89 of the Best 'Waking Up from a Nightmare' Scenes in Less Than 3 Minutes

The answer: no one -- ever -- in the history of the universe. What are we talking about here? Well, you know in movies when a character is fast asleep and then all of a sudden they spring up, eyes wide, mouth agape, sweating and panting like they're me walking up a flight of stairs? That. 

Even though it can be a little overused and cliché, the "rude awakening" is a staple of cinematic history and language. In fact, 89 of these rousings (did I just make up that word?) have been put together in a montage by editor Roman Holiday (aka: Matt) to celebrate decades of unnatural, but oh so classically dramatic reactions to restless nights. (You can read the full list of films used right here in the video's description.)

One thing that came to mind while watching this montage was how different directors and DPs shot these things. Really, how many ways can you capture someone shooting out of bed? (The bright-eyed dreamer in me says an infinitillion. The cynical Daria-clone in me says "Shut up, you.") But really, it seems like setting a camera on a tripod right in front of where the subject will end up was the camera position of choice. But why? Why not add a little more pizzazz -- a dolly, zoom, or something? These people are shooting out of bed in a great amount of fear and anxiety -- why not let the cinematography communicate that?

Also, can we just, for the record, unanimously agree that the clip from Out of the Body (1:59) is the best one in this video? Thanks.

What do you think about how "rude awakenings" are shot? What was your favorite from the montage? Let us know down in the comments!

Source: Roman Holiday