I saw this commercial last week in New York at an advertising award show. It was featured as one of the best commercials of last year. As I watched it, I was in complete awe because of what I thought it was doing - and that is trying to promote film preservation. The commercial is about how Scorsese possesses three and a half pages of an unfinished Hitchcock script. The idea up front is that instead of preserving films that have already been made, Scorsese is going to preserve this script by shooting it the way Hitchcock would. As an idea for film preservation, it's incredible. As I watched the spot, my mind was blowing because I thought this was the greatest idea ever. Not for one second did I think that this commercial was not 100% legit. Well, look at me. The guy who's in the biz and who should know better getting played like a sucker. The spot wasn't for film preservation. It was for Freixenet Sparkling Wines. Goddamn sparkling wines. The kind of shit that my 90 year old aunt drinks because it's "yummy." Directed and acted by one of our greatest directors ever. To me, this commercial represents all that is ugly with advertising. Not having an ounce of respect for anything as long as it helps peddle a product. It makes a mockery of film preservation and makes a whore of Scorsese.
As an homage to Hitchcock, this commercial is great fun, drawing on classic framing, camera movements and musical scores. As a progressive idea for film preservation, this commercial is fantastic, really taking a new approach to highlight how important film preservation can be. As a commercial for frickin sparkling wine as shot by Martin Scorsese, it sucks. Most of the blame falls squarely on Scorsese here because he knew what he was signing up for. There are plenty of bad ideas out there and what keeps the good people respectable is their ability to pick and choose and to stay far, far away from the stinkers. This was a terrible mistake on behalf of Scorsese and honestly it's soiled me a bit on the guy.
The new trailer for The Strangers (due out May 30th) dug into the old scary bag and pulled out the tried and true white bag over the head trick. Probably had some potatoes in it, or some nice oranges. They dumped that crap on the ground, cut out eye holes, placed it over someone's head and voila... instant terror. My four year old daughter could place a white bag over her head and say "I love you Daddy" only for me to fall to the floor in a puddle of my own piss, stricken with horror - that's how scary it is.
Sure it's been done before, but when you've stumbled onto a guaranteed scare like this you gotta pass that shit around, right? You know what, I think I'm going to go into the patent office and trademark the white bag over head idea. Every time it's used, I rake in millions and millions of dollars, all the while in a cold sweat, laying in a pile of my own feces because I'm so damn scared (notice my bodily function obsession I seem to have today). I'm talking all white bags. And pillow cases. And white paper sacks as well. This is my formal declaration that I'm trademarking this stuff. I'll get it in right before The Strangers breaks and the piles of money will come flooding.
Friday The 13th Part 2 (1981) The trailblazer for me really. I'm sure there have been white bags on heads before, but this is the earliest I remember. It's a little crude, but give Jason a frickin' break, he drowned and now he's possessed by the devil. Do you really think he gives two shits what he looks like when he's splitting you down the middle with a machete?
Malevolence (2004) This movie is an homage to the horror movies of the 70's and 80's so it's no surprise they brought out the white bag on the head for this. There's nothing funny to say about this because the damn movie is so scary and if I said anything funny about it, the movie might get mad and come after me so I'm not saying shit.
Resident Evil 4 (2005) Watching a spooky dude with a bag on his head in a movie is scary. Watching that dude come at you with a chainsaw trying to cut off your head is really fucking scary.
The Orphanage (2007) This is more like a gunny sack and oh look it's got some make-up on it and rosy cheeks and isn't that cute. I mean, holy fucking shit run for your lives!!!!!
The Strangers (2008) That bag on that guy's head is tight. And by tight, I mean sweet. All form fitted and shit. The seams are showing, but that's stylish. You could stroll the town in that bag and maybe pick up a couple of ladies that have a fetish for bags on the heads and by the way, what kind of freaky ladies would be into that kind of shit and keep me the hell away from them please.
You all suck which is why I hate you and don't want you to participate in the upcoming Bizarro Blog-A-Thon 2, June 23-25. Last year's participation was terrible and I would hate it if even less of you participated this year.
