Most exciting TVB intro?

[Ghaleon]

What do you think is the most exciting TVB intro? Usually the opening has a theme song and they show various clips of the series.

For me it's Zu Mountain Saga's opening. Right before watching an episode, that intro always REV me up After watching it so many times i almost memorized every scene that's shown in the intro and what part of the music they play when that scene shows up in the intro. and then when i watch the actual series, i go, "hey! that's that scene from that intro!" lol. and then i get excited for about 3 seconds.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCPVn1jqgfU

So what do you think is the most exciting tvb intro/opening? Did you like the scenes they picked to showcase the series and did u like the theme song?

P.S. i also used to remember the "Alambra California" phrase whenever they showed those old Lee Kum Kee commercials on those TVB tapes. ahhh... memories..

[Josh]

Perish in the Name of Love!! Haha nothing spectacular about the theme video but I just love the theme song so much I don skip it like I usually do with other series. One scene I remember in particular though is the part where Charmaine and Steven's character "die" in their wedding costumes under the tree from the intro =)

Great series also....and I don care if people disagree haha...except the ending....ohh the ending.

[Ken Cheng]

P.S. i also used to remember the "Alambra California" phrase whenever they showed those old Lee Kum Kee commercials on those TVB tapes. ahhh... memories..

It's ALHAMBRA, California. I ought to know. I grew up there.

As for the topic, my answer is, as always, THE BUND. This was the series that was so cool that it didn't need the obligatory "clip show" opening. The opening sequence of each individual episode spoke for itself. You almost felt like you were watching a mini James Bond movie (you know, how they always start with an exciting action sequence before the theme song and opening credits play).

[Ghaleon]

It's ALHAMBRA, California. I ought to know. I grew up there.

As for the topic, my answer is, as always, THE BUND. This was the series that was so cool that it didn't need the obligatory "clip show" opening. The opening sequence of each individual episode spoke for itself. You almost felt like you were watching a mini James Bond movie (you know, how they always start with an exciting action sequence before the theme song and opening credits play).

Sorry, Alhambra that place is very famous amongst my friends during our TVB watching days in the 90's because of that damn lee kum kee commercial.

Should be getting my copy of The Bund this week. I'll pay special attention to the intro.

[Ken Cheng]

Sorry, Alhambra that place is very famous amongst my friends during our TVB watching days in the 90's because of that damn lee kum kee commercial.

My mom used to handle all of Lee Kum Kee's business travel needs back when she worked as a travel agent in the 1980s and 1990s. When I was in high school, I worked part time for my mom and her boss during the summer shuttling airline tickets from their travel agency to Lee Kum Kee's corporate headquarters in ALHAMBRA.

Should be getting my copy of The Bund this week. I'll pay special attention to the intro.

Isn't it cool to have a series that gives you a different introduction in every episode?

[Ghaleon]

Alhambra is very famous for TVB watchers back in the 90's
i watched some clips from youtube. do they just start the episode, and then few seconds in, freeze the frame and then play the opening theme song? Not sure if this is the VCD version or the DVD version. I'm guessing both are different since the VCD is heavily edited?

[Ken Cheng]

Alhambra is very famous for TVB watchers back in the 90's
i watched some clips from youtube. do they just start the episode, and then few seconds in, freeze the frame and then play the opening theme song? Not sure if this is the VCD version or the DVD version. I'm guessing both are different since the VCD is heavily edited?

On the broadcast/DVD version, each episode of THE BUND begins with three to five minutes of action. It's usually a lead-in from the end of the previous episode or, if an entire new plot line is starting, then a tease/establishing scene for what the rest of the episode is dealing with. Occasionally, when events from the previous episode are important to the beginning of the current episode, but don't call for a direct lead-in, they'll show a flashback of the most significant moments of the previous episode (often with different music and film speed to highlight the dramatics).

Episode 1, for example, opens with a static shot of Shanghai's neon lights...and then some scenes of Shanghai street traffic (cars and people) circa 1930. We then cut to Ding Lik, lingering to enjoy the lights for a moment before moving on to ply his pears.

A suspense-laden, slightly ominous all-bass guitar and light drums version of THE BUND theme song plays for the first time as we see an unidentified man (whom we see only from the neck down) emerge from the shadows. The man is dressed in a college student's uniform, wears a white scarf, and carries a suitcase. We don't know who this mysterious man is...only that he and Ding Lik are headed in the same direction.

