List-O-Rama: The 15 Best and Ass-Kickingest Opening CREDITS Ever (Part 3/3)
May 9, 2008Ye, thus speaketh Cinemabuzz Writer Guy, we have come to the conclusion of thine list of the Best and Ass-Kickingest Opening Credits In History. He who opposes his choices can sucketh an egg. But really, I am expecting at least one death threat for what I selected as the all-time greatest opening credits… of all time.
But before anything else, I would just like to address the ones that I managed to leave out of this here list. Superman: The Movie, Memento and Panic Room easily come to mind. I couldn’t find spots for Planet Terror and Catch Me If You Can either, because of their similarities to sequences which I’ve already included. Dave Chappelle’s Block Party was also a sentimental favorite which I could’ve at least placed at number 15, but couldn’t.
And finally, Weedur brought to my attention the amazing opening titles to Robert Altman’s The Player, which involved an eight-minute tracking shot. Unfortunately, I had already completed the list at the time and could not make the necessary alterations.
Without further ado, here be the cream of the crop, the Five Best and Ass-Kickingest Opening Credits Ever:
#5: Dawn of the Dead (2004)
After see-sawing with films such as the genre-twisting 28 Days Later and the less-than-impressive House of the Dead, big screen zombie fare received a huge rejuvenation in 2004 courtesy of the remake to George A. Romero’s 1978 classic. This was Zack Snyder’s (Watchmen, 300) directorial debut, and was written by Jenna Fischer’s ex-husband, James Gunn (Slither, Troma’s Tromeo & Juliet).
Dawn of the Dead was a fast-paced feast for the eyes, and what kicked it into gear was its opening credits, a montage of photos and news coverage of the events surrounding the dead becoming undead. And the song that plays over it? The ominous opus by Johnny Cash, "The Man Comes Around," which was Snyder’s first choice as background music.
Jonah Hill, Teresa Palmer Out of Transformers 2; Isabel Lucas In?
Director Michael Bay has confirmed that talks between Jonah Hill and the producers for Transformers 2 have broken down, and that Australian actress Teresa Palmer was never even considered for a role.
Good thing I ended the subject of my earlier entry with a question mark, because I would have made a complete fool of myself had I jumped to conclusions. Because, you know, the last thing I’d want is to not be taken seriously as a blogger/reporter.
Also, here’s a photo of a mustachioed Dakota Fanning with a pig.
Anyway, in keeping with the trend of friggin’ hot Australian women with regard to the Transformers movies (Rachael Taylor in the first, Teresa Palmer being rumored for part two), it appears that another actress from Down Under, Isabel Lucas, has been cast in the sequel.
Speaking of things "down under"… Nah, nevermind. I guess one really can’t go further downhill from Dakota Fanning with a mustache.
By the way, Ms. Lucas is a relative newcomer to the business, having only a regular role in the Australian soap, Home and Away under her belt. She will, however, star next to Ethan Hawke, Sam Neill, and Willem Dafoe in the upcoming futuristic vampire movie, Daybreakers.
