I am conflicted. On one hand this fan opening credits sequence is visually stunning. The 60’s Saul Bass-ian style animation fits so well with the X-Men universe in the 60s. It is detailed, lovingly crafted and clever to boot.

On the other hand it features the single worst variation of the classic 90’s X-Men animated theme ever. I have heard hip-hop versions, death metal versions, even a trendy house music version and nothing compares to the nut kick to the ears that this video presents.

Not only is the song just horrible to listen to, it is also wrong for the tone and style of the visuals. The music needs to be fast, upbeat, jazzy and most of all flow and sync with the visuals. I suggest going to you tube and playing the normal version of the 90’s X-Theme while watching this sequence in mute.

And you should watch this sequence, it is awesome. From a strictly visual standpoint this opening sequence gets everything right. I have a metric ton of hope for this film, and fan produced projects like this only re-affirms my feelings. The 60s are the foundation for everything the X-Men have become, and to get that encapsulated in a film should be high watermark for the genre.

Check out Joe D’s excellent title sequence after the jump.

Following tons of casting and recasting news, X-Men: First Class producer Bryan Singer contacted AICN and revealed tons of juicy tidbits about the highly anticipated film. Of course, we’re going to share them with you right here to save you the trouble of clicking that link.

The film will take place in the fitting time of the 1960’s, with civil rights being of high concern at the time and the obvious parallels between the racial and mutant struggles. In addition, Singer implied that Vaughn will also be utilizing James Bond type technology from that era in the film.

X-Men: First Class will follow the young Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Eric Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender)as they plan the futures of mutant kind.  Xavier will not be in a wheelchair in the beginning of the film, but we will witness him losing the use of his legs.

The antagonists of the film will be the Hellfire Club which will include Kevin Bacon as Sebastian Shaw and January Jones as Emma Frost. On a surprising note, he stated that we will not be seeing Jean Grey or Cyclops. Unsurprisingly, he announced that we can expect tons more casting news in the next couple of days.

Singer also explained that even though the costumes in the film will be more “comic booky” than previous films, the film is shying away from the story written in the comic after which the film is named.

Do you think that it’s the right move to delve deep into little known comic book characters, while not utilizing the pre-existing lore? Can an X-men story exist without Jean Grey and Cyclops?

Wanted actor James McAvoy has agreed to portray young Charles Xavier in X-Men: First Class, the origin story focusing on the friendship and eventual fallout between Professor X and Magneto. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Fox has characterized the film as the “epic beginning of the X-Men saga”

The film reportedly covers the time before Charles Xavier and Eric Lensherr became Professor X and Magneto. They were two young men discovering their powers for the first time and before they were archenemies, they were the closest of friends, working together, with other Mutants (some familiar, some new), to stop the greatest threat the world has ever known.

In the process, a rift between them opened, which began the eternal war between Magneto’s Brotherhood and Professor X’s X-Men. Plus, its spawned several movies, TV shows and comics.

Fox anticipates filming this summer in London, with the movie tentatively scheduled for a June 3, 2011, release.

Stay tuned to The Flickcast for the latest news on this X-Men origin story.