monday inspirations: title sequences

I honestly think that the title sequence is probably my favourite part of a lot of films. There's something about that moment just when the titles begin, the music starts and the audience stop shuffling and whispering and chomping down popcorn and suddenly go quiet, as if by the wave of an invisible magic wand.

If I was a film-maker, I think I would especially love making those title sequences. Maybe I'd even forget about making the films themselves, and just concentrate on making really beautiful title sequences - hints to imaginary stories that are never told. For me, what makes the titles so interesting is that they are a question mark - they set the tone for what is to come, atmospherically, stylistically - but at the same time, they can't give too much away. But simultaneously, as a framing device, they demonstrate that the story is exactly that - just a story, no more, no less.

I was pleased to discover Art of the Title recently, via the lovely myturtleneck blog. Art of the Title is a site entirely dedicated to title sequences - taking its inspiration from that moment "when your heart sank just a little when you realized the Pink Panther movie wasn’t a cartoon." The site has a great selection of images from both iconic and little-known title sequences, as well as video clips you can watch.

A few of my favourite images from the site are here (To Kill a Mockingbird; Napoleon Dynamite; Vertigo; Juno - click on an image to see them in more detail) but I'm sure there's lots more still to come - after all there are some fantastic examples that they haven't posted thus far. Who could resist, for example, the glorious title sequence to Amélie?

Mmmmm... dreaming of summer and raspberries - ideally one for each finger. March is finally here, and it feels like spring is on the way. Other good things from today: mocha; homemade currant cake; a rainbow of coloured pens; listening to the new Lily Allen album (which I know I'm not supposed to like, but I do anyway); excellent new woolly socks; a riot of snowdrops, crocuses and daffodils in the park; getting things crossed off the to do list; and an enormous bowl of spaghetti bolognese on its way for my dinner. How have your Mondays been?

(It has become obvious to me from writing these lists that most of the things that cheer me up are things to eat. But what can you do? Can't help it - just greedy. Now I'm off for another piece of that cake...)