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Ranking Pre-Title/Title Sequences in Tandem

BirdlesonBirdleson
in Trivia & Games Posts: 2,161
I've found that the best Pre-Title and Title Sequences tend to go hand-in-hand (though, there are
obvious exceptions). In the best instances the PTS flows into the TS so smoothly and seamlessly that you almost don't realize its happening upon first viewing. So, I decided I would rank them as a single unit, Title Song being a factor as well in as far as it fits with the visuals and overall package.

TTS/TS Combo

1. CR
2. GE
3. TSWLM
4. OHMSS
5. MR
6. DAD
7. SF
8. GF
9. NTTD (the overall length hurts this one, and I cringe at seeing Vesper in the Titles once again)
10. DAF
11. AVTAK
12. TB (my favorite Titles)
13. FRWL
14. TWINE
15. LALD
16. TMWTGG
17. QOS
18. YOLT
19. TND
20. TLD (a real shame, because the PTS alone is near the top)
21. SP
22. LTK
23. FYEO (I like the song, but aside from the visit to Tracy's grave and the initial surprise of seeing Blofeld, this one is pretty bland)
24. OP (unlike most fans, I never cared for the PTS, I also put the Title Song near bottom, and Binder was tapped out at this point)


Far different than my actual film rankings.

Comments

  • M16_CartM16_Cart Craig fanboy?
    Posts: 541
    Are we moreso rating both the PTS and TS individually and then adding them up? Or is synergy a factor?
  • R1s1ngs0nR1s1ngs0n France
    Posts: 2,148
    1. TSWLM
    2. OHMSS
    3. TB
    4. LALD
    5. FRWL
    6. CR
    7. MR
    8. NTTD
    9. DAF
    10. YOLT
    11. SF
    12. DAD
    13. TWINE
    14. TMWTGG
    15. GE
    16. GF
    17. OP
    18. FYEO
    19. SP
    20. QOS
    21. LTK
    22. TND
    23. AVTAK
    24. TLD
  • BirdlesonBirdleson
    Posts: 2,161
    M16_Cart wrote: »
    Are we moreso rating both the PTS and TS individually and then adding them up? Or is synergy a factor?

    I guess that is upon too you, but I'm looking at the latter.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    1. GF
    2. CR
    3. NTTD
    4. QOS
    5. OHMSS
    6. TB
    7. SF
    8. FRWL
    9. DAF
    10. TND
    11. DAD
    12. SP
    13. FYEO
    14. MR
    15. TWINE
    16. LTK
    17. OP
    18. TMWTGG
    19. LALD
    20. GE
    21. TLD
    22. YOLT
    23. TSWLM
    24. AVTAK

    That was really hard. Considering pts, mts and the song as a package. For so many, one aspect drags it down while another lifts it up. Tough to make a scale and decide what to accentuate and how much.
  • BirdlesonBirdleson
    Posts: 2,161
    That is what I found as well.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,968
    This is a great idea but it's really tough, as there are some pre-title sequences I love where the title (or song) itself is rather weak, and vice versa. I'll have to put some thought into this; hopefully it stays bumped so I don't forget because I'd love to make a proper list out of this.
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    Posts: 12,837
    I’d struggle to do a whole ranking, but on the whole, if we’re ranking in tandem, then I generally prefer the newer ones, because I much prefer Kleinman’s title sequences to Binder’s. I think GE and CR are probably at the top for me. I wouldn’t change a thing about any of them, and in both cases, when the titles kicked in, I got goosebumps at the cinema.

    TWINE is up there for me too. I love the PTS, and I like the theme, but while the trippy oil drenched titles were cool, I wouldn’t put them quite on the same level as GE and CR. I‘ve also loved the pre titles of the last three, and I think they all have great transitions, but I’m not hugely keen on WOTW as a Bond theme (don’t hate it, but don’t love it), I think the SF titles are a bit all over the place in terms of imagery, and I didn’t really rate the NTTD titles that highly. I liked the Britannia motif and the bit where the firing guns made the DNA thingy. But other than that I thought they were quite derivative. I think Kleinman’s best work is behind him, and I’d like someone new having a go next time.
  • BirdlesonBirdleson
    Posts: 2,161
    More than anything, it's how they work as a package.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Birdleson wrote: »
    More than anything, it's how they work as a package.

