Take A Stand

Name your top 3 favourite movies of all time.

My list changes all the time, but right now I’d probably name The Princess Bride, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and ohhh… 50 First Dates. Are our lists the same? I doubt it.

With your list though, I want you to try and picture the very first scene, picture, opening in one of your favourite movies. I have a vague idea for the Princess Bride and no idea for 50 First Dates.

What about my other movie favourite – one of the Star Wars series. Like most people I instantly know what any of the Star Wars movies starts with. Black screen, scrolling text “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. . . . and oh that music.

It’s iconic. It’s memorable.

It’s the pottery scene in Ghost. It’s Baby saying “I carried a watermelon” in Dirty Dancing. It’s “Hello my name is Inigo Montoya…” in the Princess Bride. It’s Arnold saying “I’ll be back”. It’s the “I’ll have what she’s having” moment in When Harry Met Sally. It’s Judd Nelson’s “Eat my shorts” in the Breakfast club (What? You thought that was Bart’s? Think again!) It’s LOTR’s Gollum wanting “the precious”. It’s the Sixth Senses “I see dead people”. It’s Mel’s cry of “Freedom” in Braveheart. And of course, it’s the hair gel in There’s Something About Mary.

Shall I go on? No need really, other than for me to relive some of my favourite Hollywood moments. (To experience more head to: http://www.filmsite.org/tvguidemoments1.html)

My point (and I’m sure I have one) is that the opening credits on Star Wars didn’t “make” the movies. I like millions of others would still love them regardless. But they sure as heck make the movies more memorable.

Did you know however that Star Wars creator George Lucas ended up resigning from the Directors Guild of America over his decision to run this scene instead of opening credits?

He took a stand. It paid off. What makes you or your business memorable? You may need to take a stand to maintain it – but if the payoff is like the Star Wars opening credits, it’ll be worth it.

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By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments