Jan 2, 2009
Fetishistic Advocacy for Speed in Titles
Seven sequences of stirring mobility.
Between driver and destination burrows transmutation. The road spreads and the governing need is not to arrive, but to go. What better odyssey of thought then a speeding sojourn into darkness? You may burn (may you burn), you may soar (may you soar).
Click to Watch SD | iPod/iPhone
FALLEN ANGEL
Road sign credits overlay the dark winding artery. The tremulous camera adds an unease heightened when the bus driver turns and stares. His was our initiatory point of view…and now his eyes are not on the road.
USA | 1947 | Black and White | 1.37:1 | English | DVD
THE GIRL ON A MOTORCYCLE
Jack Cardiff’s “The Girl on a Motorcycle” has us zipping along the Interstate in half-steady, half-cocked woozy acceleration.
UK | 1968 | Color | 1.66:1 | English | DVD
The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
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Another (Post-Credit) Sequence with Actual Motorcycles That Thrill!
UK | 1943 | Color | 1.37:1 | English/French/German | DVD
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REPO MAN
The opening sequence to Alex Cox’s “Repo Man” is perfect punk pixelation; distillation of a bitmapped nation. With Iggy Pop’s ripping fucksweat beat and the stringent static map motion, everything about the credit sequence moves, not unlike classic punk poster art. We throb into the blipping bulls eye: a space that is nothing less than the beginning.
USA | 1984 | Color | 1.85:1 | English | DVD
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NATURAL BORN KILLERS
The title sequence for Oliver Stone’s “Natural Born Killers” feature, among others, the madness of Patti Smith’s track “Roll N Roll Nigger” and a back seat POV that seemingly takes its cue from brash noir “Gun Crazy.”
USA | 1994 | Black and White/Color | 1.85:1 | English | DVD/Blu-ray
Commentary excerpt with director Oliver Stone.
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(From the Natural Born Killers: Director’s Cut DVD and Blu-ray)
A Backseat POV from “Gun Crazy”
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USA | 1950 | Black and White | 1.37:1 | English | DVD
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LOST HIGHWAY
Plunging the dark horizontal depths of possible collision/possible arrival, David Lynch and title sequence designer Jay Johnson perhaps borrow from Jack Cardiff’s “The Girl on a Motorcycle,” and Monte Hellman’s “Two-Lane Blacktop” for the speed dream start to “Lost Highway.” The variable velocity puts you ill at ease while the atmospheric thrust of David Bowie and Brian Eno’s track, “I’m Deranged,” imbues the cryptic mix.
France/USA | 1997 | Color | 2.35:1 | English | DVD
Click to Watch SD | iPod/iPhone
U TURN
Art of the Title is willing to bet Oliver Stone had one hell of a shot list for the opening credit sequence that features nicely delineated aesthetic for every episodic bend of this very long drive (the gradual matting of Sean Penn’s hair tells the story). A scratch type “crossroads crucifix” is added to the director credit. Drugs and vultures follow. Exacting inserts detail the small truths of time and place.
France/USA | 1997 | Black and White/Color | 1.85:1 | English | DVD
Click to Watch SD | Click to Watch HD | iPod/iPhone
MULHOLLAND DR.
The crooked black melodrama, the kind that David Lynch traffics in exclusively and without peer, is set within the weird, sinking delirium of Angelo Badalamenti’s score. The distance between our hovering eye and the shadowy, almost woozy conveyance coddles the curiosity.
France/USA | 2001 | Color | 1.85:1 | English/Spanish | DVD
Angelo Badalamenti on working with David Lynch (excerpt)
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Nice work again!
The LOST HIGHWAY one is my favorit, following the rule “less is more” as i like. I didnt know the “The Girl on a Motorcycle”, lost Higway title look like the night vision of it.
Always a pleasure to read your posts.
As an advid lover of film and design, I always appreciate a good title sequence! This site/blog is the perfect spot to revel in opening credits worth watching, thanks for the work you put into it.
xoxo,
S-C
where is ‘The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!’ ??
“The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!” can be found as a Related Movie Extra for the Lord of War posting.
Ian
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Team Art of the Title
Hey guys,
good to see you posted GIRL ON A MOTORCYCLE and LOST HIGHWAY side by side. And great with the theme of speed. Got me thinking about Coen’s debut BLOOD SIMPLE with the titles being washed away from the windscreen… you might wanna take a look at that too!
Also, what about something on Cronenberg-titles. I remember THE DEAD ZONE quite beautiful. And DEAD RINGERS too.
Great!
Don’t the Terminator movies use the road metaphor to some effect. I seem to remember Linda Hamilton narrating while driving into the dark. Not sure if it was in the titles or not.
Mulholland Dr.’s title sequence really set the mood for the entire film. I also remember reading somewhere that it actually explains some of the plot too. David Lynch is amazing.
Anyway, this is really cool site. Inspirational stuff.