Probably reaching for a discussion topic with this but I doubt it's been asked.

What's your favorite opening or establishing shot (15-30 seconds) at the start of a case profiled on UM? I think one underestimated fact of UM in it's prime, they always did an amazing job at setting a unique mood of each case with the music, photography, and narration.

My pick is the Donald Eugene Webb/Greg Adams case. In the world of UM when it comes to Wanted Fugitives, they always make it as chaotic and intense as possible. They usually try to bring your attention in immediately and heighten the audience's sensations.

This one is very different as it's filmed and edited beautifully. An incredibly serene and almost majestic like feel to the little town of Saxonsburg, PA as Stack narrates it wonderfully.

For mystery, suspense and plain spook, you can't have a better opening than the Dennis DePue segment. A shot of a country road during the daytime, the scary and mysterious music hints that something bad is about to happen but the location and time of day makes you wonder what it could possibly be and then the rest is history.

But the majority of the time, UM started their sequences showing shots of the city/town that the case took place in like you said. For instance, the Angela Hammond segment starts with the easing music and shots of Clinton, Missouri. I see that and I picture Angela walking down those same streets during happier times with friends or Rob.

The James Sullivan segment. Though the story itself is certainly tragic, I actually thought it was kind of funny the way his mother-in-law discredited him right on the spot. Here is how it went if I remember correctly.

Robert Stack: When Lita Sullivan was murdered, her husband James had this to say.

James Sullivan (adamantly): I had nothing to do with Lita's death.

RS: Lita's mother, however, said this.

Lita's mother: I really would like to see Jim go to the electric chair.

Probably the Phillip Frazier segment. We see this beautiful shot of a long road in Alaska (Highway 1) with great music and narration by Stack.

"Alaska. America's last frontier..."

Liza Montgomery.

The opening to the Doreen Picard/Susan Laferte segment was very frightening. Just totally ominous and full of dread.

What was the one that inspired "Jeepers Creepers", where the couple driving out in the country spot a guy washing bloody sheets and then (showing huge amounts of either courage or insanity) investigate further? Fantastic start to a segment

What was the one that inspired "Jeepers Creepers", where the couple driving out in the country spot a guy washing bloody sheets and then (showing huge amounts of either courage or insanity) investigate further? Fantastic start to a segment

I believe that was Dennis Depue (pardon my spelling).

What was the one that inspired "Jeepers Creepers", where the couple driving out in the country spot a guy washing bloody sheets and then (showing huge amounts of either courage or insanity) investigate further? Fantastic start to a segment

Ah, how I long for the simpler days of yore when people would have enough time to go out for leisurely drives instead of spending all day on their cell phones and facebook. I used to wonder why the heck they would go out for a drive with no real destination or purpose in mind, and then I remembered this was Michigan. Having lived in Michigan all my life, I can assure you it really is that boring, and I too would find myself going out for drives just to have something to do.

The opening to the Doreen Picard/Susan Laferte segment was very frightening. Just totally ominous and full of dread.

Yes ! :) :eek: Its the only segment that has given me that eerie feeling out of all I have viewed ...

I just love the opening shot in the Orange sock murders .....that beautiful view of snow covered Breckenridge is amazing :)

I love the opening of the Mikki Jo West segment

it had an eerie look to it, the quality and graininess/Haze in the opening shot gave me chills

RS voice saying "she was never seen again" and then the music begins with a piano piece that is not very scary but it sounds somber and gives you a chill all the while we are seeing a picture of Mikki

Ones that immediately come to mind:

-Christi Nichols

-Bonnie Wilder

-Keith Reinhard

Christi Nichols

This was the one that immediately came to mind, I love the small town ambiance shown at the beginning.

Always loved the opening to the Dottie Caylor case, which shows a re-enactment of Dottie purchasing a ticket and boarding a train at the BART station she supposedly disappeared while Robert Stack's narration describes how difficult such a simple task can be with a person with agoraphobia. Once it's mentioned that Dottie has gone missing, the segment segues to Jule Caylor instantly establishing himself as one of the most bizarre, unlikable interviewees in UM history as he recites his line about Dottie disappearing to "make things inconvenient" for him.

I liked the shot of the truck driving towards the camera with the sun setting behind him at the end of the Ohio prostitution murders. IIRC, the music was a bit creepy, but that's part of what made the show so interesting.

To echo someone's else post, I also liked the Philip Frasier (apologies in advance if this is an incorrect spelling) opening as well.

Hands down body in the freaking trunk for me.

the opening of the Bradford Bishop episode when the man discovers the burning shack with bodies

I liked the shot of the truck driving towards the camera with the sun setting behind him at the end of the Ohio prostitution murders. IIRC, the music was a bit creepy, but that's part of what made the show so interesting.

To echo someone's else post, I also liked the Philip Frasier (apologies in advance if this is an incorrect spelling) opening as well.
Oh wow I never saw this thread but that is exactly the case I thought I of. The opening sequence for that segment is very haunting.

