"Ruthless People" Main Titles

[LetsPlayPC]

I remember seeing this in the theater in 1987 and I laughed out loud when the window closed and smashed that thing's fingers. Best opening title sequence ever.

[laughingsal]

@LetsPlayPC Thanks for your nice comment. It was really fun working with directors ZAZ because they understood gags and would throw back any ideas they didn't think worked.

[WelshWebb]

For what it's worth, I thought these titles were brilliant. They reminded me of the style that was popular in the 50s and 60s. This is a highly underrated film and I recommend anyone who hasn't seen it yet to do so today!

[laughingsal]

@WelshWebb Thanks for your nice remark. I actually got the style ideas from the furniture in the movie, on first viewing- at the time it was called "Memphis Style." But the all time best movie titles were by Saul Bass in the 50's and 60's.

[beboptube]

Was just thinking about this movie and Google led me here. Saw this movie when it came out and loved the opening titles. So stylish! I'd thought I detected a Peter Max/Yellow Submarine influence at moments-? Though in watching it now I wonder if Tim Burton and Pee Wee's Playhouse weren't themselves influenced by your work. Congrats, laughingsal, on this clever, iconic art.---Oh and "Sir" Mick? Twenty-plus years later, your "new" SuperOverKill project sounds *just* like this one. You stay classy!

[laughingsal]

@beboptube thanks for your thoughtful comment.

[danielssyrek]

This opening sequence has always been one of my favorites. It also went so well with Barbara's taste in interior design.

[laughingsal]

@danielssyrek thanks daniel!

[marktstoner]

I thought about this opening today and searched for it.

You did a damn good job, if I remember them 22 years later. And the Memphis style worked perfectly.Thanks for sharing!

[laughingsal]

@marktstoner Thanks for your nice comment, Mark.

[iwritemynamehere]

i have always liked the opening animation to this film (even better than the film itself!) and Mick didn't like it!?! GAH!!! well, what do you expect from someone that remakes "dancing in the streets" even douchier with Bowie!!

[richardpurves]

I always liked how the animation was influenced by certain parts of the film. Especially the hand shoving the name out of the window!

[laughingsal]

@richardpurves Thanks for noticing that about it. The whole design style was based on the wacky Memphis furniture in the house.

[kathryn0200]

this reminds me of those whatchamacallit candy bar commercials

[hoth260]

Unmistakably Mick Jagger

[3434aaaa]

Good movie. Though I like the Billy Joel song more.

[jacobkosh]

It's really cool that you're getting to show off your work like this, laughingsal. I've always loved this movie ever since I was seven, when saw it in a run-down drive-in with my folks, and I distinctly remember these titles kind of mesmerized me - I was having fun watching the "cartoon" and was a bit disappointed when the actual movie started!

[laughingsal]

@jacobkosh thanks- it's neat that you have memories of run down drive-ins with your folks.

[seanr456]

@laughingsal Thank you very much for posting this! I haven't seen this in years and it brings back a lot of great memories. And congratulations on designing the titles--they're great. Never mind what Mick Jagger thinks. He thinks that funny old chicken dance he does is cool.

[nyghtowlnyc]

Watching the movie right now on Showtime. The titles are still one of my favorite parts of the movie--they remind me of prototypical early Simpsons episodes--or maybe Itchy and Scratchy. Great work!

[MeBenHalpin]

I love this film, but never knew Mick Jagger sang the opening title track until now.

[sedna661]

I was a kid in the 80's but I enjoyed these credits tremendously. They kind of embodied the style of design in the 80's. I gotta ask if you are the one who designed these credits, did you also do the short-lived "Candiliscious" commercials as well? They look very similar.

[laughingsal]

@sedna661 You've got a good eye, sedna661, because yes I got the Candilicious job based on ruthless people work.

[gtz1975]

I like Weird Al's song better... (Toothless People)

[danielssss]

i love the credits very cartoonish 80ish style. the film was fun saw it yesterday. been long time since i saw i saw it.

[Burnzy1976]

ha ha! this is the great intro to a crazy-funny 80s flick. also, weird al did a great spoof of this called "toothless people". look it up!

[laughingsal]

@Burnzy1976 weird al is such a funny guy!

