-2007, 01:15 AM

#1 Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
#2 The Devils Rejects
#3 Ginger Snaps

spiral

07-27-2007, 02:57 PM

I'm going to have to go with the recent 28 Weeks Later.... The first 15 minutes almost gave me a heart attack! :shock:

555sicksicksick

09-24-2007, 04:34 PM

i think the best opening i have seen is the opening to ha horror movie is probably halloween because you watch this and you can see where QT got his famous long shots from, in a way it sort of underated using a long shot for the opening to a horror film i can't really recall many films having it in.

Leatherhead

04-26-2008, 02:44 PM

WHAT . . . THE . . . FUCK . . .

What the Fuck is this kook doing trying to sell viagra here? Someone kick him off, please.

We're horror fans. We don't need no viagra.

Vampix

05-03-2008, 11:39 AM

I thought the opening to Wrong Turn 2 was pretty good,those who've seen it know what I mean. :lol:

shadow

06-10-2008, 08:55 PM

Ghost ship....the opening was totally awesome...but the ending sucks.:whistling:

JohnShaft

07-02-2008, 01:00 PM

Until I read this
I'm going to have to go with the recent 28 Weeks Later.... The first 15 minutes almost gave me a heart attack! :shock:
I thought there was no love for 28 WEEKS LATER, and that suprised me. TBH the opening totally rocked me. Especially because I didn't expect it (which you will now if you've not seen it). I love Robert Carlyle, and that scene, the decision, and the aftermath was just so beatifully played out. Unfortunately they threw away the possibilities it created very soon after, instead of playing with it. But yeah, so unexpected, so Unhollywood (go Brits!), so fucking cool. It wasn't in the original screenplay but it was head-and-shoulders the best thing about the movie.

I've got to say I found it the best opening since at least the DAWN OF THE DEAD remake, and probably further back.

We're horror fans. We don't need no viagra.Speak for yourself Mr Leatherhead. :afro:

Beast

07-20-2008, 06:50 AM

I'm probably forgetting heaps and heaps of movies, but I really enjoyed the opening scenes to 'Wrong Turn 2: Dead End'. For those of you who haven't seen it, it involves a rich Hollywood-type Kimberly Caldwell talking on her cell phone and driving an expensive car along a high way. She's driving to the filming of a new reality TV show, but she takes a wrong turn. She turns her eyesight away from the road for a second, and when she looks back she hits something and realises it's a man. She goes over to see if he's okay, then he bites her lower lip off as she's screaming, and then another man with a huge old-style axe holds her still then slices her vertically in half as her intestines fall the the ground. Then they drag each half of her body along the road.

Very gory, brutal movie, but also a rather funny one with a sort of self-parody undertone to it.

SomewhatDamaged

08-10-2008, 09:42 AM

I would agree with everyone that said Suspiria, a stunningly shot opening sequence. I would also add the opening to Antropophagus with the first two killings on the beach.

dmihatmttl

09-01-2008, 03:40 PM

I've gotta mention one of my favorites, RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD. I've always loved how the viewer is sucked in to the story slowly, everything is quiet as this old medical warehouse closes down for the weekend . . . and then it's a good 10-15 minutes into the movie before you're reminded that you *are* watching a movie, as the gas is set free and the opening credits come blaring out of nowhere.

God, I love that movie . . . .

J.N.

woodenheart

03-30-2009, 02:44 AM

Suspiria
NOTLD1968
F13...2009...yeah I said it.

The End Complete

04-13-2009, 02:32 AM

Friday the 13... Part III: WHY? Because of the disco theme song and because the letters are coming at you in 3D!!!!

I really enjoyed "Land of the Dead's" opening titles. I really liked the opening title for the movie "The Thing" and "Halloween."

Mask Of Glass

04-15-2009, 01:28 PM

Wishmaster (the first one) has a pretty kickass opening.

The End Complete

04-15-2009, 08:46 PM

^
Ahh yes, I have to agree that is a great opener to a great movie.