The IH 70 killer is rough along with the other cases that RS starts with a personal plea to look for a wanted murderer.

the opening of the Bradford Bishop episode when the man discovers the burning shack with bodies

The actor playing the ranger had the most believable reaction to discovering multiple dead bodies.

https://i.imgflip.com/y2u8m.gif

My favorite opening is
UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE

that used to be a tagline in my house.

I really liked the opening shots on Don Kemp's case. Unless I'm mixing them up, they do a wide shot of Don's truck, stranded in the middle of the road, with his belongings strewn out on the highway.

Very memorable shot.

Glen and Bessie Hyde. I thought this was a very well-produced segment. So much good music at the most perfect times.

Harold and Thelma Swain. You almost feel like you're in Waverly, GA watching that segment.

Glen and Bessie Hyde. I thought this was a very well-produced segment. So much good music at the most perfect times.

Harold and Thelma Swain. You almost feel like you're in Waverly, GA watching that segment.
I think that entire episode was good with the music and production. the husband and wife murder investigations. I think it was ayleen Conway glen and Bessie and the weird looking guy in Bay Area that said it was hell living with her but life is good now that she's gone can't remember his name. I can't recall which other segment was featured.

This is technically OT, but I think the "outro's" for UM were really great work as well. Unfortunately they often had news briefs dubbed over the top of them, which covered up the closing music. It's somber tone was a great contrast to the powerful opening music and they included many landscape clips from the segments featured.

A powerful one that comes to my mind immediately was from a LL segment. I can't recall the names of those involved, but I believe it was about brothers split up by adoption. The shot had the older brother alone on a train slowly heading back to the orphanage, because no one had wanted to adopt an "old" child. I'm not a fan of the LL cases in general but that was such a sad yet beautiful shot.

Another good one was the outro on the episode featuring Mark Adams' escape from San Quentin. It had some great shots of the foreboding prison.

This is technically OT, but I think the "outro's" for UM were really great work as well. Unfortunately they often had news briefs dubbed over the top of them, which covered up the closing music. It's somber tone was a great contrast to the powerful opening music and they included many landscape clips from the segments featured.

A powerful one that comes to my mind immediately was from a LL segment. I can't recall the names of those involved, but I believe it was about brothers split up by adoption. The shot had the older brother alone on a train slowly heading back to the orphanage, because no one had wanted to adopt an "old" child. I'm not a fan of the LL cases in general but that was such a sad yet beautiful shot.

Another good one was the outro on the episode featuring Mark Adams' escape from San Quentin. It had some great shots of the foreboding prison.
yeah I liked the closing sequences too. Love the original closing theme music.

The Jim Kimball opening is pretty dark. About a min in or so they show his dad's funeral I think...and the organ music sounds creepy. I don't recall it on any other segments off the top of my head.

Glen and Bessie Hyde. I thought this was a very well-produced segment. So much good music at the most perfect times.

Yes! I could watch that opening scene of them racing down the river as Bessie holds on tight over and over again. The music just clinches it. Even knowing the inaccuracies in the segment after reading Sunk Without a Sound, I still love it.

For mystery, suspense and plain spook, you can't have a better opening than the Dennis DePue segment. A shot of a country road during the daytime, the scary and mysterious music hints that something bad is about to happen but the location and time of day makes you wonder what it could possibly be and then the rest is history.

But the majority of the time, UM started their sequences showing shots of the city/town that the case took place in like you said. For instance, the Angela Hammond segment starts with the easing music and shots of Clinton, Missouri. I see that and I picture Angela walking down those same streets during happier times with friends or Rob.

I agree. Especially after I watched Jeepers Creepers. I watched a video (where they compared the UM opening and the JC one) on (the site the shall not be mentioned) and some of the comments people were making. If it wasn't for that couple, I don't think the case would've been solved.

I agree. Especially after I watched Jeepers Creepers. I watched a video (where they compared the UM opening and the JC one) on (the site the shall not be mentioned) and some of the comments people were making. If it wasn't for that couple, I don't think the case would've been solved.

Yeah. I made that video. And many of the responses rip the Thortons for going back to the school house. It was risky, yes. But you have to give them props for being brave and going to the police.

Honestly, I'm surprised the video is still up. Considering the studio that need not be mentioned is obsessed with not having their content on the forbidden site. :rolleyes:

Yeah. I made that video. And many of the responses rip the Thortons for going back to the school house. It was risky, yes. But you have to give them props for being brave and going to the police.

Honestly, I'm surprised the video is still up. Considering the studio that need not be mentioned is obsessed with not having their content on the forbidden site. :rolleyes:
sweet I've seen it a few times...not in a while though. just saw it again it is crazy how close they are. and in jeepers creepers what I thought would happen in UM happens when he comes out and stares at them. creepy.

that opening is definitely frightening. I had not seen it in a while. It would be very scary out in the country like that to witness something. I think I would have called the police rather than gone back. but since they did go back and see the bloody sheet it was important just in case he would have gone back and grabbed it.

