Modern Variants
- Don McLean's "American Pie" begins with the phrase "A long, long time ago...".
- All six of the Star Wars films begin with the phrase "A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away ...".
- The musical Into the Woods begins with the Narrator's line, "Once upon a time." The second act commences with his line, "Once upon a time...later..." The musical is a retelling of many famous fairy tales.
- In the Singaporean comedy series Under One Roof, Moses Lim's character Tan Ah Teck begins his stories with "Long before your time, in the southern province of China ...".
- In the 2010 Edgar Wright film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, the opening scene narrates the words "Not so long ago, in the mysterious land of Toronto, Canada."
- The opening line of the theme song to MST3k is: "In the not-too-distant future ... next Sunday, A.D."
Read more about this topic: Once Upon A Time
Famous quotes containing the words modern and/or variants:
“The ancients of the ideal description, instead of trying to turn their impracticable chimeras, as does the modern dreamer, into social and political prodigies, deposited them in great works of art, which still live while states and constitutions have perished, bequeathing to posterity not shameful defects but triumphant successes.”
—Herman Melville (1819–1891)
“Nationalist pride, like other variants of pride, can be a substitute for self-respect.”
—Eric Hoffer (1902–1983)