Screenwriting : Favorite Opening Scenes by Martin Reese

Snowpiercer.

Oh Martin, this is making me think hard! The New Yorker in me goes to one of my favorite comedies Death Becomes Her because I think the tone is so nicely set with the music, the juxtasition of the bright lights against the dark raining sky. AND John Wick. I know I'm all over the place, I can't pick :)

Always enjoy the opening scene of "Pitch Black" where the crew must decide what must be jettisoned if they're to survive a crash landing: https://youtu.be/l6hCTcwNKsk

JJ Hillard yes! I enjoyed that movie.

A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH

The Dark Knight

I still say Pitch Black was underrated JJ Hillard and Louisa Kendrick Burton

I'm still getting over that open Willem Lodewijk Elzenga .

Yes. Pitch Black was a good opening. Also tied well into choices near the end. OWENS: "Don't touch that switch! "

Get Shorty.

One more: IT FOLLOWS

I think the best opening scene of any movie is the opening scene in Sly Stallone. Michael Rooker and John Lithgow 1993 film 'CLIFFHANGER'.

The Killers. Unfortunately the opening scene is the high point, rest of the film is pretty dull.

American history X.

JAWS

"The Great Silence".

Queen's Gambit.

I live for the Bond openings Barry John Terblanche

Goodfellas.

"All my life I wanted to be a gangster."

I'm sure it's just me but for some reason this post just wrankles my fur in the wrong direction. I realize that I'm getting more cantankerous as the years drift by so please don't take my rant to heart... I just gotta get it off my chest. Here goes: This is a screenWRITING forum; it's not a movie appreciation forum. While watching other peoples work can certainly be educational and of value; if you are learning by copying other's - you are doomed to failure. You MUST develop your very own style.

A challenge to each & every one of you: You show me (us) your current script opening scene; I'll show you mine. Then we can have a meaningful discussion that can make this forum worthwhile.

I respect your thoughts on this Doug Nelson , but my view is that part of writing is studying not only scripts, but films also. You most certainly don't want to copy, but you do want to see and understand why an opening works.

We all need basic instruction when we first take up the art/craft of screenwriting for sure, no one denies that. But you need to take the training wheels off asap - learn by doing. Why do you like the opening scene of Once Upon a Time in the West (I'm not familiar with it). What button, foreshadow or question holds your attention/leads you to the next scene, to the next...?

Doug Nelson as writers we see different things than fans. We also discuss opening scenes different to fans. We see what is being done and why.

Here are someone opening shots and part scenes from three of my unsold (and unfinished) scripts. The names have ### marks beside them. One is a street Drug Drama AMY, there is a horror I haven’t named and my take on Sherlock Holmes.

#### A YET TO BE NAME HORROR.####

EXT. CITY STREET

A busy city street, masses of people moving like a herd, we focus on no one.

A deep really mechanic voice comments.

THE VOICE (V.O.)

There was an experiment were people heated the bottom of a monkey cage. They want to see how much heat was needed to be before the mother monkeys would climb over their babes to escape.

CUT TO:

Suburban Street children playing, cars driving.

THE VOICE (V.O.)

People believe that they would be willing to die for what they believe.

(beat)

But once they realise that help isn’t coming. They all become monkeys.

#### SHERLOCK & MYCROFT ####

INT. TAVERN

A Victorian era tavern filled to capacity with loud, drunk men and women. Lower class. It is lit by lamps and candles Making it feel shadowy and dangerous.

Two men stand facing off at each other. One is younger, maybe 20, good looking, dressed like a gentleman, very out of place, SHERLOCK. The other is a big man, well muscled, unshaven, sweat marks his clothes.

Sherlock has a strange smirk on his face. His eyes say he has too much to drink.

SHERLOCK

So. People are expecting you to hit me.

The big man is angry. He can barely hold himself back.

SHERLOCK

A man of your stature. Come on.

The crowd is straining with expectation. The onlookers want violence.

SHERLOCK

You want to hit someone? Hit the guy sleeping with your wife.

##### AMY ####

INT. POLICE INTERVIEW ROOM.

All sound and dialogue in this scene is in (V.O.) and comes from a different scene.

AMY late teens maybe twenty, thin, short dark pixie hair, white t-shirt and jeans. She is slumped in her chair completely uninterested in what the cop opposite her is saying.

Opposite sits HARRISON early thirties, black, t-shirt, jeans, detective badge hanging on a chain around his neck.

He is reading a file out loud.

Harrison is talking and being ignored, he doesn't care.

We hear the sound of a phone ringing.

AMY (V.O.)

Hey.

A male voice, twenty something, dull verging on dumb. We'll learn this is GUY.

GUY (V.O.)

Where you been?

AMY (V.O.)

(annoyed)

What do you want?

Harrison pushes his BUSINESS CARD across to Amy. She doesn't react, just keeps staring at him

————- Thanks for reading ————

Pulp Fiction

My favorite "opener" - Faculty, Aliens, Terminator and Gladiator. All the opening scenes I have listed have a conflict and a weak person who loses in this conflict. I find this useful for engaging the audience in the story.

Has to be The Dark Knight. but yeah I remember seeing the Blade opening.

Also, the Matrix opening was mind-bending the first time I saw it in the cinema.

The Prestige was captivating.

I find reading a screenplay so different from viewing. I loved reading the Alien opening, but not a fan of the viewing opening experience.

Love this Martin! Raiders of the Lost Ark, Scream, Pulp Fiction, Inception....

Breaking Bad - and that isn't even my type of genre to watch.

Marty Howe histories greatest character setup. You understand Theo so well by the end of that. He even uses everyone’s grief (which was demonstrated in that scene he doesn’t share) as an excuse. I had forgot about this film. Great choice.

I love openers. I prefer watching great ones then reading the first part of the script. just talking about craft, I agree with Sarah, the opener of a film doesn’t necessarily inform my writing, often has so many people’s perspective on it, the director, cinematographer, editor; it’s hard to use it as a writing lesson without knowing how much of what was on the page is in the cut. Having said that, the Matrix blew my mind. And as for Tv, I know I keep repeating this but The Queens Gambit was a game change as far as what to show and when to show it. It has changed the way I approach openers.

The Killers. Unfortunately the rest of the film is boring.