    There is just a handful, a third at most, where everything is great.
  • BirdlesonBirdleson
    Posts: 2,161
    Probably about right.
  • DwayneDwayne New York City
    Posts: 2,841
    Birdleson wrote: »
    More than anything, it's how they work as a package.

    That is why I've never used that bonus feature on the BOND50 Box Set. The PTS and the titles (plus song) blend together for me.

    Standouts (off the top of my head):
    NTTD
    SF
    CR
    LALD
    TSWLM
    OHMSS
    GF
  • BirdlesonBirdleson
    Posts: 2,161
    Those are all great examples. I'm surprised more people aren't including GE, I think that one is about at the top. I had such low expectations but was blown away by the PTS/TS one-two punch. Unfortunately this is immediately followed by that jarringly unpleasant chase scene music, and some horrible dialogue.
  • jobojobo
    Posts: 7,507
    Birdleson wrote: »
    Those are all great examples. I'm surprised more people aren't including GE, I think that one is about at the top. I had such low expectations but was blown away by the PTS/TS one-two punch. Unfortunately this is immediately followed by that jarringly unpleasant chase scene music, and some horrible dialogue.


    The "diving on to the plane" scene is just way too ridiculously OTT for me to warm to the PTS as a whole.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    jobo wrote: »
    Birdleson wrote: »
    Those are all great examples. I'm surprised more people aren't including GE, I think that one is about at the top. I had such low expectations but was blown away by the PTS/TS one-two punch. Unfortunately this is immediately followed by that jarringly unpleasant chase scene music, and some horrible dialogue.


    The "diving on to the plane" scene is just way too ridiculously OTT for me to warm to the PTS as a whole.

    It kind of ruins it. The dam jump is great, and the titles themselves and the song are amazing.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,968
    I'd say the only thing that bothers me about GE's PTS is the constant geography changing, with Bond bungee jumping and arriving in a completely different locale once he flees the facility. I've tried to make some head canon nonsense to justify it but it never really adds up. I don't even mind the jump to the plane, it's such an insanely cool moment to me that I'm not terribly bothered by the fact that it's impossible to do.
  • R1s1ngs0nR1s1ngs0n France
    Posts: 2,148
    My rankings are mostly based on how smoothly/naturally the PTS segues into the TS, the individual merits of each sequence are secondary in this case.
    Hence, why GF ranks pretty low on my list.
    Individually, its PTS and TS are easily in my top 5 but I find the transition between them quite abrupt and easily the weakest out of all the Connery films.
  • BirdlesonBirdleson
    Posts: 2,161
    I rank GF fairly high because of the transition. The door slamming shut is synchronized perfectly with those opening bars.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Birdleson wrote: »
    I rank GF fairly high because of the transition. The door slamming shut is synchronized perfectly with those opening bars.

