Thursday, August 02, 2007

Opening Credits Bonanza: Buffy

A good opening credit sequence is like sorbet. It cleanses the viewer's palate and primes their appetite for the main course. Following the lead of Lost, more shows are forgoing the sorbet and just diving into the prime rib (or greasy burger). In the inaugural post of Opening Credits Bonanza, I’d like to celebrate Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The hard-driving score by Nerf Herder combined with rat-a-tat editing perfectly reflects the tongue-and-cheek thrill ride that is guaranteed to follow.

In the Season 4 episode "Superstar," recurring character Jonathan uses dark magic to insert himself into the lives of the Scoobies. In a stroke of surreal brilliance, the show incorporated this development into the episode's opening.

And in the realm of fanmade vids, the Buffy theme served as inspiration for an alternate opening sequence for fellow teen girl superstud Veronica Mars.

What ever happened to Nerf Herder?

5 comments:

Jason Davis said...

My editorial on the endangered species that is the opening titles from January of 2006:

http://www.mania.com/50379.html

St. Clare said...

Ha. We agree on something having to do with TV? How surprising. Nice editorial, by the way.

Q said...

the lack of main titles on TV these days is just lazy. or overwriting. it was very upsetting when the alias one got truncated as well.

Also awesome? the buffy season 5 finale main title sequence that incorporated a clip from every episode leading up to the finale. or was that just part of the episode? shit i gotta go back and re-watch now - i have failed in my buffy geek-ness.

Jason Davis said...

We agree on a lot of stuff! You write as if I'm your arch-enemy all of the sudden.

I was just reading your recollections of the Dawson's Creek Breakfast Club episode and it made me pull out my photos from the set...I miss 1998 Katie Holmes.

St. Clare said...

That was sarcasm. I was thoroughly unsurprised that not only had you talked about the dying off of the credit sequence, but that your examples were among those I'm planning to highlight.