Delicatessen is one of my favorites, fun and imaginative
I was just thinking about how elegant the title sequence for Castle in the Sky was.
I love Love Exposure’s title sequence mostly because it doesn’t come in until a full hour into the movie. So fucking awesome.
Veering slightly from film to tv series, I have to say that the opening credit sequence for True Blood is without a doubt one of the best I have ever seen – and this from someone who isn’t mad about the series itself. But the opening credits rival Blue Velvet for the disturbing and sinister undertones captured in the montage of religious, sexual and predatory images – and then there’s the soundtrack – ‘I wanna do bad things to you’ …. my oh my!
one of my favorites is WEST SIDE STORY… there was so much anticipation when this came out… i wasn’t 10 yet, but the ‘cool factor’ was something to witness in those days… getting to see the gritty NYC gangs turf (the playground) set to Bernstein’s music was eye-opening to say the least!… nothing like the gang of 3 i belonged to – THE MILK TOASTS… don’t mess with us or we’ll TP your house while you sleep.
Dancer in the Dark, nice and hypnotic, and Dr. No is catchy
I love Vertigo’s title sequence, personally.
holy crap. i totally forgot i started this thread. i really liked the opening sequence for the watchmen. it gave a nice overview of the graphic novel without being too ridiculous.
Simplicity is best, for me. I totally agree with Brandon Bedaw. I prefer no opening credits, too, a title if anything.
I love the opening and ending titles of There Will Be Blood. The Paramount Vantage/Miramax Films logos with the string movement building and the white-on-black title for four seconds and that fade-in. The ending, for the Brahms violin concerto and the final cut-out synched perfectly to the music.
The Squid and the Whale, for no space of black leader. Sound of tennis game fades in, TITLE in big letters, brief v.o., immediate cut-in.
Hannah and Her Sisters or any other Woody Allen film. Cliche answer, but he’s been consistent for thirty years. He always picks good music, too.
Cache is chilling just from the opening titles. Network as well.
*Ran*’s is brilliant. Children of Men and The Departed. I love jarring cuts to title cards.
I like Seven and The ship of Fools
FERRIS BUELLER’S DAY OFF. Opening and closing credits both.
I saw the old Harryhausen flick, “The First Men in the Moon.” The beautiful variations of moon photos being faded in and out with water ripples. I love it!
I’d agree with Catch Me If You Can. I also like To Kill a Mockingbird’s.
I’d say some of Miyazaki’s are my favourites (with the exception of Tonari no Totoro which doesen’t really have one) like Kiki’s Delivery Service or Nausicaa or Castle in the Sky.
James Bond sounds dumb, but it’s so rediculously famous…
I thought Enter the Void has some pretty entertaining titles.
Come on, this is classic.
North by Northwest
Casino
Se7en
Manhattan
Funny Games (original)
Touch of Evil
Donnie Brasco
Lady from Shanghai
Chacun cherche sont chat (typographic play and accumulation)
You can see a bit what I mean with the first seconds of the trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oSunSnkuhU
Bunny Lake is Missing
Visible here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ7BSmS6aLc
KISS KISS BANG BANG
North by Northwest
I love a lot of the elaborate credit sequences, but something about well done simplicity gets me. I don’t think it can rightly be called a “credit sequence”, but I love the title card and how and when it appears onscreen in “Children Of Men”. I also love the titles in “Leaving Las Vegas” for similar reasons. And I think “Boyz N The Hood” was the first time I was struck by such a thing.
ENTER THE VOID
Smashing Magazine has a recent article right on spot: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/10/04/the-art-of-the-film-title-throughout-cinema-history/
I also found a title sequence mubi list
Love the tile-work. Love Grier’s static performance.
And thanks for the link to what looks like a smashing Smashing Magazine article….though upon only a quick scan, I did note that it fails to mention the WATCHMEN title sequence’s ability to bring the movie-drama to a screeching halt after only one scene!
The Prisoner
Bass’ closing credits for his own PHASE IV…the first and only time in the movie when the title is mentioned since the previous 90 minutes of the film travel chronologically from Phase I through III only to culminate in Phase IV, the viewer’s present.
david lincoln brooks
Yeah, Saul Bass is da shizz.
Recently I have liked the opening titles of DOWN WITH LOVE and CATCH ME IF YOU CAN , both of which owe much to that 1950’s animated title style, which I like very much.