A week or so ago I tossed into the air a few brief thoughts about opening credits, but, alas, my post didn't seem to ignite interest in the way I'd hoped, and very few suggestions arrived.Still, in the cyclical spirit of these things, I offer up this piece of information: I am one of those people who stay right to the end of the credits.
When almost everyone else has trundled away, and the cinema staff are hovering, waiting to pick up the litter, I remain in the dark, steadfastly waiting to the very, very end, watching countless crew members names scroll by, in the hope that the director has included something for folk like me, who stay till the end.
Joe Dante does it all the time. There was, if I recall correctly, something at the end of Cloverfield which explained where the monster came from. And last night, watching the Coens' A Serious Man — a particularly black and hardcore Coens — I came upon these words: "No Jews Were Harmed In The Making Of This Movie." Very droll. And very funny. Put there for people like me.
6 comments:
The six people who remained until the end of A Serious Man at the screening I attended all had a great laugh at that one.
I've been trying to come up with something for the opening credits talk, but failing completely! As I think I've said before, I'm horrible when it comes to list-making...
The best end credits ever goes to THE ADVENTURES OF BUCKAROO BANZAI (which Wes Anderson shameless ripped off/paid homage to in LIFE AQUATIC). So cool and a great way to end the film.
I also like what Oliver Stone did at the end of NATURAL BORN KILLERS, having the end credits play over extra footage from the film while a Leonard Cohen song played.
In a far more simpler vein, there's the end credits of MICHAEL CLAYTON playing over a shot of George Clooney's character riding off in a cab. In the commentary, Gilroy said that he told Clooney to play the entire film over in his mind. Very nicely understated.
Great choices again. I love the end of BB. Well, I love all of it, but the end is rather fine. I really wish the movie had taken off and he'd have gotten the chance to make a sequel...
And if we're talking about movies Anderson has, er, paid homage to, I say Harold & Maude was a massive influence.
Oh yeah, Ashby is a big-time influence on Anderson. 'Tis true.
Ditto what Gerard said. I am awful at coming up with lists, not to mention, awful at thinking of things at the spur of a moment. (This is why I despise doing improv in theatre classes.)
But I agree with J.D. on Buckaroo's. I LOVE those. In fact, when I had that dvd [rented, as I don't own it yet] and the end credits finished, I put it back to the beginning and watched it a few more times.
I think I'd be able to put together a list of my favorite opening credits from tv shows, though. As those are what I see constantly. Cable shows would of course dominate that list.
I think we can stretch to TV...
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