Sipes13

05-31-2009, 04:58 AM

From the recent movies I seen, Funny Games, nice beginning :-)

alconightmare

06-06-2009, 10:17 PM

suprised no one here mentioned When a Stranger Calls.. the original version... pretty intense opening sequence..."your...blood...all..over me" and etc..

ArcadiaVideo

06-08-2009, 11:53 AM

The Hunger (Dir: Tony Scott) gets off to a great start with stunning visuals, restless cuts and the irony of watching two vampires stalking a club full of Goths.

SomewhatDamaged

06-08-2009, 03:56 PM

The Hunger (Dir: Tony Scott) gets off to a great start with stunning visuals, restless cuts and the irony of watching two vampires stalking a club full of Goths.

& most importantly Bauhaus performing Bela Lugosi's Dead! Awesome!

alconightmare

06-10-2009, 11:38 PM

seriously...who the fuck you think you are exactly? anyone? there's great forum that has only 50 members and they're all very interested in other people... you people are garbage.

SomewhatDamaged

06-11-2009, 09:47 AM

seriously...who the fuck you think you are exactly? anyone? there's great forum that has only 50 members and they're all very interested in other people... you people are garbage.

Sorry the red carpet is still being dry cleaned & we were too busy blowing up ballons & putting decorations out in readiness for you imminent arrival & the obvious fawning we would have to do in your mere presence.

Instead of posting three times to bitch & gripe at how the forum didn't stop it's day to day business & make a big, huge fuss of you, why not try posting in the discussions? That's how we all started & I will tell you this as a FACT. There are some very cool, nice & friendly people here that are very welcoming to likeminded genre fans. If you can't be bothered to take the time to see the forum at work & enter into discussions with us all, I suggest you take your overblown self image & ego & get it massaged somewhere else.

ZARCULA

06-11-2009, 12:39 PM

SomewhatDamaged

06-11-2009, 04:43 PM

Well said SomewhatDamaged.... I viewed this guys profile....I was surprised to see his age listed at 40 yrs old...I thought for sure with his whinning and complaining that it would be a 14-15 yr old kid...

We have teenagers on this forum that are cool. We only have a small community of people that post here but it's the only board I can think of where no matter if I agree or disagree with anyones opinion on a movie or whatever I respect thier opinion & haven't got a bad word to say about any member.
So if someone spends two minutes here & then starts to talk shit about this forum & it's members I will stand up for it. Some people think the world revolves around them, when we all know it revolves around ME :teeth:

michaelmyerslives07

06-12-2009, 03:46 PM

HEY IM 14, and thanks for sticking up for the younguns swd, lool, well know that i have sed this i have to say a good opening. Hmmm, lets see.
The opening is everything, if it usually isnt a good first 10-30 mins then the movie usually isnt good, we need a good opening for a good structure, its like a building, you cant make the top floor of a mile high building the best, people wont see it if the first floors are a load of shit, if you know what i mean.

My favourite opening to a horror film is probably.....

SomewhatDamaged

06-13-2009, 05:58 AM

The opening is everything, if it usually isnt a good first 10-30 mins then the movie usually isnt good, we need a good opening for a good structure, its like a building, you cant make the top floor of a mile high building the best, people wont see it if the first floors are a load of shit, if you know what i mean.

Unusual analogy but pretty much true. Like all works of fiction, no matter in what medium, you need a hook to pull you into the story.

JohnShaft

06-13-2009, 12:59 PM

this site is shit, 3000 members and they all ignore newbies..what a bunch of primadonnas...eat shit! lol
Jump to conclusions much?

You're like 100% wrong. We're not a busy forum (member count goes back a long way) so we don't have a lot of active members. The members we do have kick ass though. If you want a forum were people reply to you every 30 seconds with one sentence garbage this isn't your place. And I know that already.

Unconscious

06-13-2009, 04:45 PM

Sincerest apologies regarding not stepping in, John. I did not moderate his previous posts before greeting him. I didn't think it would be necessary, clearly I was erroneous in my judgement.