Ding Lik finally arrives at the marketplace and prepares to set up shop. Before he can do this, however, he notices a hellacious street fight breaking out between two rival gangs. As Ah Lik scrambles to safety, barely staying ahead of the knives, axes, and clubs of the viciously struggling gangsters, he runs into the man carrying the suitcase, whom we finally see is Hui Mun Keung (Chow Yun Fat). Ah Lik then drags Mun Keung underneath a nearby table for shelter.

FREEZE FRAME. THE BUND theme song plays for the first time. Opening credits scroll vertically at the left of the screen.

After about ten seconds, the freeze frame resumes motion, and we watch this incredibly violent fight erupt all around for about a minute. When it's all over, there are scores of dead young men lying on the streets. Ding Lik says to Hui Mun Keung, "Say...you don't look like a local," and Mun Keung replies, "Yes...I just got here from Beijing." Ah Lik then says, "This is what it's like here...fighting and killing all the time."

Thus, THE BUND begins.

[Ghaleon]

Wow the hype machine for The Bund is on full thrust. Can't wait!

[MysticDust]

I liked the opening to Mystery of the twin swords one and two.

The first one used really good moments to introduce the key characters:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFDv8Vt9U3U

The second one was fun to watch due to the sound effects and great song courtesy of Dicky:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcQzN...eature=related

[Trien Chieu]

The Foundation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeSQw...eature=related

[Ken Cheng]

The Foundation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aeSQw...eature=related

That opening sequence was well-constructed, but it had one fatal flaw: it had too many important plot spoilers. Most unforgivably, it revealed that

click to show/hide spoilers

Barbara Yung's character died

. By the time we actually reach that incident in the climatic final episodes, all the surprise value had been taken out of it because we'd seen it some twenty times previously in the opening titles. Dubious judgment there.

But I like it anyway, just because the singer of THE FOUNDATION's theme song was Michelle Pau, my first crush when I was twelve years old.

[Tom]

The Key Man intro.

The intro is about 1 and a half episode long. It tells of the main character being kidnapped by his dead friend's mom. The mom blames the main character for her son's death so she locks him up and beats him. He tries to escape time after time. Definitely the best intro. In fact, it was so good I disliked the rest of the series.

[Ghaleon]

That opening sequence was well-constructed, but it had one fatal flaw: it had too many important plot spoilers. Most unforgivably, it revealed that

click to show/hide spoilers

Barbara Yung's character died

. By the time we actually reach that incident in the climatic final episodes, all the surprise value had been taken out of it because we'd seen it some twenty times previously in the opening titles. Dubious judgment there.

But I like it anyway, just because the singer of THE FOUNDATION's theme song was Michelle Pau, my first crush when I was twelve years old.

Yeah some intros actually reveal major plot spoilers that ruin the excitement and tension of the series. A good intro would only show clips that don't ruin the story but gives a good showcase of the series in general.

[almo89]

I liked a lot of the early 80s intros where they would use shots that were only shot for the intro. You would never see them in the show at all. One of my faves was DGSD 82.

[Suet Seung]

Mystery of the Condor Hero (Full intro clip)
I liked the red color in the beginning and end of the clip and how it begins and ends with Huang Yao Shi (John Chiang). This intro gives an introduction to the different characters in the story. This intro always struck me as interesting when the series came out.

Mystery of the Condor Hero (Higher Quality video but cuts off at the end)

[Ghaleon]

^^ that series had bizarre scenes

[Suet Seung]

~_~ Fine.

The Ching Emperor - The song by Julian Cheung and the clip speaks for itself is exciting and interesting to me. No one can mistake it for a story about beggars, it's obviously about the life of KangXi and Ao Bai.

New Adventures of Chor Lau Heung - Includes full opening segment. CLH's fight with the two ladies after the Monk, I could never understand. Anyone care to give an explanation? This series has always been a memorable one for me.

Of course, I liked the theme songs.

[Ghaleon]

I meant MOTCH had some pretty cool scenes. Cool yet strange. NAOCLH is a good one.

A personal favorite of mine is the 1979 chor lau heung series intro. i used to hum that tune in the showers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvzeMeeW71E

OH YEAH!!!!!! I love this song....

The theme song to Against the Blade of Honor is nice too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvGS-...A80A0&index=17

[almo89]

I meant MOTCH had some pretty cool scenes. Cool yet strange. NAOCLH is a good one.

A personal favorite of mine is the 1979 chor lau heung series intro. i used to hum that tune in the showers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvzeMeeW71E

I haven't seen chor lau heung yet, but that intro looks like a made for VCD intro and not the original. Something from 1979 wouldn't be edited like that.

[Ghaleon]

the original broadcast version has the same intro and theme song! i doubt the intro itself is edited since the clips go along with the music. the series itself is heavily edited!