If you don't remember the rules here they are: up is down, right is wrong, white is black and Norbit fucking rocks. Write up movies you hate like they're the best ever. Write about movie stars you love, like you can't stand them.
I love movie trailers. Most people complain about them and say how there are getting to be more and more these days. I say there aren't enough. I would probably throw down good money to see two hours worth of trailers. I'm straight up crazy that way. I live literally 3 minutes away from an AMC gazillion-plex. I wish it were some smaller, older theater but I'm not going to complain. The wife likes to leave about 5 minutes before a movie is to begin. I myself don't like to cut it that close. The wife always says "we're only missing trailers, it will be fine." Now this is a woman who knows full well how I feel about trailers, and yet... AND YET... she still says that, digging the blade so deep in my heart. Good Lord, where am I and what am I talking about?
Okay, so I go to see Iron Man in its first weekend and the wife isn't with me which means I get there nice and early so I can catch all the trailers. Among the trailers is one for the new Indiana Jones movie. It's a good trailer and the movie looks to be entertaining enough. But damn Harrison Ford looks old. Not cool old like Sean Connery, just old old. He's not really that old, but he just looks old in this role. And so that begs the question, is The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull doing damage to not only the franchise, but to faithful audiences in general? There's a reason Superman never gets old, and it has less to do with his planet and more to do with the fact that people don't like to watch their heroes go gray. For me it's not a vanity thing, it's a fact that we're witnessing the magic wearing off. Like a really nice potion that turns that beautiful woman that you've been dating for a few months into a 90 year old woman right before your eyes. It hurts. Indiana Jones is all about movie magic. It is an homage to the serial movies of old. So why break that mold with this late installment? An entire age group could give a damn about an older Indy, but not me. To me, it's a reminder that we're all mere mortals, even Indiana Jones. But that's just me. Is the new Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull really that big of deal, or just good clean fun.
First things first. It seems that the old Top 5 Tuesdays is now an award winning weekly feature. I just received a LAMMY at the first ever annual awards show just a few days ago for Best Running Feature. So if you were hoping this little baby might go away, think again. I'm going to ride its award winning coattails for a long time. Thanks to everyone who voted for it.
To celebrate, let's raise a couple (or five) to the best drunks in movies.
Acting drunk doesn't seem like it would be that hard. Stumble around, slur your words, maybe get in a fight and then piss yourself. No problem. There are some who do it justice in movies and then there's John Cusack in The Sure Thing (worst drunk ever!). We've gathered today to honor those who make it seem so real you'd swear they were really drunk. And maybe they were.
Give me your Top 5 Best Drunks in movies. Here are mine.
1. Bluto Blutarsky (John Belushi) in Animal House "Christ. Seven years of college down the drain. Might as well join the fucking Peace Corps."
2. Arthur Bach (Dudley Moore) in Arthur "Where's the other half of this moose?"
3. Terry Ann Wolfmeyer (Joan Allen) in The Upside Of Anger "Yeah, what the hell. I'm going after the mother of the year award."
4. Bob & Doug McKenzie (Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas) in Strange Brew "If I didn't have puke breath, I'd kiss you."
5. Gary Wallace (Anthony Michael Hall) in Weird Science "Well, my nuts are halfway up my ass, but other than that, I'm perfect!"
I saw Jason Segal's junk a lot in Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
Okay, I just had to get that out of the way so we can move on. Forgetting Sarah Marshall is an uneven comedy albeit a charming one because it's got something going for it. And that is Jason Segal, the lovable loser. When you think about it, the lovable loser is a hard role to fill.
Handsome but with love handles. Most likely to have played Dungeons & Dragons or the like earlier in life. Socially awkward in situations making him stand-offish. Honesty will outweigh coolness in all situations.
