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From action to music: transitions to the titles sequences in Bond movies

00130013
edited January 2014 in Bond Movies Posts: 1,817
There are many things that could be easily identified as Bond elements. For me, nothing is more bondish than having an action-packed scene followed by a song by an acclaimed artist with a surrealist background. When a movie begins with its title sequence is when I feel I'm really entering into Bond territory. But one of the details I like the most is the way in which the PTS transforms or gives way to the title sequence. For example, from Bond underwater to the SF song which starts also underwater.

The purpose of this thread is to discuss this transitions from PTS to TS as you please. I will start by naming my favorite:
- OP: "fill her up, please", Bond smiles and then "All Time High" starts with such coherence with the mood of the previous shoots that it makes a great transition, on my account.
- YOLT: from Bond bleeding to those mystical chords of Barry's composition.
- DAF: the cat, the diamonds in the cat, the intriguing notes of Diamons are Forever
- TMWTGG: Scaramanga shoots, the Bond model is revealed and the theme starts!

I also like how the water cannon from the DB5 in TB makes way to the underwater title sequence, as well as the transition in TWINE when Bond is hanging an then a powerfull chord inaugurates the title sequence.

What do you think about the transitions?
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Comments

  • DoubleOhhSevenDoubleOhhSeven
    Posts: 1,778
    That's funny I was just thinking about starting this thread earlier.

    OHMSS-Bond running into the titles (shoes in hand)
    TSWLM- Bond parachuting right into the arms of a woman. Just puts a smile on my face.
    TWINE-Bond falling off the millennium dome along with drops of oil. Very stylish and cool.
    CR-Bond getting his first gun barrel swoop, turning black and white into living color. Still gives me goosebumps.
    SF-Bond sinking underwater only to bedraggled down by a beautiful woman.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,978
    I think a lot of the films have excellent transitions from the PTS to the title sequence, such as the facility exploding and the revving of the plane as Bond flies off and 'Goldeneye' kicks in, or Bond slamming into the water and sinking as the beautiful 'Skyfall' begins.
  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    Posts: 14,588
    -I love GF's no nonsense transition from door closing straight to visuals and music.
    -CR with the ingenious gun barrel slipped between PTS and TS.
    -GE's facility explosion centres in on and fills the 3D gun barrel.
    -TWINE sees Bond drop in on the action.
  • Perilagu_KhanPerilagu_Khan
    Posts: 2,483
    DAF takes this one, hands down.

    "Welcome to Hell, Blofeld."

    The diamond-studded white cat set against the jet black background utters an unearthly screech, and then the mesmerizing title track kicks in. Sheer perfection and a marvelous instance of the Benign Bizarre. One of my very favorite moments in all of cinematic Bond.
  • royale65royale65 Caustic misanthrope reporting for duty.
    Posts: 4,423
    Ah the transitions from the PTS to the titles. If it's done well, I feel very Bondian. There's nothing quite like it, goose bump inducing.

    CR - I just love the ingenious use of the GB in this one!
    GF - no nonsense, the door slams, and then you're in the magical duo of Bassy, Barry and Brownjohn.

    I also enjoy YOLT and Spy, and a quick shout out to DAD. It's kinda creepy and one fears for 007, in the transitional scene.

    Although, it hard to disagree with this;


    Perilagu_Khan wrote:
    DAF takes this one, hands down.

    "Welcome to Hell, Blofeld."

    The diamond-studded white cat set against the jet black background utters an unearthly screech, and then the mesmerizing title track kicks in. Sheer perfection and a marvelous instance of the Benign Bizarre. One of my very favorite moments in all of cinematic Bond.

  • Samuel001Samuel001 Moderator
    Posts: 13,355
    A lot of these are very good indeed. Only For Your Eyes Only and Quantum Of Solace stick out as jarring to me.
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    edited January 2014 Posts: 12,837
    I really like TSWLM's, TWINE's and Goldeneye's opening transitions but I think the best here has to be CR. The gunbarrel followed by the opening bars of You Know My Name as the blood drips down the screen, brilliant stuff.
    Samuel001 wrote:
    A lot of these are very good indeed. Only For Your Eyes Only and Quantum Of Solace stick out as jarring to me.

