February 06, 2006
Jess's List of the best First Five Movie Minutes
Posted by Jess in
Day to Day
As many of you know, I absolutely love the movies. I love knowing what goes on behind the scenes making them. I love hearing trivia. I love movie props. I love finding the right movie quote to fit *any* moment, and then trying to be stumped to figure out where the quote came from.
I was thinking the other day about how some movies just suck you right in from the start. The introduction may be riveting, disgusting, funny as hell, or just plain weird - but it sets the tone just right for the rest of the movie.
I was trying to think of some of my favorite "Movie Introductions" - the first five minutes that set the tone.
In such a short amount of time, it's impossible to think of all the ones I love. Here's what I could come up with in a few minute's thought, in no particular order:
Ghost Ship
Without giving away any plot secrets, let it be known that as a horror movie fan, the first five minutes of the movie Ghost Ship are the most delightfully grisly minutes I've ever spent watching a horror movie.
Gone in 60 Seconds
The left-hand dial ticks across a clock. The clocks spreads out across the whole screen, and the dial turns into a speeding road, while still ticking. The ticking sound blends perfectly into a great Moby song (Flower), and we are given a tour of a bedroom that contains family photos and other strange artifacts, while still tapping our feet to the captivating song.
The Matrix
That ever-familiar disjointed chord that is now synonymous with The Matrix is how the movie starts. The chord never crescendos, which is perhaps what makes it so memorable. A screen so dark - and a tall, gorgeous, exotic woman in full black shiny leather proceeds to make movie history in one of the most beautiful - and most parodied - movie moments ever.
Jaws
It made number one in Bravo's 100 Most Scary Movie Moments countdown, AND it happened in the first five minutes. The audience never saw it coming.
The Fellowship of the Ring
We were not only treated to epic battles and introduced to a great story... who can withstand the power of Cate Blanchett's sultry vocal chords narrating the story itself?
Amelie
The movie is endearing, and warms the heart, and it starts with the very first introduction of Amelie and her family. The counter on the DVD didn't even read 00:30 and I was enamoured.
Jerry Maguire
Okay, I'll 'fess up. I was never, ever interested in The Who's Magic Bus until I heard it in context. The repetitive, pulsating block-tapping sound sets such a great tone for a movie about instant action and quick talking. AND - sounds killer with a good set of speakers.
What are YOUR favorite movie introductions? Why?
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Comments
I'd add two to the list...
The Star Wars scrolling intro is just such a trademark now that when the theme music kicks in you're just happy to be there.
A more recent movie that has a truly astonishing first few minutes is Lord of War with Nicholas Cage. It follows the life of a bullet from being manufactured right up to the point of being fired. Very well made and actually quite shocking which is rare these days.
Jaws has ruined my enjoyment of the beach for over 30 years. Good choice.
I'd like to add "Saving Private Ryan" to this list. Few movies portrayed the horror of war before this movie showed with incredible realism what it was like on D-Day landing in Normandy, France. Who does movies better that Steven Spielberg?
There's only a few movies I like watching over and over. One of them is "Dumb and Dumber". I love the open minutes of this movie how Loyd (Jim Carey) falls off the jetway trying to return his new found love's briefcase. When his roomate, Harry, asks how his day went, Loyd reply's "I fell off the jetway, again." Love that line.
Or how about the line, "We got no food, we got no jobs, our pets heads are falling off!" I guess you have to see the movie to get it.
Ooh, I wanted to see Lord of War.
And Curt, Dumb and Dumber, LOL! "Want to hear the most annoying sound ever?"