Probably not the most likable guy, but you like him anyway because he's the most realistic. The kind of person you identify with because there's an honesty there. There's a scene in Forgetting Sarah Marshall where Peter (Jason Segal) is working up the gumption to jump off a cliff into the ocean. While attempting to do so, he trips on some ground covering, sliding down only a bit and hanging on to the cliff for dear life. If he lets go, he will hit the rocks and he probably doesn't have the strength to climb back up. Oh, and let's not forget that the very hot Rachel (Mila Kunis) is at the bottom witnessing all this. I watched this scene and said "that's me" and I'm sure I'm not the only one. To me that was a much more honest scene than the naked one at the beginning of the movie that everyone writes about.
I had all but given up on the lovable loser until this movie. Seth Rogan plays a recent one in Knocked Up, although I was not as big a fan of this movie as most were and I actually prefer Seth as a crazy cop or kinky electronics employee. To me, the epitome of the perfect lovable loser is Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack) in Say Anything. The ghetto blaster outside Diane's window is cheesy as hell but damn it's honest.
I'm actually surprised we don't see more of these guys. While we may root for the geeks in movies like Revenge Of The Nerds and Weird Science, we know that we're setting aside reality in doing so. And even more so when we root for the hunks like Mathew McConaughey and Patrick Dempsey. But with the lovable loser, we're rooting for more than just a character in a movie. We're rooting for ourselves.
The tone that the credits set: Distant and creepy. There's something very ominous about the type against the large buildings. The enormity of the settings and the type coupled with the ominous score is unsettling. One wonders if there was flowery music underneath, how that would change the feeling of these opening credits. Rank: 9
Do the credits help tell the story: No and there isn't really any reason to. It's a simple story and the title gives away a lot already. I suppose if Fincher wanted to he could have featured renderings of the security measures taken when creating a panic room, but then he might risk copying from himself. Rank: 7
The technique used: Ornate type is placed alongside giant buildings in Manhattan, as if the type is part of the buildings themselves. It's simple and striking. Rank: 9
Is it style over substance (does the technique get in the way of delivering the credits): The cuts area bit too fast at times and the perspective of the type at times may limit the readability but I doubt either of these matter on the big screen which this was designed for. Rank: 8
Overall Ranking: 8.25
The Shining
The tone that the credits set: There's dread in these mountains. No doubt that Kubrick lays it on thick and he starts early with the credits. The tone is not set with the credits so much as the opening score. It tells the viewer that nothing is safe. Even beautiful mountain views. Rank: 8
Do the credits help tell the story: Kind of. The credits run over the opening action as Jack and the family drive the winding roads on the way to The Overlook Hotel. Rank: 7
The technique used: The credits run more as closing credits, scrolling down through the screen rather than fading in and out. There's a no-nonsense approach to these credits as if Kubrick wants to get them out of the way, yet they are very memorable. Rank: 8
Is it style over substance: Hardly. While the shots are striking, they don't take away from the credits and the credits are big and bold and right there for everyone to see. Rank: 8
Overall Ranking: 7.75
To Kill A Mockingbird
The tone that the credits set: Innocent and playful, like a child introducing you to his room. The camera highlights different things within the cigar box as if each one represented a peak behind a new curtain. Rank: 9
Do the credits help tell the story: A little. The entire movie is told from the perspective of Scout, so it helps that the movie begins to set that premise through random objects that Scout has collected. Rank: 8
The technique used: Beautiful cinematography. When looking at it today, the photography is brilliant, so when you think that this was shot over 40 years ago, it makes it that much more beautiful. Rank: 10
Is it style over substance (does the technique get in the way of delivering the credits): No. The entire sequence is graceful, slowly fading in-between shots and the simple white credits fit in nicely with that. Rank: 8
Overall Ranking: 8.75
My Best Friends Wedding
The tone that the credits set: There was a time when you kind of knew what to expect with a Julia Roberts movie. It was rather formulaic and on the surface this movie proves to be just another predictable outing. But the truth is, this is a different movie. A strangely quirky one that's a lot of fun along the way. These credits are along those line. Fun and different. Rank: 8
