Best openings to movies all time

Boogie Nights is up there for me. It introduces all the main characters in one single shot up until the first cut after getting to Dirk Diggler. Music is good too. Oh and there's a fantastic view of Rollergirl's ass in the midst of it.

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How about most of the James Bond Movies, they all open with a different twist, the best one might be The Spy Who Loved Me opens with a parachute jump then a ski chase in the snow.

To me, Jaws is the benchmark for great opening scenes. The shark attack and the iconic music just sets the tone for the whole movie.

The Matrix has a great opening scene with Trinity being chased that does a great job setting up the abilities by those who know how to operate in the matrix as well as setting up the agents.

You also have Citizen Kane where the opening scene sets people up to try to figure out Rosebud throughout the movie.

While I'm not sure it is great enough to be on this list, I love the alarm clock scene to open Back to the Future.

I always liked the opening to Scream. Might not hold up and be as awesome as seeing it the first time, but it was a cool opening.

For movies not so well known, the opening to a movie called Cube was fantastic. A lady at work told me about that movie maybe 25 years ago. I hated that job more than probably any other (manager was absolutely awful), but remember that something good came out of that job. Even if it was just a great movie recommendation. I remember renting it from a video store (probably on one of the midweek discount nights) and liking it so much I eventually purchased it.

I've watch a lot of movies over the years:

Lost In Translation
Patton
Jaws - 2 bass violin notes sets the tone - BA DUM!
Manhattan - I love the George Gershwin opening and B&W stock
Monty Python and the Holy Grail - coconuts, cheaper than using horses
Watchmen
Halloween (original)
John Carpenter's The Thing - the helicopter w/surround sound
Once Upon a Time in the West (really long)
Scream
Raiders of the Lost Ark
2001: A Space Odyssey
Bullitt - great opening soundtrack by Lalo Schifrin
Dirty Harry
Annie Hall - Woody Allen's opening monologue
The Terminator
Alien
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
The Professional (1994)

^^ Patton - yes!

I'll add Inglourious Basterds and The Dark Knight.

^^ Funny, he told me something similar.

I'll add True Lies.

The Dirt starts at a house party where Tommy Lee eats his gf out until she squirts in front of everyone. Great fuckin movie. Epitome of sex, drugs, and rock n roll.

Star Wars - 1977, in widescreen Cinerama w/Dolby stereo. Nothing like it at the time...

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Sixth Sense

Finding Nemo

Raiders of the Lost Ark

As an overall body of work, I don’t anything can top the Bond openings.

Happy Gilmore - from the open to “hey, you don’t want breakfast?” was the perfect introduction to Happy.

Roger Dodger for sure !

Lots of great openings have been mentioned!

I’ll add Zach Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead remake from 2004. The opening scene and credits are really well done.

Saving Private Ryan
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Apocalypse Now
www.youtube.com
The Doors - The End playing

Dazed and confused - www.bing.com

2001 A Space Odyssey -
Resevoir Dogs -

Goodfellas

Belly - very memorable opening scene as we are introduced to the main characters robbing a strip club. well shot, mostly lit by blacklights and the only sound is a 90s r&b song a cappella as mayhem unfolds on screen. classic intro!

Pulp Fiction
Any of you fucking pricks move, and I'll execute every motherfucking last one of ya!

Princess Bride - excellent

The muppet murders
Scary movie

Had to come back to say this.

“I’m still Big Red”

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My top 3 are already mentioned: Pulp Fiction, Raiders, and Saving Private Ryan.

Special mention to Mission Impossible.

I’m pretty fond of the Star Wars opening. It’s simple, a straightforward intro about the movie’s setting, and the music is iconic.