Best Opening Shot Ever: Bonfire of the Vanities

[SealsEatWindmills]

Based off hitches? Awesome!

[avpz23]

A bit of trivia: the guard in the cart with the walkie-talkie, behind Bruce Willis and Rita Wilson, is director Brian de Palma (after a shave). Watch out how he runs off and disappears after the cart stops (he was actually giving instructions to the cast and crew through the walkie-talkie). Overall, I laughed a lot with this movie (although the second half certainly feels kind of sluggish) but still I think it's unfairly deemed as an awful picture - it's not like that at all.

[Beckala67]

The movies starts out in the underground access areas of the former World Trade Center, where the 1993 bomb exploded. The palm trees in the Winter Garden area of the World Financial Center was covered in soot and broken glass and steel beams. So surreal to see it before 9/11.

[CupOfTeamOfficial]

'Mr Fallow they're waining...sorry WAITING - ahh sorry guys I messed up my line, guess we'll have to do that all again!'

[directorman0471]

Did Fallow change nationalities?

[lazyfreedom98]

I can not state this strongly enough . . . read the book first.

[futuristfood]

wow,. very amazing,.

[sirrahusa]

Credit should be given to the Steadicam operator, Larry McConkey. A cam. asst. was injured during the first take.

Trivia: The PR woman is played by Rita Wilson, Tom Hanks's wife.

[playadominical]

great book, epic fail of a movie

[jnuno999]

seriously people i enjoyed this movie a lot! i think it was, not outstanding, amazingly overwhelming or oscar worthy, but a pretty damm REASONABLE and FINE peace of acting and movie making. Didn't you guys find the court scene at the very end of it a pretty damm good scene? i thought it was not really that bad... you know... at all.

[GregOrCreg]

@jnuno999 I agree it's not a bad film, although we may be in the vast minority. Sure, it's not the masterpiece the book is, but some of the critics who faulted the film on its release were misguided IMHO. It was never going to be a completely faithful adaptation. The book kind of just peters out at the end, whereas most films require a resolution of some sort, and a more sympathetic protagonist than Tom Wolfe's Sherman McCoy. Anyway, for all the film's faults, Dave Grusin's score is a joy.

[jnuno999]

@GregOrCreg too right mate

[MrBunnerabb]

Citizen Kane was pretty good.

[evadwall]

For the making of this film, read Julie Salamon's classic "The Devil's Candy." Kirkus Reviews said, "Its like watching the Twin Towers topple onto Wall Street." No kidding.

[TheJabberwock]

@MrBunnerabb Oh! You mean when Kane is playing outside and it tracks into the kitchen through tables and junk? that is an amazing shot!

[TheJabberwock]

@MrBunnerabb You mean Touch of Evil?

[zeedoubleyou]

what a waste of salmon...

[Sei1863]

If she's not pregnant, that's the most hideous dress I've ever seen!

[steaditex]

@Sei1863  She WAS pregnant!

[Sei1863]

@steaditex Source...?

[MrBunnerabb]

Best Opening Shot Ever: Bonfire of the Vanities

I assume that you haven't seen Citizen Kane.

[snypperkyller]

Best book ever. Pity I can't say the same for the film.

[DavidL999]

Man I'm deffo not watching this. I thought Peter Fallow was supposed to be English, what else have they changed??

[collegeri]

glad i found this..i love tom wolf and i love the film-always have!!! my favorite film actually.

[MonsieurRondu]

Best tracking shots can be found in I Am Cuba.

[Disinfotainment]

Completely agree. Amazing movie.

[HeyDarelon]

@MonsieurRondu Children of Men.

[sebastianarroyoay]

and Mary Vogt evince imagination. I saw this film free @ MovieWatcher (.) US

[Westonelm]

For great continuous tracking shots try "Before Sunset" (2004)

[hungmunchkin]

Hmmm, technically this is exceptionally good, but what is the point in a meticulously executed tracking shot if the acting and action is so poor and over played? In this one shot the audience can already guess that this movie is going to reduce a brilliant book into a trashy film ... and it does.

[McNugget06]

@hungmunchkin On a visual basis, it makes my dick stand straight. From a dialogue basis, I'm a limp dick Willy.

[Sei1863]

@hungmunchkin The sound of preconscious wannabe-film bitches simpering condescendingly in their campus dorms is almost as nauseating as Saddam Hussein eating poutine with his mouth open.

[dra6osh]

@hungmunchkin fuck u

[0814ma]

The shot of the Concorde landing in this movie (which was *very* meticulously planned and executed by 2nd unit director Peter Schwab) has been described as the only visually interesting shot of a plane landing in any movie ever made. It lasts five seconds in the final cut, but took months to plan and shoot.

[NYMLVNV]

thanks for posting this! you have great taste. this film was from what i understand a box office disaster, with a $50 mill- plus budget. none the less i really want to see it. do you know of any online sight that's showing the WHOLE movie??

also, none the less, any DePalma film is worth seeing, ie, for shots like "this"....

Hey, i bet you've seen the opening shot for "Snake Eyes", with Nicholas Cage, another DePalma "masterpiece". If not, check it.

Scorcese good 1 too Good Fellas.

[SuperRod88]

Check it on Google Videos.