Here is a montage by Brian Carroll (Editcadet1), of straight down shots used in various films.
This type of shot is commonly referred to as a God’s Eye View angle. The camera lens is perpendicular to the subject without any POV reference, which gives the viewer an omniscient viewpoint of the character and the surrounding space.
The video is cut to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs‘ Down Boy.
From the peanut gallery of YouTube commentors, we’ve attempted to compile a list, in chronological order, of the films that were used in the supercut. We’re still missing about ten titles; test your movie trivia knowledge and help us fill in the gaps. It’s fun!
I am Legend @ 0:02
Zodiac @ 0:05
? @ 0:08
The Omen @ 0:11
Sucker Punch @ 0:15
The Resident @ 0:17
X-Men Origins: Wolverine @ 0:20
12 Monkeys @ 0:23
Hard Candy @ 0:26
The Day the Earth Stood Still @ 0:29
Bronson @ 0:32
Psycho @ 0:36
Zombieland @ 0:39
Good Fellas @ 0:40
Dawn of the Dead @ 0:42
American Psycho @ 0:43
Rocky 4 @ 0:44
Kung Fu Hustle @ 0:45
Delicatessen @ 0:47
Let Me In @ 0:49
Vertigo @ 0:50
The Usual Suspects @ 0:53
Inside Man @ 0:54
Four Rooms @ 0:55
? @ 0:56
? @ 0:58
? @ 0:59
Trainspotting @ 1:01
Enter the Void @ 1:02
Resident Evil: Afterlife @ 1:04
Season of the Witch @ 1:05
Raiders of the Lost Ark @ 1:07
Mission Impossible @ 1:08
Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull @ 1:10
City of Lost Children @ 1:11
Gangs of New York @ 1:13
Titanic @ 1:15
Priest @ 1:16
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? @ 1:17
Orphan @ 1:19
The Green Mile @ 1:20
Casino @ 1:23
Oceans 11 @ 1:24
Inception @ 1:26
Devil @ 1:29
The Cell @ 1:32
True Grit @ 1:35
The Shawshank Redemption @ 1:38
Run Lola Run @ 1:42
? @ 1:43
The Hills Have Eyes @ 1:46
Red State @ 1:49
Sleepy Hollow @ 1:52
? @ 1:53
?The Eye @ 1:55
Max Payne @ 1:57
I Saw the Devil @ 1:59
The Departed @ 2:02
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind @ 2:03
Hellboy @ 2:05
Good Will Hunting @ 2:08
Unbreakable @ 2:09
?Con Air or The Fighter @ 2:11
Bend It Like Beckham @ 2:13
Invictus @ 2:14
30 Days of Night @ 2:15
The Village @ 2:17
The Ring @ 2:18
The Birds @ 2:20
The Blues Brothers @ 2:21
The Matrix @ 2:23
Scott Pilgrim @ 2:25
Kick-Ass @ 2:27
War of the Worlds @ 2:28
The Eagle @ 2:29
Day Watch @ 2:30
The Rundown @ 2:32
Faster @ 2:33
West Side Story @2:35
Gold Diggers of 1933 @ 2:37
The Big Lebowski @ 2:39
Hudsucker Proxy @ 2:42
Carrie @ 2:44
Law Abiding Citizen @ 2:46
Frozen @ 2:47
Tron Legacy @ 2:48
Catch Me If You Can @ 2:50
Oldboy @ 2:52
? @ 2:54
Win Win @ 2:56
Slither @ 2:57
Nightmare on Elm Street @ 2:59
Lady in the Water @ 3:01
Rushmore @ 3:02
I, Robot @ 3:04
City of God @ 3:05
Matrix II Reloaded @ 3:08
?The Road @ 3:10
Bram Stoker’s Dracula @ 3:11
Dark City @ 3:12
Bound @ 3:14
V for Vendetta @ 3:17
Sleepers @ 3:19
Hancock @ 3:22
Red @ 3:23
Matrix III Revolutions @ 3:25
Sherlock Holmes @ 3:26
The Untouchables @ 3:27
The Sixth Sense @ 3:29
Kill Bill Vol. 2 @ 3:30
Apocalypto @ 3:32
Taxi Driver @ 3:34
The Fountain @ 3:35
Unknown @ 3:36
Watchmen @ 3:37
Closer @ 3:41
Check out Brian’s other montage of the iconic walking shot from various films:
1. Miller’s Crossing 2. Boogie Nights 3. Inception 4. Shaun of the Dead 5. Magnolia 6. Serenity 7. Shutter Island 8. Ghostbusters 9. Insidious 10. Zombieland 11. Bringing Out the Dead (À Tombeau Ouvert) 12. A History of Violence 13. Seven 14. V for Vendetta 15. Die Hard 16. 127 hours 17. The Shining 18. Gerry 19. Fight Club 20. Reservoir Dogs 21. Scott Pilgrim vs the World 22. Boogie Nights 23. A Clockwork Orange (Orange Mécanique) 24. Empire of the Sun 25. A History of Violence 26. Carrie 27. The Adjustment Bureau (L’Agence) 28. The Wrestler 29. The Usual Suspects 30. Elephant 31. Poltergeist 32. Barton Fink 33. Gangs of New York 34. Valkyrie 35. The Good, The Bad and The Weird (Le Bon, la Brute et le Cinglé) 36. Braveheart 37. Mission Impossible III 38. The Hudsucker Proxy (Le Grand Saut) 39. Evil Dead 2