    I agree (although I did like the "time to get out" line in QOS). Another one I'd say was pretty abrupt is TLD.
  • GerardGerard
    Posts: 5,994
    Yes, DAF had a great transition, indeed. Probably the second best. But SF is the absolute best for me.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    I love reading about these; the PTS and transitions to TS are some of my favorite things about Bond films. Very much part of what makes a Bond film unique and feel like "Bond!" - I love being immersed in that world.

    Everybody mentioned great ones. I just want to say I agree, and although I have issues with the film, I want to again mention YOLT because of Barry's truly perfect song and opening notes ... so hauntingly beautiful, drawing you in and I cannot think of a better moment of capturing me so completely in an instant. Perfection.

    I also enjoy Goldfinger's because it is so abrupt and just slams with perfect timing into the first blasts of the theme song, just hits you so hard. And it was the first iconic Bond theme song, for a good reason.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    edited January 2014 Posts: 45,489
    CR takes the cake, but honorable mentions to GF, YOLT, OHMSS, DAF (three in a row there),OP, QOS and SF.Three in a row there as well.
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    Live and Let Die - Baines / snakebite / Wings intro

    Skyfall - Bond in water / Adele "theme" commences

    You Only Live Twice - Bond's "death" / he would of wanted it this way / Nancy Sinatra begins

    The Man with the Golden Gun - Bond target / shooting of fingers / Lulu plays

    License to Kill - Bond and Leiter land / Camera zoom / Gladys Knight intro

    OHMSS - Lazenby running with shoes / Barry instrumental begins

    Die Another Day - Bond torture / Madonna "music" starts

    Goldeneye - Archangel facility explosion / Turner theme intro and credits commence
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Oh yes, one of the few good things about DAD. Forgot about that as I have left that film in the past.
  • DarthDimiDarthDimi Behind you!Moderator
    Posts: 24,186
    My favourite one
    GE. The first notes of the title song... the explosion in the back ... the gun barrel. Man, I love this!

    My controversial one
    DAD. Actually, I really like how Arnold's loud music and the loud splashing of water segue into the quiet opening notes of a song which, incidentally, I dislike.

    My worst ones
    - TB. Takes up too much time from the water 'shooting' to the first notes of the song and the sound mix wasn't very good either.

    - QOS. From a redundant freeze-frame to one of the worst songs in the Bond franchise.
  • SuperheroSithSuperheroSith SE London
    Posts: 578
    Favourite
    CR

    Controversial
    FYEO

    Worst
    TB
    QOS
  • pachazopachazo Make Your Choice
    Posts: 7,314
    DarthDimi wrote:
    My worst ones
    - TB. Takes up too much time from the water 'shooting' to the first notes of the song and the sound mix wasn't very good either.
    Yes, I agree @DarthDimi. It was a good concept that failed to translate itself onto the screen.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,804
    Perilagu_Khan wrote:
    DAF takes this one, hands down.
    "Welcome to Hell, Blofeld."
    The diamond-studded white cat set against the jet black background utters an unearthly screech, and then the mesmerizing title track kicks in. Sheer perfection and a marvelous instance of the Benign Bizarre. One of my very favorite moments in all of cinematic Bond.
    Agreed! It has never been surpassed IMO.
  • 00130013
    Posts: 1,817
    Well, I'm glad that this thread was of interest to anyone, as I wasn't sure but @DarthDimi gave me an enthusiastic 'go ahead'.

    Some comments on the above:
    - The transition on DAF is one of the best things in the movie and I agree with @Perilagu_Khan and @chrisisall.
    - The one in TND is a good average one: the engine firing, the glass breaking and then comes the underrated - in my opinion - song by Miss Crow.
    - The transition in QOS is one of the most bondian moments of the picture.
    - As @thelivingroyale said, TLD has a great transition to the song as it is very immediate, that what AVTAK lacks in its transition, it takes to long from Bond "it's five days to Alaska" to the opening chord of Duran Duran.
    - And of course the transition in CR is a memorable and unique one because it even has the gunbarrel on it.
  • HASEROTHASEROT has returned like the tedious inevitability of an unloved season---
    edited January 2014 Posts: 4,399
    some of my favorite transitions..