JohnShaft

06-14-2009, 06:31 AM

Sincerest apologies regarding not stepping in, John. I did not moderate his previous posts before greeting him. I didn't think it would be necessary, clearly I was erroneous in my judgement.
Behave man. You kick ass. It's me that needs to pull my finger out. :)

How you been keeping anyway?

michaelmyerslives07

06-15-2009, 03:04 PM

Unusual analogy but pretty much true. Like all works of fiction, no matter in what medium, you need a hook to pull you into the story.

Yeh, lol, i couldnt think of anything other than that, lol sorry, but you got the point didnt you.

KNARF79

11-01-2009, 12:54 PM

The Original 'Halloween' especially effective when you see the crazies were walking the grounds at night.

'Dawn of the Dead' remake, though 28 days later was a precurser

Bloodbytes

12-13-2009, 02:42 PM

IMO it doesn't realy classify as a horror movie but to me its the beginning of Blade(First one). Blood coming out of the ceiling, gotta love it :)

And I will never forget the opening sequence of Hellraiser when Frank get hit by the hooks coming out of the box :)

whataboutbilly

01-26-2010, 04:35 PM

Well he had many great openers Dario Argentos Tenebrae opening has to rank close to the top of his masterful career and in horror.

BASSI

01-29-2010, 03:02 AM

Really like the opening scenes in boogeyman and Darkness falls as they are creepy at the start and Ghost ship had a good open
also Final Destination 2

whataboutbilly

02-21-2010, 07:10 AM

The Bird With The Crystal Plumage has an exciting and intense opening with a helpless Tony Musante.

Dead Snow had a nice little opener.

MystMoonstruck

03-21-2010, 04:50 PM

Every time Candyman begins, I am mesmerized. I think it is one of the best opening sequences of any film of any type ever made. The choral voices and overhead pan of the city combined are so eerie. The bees and Tony Todd's voice... Wow! I never get over the hypnotic power of that opening.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5kJMvH1JKw&feature=related

I've been watching Halloween III: Season of the Witch each time it airs on Chiller Channel and realized that John Carpenter's nervewracking music and the man running out of the darkness truly capture interest. I'm reminded just a bit of Kiss Me Deadly, in which a frightened, barefooted woman (Cloris Leachman in only her second film) is seen running along a road at night, where Mike Hammer encounters her. When I see HIII, I think of that each time though Carpenter's piercing notes add even more tension.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jX2L0shNMSw
Here's the opening to Kiss Me Deadly:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjgDNvS8XVU&feature=related
Hmmmm... Could Cloris' appearance have influenced the plethora of barefoot females in horror films? It does suggest vulnerability, doesn't it?

I'll have to think of others, as I'm sure some are slipping my mind.

I agree that Ghost Ship has one of the most remarkable openings, truly ghastly. Unfortunately, the rest of the movie doesn't live up to that sequence. I've watched the movie a number of times and simply cannot get into all of it.

EDIT: I've been reading earlier posts and have to agree with these: The Fog (original) and Halloween (original). John Carpenter does have a certain touch though sometimes it has gone astray. Oh! Ghost Story has a good opening, segueing into storytelling by John Houseman, the old man telling the tale to the children at the beginning of The Fog!
Here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6hs7XAZ4hs

I also have to mention The Gate, in which Stephen Dorff (Wesley Snipe's future nemesis in Blade) bicycles through the suburbs to find an empty house then exploring the battered treehouse in the back lawn, the tree's destruction playing a pivotal part of the story to come:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKMyKgrXxJM

Talk about an opening at odds with what follows, Poltergeist definitely takes the proverbial cake for action that seems completely unlikely to yield horror results. While many movies work to set up the atmosphere of impending doom, Steven Spielberg gives us the suburbs, a guy doing a beer run on a bicycle, impish children with RC-toys causing him to crash, then that business about switching from the game to Mr. Rogers. Now, who would expect anything horrific after that?! Then comes the moment when the spectral hand emerges from the TV set!