Number 10

Lord of War (2005)

Director: Andrew Niccol
Budget: $42 million

Starring Nicolas Cage, Lord of War was an interesting, but frustratingly meandering examination of a rogue weapons dealer. What really caught the eye of moviegoers, however, was the film’s innovative credit sequence. The arrangement takes the viewer through the process of how a single bullet is made and how it ends up on the battle field. The sequence manages the rare trick of being both visually interesting and informative.

Flash Gordon (1980)

Director: Mike Hodges
Budget: $35 million

Raving about the cool comic-book homage opening credits of the recent Spider-Man or Fantastic Four movies? Please pay your proper respects to this old nugget, which is still the best of the genre. Flash Gordon was a bust at the box office when it was released in the early ‘80s, but it has developed a large cult following since, due in large part to the rush provided by its fantastic opening credit sequence that’s fueled by Queen's original theme song.

Number 8

Reservoir Dogs (1992)

Director: Quentin Tarantino
Budget: $1.2 million

Reservoir Dogs is proof that flash and cash isn't a prerequisite to a great credit sequence. So minimalist and technologically simple is Reservoir Dogs' credit sequence -- the slow motion swagger of a group of well-dressed killers -- that it's a shock that someone didn't replicate its effectiveness sooner. Like all Tarantino innovations, the credit sequence from Dogs has been cloned numerous times since its 1992 release.

Number 7

Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997)

Director: Jay Roach
Budget: $17 million

More than a decade past and a couple of middling sequels on, it's easy to discount the impact of the original Austin Powers. The film's delightfully dippy dance opening in the credit sequence draws on a host of British influences that range from A Hard Day's Night to Peter Sellers, and it was bursting with the same creativity that would make Austin Powers one of the best comedies of its time.

Number 6

Dawn of the Dead (2004)

Director: Zack Snyder
Budget: $28 million

No matter what you think of the accompanying film, it's hard to deny the visceral genius of Dawn of The Dead's one-of-a-kind opening credit sequence. Taking a series of blood-drenched cuts depicting various violent acts, tossing in some artistic pretension and, most vitally, Johnny Cash's "The Man Comes Around," this credit sequence was a great concept carried off startlingly well.