Minute One: From Titles to Typing

In the first minute of Kenneth Branagh’s 2011 film Thor...

• We start with the titles for Thor. The title screens for both Paramount Pictures as well as Marvel Studios remind us we're still in a different era.
• While they play, Patrick Doyle’s fantastic first track “Chasing the Storm” gets our juices pumping.
• This helps us transition to Puente Antiguo, New Mexico on a moonless night. Does this have anything to do with the end of last season?
• It may be moonless, but it's noisy. Night insects chirp and a distant vehicle idles.
• Inside the vehicle, three people work on very scientific equipment. Well, two of them. One just sits there in the darkness.
• But who are these scientists? Well, we meet Jane Foster played by Natalie Portman and Erik Selvig played by Stellan Skarsgård.
• But why isn't Jane a nurse? It's the first big change from the comics.
• Turns out Jane’s not a nurse but an astrophysicist and has a screen up on which displays information about the Van Allen Belt.
• We like that Branagh wanted to start on Earth and not in Asgard with Thor. It grounds the story for us.
• Branagh favors dutch angles because of time as a youth spent reading comic books.
• Also, Branagh and his cinematographer seem to really like handheld camera work.
• As we said back in the first episode of Iron Man, you have to earn your wizards. Marvel certainly has done that.

With all of that, there’s a surprising amount of things to discuss in this first minute. Tune in!

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Film Sundries

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• Script Transcript
• Theatrical trailer #1
• Theatrical trailer #2
• Poster artwork
• Source Material