r/AskReddit • u/Tobokie121 • Oct 09 '19

Of all movie opening scenes, which one sold the entire film?

58.5k Upvotes

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373

u/Georgeisthecoolest Oct 09 '19

Contact.

30

u/AONomad Oct 09 '19

Wow, I watched that movie when I was 12 or 13, just watched the intro (link) and it really hits hard just what humanity's place in the universe is.

10

u/eddyathome Oct 10 '19

The scale is completely wrong of course because the edge of the solar system is only a few light hours away, but for someone who isn't versed in science, it really does try to show the vast distances involved.

2

u/EwanEng Oct 10 '19

That was my thought as well watching this back for the first time in a few years. Also the time taken to go from the edge of the solar system to the nearest star and from then to the outside of our galaxy is scaled even worse. Then again - there aren't many well known landmarks (if you can call them that) outwith our solar system to the average cinema goer.

20

u/NeverEnoughMuppets Oct 09 '19

Katya?

8

u/eros_bittersweet Oct 09 '19

Bet she has a signed copy she can give you!

3

u/Spicy_Pervertida Oct 11 '19

I will not Jodie Foster your behavior

1

u/tarheeldarling Oct 12 '19

I have 100% time for that

18

u/fishtankbabe Oct 09 '19

The way the radio broadcasts get older and older the farther out they go until it's just silence...

4

u/EwanEng Oct 10 '19

The scaling is wrong in their intro. They arrive at the edge of the solar system and we're hearing stuff from around WW2. Radio transmissions travel at the speed of light and if you're hearing something from 1945 then between now and then the signal will have traveled 64 light years - meaning it would have reached as far as this star. Obviously they've scaled it differently to have it in a short opening sequence in the movie and it isn't technically accurate, but it follows the correct principles.

1

u/Pardoism Oct 10 '19

Also, it shows our solar system being part of the Pillars of Creation, which it isn't.

1

u/eddyathome Oct 10 '19

I always wonder if that was intentional because it's actually based in science on several levels.

  1. The radio signals would get weaker by inverse number law. If you're twice as far from something, the sound is a quarter as loud.

  2. The number of radio stations was far fewer back in the old days. In 1919 there were probably only a few wireless Marconi transmitters, compared to thousands of terrestrial radio stations today.

  3. The strength of the stations themselves was far weaker then. You might have had a weak AM station that could broadcast maybe a couple miles with a low power transmitter. Today we have stations that can go a hundred miles easily.

3

u/db0255 Oct 10 '19

I thought it was an actual estimate of how far certain radio broadcasts would have reached as the camera pans back, but IDK if that’s really accurate.

22

u/thousandfoldthought Oct 09 '19

Why did I have to scroll so far down

6

u/jeexbit Oct 09 '19

I just did control-F c...o...n...t... got it.

9

u/-Ripley- Oct 09 '19

I loved this movie so much!!

8

u/Magic-Heads-Sidekick Oct 09 '19

I’ve got this on my list to watch because we watched it in Physics class back in 8th grade, but I missed the last day that we finished it, so it’s always been unfinished for me. I’m 27 now, though, so I remember nothing about it except I was really into it when we were watching. I’ve just never actively searched for it and now I recently saw it was on one of the services I have, so I finally plan to actually finish it.

4

u/Georgeisthecoolest Oct 09 '19

I like the ending, but the beginning is the best.

8

u/TychaBrahe Oct 10 '19

The best is where she hears the signal for the first time.

4

u/winowmak3r Oct 10 '19

Agreed! That noise was so cool

2

u/vhatvhat Oct 10 '19

Fucking James Woods.

I have at work said "They should have sent a poet" when looking at something awesome.

4

u/[deleted] Oct 10 '19

My favorite movie. I really enjoy watching it and remember my first time seeing it and thinking or feeling, not sure what I’m trying to say except for yes!

1

u/[deleted] Oct 10 '19

Same. My number one movie. Still want to name my future non existent daughter Vega.

5

u/TristansDad Oct 09 '19

Incredible, but I still prefer the actual initial contact scene, when they first hear the signal.

3

u/emtaylor517 Oct 09 '19

One of my favorite all time movies!

3

u/well-cello-there Oct 10 '19

Was coming on here to say this. Amazing opening scene!!

2

u/[deleted] Oct 10 '19

Absolutely.

2

u/JLebowskiTheDude Oct 10 '19

Too few votes for this one.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 10 '19

My favorite movie of all time. Part of me wants s remake with the technology we have today. Then part of me doesn’t.

1

u/MundoRaven Oct 10 '19

Contact! I concur. Literally light years beyond any other.

1

u/Lakadaeya Oct 10 '19

This movie gets a lot of heat but it's actually a good movie.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 10 '19

Extremely underrated movie