[TsunogaiDanshaku]

Funnily enough, I actually thought Mr. Jagger's performance was a little lacking here. Maybe it was just the song rather than his singing, or maybe it was just schadenfreude after I read that he complained about your animation on the radio. :P

[laughingsal]

(seems the comments page has gotten a little brutal in format, youtube.) Thanks carlosInunez. Good Luck with your career!

[carloslnunez]

i'm sorry to heat that Mick disliked them. They're a wonderful part of my childhood. Rewatching them as an adult, who is studying animation/illustration, I view them through a more discerning eye. The stylization and design are amazing.

[KatcoMedia]

Ahhhhhh, bummer, wish you could join! I think you'd love it....and it would be an honor to have one of the people who inspired me in the audience....maybe next time!

[laughingsal]

good luck to you!

[KatcoMedia]

Hey, thanks! If you send me your email, I will send you a flyer for the project --- if you'd like to circulate it to your industry friends, it'd be great to have them come!

[Airia]

I love those titles and the movie. Did you designed the one for Madhouse as well? They look the same.

[laughingsal]

yes, designed and directed madhouse but never had a vhs copy to put on youtube.

[KatcoMedia]

I love it.....GREAT WORK! I remember this movie as a kid inspired me to work in the business and inspired me as a writer, and I thought the opening credits were one of the most innovative parts of the film! Awesome!

[laughingsal]

always wonderful to learn you've inspired other people. having lunch with one of the directors on wed.

[KatcoMedia]

I forget WHO directed that....Abrahams? Zucker? I always hoped I would get an oppty. to work with them because Ruthless People was so damn funny! It inspired me, and STILL inspires me....be sure to tell them when you have lunch that they have a fan out here!

[laughingsal]

yes, two Zuckers, one Abrams, and we're seeing Abrams this week, a funny, nice guy.

[KatcoMedia]

Very cool! I am doing a reading of a screenplay I wrote at the Falcon Theatre, it's a tad bit like Ruthless....a comedy/caper style of film. The reading is May 7 ---- you should come see it if you're free!!!!

[laughingsal]

good for you- I'll be in Italy then though.

[MickCorgi]

Wow, I remember this, too! "Adolf! Eat Muffy"

The title in Japanese was "The Woman I Wanna Kill".

Didn't know it was originally "Ruthless People".

[laughingsal]

funny about the Japanese title!

[77933]

Thank you for this nice work. I can remember when I watched this movie in the cinema, it gave me a good laugh. I still have it on an VHS tape somewhere...

I was in my late twenties, so I'm outing me as an old fart.

[bearestir]

A very funny movie that is surprisingly hard to find, and I'm amazed at how many people have not seen it -- the title artwork is outstanding.

[laughingsal]

Thanks. I didn't know it was hard to find- was a big hit at the time.

[StandupShowcase]

I love this movie and I always liked this title sequence.

[txt23]

speed 2 was a cup of piss and a cake of shit....i tell you serious ly son of a bith motherfucker and la concha de tu madre

[junedeon]

I always loved these titles, laughingsal! It reminded me of the Pink Panther titles, which sometimes were a minimovie all to themselves. This type of stuff was/is a lost art. Thanks to youtube, I can tell the creator HIMSELF how much I enjoy his work! If only the internet existed in the time of Dali. By the way, I forgot Jan DeBont shot this movie. He who gave unto the world the greatest movie of all time...Speed 2: Cruise Control.

[junedeon]

I mean HERSELF (LOL!)

[TiniNormi]

OMG I remember this! didn't know it was your work!

[yieldyieldyield]

I always thought this was the shit! The bomb.

[StoryTroy]

Sally, what a treat to find you here on YouTube with a whole channel to yourself. Your animations are a treat... my first exposure to you was a few-seconds-long animated self-portrait, and I've been keeping an eye out for your work ever since.

[laughingsal]

thanks, StoryTroy!

[saanzacs]

Another lost gem from Sir Mick himself!!!!

[Batadawada]

I remember this since i was a kid..

[jimmycoar]

fantastic film fantastic sountrack

[unclenumber3]

Super cool. Always one of my favorite opening credit sequences.

[laughingsal]

great. thanks.

[turquoise70]

I loved this opening when i first saw it as a kid. really stylized and creative, definitely grabs the attention of the audience.

