Heat, by Michael Mann.

One of my favourite films and the opener is a clincher.

I really like the first couple of minutes of The Changeling.

When George C. Scott's wife/tiny dughter get smoked by a dump truck.

Makes me want to start a family.

blue velvet

touch of evil

the big lebowski

Elizabeth.

Totally throws you in at the deep end. THIS is what's going on, it's fucking intense, and we're going there RIGHT NOW. Then it drags you by the hair into history. First stop: a burning.

This fascinates me actually, how a historical film or play conjurs up the past. Shakespeare makes a big deal of giving you the feel of blundering into an ancient mist wherein lie these incredible tales. You need (I need) to feel like there's some sort of transgression taking place, like I'm entering somewhere else, to observe something. I like The Madness of King George's start, the knock on the door and it opening to the royal court all looking at you.


On another note: Cross of Iron.

Taxi Driver..

I like the first scene of Kill Bill 2 - "Massacre at Two Pines" (after she's driving the car)

how could i have forgotten <i>river's edge<i>!?

koyaanisqatsi.

I'll geek out a bit: The openning sequence at Auschwitz in the first X-Men. I think it works very well. I don't know a damned thing about the comics, but the manner in which he discovers his powers tells you all you need to know about Magneto's motivations.

tommydski wrote:the first shot of lost in translation.

How weird it took that long to get that answer. I must agree...

Rotten Tanx wrote:Down By Law.

New Orleans rooftops and Tom Waits.

This is a good one.

So is the opening scene of The Wild Bunch..

gruesome and brutal and badass as hell.