Do the credits help tell the story: A little bit. The song tells the viewer that when you find a man you love, you have to hold on to him and show him that you care. That tips the hat to the story of My Best Friend's Wedding being that Julia Roberts wants to tell her best friend Dermot Mulroney that she is in love with him. Rank: 7
The technique used: Live performance, is that a technique? I would say yes. Otherwise, the type is a fun yellow script against a pink background - which is to say that it's nothing terribly special. But the live performance takes it up a couple of notches. Rank: 8
Is it style over substance: The credits could suffer a bit due to the singing grabbing all the attention, but I would say that mostly that the credits and performance compliment eachother quite nicely. Rank: 8
Overall Ranking: 7.75
Dawn Of The Dead
The tone that the credits set: At first scary and then somewhat ironic when Cash chimes in with "When The Man Comes Around." Great song, but it lets the audience off the hook. To me Snyder should have gone with straight fright here. Rank: 7
Do the credits help tell the story: Yes, with random cuts of news stories and rabid zombies, the credits help tell the story of the outbreak and the mystery surrounding it. It's a nice placement as well, introducing the credits right after the opening scene where all hell begins to break loose. Rank: 10
The technique used: Random shots of chaos on video provides the background which is interesting, but nothing really new. The type treatment on the other hand is excellent. The titles appear on screen and then scatter from the screen as if alive. It's a nice reinforcement that what we're dealing with here is a really nasty epidemic. Rank: 10
Is it style over substance (does the technique get in the way of delivering the credits): It's a little ADD with all the cuts, but the technique used to deliver the type keeps your attention focused where it needs to be. Rank: 8
Overall Ranking: 8.75
Catch Me If You Can
The tone that the credits set: Intriguing fun. The structure of these credits is not unlike the opening to a Pink Panther movie, yet it's not as playful. There's still a sense that danger lurks somewhere and that more is at stake. Rank: 9
Do the credits help tell the story: Not really, but they help tell the general premise of the story which is the cat and mouse pursuit between DiCaprio and Hanks. Rank: 8
The technique used: Simple animation that is at once progressive and then an homage past credit sequences. Spielberg is a lover of films and it shows in these credits. Rank: 10
Is it style over substance: To me this is the perfect balance of style and substance. The animation is intriguing and the introduction of each credit is seamless within the animation. It's like witnessing a perfect machine. Everything works as it should and it moves forward. Rank: 10
Overall Ranking: 9.25
Twin Peaks
The tone that the credits set: These credits make me want to take a nap, which is exactly what Lynch and Frost were going for. But Badalamenti's score suggests that somethings a miss, which it is. What's you're left with is a sleepy town that's creeping with miles and miles of bad road. Rank: 8
Do the credits help tell the story: Yes. They help set up the town in which everything takes place. The shots of the lumber yard and the blades being sharpened is almost comical in its monotony which is very much the tone of the show. If I could make a suggestion, I would ask for more shots of the sleepy town. Rank: 8
The technique used: No technique here and no need for it. Rank: 8
Is it style over substance (does the technique get in the way of delivering the credits): No fear of saw blades being sharpened overtaking green type on the screen. Especially after repeat viewing every week. Rank: 8
So the wife and I decide to watch Death At A Funeral the other night. I start the movie off and about three minutes into it I realize what I always realize every single time I watch a British movie. That I can't hear a single goddamn word they're saying. Everything sounds like it's played through a thick wool sock that's been deep fried and had duct tape placed over it. Am I alone on this? So I have the volume cranked up so I can hear it, but then the soundtrack kicks in and suddenly it's blaring so then I get the dirty look from the wife like I'm suddenly 80 years old so I turn down the volume. Then the talking happens again and I'm worried I might miss a joke (this is because unlike American comedy, the British don't announce the joke, tell the joke and then remind you that you just heard a joke) so I turn the volume back up.
