I know there's a thread for this for Star Wars opening score already, but I'm interested to hear: What is your all-time favorite score for a non-SW film's opening? I suppose a top five or whatever works too, if there's not just ONE favorite. I know I had to think about this one for a while...

I'd say my favorite would be the opening score for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. It's not my favorite opening sequence (that would be ROTS, actually), but the score is perfect-it really captures you with its atmosphere and eerie mood. It lets you know that something broad and amazing is about to come. Last Crusade is also among my favorite of JW's score, and it really captures that Indiana Jones flavor immediately.

And of course, since I can't just pick one, here are a few others:

-Star Trek: First Contact (Such a beautiful melody)
-Jurassic Park (the iconic opening titles)
-Harry Potter (several, but mainly Sorcerer's Stone, Chamber of Secrets, Deathly Hallows Pt. II.)
-Lord of the Rings: Two Towers


I imagine this is very much a matter of differing opinions. But I'm interested to hear what people's favorites are!

 

I'm ashamed to admit it, but the opening score to Howard the Duck.

but it's tied for me with Back to the Future.

 

This probably isn't my real all-time favorite, but Batman v Superman immediately jumps to mind.

 

Conan the Barbarian's soundtrack is one of the greatest film scores ever created.

 

OMG I totally forgot a big one: the opening score for Beetlejuice! Awesome stuff! Actually I would say that's in my top five.

 

Last of the Mohicans. Awesome movie with an amazing soundtrack, right from the first frame.

Cutthroat Island. Not an awesome movie by any stretch of the imagination, but what a great score.

The Rocketeer. Just beautiful music, and perfect for flying.

The Right Stuff. Rousing and uplifting.

 

The opening of The Mummy.

 

The opening of the last Hobbit movie. Smaug's theme in all its glory.

 

I should also add the opening to The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe. Technically not the very first opening sequence, but when the kids are riding on the train to the countryside, there's that main title theme score. Another top five for me probably.

 

Thus Spoke Zarathusta. Opening of my favorite film of all time.....2001: A Space Odyssey.

But my favorite Saga is SW.

 

Non-Star Wars? Superman. Easily. Followed closely by Jurassic Park and ET.

Non-Williams? God that's tough. Jablonski's Pirates of the Caribbean and Transformers, Horner's Aliens, Apollo 13 and Wrath of Khan, Zimmer and Howard's Batman Begins, Silvestri's Back to the Future and Forrest Gump, and John Ottman's X-Men 2 (which they brought back for the last two, soooo good!). And then you have the late great maestro Goldsmith, whose Trek scores are just essential.

That only begins to scratch the surface. Movie music is my favorite style of music, followed closely by synth and techno stuff. God I loved what Daft Punk did for Tron: Legacy!

 

Definitely great film scores, all.

I'm curious, what would you say is your favorite film opening score?? (I'm assuming those above were simply for the film as a whole, as some of those didn't actually have score in the opening sequence.)

 

Actually, I was thinking directly of how all the films start! I might have mis-remembered Apollo 13 (it's been ages since I watched the film) but I love tracks that set the mood at the beginning, and each of those have something riveting, whether it's the atmospheric slow reveal of the escape pod in Aliens or the drums and choir of Jurassic Park followed by the terror of the Raptor attack!

Edit: Superman still holds because of the music that plays over the voiceover and the opening title. X2 for the same combo of voiceover and theme after the Nightcrawler attack and the use of Mozart's Dies Irae!

 

Apollo 13 is a great one, one of the first non-Williams scores that came to mind.

Oh yeah, forgot about E.T. That would be my choice. The creepy religious strings, the frantic statement of the bad guys' theme, the fanfare as the ship takes off. It's a powerhouse cue.

 

Oh okay. Yeah I'd forgotten about those. Cos I was trying to remember-I didn't think Pirates, Transformers or Back to the Future had opening scene scores-I must be forgetting some.

 

It's entirely possible. I thought that you had little Elizabeth followed by Jack Sparrow's entrance, but I checked and was wrong about that one. Transformers... hard to watch bad movies again so I could be wrong. BTTF had this great suspense-setup with the score playing lightly and mysteriously over all the ticking clocks in Doc's garage!

Edit: OH NO! I was wrong! No music at all! They put it in the opening sequence to the recent Telltale Games first chapter! Hahaha oh I feel like a bad fan.

 

That's easy.
1. Overture from Edward Scissorhands- Danny Elfman
1. Small Moves from Contact- Alan Silvestri
(two way tie)

 

A couple of really nice ones I can think of:

Treasure Planet
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Kung-Fu Panda
The Lord of the Rings
WALL-E

 

Harry Potter
Rocketeer
Glory
Conan the Barbarian
The Incredibles
Dances with Wolves
Close Encounters
Silverado
The Lord of the Rings films
Nightmare Before Christmas


That's just the first few off the top of my head. Great opening statements and great overall soundtracks all.

 

*goosebumps*

 

I really liked ET also. One of the best themes to be heard in concert.

 

- Superman: The Movie
- From Russia with Love
- Back to the Future: Part II
- Inglourious Basterds
- X-Men 2, DOFP and Apocalypse

... and 2001: A Space Odyssey, although the opening music wasn't meant as a movie score, so I don't know if it counts. But still, one of the greatest openings ever.

 

Battle Beyond the Stars is awesome.