I love a good title sequence. Every film has one of course (except Robocop 2), but rarely are they memorable. They are more often than not just there so we know what we are watching and who is in it. Sometimes though, we get something that jumps out at us, sets the tone, or is just plain creative. It seems to have become, with a few exceptions, a lost art and that is a shame. So hey, let’s take a look back at some of the best, most interesting, and just plain cool title sequences in horror.
20 Great Opening Title Sequences in Horror
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#20
The Fearless Vampire Killers (1967) – A film should set the tone right away but starting with the studio logo is a big plus. That is what happens with this film. The MGM Lion is replaced with a rather doofy looking vampire which tells you right off that this is going to be a weird journey. The titles themselves are very arty in a French kind of way. It works though as does the send-up to follow.
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#19
Return of the Swamp Thing (1988) – There is a real sense of fun about the second Swamp Thing film and it's dashed with some respect. It’s odd but I get it. Creedence Clearwater Revival’s "Born on the Bayou" rings loud and clear as we get glimpses of the DC comic book and the mossy title drapes in. Nice.
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#18
Mad Monster Party? (1967) – Sure it’s animated with puppets, but everything else about it is just so cool. A hip lounge style song plays over the opening credits as we are introduced to each of the iconic monsters receiving their invitation to a gala event hosted by Dr. Frankenstein. It’s fun and dripping with atmosphere. Best part? The title pops out at you with the Frankenstein Monster on the slab in the background. Sign me up!
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#17
Night of the Demons (1988) – Something we don’t often get are animated credits. This is probably a good thing but in the original Night of the Demons, nothing could be more perfect. It’s spooky Halloween fun at its best. I was impressed before the movie started and looking forward to the movie I was in for. To this day, I play the opening in the background to set the mood during Halloween.
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#16
Madhouse (1974) – I love credit sequences that give you backstory. The seventies were good for that. Madhouse features Vincent Price as a killer with a skull painted face. The entire opening sequence features black and white photos of him with blood red credits. As eerie as those pics are, they get worse as the camera pulls out to reveal a victim in every shot. Awesome.
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#15
The Dead Zone (1983) - I’ve always thought that the titles from The Dead Zone were representative of a man looking at his life in pieces and those pieces eventually coming together. It’s not a particularly exciting credit sequence but it stays with you. When I think of the film, I go from that right to the final death scene. That alone says something about it.
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#14
The Hunger (1983) – Never was an opening sequence so eerily rocking than The Hunger. Bauhaus was the band featured between the white on black credits culminating in a moment when lead singer Peter Murphy points at the screen and the title zooms in at you in time with the song. I didn’t know what The Hunger was yet but I knew I wanted in.
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#13
Re-Animator (1985) – Glowing green comes out of the darkness and into our faces. After that we are bombarded by biological imagery that is just so…weird. Even the music, though it’s a rift on Psycho, it is still so off and strange. Just like the film.
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#12
Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) - This film set to throw you into its world from the very beginning and did so masterfully. The cryptic lettering sets the tone as it is illuminated by fire and punctuated with its operatic score.
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#11
From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) – The credits for this film play like a party. The music comes up and the title with it before fading into the background behind the actors. Everything is moving which is what the film does from the very first frame. How appropriate.
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#10
The Thing (1982) – Yes, it’s a recreation of the original title sequence from the 1951 Howard Hawks original, but it so damn good. It burned through the screen and caught our attention. I wish everything did that.
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#9
Alien (1979) – The one thing that Alien had going for it was that it was quiet and mysterious. Every line was a piece of the puzzle. The titles represented the entire film and its structure. Brilliant.
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#8
Videodrome (1983) – When it comes to subliminal imagery, Videodrome is it! There is such an assault on your senses in the credit sequence alone that you don’t know what to do with yourself. Sensual and enticing images are flashed along with disgusting operational footage of flesh. As the movie began, you were a little sick to your stomach and a little aroused. Cool.
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#7
The Shining (1980) – Sometimes it not the lettering but the visuals and music that make a title sequence memorable. The Shining’s lettering is as plain as they come but it rides on a highway of isolation and dread. The scenery is vague but one thing is for certain, you never want to reach the destination.
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#6
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) – Watching the creation of a killer’s weapon was one of the most haunting things I experienced as a child. Once his glove was complete and snapped out, the title rose from the darkness. I was so freaked out that I didn’t know if I wanted to see the movie (hey…I was 13).
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#5
Halloween II (1981) – So often, the posters of yesterday were never fully realized on screen. Whatever the image, it was meant to convey an idea rather than to be translated in living color. Halloween II was an exception. The skull within the pumpkin was recreated using tried and true practical effects and the image lived. Masterful work.
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#4
The Howling (1981) – Watching this film in the dark, vertical slashes reveal blood red streaks. We are only allowed to read the title for a moment before it literally explodes. Shattering our expectations of what a werewolf movie can be. One of the all-time best.
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#3
American Horror Story (2011- current) – The opening credits of this show create some of the most disturbing images that have ever graced a TV screen. "Coven" alone gave me nightmares with its dark and Satanic imagery. Best TV title sequence ever.
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#2
Psycho (1960) – A film that was designed to keep you off balance does so from the very beginning. The film is about subtly and the titles are no exception, horizontal lines that stretch across the screen and disorientate the audience, perfection.
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#1
Seven (1996) – A new perfect film is set into motion with a perfect title sequence. We get inside John Doe’s head from the start. It’s unsettling and vile and you feel a little dirty. You are in the perfect mindset for the filth that is to come and you don’t even know it.