[laughingsal]

thanks- too bad movies aren't going for this anymore.

[plageroyale]

One of my favorite movies and the main titles rock!

[laughingsal]

TANKS!

[zgrillo2004]

Very awesome Laughingsal. you did a fucking fantastic job with the animation. Two Thumbs up!

[laughingsal]

thanks.

[ApacheMan2K]

"a Zucker/Abrahams/Zucker film"? does that mean this movie was a parody? i haven't even heard of "Ruthless People", so i'm not sure. the names sound familiar, though; i think they also did "Airplane!" and "Mafia!"

[velaro3]

Haven't heard of Mafia!, but they did Airplane! This movie is rather different, though - straight black comedy.

[aerosmithfanyea]

oh ok thanks man

ill try flash and after effects

[ZillaRocks]

TOOTHLESS PEOPLE

[OtherBrother09]

I heard Weird Al's version years before I finally heard the real one. "If you lose 'em, you're in trouble, 'cause the tooth fairy won't come no more." :)

[ZillaRocks]

Just the name is hilarious..."Ruthless People" to "Toothless People"

[OtherBrother09]

Agreed. Weird Al is #1 in music parody - lyrics, style, everything. He's so careful with details like that.

[ZillaRocks]

Totally dude! I just wish I'd heard of him earlier...I only started listening to him last summer! I've come to love a number of different artists through him...but he's of course the best!

[midnafan132]

god i remember this movie. i would watch it every time i went to my aunts house and while she was making popcorn i would watch theis opening sequence like 50 times

[laughingsal]

Was she cooking it in one of those kiddie ovens?

[laughingsal]

Your poor son! HA! Hope he stays employed. Editing can be a very satisfying career.

[VyckyM]

How hysterical is that, to get dissed by Mick. You get like 80,000 cosmic cool points for that. Well I loved this art; this movie was the first one I took my infant son to see and he became a film editor. Plus he was glued to your stuff on "the Street" So you totally imprinted him and his little neural pathways. Thanks! Good job!

[ttpp270]

Mick said in some of his interviews how he admires the talents of so many individuals yet he goes after a beautiful piece of work like this

[ttpp270]

Internet Movie Database says this film was released June 27th 1986 though i don't always trust imdb like wikipedia they can give false information. By the way if Mick Jagger wants refer himself as an "Artist" like I know he does in great vanity by the way then he should learn to accept other peoples artistic abilities and not criticize. Im studying animation also though am resistant to using flash because it doesnt offer the realistic movements of traditional.

[aerosmithfanyea]

nice work on the animated stuff man!

i mean the way the eyes r on e's and shoes and silverware!

it would be cool if i could do this!

i am taking video production and my teacher did not teach us this.

;(

how do u this animated stuff like put eyes in e's shoes, etc?

jw, b/c i would like to do this in video production and surprise everyone on how i know how to do it and they don't!

[laughingsal]

aero, this was done in the days of film with drawings and animation cels and ink and paint. But you could do something similar these days with Flash and After Effects.

[Thorbie]

I just love this. Your work is so uniquely amazing. Believe it or not, but it's inspiring too. It makes me want to take more time to focus on cartooning when i have time away from law school.

[laughingsal]

Thanks. You definitely must have both sides of your brain working for those two different adctivities!

[nyctivoe]

I really miss creative opening title sequences like this!

[laughingsal]

It was a lot of fun working on the gags.

[MGHSHour2]

Jeu, Stand Up!

Get On Youer Feet, Jason

Funtime CHild

[ted33ina3rd]

Hey! Stand up...take out your teeth! Toothless people...old and feeble, oh yes You can brush 'em, you can floss 'em They're something you just can't ignore If you lose 'em, you're in trouble 'Cause the tooth fairy won't come no more You need something to show your dentist The next time he makes you say "ahh..." You don't wanna have to wind up Eating all of your food through a straw Like toothless people Toothless people...you'd better brush your teeth now Hey...toothless, toothless, toothless

[catbleblk]

Been loving your works since ''Face like a frog''

[laughingsal]

thanks for all your nice comments.

[Subtronik]

I thought this art style was perfect for the eighties man, screw Mick Jagger.

