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Imaginary Forces’ opening title sequence for the film “The Number 23″ features spreading blood splatter and a changing typography featuring historic events surrounding, what else, the infinite variations on the integer of 23.
USA | 2007 | Color | 2.35:1 | English
Direct Link: 480p (QuickTime, 848×368, 47 MB, 02:50) + 720p (QuickTime, 1280×544, 84 MB, 02:50)
Extras
Unsettling Title Design for The Number 23 – Michelle Dougherty on Imaginary Forces’ Agitated, Blood-Red Vision
Studio Daily’s in depth interview with title sequence director Michelle Dougherty
Submarine Channel’s “Forget the Film, Watch the Titles” coverage and interview.
Credits
Creative Director: Peter Frankfurt
Art Director: Michelle Dougherty
Designers: Rob Bolick, Juan Monasterio
Production Coordinators: Joe Denk, Heather Dennis
Editor: Danielle White
Producers: Kathy Kelehan, Steiner Kierce
Director: Michelle Dougherty
Animators: Rod Basham, Magnus Hierta, Andrew Hoevler, Sean Koriakin, Juan Monasterio, Nick Rubenstein
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What immediately comes to mind upon viewing these end titles as a stand alone consideration, is that there is great discipline in the master calligrapher’s graceful yet contrasting Chinese brush strokes.
His magic carpet ride reminds one of Masaki Kobayashi’s “Hoichi the Earless”; only here the Chinese characters -and Kanji, respectively- become life-taking daggers rather than a life-saving shield. Too, I am reminded of splattered ink at the point of impact and the panning flight of a classic aircraft -both seen in the aforeposted “El Don,” in addition to owing an incalculable debt to the “3OO” end titles and, in a true sense, to Frank Miller.
While some frames seem partially rendered (exploding diamond? the odd alignment and spacing of the trekkers? an uninspired mouth of a cave?) others offer flashes of originality (snake-strokes from a blood sun, lettered mountaintop, inkblot blood of fleshless adversaries, a halved opponent, yetis in profile).
Direct Link | Format: QuickTime H.264, 696×285 | Size: 24 MB | Running Time: 2:12 | Year: 2008
Images Extra: Download 7 HD stills from the title sequence (4.3MB Zip Archive)
Related Extra: The Criterion Collection release of Masaki Kobayashi’s Kwaidan, featuring “Hoichi, the Earless”.
Created by
Imaginary Forces
Creative Directors: Karin Fong and Steve Fuller
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USA | 1997 | Color | 1.85:1 | English/Italian
Credits
Title Designer: Kyle Cooper
Graphic Designers: Karin Fong, Dana Yee
Editor: Fred Fouquet
Production Company: Imaginary Forces
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One of the few cases in which the title sequence itself is better than the film it precedes.
Created by Kyle Cooper, Imaginary Forces
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Direct Link | Format: QuickTime H.264, 872×464 | Size: 14.7 MB | Running Time: 1:28 | Year: 2002
Audio Extra: Director Guillermo del Toro’s comments about this title sequence.
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Created by
Imaginary Forces
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Click to Watch 720p HD Version
Direct Link | QuickTime H.264, 848×352 | 53.5 MB | 03:42
720p HD Version | QuickTime H.264, 1280×528 | 83.8 MB | 03:42
USA | 1997 | Color | 2.35:1 | English/Esperanto | DVD/Blu-ray
Title Designer and Creative Director:
Michael Riley
Production Company:
Imaginary Forces
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