And so it goes throughout the evening. Volume up so I can hear it until music or sound effects kick in and the walls shake then I get the dirty look from the wife so I fumble for the remote control to turn down the volume until the talking begins again and I can't hear so I grab the DVD remote to rewind the movie to make sure I haven't missed anything then I find the TV remote to turn up the volume and then proceed all over again. It's a vicious circle really and I'm pretty exhausted when it's all said and done. Needless to say the movie better be pretty damn good because, you know, I've put in the effort. It's like an expensive meal on a date. I better get a little something at the end to make it all worth while. Unfortunately Death At A Funeral was not worth while. I had a couple of friends tell me it was hilarious. That it was their new favorite movie. That it shouldn't be missed. And there I sat with remote controls in both hands and I waited for jokes to happen that never did. The best way I can describe Death At A Funeral is that it's like a very unfunny Seinfeld episode and honestly, that might be giving it too much credit. One of the main characters takes a pill that he thinks is a Valium but it's really Extacy, and so he acts like an idiot the rest of the movie. And not a funny idiot. More like an annoying idiot who makes you role your eyes every time he comes on screen. He says how green everything looks, grabs at some things that aren't there, and then he gets naked. And that's supposed to be funny, which it might be if it were playing Friday night at the Shady Grove Retirement Village. It's sad really because the character I'm mentioning is played by Alan Tudyk who I like very much and thought he was really good in the TV show Firefly. The movie is one series of misunderstanding after another with a couple of snafus mixed in for fun, or un-fun as it turns out.
I was told by my friend that her husband laughed really hard at one part which is strange because he's a pretty dry guy who rarely laughs out loud much. So I spent the entire movie waiting for that scene or string of scenes that were going to make me laugh, hoping that my incessant remote controlling would not be all for not. Did I mention there's a midget in the movie? He's played by Peter Dinklage. Yep, non-stop hilarity.
I guess I'm not surprised by all this. The movie was directed by Frank Oz who has been missing rather largely lately with The Stepford Wives and In & Out which was a complete disaster. Some will say so was Bowfinger and I might join them in saying that. I will say that with a couple of solid jokes and some more charming Michael Caine-like talent, Death At A Funeral could have been Dirty Rotten Scoundrels good which is to say that it wasn't a terribly funny movie, but at least it was a pleasant experience. But instead, I just got hand cramps with all the remote control action and I probably advanced my unavoidable carpal tunnel surgery by a couple of years. Damn.
Ah, the disaster film. Gotta love it! Wait, I mean holy shit, the disaster film. Run for your lives! Here comes an epidemic that came from a meteor which caused a tidal wave that is setting off earthquakes and volcanoes all over.
Give me your top 5 disaster films. Here are mine in no particular order.
1. Twister I watch it every year at this time. Makes me want to go out and chase down tornadoes, but then my wife slaps me and I come to my senses.
2. The Birds Hitchcock made us afraid of birds. I'm still wondering how he did that.
3. 12 Monkeys Airborne diseases scare me. And so does a red-headed David Morse.
4. 28 Days Later A great concept about a very real premise. I'm still waiting for a movie to document what it's like during an outbreak on a large scale.
5. The Day After I don't remember a lot of this, but I remember it scaring the hell out of me. So I've included it here because nuclear war scares me and I know that I'm not alone on this.
When movie characters break out in dance, it's usually out of joy. By definition, dance means to leap or skip about excitedly. They get caught up in emotion and break into song and then the toes start tapping. It's a bit awkward really when you think about it, but there probably is no greater show of elation than the dance.
And then there are the trailblazers, Those who dance not on behalf of happiness, but on behalf of anger. These people use the dance as some sort of punching bag to get out their aggressions. Had a hard day at the office? "Honey, don't bother me for the next 30 minutes, I'm going to be in the basement dancing angry." And that trailblazer is none other than Ren McCormack (Kevin Bacon) the straight up fox from Footloose. As awkward as spontaneous joyful dance might be, angry dance is even more so. Honestly, I would have rather watched Kevin Bacon set fire to a small village than to watch his feet pound in synch with a bad 80's keyboard. But that's what happens when you love dance this much. You dance for joy and you dance so you don't punch somebody square in the face.
Damn I'm pissed. I have to work out some teen angst here. If I don't get un-pissed I might do something drastic. Like dance.
Stupid Preacher. He's got a hot daughter, but he makes me mad because he says I can't dance. But I'll show him...