    FRWL: Always liked the whole PTS in general, but the pulling the Bond mask off the dead henchman, and the slow fade to black as they walk away - then Barry's epic score comes barreling through, trumpets a blazing with the belly dancers... love it..

    LALD: I always liked this one as we go from the death of the MI6 agent on Son Monique, right into some voodoo-esque iconography..

    GE: i liked how the Arkangel Chemical Plant being on fire transfered over into the gunbarrel with a bullet flying out of it - with that epic 4 note intro the Goldeneye song.

    TWINE: I always liked the look of this one, Bond hanging onto one of the cables of the millenium dome, then being enclosed in a droplet of oil, which falls and splats against a white background..

    CR: Bond turning and firing into the gunbarrel - You Know My Name starts blaring.. f-ing brilliant.

    SF: Bond presumably dying after being shot and falling from high altitude, then transitioning to him being dragged through various levels of a hell like world - with Adele's song being our guide.

  • royale65royale65 Caustic misanthrope reporting for duty.
    edited January 2014 Posts: 4,423
    4EverBonded wrote:
    I love reading about these; the PTS and transitions to TS are some of my favorite things about Bond films. Very much part of what makes a Bond film unique and feel like "Bond!" - I love being immersed in that world.

    Everybody mentioned great ones. I just want to say I agree, and although I have issues with the film, I want to again mention YOLT because of Barry's truly perfect song and opening notes ... so hauntingly beautiful, drawing you in and I cannot think of a better moment of capturing me so completely in an instant. Perfection.

    I also enjoy Goldfinger's because it is so abrupt and just slams with perfect timing into the first blasts of the theme song, just hits you so hard. And it was the first iconic Bond theme song, for a good reason.

    That's what I was trying to get across, but not as elegantly as @4EverBonded managed it ;-)
  • MayDayDiVicenzoMayDayDiVicenzo Here and there
    Posts: 5,080
    All of Brosnan's
    LALD
    TSWLM
    AVTAK (I love the immediate transition)
    LTK
    CR

    All of them are pretty good, except QoS and MR, which is probably universally hated.
  • hildebrand_rarityhildebrand_rarity
    Posts: 316
    That's funny, I always liked seeing the water jets fade into the titles in TB.

    Another favorite for me is the Bridal Chorus into the double horn of the LTK theme as we see the people fade out into the camera lens
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    edited January 2014 Posts: 17,804
    People, nothing will EVER beat the cat screetch in Diamonds... :)>-
  • QBranchQBranch Always have an escape plan. Mine is watching James Bond films.
    Posts: 14,588
    The DAF transition is eerie- in a good way of course.

  • jaydubya76jaydubya76
    Posts: 53
    I love the transition in Live And Let Die, the visuals in Binders titles start with flames that we've just seen during the opening sequence and George Martin's score leads seamlessly into the title track.
  • doubleoegodoubleoego #LightWork
    Posts: 11,139
    In no particular order

    FRWL
    GF
    TB
    TSWLM
    GE
    TWINE
    CR
    QoS
    SF
  • Pajan005Pajan005 Stockholm, Sweden
    edited January 2014 Posts: 432
    I like the way it starts in QoS. "It's time to get out."

    Love the gunbarrel intro in CR.
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    Pajan005 wrote:
    I like the way it starts in QoS. "It's time to get out."

    Love the gunbarrel intro in CR.

    I think in retrospect, that may well of been a message to theater audiences, to save themselves from the disaster ahead..

  • 00130013
    Posts: 1,817
    Baltimore_007 wrote:
    Pajan005 wrote:
    I like the way it starts in QoS. "It's time to get out."

    Love the gunbarrel intro in CR.

    I think in retrospect, that may well of been a message to theater audiences, to save themselves from the disaster ahead..

    I see you have a harsh opinion on QOS, but do you like its transition?
  • 00130013
    Posts: 1,817
    Birdleson wrote:
    DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER: Hard to explain, but even at the age of 9, when I saw this in the drive-in, I got a chill.

    You don't need to be 9 years all to feel it, and you're not the only one.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Birdleson wrote:
    ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE: The theme sucks me right in, as it does George, who's still carrying the slippers.

    Not sure if it was intentional, but that is very reminiscent of the prince and Cinderella.

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