OpeningSequence Tagged Articles at Cinematical
The Title Sequences That Stick
Filed under: Fandom »
That little movie that opened this past weekend, with those men and women wearing silly suits, has sent the Internet into a flurry of diverse chatter. There's talk of blue members, ratings, geek takes, and the art of adaptations. Love it or loathe it, Watchmen offers fodder for many discussions.
Like title sequences. Consensus says that Zack Snyder's visually explanatory introduction (actually created by a company called Yuco) to the Watchmen universe was spot on. Personally, I'd been expecting some sort of visual timeline, a la The Kingdom -- years flashing by the screen as we see all the slight and shocking changes to the political, social, and arts worlds. But the same was done without the dates -- just simple scenes set up like moving art pieces. The tone was set with each crack of violence, and relayed in a way exposition could never manage.
This latest title sequence, however, isn't the only one that wows. Over the years, there have been many noteworthy openings, either slowly guiding the viewer into the world, or explosively thrusting them into it. Some give background and play catch-up. Some begin the tale as the names scroll by. And some just look stunning.
Opening Title Sequence for 'The Kingdom' Now Online
Filed under: Drama », New Releases », Politics », Trailers and Clips »
I've always admired Peter Berg. I just have to give him credit for jumping from stints as sidekick Dexter Rutecki in Aspen Extreme and David Whitlock in Fire in the Sky, to a notable director who has helmed the likes of Very Bad Things, Friday Night Lights, and now, The Kingdom. On the eve of its wide release, Yahoo is hosting the film's opening sequence. Usually, I feel pretty iffy about moves like this -- a good opener is the way into a movie, and while it might be exciting to check it out from home, you don't want it to seem old by the time you hit the theater to see what follows. I am, however, happy to report that this time around, it was a great idea.The Kingdom starts with a montage sweeping through the dustry sands of Saudi Arabia, briefly detailing the kingdom, the US, and its long history with oil, from 1932 to 2001. While that may sound boring, or even yawn-worthy, the music and editing on this sequence breeds more anticipation than some action movies. Historical video and audio clips are laid out on a clear timeline, and while no brief mention of an event can do it justice, it's a quick and excellent short primer for the movie. There's nothing quite as distracting as trying to follow along with everything in a film, especially a documentary, when you don't know the background.
It's definitely done it's job. I was interested before the clip, and after seeing the opening, it's on my short list. Playing similarly to a trailer, it's educational and interesting, and it's got so much information packed into a few minutes that it won't hurt to see it again when you go to check out the film. And, if you're wondering if the rest of the film matches up, you can check out James Rocchi's review tomorrow.
Insert Caption: The Runaways
Sofia Coppola or Gus Van Sant to Direct 'Breaking Dawn'?
Spin-ematical: New on DVD and Blu-ray for 3/16
Chloe Moretz Leads a Kick-Ass Cast for Scorsese's 'Hugo Cabret'
Girls on Film: Hollywood, Image, and Responsibility
_thumbnail.jpg)
_thumbnail.jpg)