How do you like those moves Mr. Preacher Man? I'm dancing. But not dancing for joy. I'm Angry Dancing.
Hey hot daughter of Mr. Preacher Man. You're hot and I can have you so I'm not sure why you make me mad, but I'm angry dancing so chances are even stuff that makes me feel good will piss me off. So I'll show you...
How about a twist. And a hop and a skip. And I'm so pissed I might sway. Oh, there I go. I'm swaying. That's how angry I am. I'm swaying.
Stupid Mr. Cop Man. Mr. Pig! You think you know me because I'm a teenager and you know all teenagers, but you don't know me, man. I'm an Angry Dancer and don't make me mad because I might just do a little Jitter Bug right her in front of you. In the meantime, let me show you a couple of moves...
How do you like this? I'm so angry I'm dancing up against backlit silo walls. That's how angry you've made me. Remember, you made me do this Mr. Cop Man.
Stupid Druggie Teenager. You think drugs make me feel good? No way. Dancing makes me feel good. But not when I'm mad. When I'm mad I Angry Dance and you don't want to be around when that happens. But you've made me mad with your drug ways and... uh oh now look what's gonna happen...
I'm going to skip in front of backlit silo walls. There's corn and seed and shit floating around and I'm dancing around with it because that's how angry you've made me. You wanted to make me feel good Mr. Dope Man, but instead you've angered my inner dancing beast and now it just wants to hop and skip about.
About 30 minutes into Iron Man a couple of nagging questions popped into the old noggin. First question: who the hell would have guessed that Jon Favreau could have pulled off this movie? And when I say he pulled it off, I mean he did more than stand behind the camera and let the special effects drive the movie. Truth is, he could have phoned this baby in. When Fantastic Four makes enough to warrant a sequel, you know you've got a recipe for success in a comic book movie. Instead, Favreau gave us more. He gave us a great movie that just so happens to have a super hero in it. And damn it was a fun ride. One that you absolutely must experience.
We're seeing an evolution of the comic book movie my friends, brought on by directors like Sam Raimi and Christopher Nolan and now Favreau. Gone are the days of passing these off as high-priced popcorn. I suppose if they gave the reins to the likes of Michael Bay and Bret Ratner (which they did of course with X-Men 3), then that's about as far as we would get. Fortunately there's someone out there who had the insight to listen to the ludicrous idea of Jon Favreau delivering a big budget comic book movie. And who is that guy with all that insight? Or gal? Please buy them a drink from me and send me the bill. They deserve it. Okay, back to my questions.
The second question I had was who the hell would have thought that Robert Downey Jr. would have made an excellent main character in a comic book movie? I remember when the original Batman came out and Michael Keaton was cast. It was an interesting choice but honestly I didn't really see a good marriage there. I think Keaton was cast more for his lips than anything else. And everybody hooted and hollered about Jack Nicholson as the Joker, but really who didn't see that coming? It's not like you were casting against type there. But Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark? His flamboyance was perfect and probably a no-brainer, but he also had the depth to make the convincing transformation from war monger to super hero. Of course there are lots of people out there that can pull that off, but not many that can have so much fun with it.
It's hard to believe that amidst all the dreck that comes out, especially during the Summer, that there are still people out there in Hollywood taking risks. And not just little itty bitty risks. But big, huge risks. Favreau, while a very lovable character in movies and on TV, doesn't exactly have a bankable track record. The reception of his first movie Made was mixed, and Zathura never found its audience. Elf was a hit, but it was hardly the paved road on the way to "hey, I can deliver a big budget summer movie."
One hopes that these risks amount to something other than huge pay raises and bigger offices for the the person(s) involved. One would hope that Hollywood might perk up its ears and take note. Afterall, this isn't the first time that major risks have paid off. Look at Peter Jackson and the trilogy that made Robert Shaye the money whore he is today. Or Sam Raimi with Spiderman? Or all the way back to Tim Burton with Batman? It would be nice to see some of these risks translate to other areas of movie making that maybe don't need hundreds of millions of dollars or a super hero attached. It would be nice to think that movies such as Zodiac and There Will Be Blood are more the norm than the exception in any particular year. Jeez, wouldn't that be weird. To think that it's not the little independent features that could drive better films, but the big super hero movies instead. It is Hollywood after all, and stranger things have happened.
