I think “Mean Streets” has one of the greatest sequences ever.
Take your pick among the Saul Bass gems: “Seconds,” “Vertigo,” “Spartacus,” “Psycho” – the list goes on. “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “7even” are good ones, too. On a far more playful note, the later Pink Panther movies and “Catch Me If You Can” are fun and breezy.
Agreed, all the Saul Bass sequences are great, with “Psycho” being my personal favorite.
I love the “Dr. Strangelove” intro, with all the planes doing the nasty.
Also, “North by Northwest,” “Fight Club,” and “Buffalo ’66” for its ridiculously large text.
Doing the nasty to the tune of “Try a Little Tenderness.” How sweet is that?
FAHRENHEIT 451
WRITTEN IN THE WIND
TOUCH OF EVIL
UNE FEMME EST UNE FEMME (A Woman Is A Woman)
I have a soft spot for “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” in general, and I particularly love its title sequence. “Prime Cut” is another one that I find very clever. “Once Upon a Time in the West” and “The Wild Bunch” both belong in any serious discussion of all-time great title sequences.
Also, I seriously heart “Wet Hot American Summer” and its gloriously spot-on title sequence, which perfectly captures the look and feel of every early 80’s summer camp movie ever.
every early 80’s jewish summer camp.
Damn, now I’ve got that movie stuck in my head all day. “McKinley, there are some lower campers stuck in the obstacle course. I meant to tell you about that yesterday, but could you get to it now?”
i’m gonna watch it after shabbat services.
Cache comes to mind, as does Irreversible.
But, for my taste, nothing is better than a simple white-on-black title card. Just the title itself, I prefer the credits to be saved for the end. My way of thinking is, don’t force someone to look at the signature before they can see the painting.
Everything TOM WILSON said above.
… and props to BRANDON BEDAW, ala Woody Allen
At the mention of title sequences, honestly, I think Catch Me If You Can.
I don’t think I’d call it the best, but it is one of my favorites. There as so many.
Anything by Saul Bass usually goes far and beyond everything else.
The Age of Innocence, for example, is unforgettable. And that’s one of his last.
the remake of Cape Fear ( Saul Bass again )
One of my favorites is L’Avventura. It’s very simple, but the music really sets the tone of the movie and brings us to a new level of cool.
I love the title sequence for Romeo + Juliet.
First off, I want to say this is a great topic. I think the forum needs more interesting conversations like this that really convey a true love for cinema.
Okay, my favorite title sequences are the plain ones: Bresson, Ozu, Woody Allen, etc. but some interesting ones are:
Truffaut’s Jules et Jim
Fassbinder’s Marriage of Maria Braun
Lots of Hitchcock
Scorsese’s Raging Bull
Gus Van Sant’s Finding Forester
The different shots of New York
I loved Almodovar’s credits for la mala educacion(bad education), Fincher’s Fight Club has a classic, Spartacus, Clockwork Orange, My own private idaho, being john malkovich. I shall return with more:)
Signs, Contact and Mønti Pythøn lk den Hølie Grailen
Walk On The Wild Side (Saul Bass)
Maybe it was just my mood, but I also enjoyed that jaunty little animated casket ride in Death at a Funeral and the down-the-smokestack-and-onto-the-assembly-line gymnastics of Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Magnolia, Good the Bad the Ugly, Big Lebowski
A Clockwork Orange. The music is perfect with the hyper-simple red title-cards.
I definitely echo Fight Club. I love the title sequence at the beginning of Ran, with the stunning colors and shots of horsemen. Beautiful stuff. My favorite credits however would be from Fincher’s Se7en.
I had to press pause after the first five minutes of The Marriage of Maria Braun. My heart was thumping like crazy. I turned the dvd player off and then started it all over again. Was anyone as impressed as I was?
touch of evil, blue velvet
i also love mulholland drive’s opening it’s pretty good also love the music!
I’d definitely have to say the title sequence from the films “Seconds” is my favorite. The distortions were so great to watch.
Any of saul bass’s openings esp. for Hitchcock
touch of evil
west side story bass again
Sonja
there’s a ton out there from the sweeping “Gone with the Wind” and “Star Wars” to something simple like the backwards sequencing of Charlie Sheen’s “the Chase”…what are your favorites?