Your Favorite Dream Sequences
 

Last night, NA and spent most of our dinner talking about that favorite cinematic device, the dream sequence - it seems there's a never ending supply. Some of my favorites include:

Polanski's Repulsion - A very young Catherine Denueve driven homicidal by her dreams of sexual abuse, includes a wonderful scene where the walls of her home crack, and turn soft to allow arms to extend into the hallway and grab at her

Being John Malkovich - A delightful dream sequence in a restaurant where every patron, server, and guest is a bald John Malkovich regardless of gender all saying "John Malkovich."

The Big Lebowski - Floating Tuetonic Bowling

So what are your favorite use of this device?

The entire seventh season of Married with Children.

If daydreams count, the big Kelly/Caron ballet in An American in Paris.

Rosemary's Baby had a good one.

heh - we were talking about the Wizard of Oz's framing story making the whole thing "only a dream"

Yeah, there are a lot of movies where the entire thing is essentially a dream/delusion or at least framed so that this is a possibility.

One of my all-time favorites was Homer Simpson's 'Land of Chocolate' dream sequence from 'The Simpsons' episode called 'Burns Verkaufen der Kraftwerk' where the Germans buy the power plant. One of Homer's new bosses says 'Germany is the land of chocolate.' And Homer goes into his dream. After he's done with his fantasy Homer repeats 'The land of chocolate.' His new German boss gets pissed and says, 'Mr. Simpson, that was ten minutes ago!'
Funny stuff.
:D

Fruma Sara sequence in Fiddler on the Roof
Salvidore Dali-designed bit in Spellbound
Several episodes of Twin Peaks
Vertigo
Several Moonlighting episodes

A blessing on your head.
Mazel Tov! Mazel Tov!
To see a daughter wed.
Mazel Tov! Mazel Tov!

And such a son-in-law
like no one ever saw
the Tailor Motel Camzoil

A worthy boy is he
Mazel Tov! Mazel Tov!
Of pious family
Mazel Tov! Mazel Tov!
They named him after my
Dear uncle Mordachai
The tailor Motel Camzoil!

Thats one of mine.....
The ballet sequence in the original Oklahoma too.

I don't know if this counts but I love the 8 dream sequences in Akira Kurosawa's 'Dreams'.
:)

We talked about that one - but would you believe that's another film I have yet to see. Ah one more to add to the list.

Invaders from Mars.
Little Nemo in Slumberland.
The entire Nightmare on Elm Street series.
If daydreams count - the Secret Life of Walter Mitty (and its little known animated feline saturday morning update the Secret Lives of Waldo Kitty.)

Sitcom dreams are also a rich tangent to explore:
The dream where Marcia Brady relives being struck in the face by an errant football again and again.
Bobby Brady as Jesse James.
Many Gilligan's Island episodes using the "historical" context - old west, medieval times, etc.
The entire Newhart series, if we are to believe the final episode.

How about Maya Deren's "Ritual in Transfigured Time"? I am not sure if it's a dream but it certainly feels like one.

This one occurred to me today, it also is in the daydream category but they're wonderful.

Dancer in the Dark.

Heheh, yeah the last season of Rosanne was also supposed to be a dream. Guess that's why it was such a nightmare.


Jimmy Stewart's pychoid dreamfugue in Vertigo remains my fave of this genre.



Oh, and Amy Irving's dream in Carrie makes for a startling conclusion to that cult shocker.

Wild Stawberries, by Ingmar Bergman, has my favorite dream sequence, though I am very fond of Marcia Brady's repetitive football assault as well. What this juxtaposition says about me, I don't really care to explore.

The last season of "Roseanne"

The Big Lebowski. Hands down.

I also love the scene where the director is filming a dream sequence in Living in Oblivion, featuring a dwarf who is played by Peter Dinklage. At one point Dinklage screams at the director, something to the effect of, "Have you ever actually had a dream with a dwarf in it? Nobody dreams about dwarves. Dwarves dont' even dream about dwarves!" Ah, funny, funny!

I love the trippy sequences in Requiem for a Dream, but I don't know if they're considered dream sequences. I especially love the woman freaking out on diet pills.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High. God bless Phoebe Cates.

I kid you not, I was scrolling down to post this very same thing. This is one of my favorite movies ever. The dancing dream sequences are so...I can't even think of the word here...fantastic will do I guess. When I was spending a lot of time choreographing for work/college my life became a bit like that. I could see dancing everywhere. Not with the cool songs like hers though. Don't see that movie on your honeymoon. Big mistake.

"My cat can eat a whoooooooole watermelon."

I don't know if the trailer for Rubin & Ed is still available online. A couple years ago I think it was on imdb. It's worth watching if you can find it.

Amen to that!

Triplets of Bellville. Freakin' doggy dream sequence, can't beat that!

Rashomon
Vertigo (the whole film is like watchign a dream)
Murder My Sweet 1944 (Dick Powell's nightmare as he is drugged)
Pee Wee's Big Adventure
To tie in with the season at hand, Ralphie's dreams in A Christmas Story
and a bunch of others already mentioned

Donna

and a whole bunch previously mentioned

Vertigo (the whole film is like watchign a dream)
Murder My Sweet 1944 (Dick Powell's nightmare as he is drugged)
Pee Wee's Big Adventure
To tie in with the season at hand, Ralphie's dreams in A Christmas Story
I know Rashomon does not really count as a dream, but it always feels dreamlike to me
and a bunch of others already mentioned

Donna