I have yet to see Forgetting Sarah Marshall, but I have been told several times (and read it even more) that Paul Rudd's five minute performance in the movie is perfect. And if not perfect, it's at least hilarious. A friend who was telling me about his performance asked herself out loud "when will Rudd ever get a lead in a movie." Like a lightning bolt I was there asking her to never ever wish something so horrible on the man. I would say that Paul Rudd (Over Her Dead Body not included in this statement) has managed his career damn near perfect thus far. The precision he has used in his movie choices should make the greatest surgeon in the world jealous. With smaller parts, he never risks over-exposure. He could star in 10 movies in a year and wouldn't feel like he's all over the place. Plus if one stinks, not many people would know. Except they don't really stink. The smallest parts, Rudd makes larger than life. And this all goes without saying that he has made himself the unofficial fifth Beetle in three of the hottest comedy troupes today - that being Apatow, Ferrel and The State with relatively no comedy background to speak of.
I think to give Paul Rudd leading man status now would only damage him in the long run. And honestly I don't know that he has it in him. And trust me, that's no slam against the guy. Paul Rudd seems best when he is bringing some personality to a larger ensemble. But that's just me. Should Paul Rudd have his name in big shiny lights, or should he just keep on truckin' with what he's already doing.
On the surface opening credits are nothing more than a vehicle to deliver the mandatory information. With a straight delivery of credits the only excitement that can be drummed up is from the action going on behind the credits (if there is any at all) or from the names themselves. Still there are some movies who choose to make more of a statement in the opening credits. To use the credits as an opportunity to set a tone for the entire movie. To me, not dressing up the opening credits is like going to a party without a really cool hat. Sure no one will notice if you don't wear the cool hat, but if you were to wear the really cool hat, people would say that it's a nice addition.
There are lots of great credit sequences out there and I've only highlighted a few. This is not meant to be a "best of" just a random sampling. I will judge these opening credits as all opening credits should be judged: The tone that the credits set, do the credits help tell a story, the technique used, and is it style over substance (does the technique get in the way of delivering the credits).
North By Northwest
The tone that the credits set: From the moment that the lines are drawn and Bernard Hermann's fantastic score kicks in, you get the feeling that this movie is going to move at a frantic pace. And North By Northwest delivers. Rank: 8
Do the credits help tell the story: While the credits definitely help set the tone, they don't really fold into the story. But in their defense, I will say that they don't need to. North By Northwest's strength is in its ability to throw you into the middle of the story. So while the credits may not give any backstory, they do their job perfectly. Rank 7
The technique used: The opening is simple enough with bright colors and architectural-like renderings, but as the credits go on, the lines give way to a live-action skyscraper. What's interesting in the presentation is that the type retains the same perspective as the building giving the illusion that the credits are actually appearing on the side of a building. I wasn't alive in 1959, but I have to believe that technique was pretty damn advanced for the time and it's still impressive today. Rank 9
Is it style over substance (does the technique get in the way of delivering the credits): Not one bit. The frantic-ness of the music and design and the the perspective of the type never takes away from the presentation of the credits. Rank 9
Overall Ranking: 8.25
300
The tone that the credits set: This is kind of an odd selection because these opening credits actually come at the end of the film so it's hard to say that they help set a tone for the film. What I will say is that these credits compliment the comic book-like violence that filled the movie. Rank: 9
Do the credits help tell the story: No doubt everyone went to see 300 because of non-stop killing and these credits help tell the story of a series of great battles with lots and lots of blood. Rank: 8
The technique used: What appears to be layers and layers of different silhouetted stills. The technique is very now and in the moment. As a milestone for technology, I think this is very good, but as an example for the ages, I don't believe so. Rank: 8
Is it style over substance: I feel sorry for the people listed in these credits because they will be lost to splattering blood and non-stop camera moves. Rank: 5