    Yes, and QOS is kind of similar in that regard.
  • BirdlesonBirdleson
    Posts: 2,161
    It is!
  • M_BaljeM_Balje Amsterdam, Netherlands
    edited December 2021 Posts: 4,515
    1. Twine. Favorite pretitle scene, favorite titles, song and jump.
    2. TMND. Between opening shot of this one (Camera searching) and Twine (Bond walking to other side of the street) sometimes i prefer this one. Back of airplane in titles works for me very good, whyle titles is one of my last favorite.
    3. GE. Favorite Bond movie.
    4. NTTD. It is just jump with
    train drive
    us in to titles i count. I only have seen movie once and i think it is to soon / i don't whant to go to youtube for rewatching the titles. But i hope MGM/Universal not wait to long on Dutch tv premiere of the movie this time as MGM/Sony did with Spectre.
    5. FYEO
    6. QOS
    7. TSWLM
    8. Spectre. I think it memory to LALD and ring bring us in titles. Titles are a bit short.
    9. GF
    10. LALD
    11. OHMSS. My favorite 60's pretitle scene, much higher in pretitle list. Maintitle is oke.
    12. DAD. Those les of fan of pretitle, but i like titles and it is only movie where story contuned in maintitle.
    13. SF. Great titles. Jump in to it is oke. Not big fan of part after jump on train.
    14. CR. I prefer titles and after titles as one scene. Jump from some sort of gunbarrel is good.
    15. Yolt. Like maintitle more then pretitle.
    16. FRWL. My last favorite pretitles, but good maintitle.
    17. LTK. Not fan of titles,whyle from worse one it last worse.
    18. TLD. Not fan of the titles.
    19. TMWTGG
    20. OP. Not fan of the titles.
    21. TB
    22. AVTAK
    23. MR. Pretitles always feels as outsider like TB as movie.
    24. DAF. Not fan of titles and to loud screaming cat introduce them.
  • BirdlesonBirdleson
    Posts: 2,161
    I like the cat transition! As a kid in '71 it seemed almost mystical.
  • GeneralGogolGeneralGogol
    edited December 2021 Posts: 928
    My take on ranking the packages of pre-title sequence, title sequence, and theme song:
    1. CR - What a launch to the Craig era! The short and punchy B&W opener transitioning into Kleinman's colourful titles via the bathroom gunbarrel was brilliant, and Cornell's rocking song sets the right mood for the action that follows
    2. YOLT - Bond's mock assassination followed by my favourite theme song and Binder's best title sequence is a recipe that hits all the right notes
    3. NTTD - Two or three stunning short films within a single opener with the emotions flowing smoothly into the classy titles and theme song
    4. GE - Another iconic introduction to a new Bond and a new Bond era that sucks you in from the opening scene, followed by some stunning title imagery from Kleinman's debut and Turner's powerful theme
    5. OHMSS - A lot of experimentation in this one, but it all works and the titles are a fitting recap of the 1960s Bond era
    6. SF - We finally get Craig's peak-Bond for about 12 minutes, and these are some very fine minutes that precede Adele's ballad with one of Kleinman's best efforts
    7. TLD - Everything feels fresh and in sync about this opening sequence, Dalton's intro, the catchy tune, and the standard '80s Binder titles
    8. TSWLM - Instantly iconic opener, Bond '77, a fitting song for the 10th entry, with fairly bland titles
    9. FRWL - The formula is starting to come together with the neat little garden sequence followed by the sultry title sequence accompanied by the genius of John Barry
    10. LALD - Macca and Binder strike gold here, and starting the film with the murder of the three diplomats and withholding the new Bond's introduction until later works for me
    11. TWINE - A strong start to the film and a seductive theme song, but Kleinman went overboard with the oily visuals
    12. GF - The positively shocking little opener along with Bassey's theme song and Brownjohn's titles set a strong precedent for the rest of the series
    13. DN - Soft spot for the titles and the dancing silhouettes, despite no pre-title scene
    14. TND - Solid on all fronts except the choice of Crow's song over K.D. Lang's
    15. DAD - They tried to up the ante on prior Brosnan films here, so A for effort and the transition into the title sequence, which pairs well with Madonna's theme song
    16. LTK - One of the most dramatic opening sequences and songs, let down a little by Binder's unremarkable final go at the titles
    17. DAF - Connery doesn't save the bizarre and disappointing opening sequence but Barry, Bassey, and Binder deliver with one of the classiest themes and titles
    18. SP - A fantastic opening followed by jarring titles with Smith's ill-fitting song
    19. TB - Binder's first title sequence is iconic, but I'm not a fan of Jones' song or the editing of the opening sequence at the chateau
    20. AVTAK - Great song and serviceable titles, but something feels off with the opening sequence - it's no longer believable that it's Moore in the stunts
    21. MR - A less impactful re-hash of TSWLM on all fronts
    22. OP - Exciting Acrostar opener, but meh titles and song
    23. TMWTGG - "Nick Nack, tabasco!" is the most memorable part of this package
    24. QOS - Great car chase, but too short and followed by a wreck of a song and weak titles
    25. FYEO - "Delicatessen in stainless steeeeeel"... enough said
    26. NSNA - How many 007's can they fit on the screen?
  • echoecho 007 in New York
    Posts: 6,288
    Birdleson wrote: »
    I like the cat transition! As a kid in '71 it seemed almost mystical.

    The cat mewing plus the song gives the entire movie an adrenaline jolt that lasts a while...
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    There are some great transitions from PTS to MTS: GF, DAF, LALD, DAD, CR, QOS, SF, SP, NTTD. Wow, jackpot for the Craig era.
  • echoecho 007 in New York
    Posts: 6,288
    Thunderfinger wrote: »
    There are some great transitions from PTS to MTS: GF, DAF, LALD, DAD, CR, QOS, SF, SP, NTTD. Wow, jackpot for the Craig era.

    Interesting. My list would be GF, OHMSS, DAF, TSWLM, OP, TLD, LTK, GE, DAD, CR, SF, and NTTD.
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