I continue to be amazed over how many Jeepers Creepers fans are amazed at the opening comparison to the Dennis Depue segment.

Maybe that horror movie was more popular than I thought? After the clear ripoff of the UM segment, it's just your basic, generic monster flick with a kind of weak backstory that doesn't really get explored until the sequel.

The comparison video now has 670,000 views. It's been linked on many blogs. There's also a video on the forbidden site where a fan does a reaction to the comparisons. I always see so many people say, "OMG!! It's based on a true story!!" And I always want to reply, "No. The BEGINNING is based on a true story. But there isn't an actual Creeper flying around gathering people's skin."

Even Channel 4's Click on Detroit wrote a short feature about it a couple months ago...

http://www.clickondetroit.com/features/did-1990-michigan-murder-inspire-jeepers-creepers-film

Michael Rosenblum. That segment is full of great shots.

I continue to be amazed over how many Jeepers Creepers fans are amazed at the opening comparison to the Dennis Depue segment.

Maybe that horror movie was more popular than I thought? After the clear ripoff of the UM segment, it's just your basic, generic monster flick with a kind of weak backstory that doesn't really get explored until the sequel.

The comparison video now has 670,000 views. It's been linked on many blogs. There's also a video on the forbidden site where a fan does a reaction to the comparisons. I always see so many people say, "OMG!! It's based on a true story!!" And I always want to reply, "No. The BEGINNING is based on a true story. But there isn't an actual Creeper flying around gathering people's skin."

Even Channel 4's Click on Detroit wrote a short feature about it a couple months ago...

http://www.clickondetroit.com/features/did-1990-michigan-murder-inspire-jeepers-creepers-film

:lol:

I worked in a movie theater when Jeepers Creepers came out, so I got to preview it before the general public. Even though I hadn't seen the segment in YEARS, I knew the beginning ripped off the Marilyn DePue murder.

Crazy to think that when this happened, we were still using DIAL-UP at businesses and residences to conduct our business. Hence why I wasn't on the Internet that often. But I digress.

ETA: Can I just comment on how bad-ass and ballsy the eyewitnesses in this case were? I was watching the comparison video on the forbidden site and completely forgot that even after they had their run-in with DePue, who FOLLOWED THEM for two miles before pulling over to change his license plate, they still went back to the school to try to find the bloody sheet. Even though they had 1) seen DePue walking with a bloody sheet, 2) saw the door of the van was covered in blood, 3) knew that he had been following them, and 4) could have came back at any moment for them.

It makes me wonder if they were packing heat or something. I don't know if you could get me back to a scene like that to investigate. I'd probably wet myself...

ETA: Can I just comment on how bad-ass and ballsy the eyewitnesses in this case were? I was watching the comparison video on the forbidden site and completely forgot that even after they had their run-in with DePue, who FOLLOWED THEM for two miles before pulling over to change his license plate, they still went back to the school to try to find the bloody sheet. Even though they had 1) seen DePue walking with a bloody sheet, 2) saw the door of the van was covered in blood, 3) knew that he had been following them, and 4) could have came back at any moment for them.

It makes me wonder if they were packing heat or something. I don't know if you could get me back to a scene like that to investigate. I'd probably wet myself...

When I first watched this case as a teen, I had a classic "run, white people, run!" moment.

The blob episode with stack . “It came from the skies, to wreak havoc on the Earth.”Oakville, Washington. Population: 723. Clouds fill the sky here daily, bringing rain on average of 149 days a year. So when it began pouring on the morning of August 7, 1994, no one was really concerned, until they realized it wasn't raining rain. It was raining tiny blobs of gelatinous goo. It came down in torrents, covering 20 square miles. And it made people sick, including Maurice Gobeil. Today it's impossible to say what the goo was or where it came from because all the evidence has disappeared. The Washington Department of Health says it can find no record of what happened to the samples it received.

ETA: Can I just comment on how bad-ass and ballsy the eyewitnesses in this case were? I was watching the comparison video on the forbidden site and completely forgot that even after they had their run-in with DePue, who FOLLOWED THEM for two miles before pulling over to change his license plate, they still went back to the school to try to find the bloody sheet. Even though they had 1) seen DePue walking with a bloody sheet, 2) saw the door of the van was covered in blood, 3) knew that he had been following them, and 4) could have came back at any moment for them.

It makes me wonder if they were packing heat or something. I don't know if you could get me back to a scene like that to investigate. I'd probably wet myself...

There are a TON of comments on the video from the last five years. But about 80% of them are complaints about how stupid the Thorntons were to go back and investigate.

Probably the Phillip Frazier segment. We see this beautiful shot of a long road in Alaska (Highway 1) with great music and narration by Stack.

"Alaska. America's last frontier..."

I agree.

I agree.

Looks like I also agreed several years ago; at least I am consistent on one thing in life (lol).

Looks like I also agreed several years ago; at least I am consistent on one thing in life (lol).
Lol, I'm totally guilty of doing that. I've probably posted the same moments in the "Unintentionally Funny Moments" thread multiple times.