[Laeliapurpurata]

My favourite movie of all time!!!

[Quentin242451]

Greatest Song Ever!

[johnyzero2000]

Dammit why the hell can't they make comedies like this anymore!!??? This was back when comedies were nasty, vulgar, plot driven and funny as hell!!! How I long for the days of Bachelor Party, Revenge of the Nerds, Porky's, and RUTHLESS PEOPLE!!!

[ZillaRocks]

@johnyzero2000 They're still nasty and vulgar, the only thing is that they're not plot driven or funny anymore. :P

[Drezuda]

I love this movie I love the main titles and the graphics. 80's rule!!! =D

You did great.

[MrWarner]

mick jagger is a twat!

and sally a genius!

period!

[laughingsal]

like your test1 animation- and your youtube site looks sharp, MrWarner- optical illusion pulsing is intriguing. Tanks.

[hanabanana82]

awesome. i remember this movie - just! did you do the opening credits for mannequin too??

[laughingsal]

yes I did Mannequin too, thanks.

[Davemonzon]

The song was great...Jagger on voice...great solo by Dave Stewart...and also Daryl Hall on vocals and guitars

[Amy12489]

It's ironic how Mick Jagger didn't like the way this was done because The Rolling Stones music video for the song "Harlem Shuffle" had a similar style, and since they were both released around the same time, I thought that maybe they were done by the same person!

As for that crediting people as "Somebody...as SOMEBODY ELSE!" is most likely just meant for a laugh.

Other credits from Zucker Abrahams Zucker films have the same thing. Hah!

Anyway awesome song and awesome movie!

[TheRealGentleman]

Mick Jagger has no taste!

Also, why is it in opening credits the last cast member credited gets their character name mentioned too, like "Somebody...as SOMEBODY ELSE!" Nobody else gets their character's name mentioned like that, what's the deal?

[ryanedwardpowers]

good movie, good song.

[grf450]

This song is pretty cool.

[Quentin242451]

C0ol Song, Bad Intro

[grf450]

I disagree.

Oh btw, has anyone heard the Weird Al parody "Toothless People"?

[Yokonono99]

YES!

[LizFL]

It fits the picture (It's a dark comedy -- notice all the knives and appliances being thrown into water.)

[scottievand]

This reminds me of the opening credit sequence from "Mannequin".

[ScaryMovie182]

it reminds me of Drop Dead Fred

[ScaryMovie182]

also this movie was made came out in 1986.

[ScaryMovie182]

I never seen this movie i recoreded it today i going to watch its going to be cut alot because its rated TV-PG SV but the movie is rated R

[coralarch]

My favourite is the heavy metal freak wanting to buy the "Thigh slappin' toe tappin' nuclear brain damage!" And then his pregnant wife wanders in...

[ericstefani]

Cool Font! So Original.

[sitedecinema]

Ho was that?

Mick did not like the song nor the flick?

[Brekhunov]

Mick liked the film. He thought the screenplay was "brilliant" and recruited the screenwriter to write a movie starring him and David Bowie...that screenplay ended up starring Steve Martin and Michael Caine and was titled DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS.

[georgekostaras]

It has a certain grit and gore that you only see in the best movies.

[fossefan]

Well, I like these credits. And the whole film, actually. Pity Mick didn't get it.

[ComedyPlanet]

fantastic!! they dont do that in films any more.

[SoundofGod]

I had no idea that was jagger until just now! Incredible job btw.

[motounlock]

did you choose the song sal?

[laughingsal]

No, we didn't get the music until half way through production, so we couldn't catch the sync the way you do when you get the track first.

[Vectronics]

This movie is hilarious . JV

[Nightmastercool97]

It is funny because it is true

[CheTralfara]

you've gotta be kidding?? mike jagger's brain must be fried! that was superb!

[fireline13]

I Movie with all my heart! you really designed them!?

[CaptainSoloer]

Pure love. This intro was actually the whole reason I bothered to sit down and watch through the entire movie (the movie was wicked!)

[mantagrae]

i used to love watching this intro as a kid, haha

[Devconn]

The Library I go to owns this movie, I should get it

[nobunnyatall]

i miss things like this. thanks for doing such a good job sally cruikshank!

[missdizzy87]

I really love these titles! x