Overall Ranking: 7.5
Seven
The tone that the credits set: Evil, that's the tone. Random images flash on and off the screen and scenes go in and out of focus. The entire sequence is shot like some kind of illegal film that you shouldn't be seeing. I remember seeing these credits and wanting to leave the theater because I didn't believe I was mentally prepared for what lay before me. Rank: 10
Do the credits help tell the story: Once you've seen the film, the credits make perfect sense in giving us shades of the diabolical killer at the center of the movie. Rank: 9
The technique used: As with most of Fincher's work, these credits are a nice melding of new and old techniques. You never feel as if you're watching something that was born from a computer although it may have been. It feels as if it were shot by an amateur in the basement somewhere and the titles were literally scratched into the film. Rank: 9
Is it style over substance: Not at all. The credits work seamlessly with the overall design yet they don't blend in so well that you don't pay attention to them. The flicker technique also helps to bring attention to them. Overall, this is a nice execution that works well with the film and also stands alone as just a really creepy Nine Inch Nails video. Rank: 9
Overall Ranking: 9.25
Goodfellas
The tone that the credits set: The flyby technique used to present each credit seems somewhat random, but it flows nicely with the opening car scene. The truth is, the opening scene that's sandwiched in these credits is so powerful you could shoot kids handwriting on a kitchen table and that would suffice. Instead, they gave an interesting treatment to credits without making them so interesting as to take away from the opening. Rank: 7
Do the credits help tell the story: The credits bookend the opening vignette that ends with Henry Hill's famous line "as far back as I can remember, I've always wanted to be a gangster." That vignette in a nutshell is mob life and the credits do their job by providing some space before and after to give that scene the weight it needs. So I would say that while the credits are somewhat straightforward, they help in setting up the movie. Rank: 7
The technique used: A Scorsese film will always err on the more classic side as these credits do. There's nothing flashy about them, but they have always stuck with me. I like the moving technique and for some reason or another it seems to work with the entire film. The credits zooming through the screen makes sense. Rank: 9
Is it style over substance: The general presentation of the credits does not take away anything, however I can't say the same for the opening scene. After multiple viewings, the opening doesn't seem as shocking as it once did which gives you ample time to take in the credits. But upon viewing for the first time, my guess is that the entire second part of the credits were lost on most of the audience. Rank: 8
Overall Ranking: 7.75
The Naked Gun
The tone that the credits set: Get ready for ridiculous fun. That's the tone that's set. And let me just say I'm embarrassed that I just wrote the phrase ridiculous fun. Rank: 9
Do the credits help tell the story: As far as comedy goes, there's not a deep story here to tell so the answer is no. But for this type of movie, you're not really looking for the credits to do much. The fact that they are a funny bit in and of themselves is a real treat. Rank: 7
The technique used: No doubt a small hood with a police siren on top is attached to the camera. Nothing fancy, but there's no need for fancy when you've got a good solid idea - which this is. Rank: 10
Is it style over substance: Not terribly. The credits are front and center. I will say with the environments constantly changing, the credits seem more like a nuisance than anything which is probably a bad thing. Rank: 8
Overall Ranking: 8.5
Halloween
The tone that the credits set: It's hard to tell on this. Let's say I were to go back and kill the brain cells that remember Halloween and this opening and I were to see it again and had no preconceived notion of this movie, would I think that this opening credit sequence was spooky? Good question. But since I do know what I know I will say that there's creepiness in simplicity. Never before and possibly never again will a simple jack-o-lantern be so terrifying. Of course the music helps a lot. Rank: 9
Do the credits help tell the story: No real story to tell here. It's more important to set expectations with atmosphere which is exactly what this does. Rank: 7
The technique used: A simple push in on a jack-o-lantern. Very simple and very effective. Rank: 8
Is it style over substance: Absolutely not. The tone is set but it takes nothing away from the big and bold credits that run on the right side of the screen. Rank: 9
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