History Main / PivotalWakeup

* Variation in ''DragonBall'' - during the "warm-up" phase of Goku and Cell's fight, Goku knocks Cell over the edge of the arena. For a second, the audience hopes for a ring-out, only for Cell to remind them that he can fly by freezing and performing this trope in midair.

** All the toys from that line did it, including [[FrankensteinsMonster Frankenstein's Monster]].

* Angelus pulled this trick on ''{{Angel}''. Seeing as it's a spinoff of ''Buffy'', which debuted six years earlier, it's remarkable that they resisted this trope for as long as they did.

* Played straight in Jean Cocteau's ''LaBelleEtLaBete'' when the Beast is transformed into a handsome Prince. Done by having the actor fall backwards and reversing the film, of course.

* The dance 'zombies' of the Avicii song [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ovdm2yX4MA& Levels]]

[[music video]]

* An episode of ''YoungIndianaJones'' has a vampire knocked down during a fight, then instantly do this and pop right back up again.

* The UrExample and TropeMaker is almost certainly ''{{Nosferatu}}: Eine Symphonie des Grauens'' (1922).

* Interestingly, the 1920 movie ''Film/TheGolem'' has the {{Golem}} wake up in this manner when he is uncautiously revived by the Rabbi's apprentice -- two years before ''{{Nosferatu}}''.

* In a ShoutOut to ''{{Nosferatu}}'', Dracula rises like this in ''YoungDracula''.

* Interestingly, the 1920 movie ''TheGolem'' has the {{Golem}} wake up in this manner when he is uncautiously revived by the Rabbi's apprentice -- two years before ''{{Nosferatu}}''.

* [[MarvelComics Galactus]] rose like this during the events of ''Marvel Superheroes SecretWars''. Reed Richards was impressed.

The Pivotal Wakeup is a classic move in the repertoire of most old school [[{{Dracula}} vamps]]. Once the sun dips below the horizon, the vampire's [[EyeOpen eyes will open]], the coffin lid will fly open on its own, and the occupant will [[PowerFloats levitate]] into a standing position while pivoting on their feet, as if they were a fulcrum.

Needless to say, this move is so old school it may be a DeadHorseTrope. However, it still occasionally sees use even outside the vampire community. Comedies seem to like to use it to demonstrate just how strange or freaky some characters are by, say, rising this way on the mention of their favorite food or after being punched in the face.

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** All the toys from that line did it, including Frankenstein'sMonster.

[[http://www.monsterlandtoys.com/universalmonsters/universal.html http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/EarlyRiserDrac.jpeg]]
[[caption-width:280:Dracula knows how to [[AlteredBeast "Rise from your grave!"]] in ''[[EvilIsStylish style.]]'']]

* In ''DraculaDeadAndLovingIt'' , the Count (Leslie Nielsen) does a PivotalWakeup . . . and ends up hitting his forehead on a metal chandelier.

* Smith gets up like this once after Neo knocks him down in TheMatrix. Intentional reference?

* Interestingly, the 1920 movie ''TheGolem'' has the {{Golem}} wake-up in this manner when he is uncautiously revived by the Rabbi's apprentice -- two years before ''{{Nosferatu}}''.

* ''DoctorWho'', "Image of the Fendahl": After [[spoiler:Thea Ransome]] is possessed by the Fendahl, her body rises to its feet like this.

* Smith does it in TheMatrix. Intentional reference?

* An episode of Young Indiana Jones has a vampire knocked down during a fight, then instantly do this and pop right back up again.

** In fact, he has an [[http://actionfigure.guidestobuy.com/jakks-action-figure/van-helsing-dracula-w-coffin-playset/ action figure]] that is basically the one used as the page picture!