BRIEF BLU-RAY REVIEW:I believe that this was shot on 16 mm film. So, you have a pretty gritty, primitive, high-contrasty look to the movie. This isn't your usual glossy new looking film, but I feel that it's unique, stark look really lends itself to the story.Now, to the movie... I had seen this film quite some time ago and I vaguely remember that I did like it. But, I just now watched it again on Blu-ray and I found that I still very much enjoyed it. Actually, I was kind of surprised that I liked this movie that much. Normally I do not care for 'Drama' heavy films, no matter the Genre. BUT... I really liked the way the movie was done, so that you had a nice, tense feel of light Horror, and a definite sense of Mystery, and along with that also a very touching and moving story surrounding this young man and what has been going on the last 10 years of his life.The story itself is VERY simple. It is not the kind of movie where you have anything really intense or shocking. It is very moody, but in a simple way. You might have to give it a chance to get going a bit before you quite get into what is going on. The acting is very good by everyone involved. I'm not necessarily a HUGE fan of Nick Stahl, but I felt that he did a fine job here, along with everyone else. The director gave the film a nice sense of Mystery and tension. And understandably, the audience may not quite be sure as to what the deal is with this guy or the meaning of the flashbacks that occur. But, this is one of those stories that becomes clear as you progress through it, and of course especially when you get to the end.***PLEASE*** be very careful in reading about this film before you see it. I NEVER cease to be completely amazed at the brainless STUPIDITY and lack of any good sense or consideration by the NumbNut Donkey-Sucking Dickweeds here who blurt out key plot points to the films that they 'review'... Pure, PHUK'n Idiots, if you ask me... Anyway, please do read with care, or better yet, just watch the movie and see what you think. To give you some guidance WITHOUT mindlessly giving anything away, just know that this film TECHNICALLY has some metaphysical themes, but is primarily Drama and character driven. Like I mentioned, normally I really don't get very excited about films that are weighted more toward 'Drama', but in this case I feel that the story is told in such a way as to draw the audience into what is happening and involve them. This is NOT really a true Horror film, so if that is what you are looking for, then you should pass on this one. But, if you don't mind a bit of a low-key, Drama driven quasi-Supernatural / Metaphysical film about Death, etc., then you might end up enjoying it like I did.

Some people should not be allowed to watch The Sixth Sense. A prime example of that is the folks who made Dead Awake. It's the same principle as not letting young children view pornography. They're not intellectually or emotionally ready to understand it and can get a lot of screwed up ideas. Director Omar Naim and writers John Harrington, David Bolvin and Justin Urich got the impression they were as talented as M. Night Shyamalan and could do the same things he did with his ghost story masterpiece. I could believe someone thinking they're as good as Shyamalan after watching Lady in the Water, but for this bunch seeing The Sixth Sense was like an 10 year old viewing Butt Bandits #27. Their attempts at mimicry are painful and damaging to everyone involved.Dylan (Nick Stahl) is a 28 year old insomniac with a job at a funeral home and not much else. He's haunted by visions of a taxi cab accident 10 years ago, though he should probably be more tormented by the lame haircut he sports through this film. After running into his ex-girlfriend Natalie (Amy Smart) at the funeral of one of their high school classmates, Dylan is depressed and feels like a nothing. To cheer him up, his relentlessly Irish boss (Brian Lynner) stages a fake funeral for Dylan to see if anyone shows up. The only people who do are Natalie and a squirrelly girl from Skid Row named Charlie (Rose McGowan). Since Natalie has been dating a douchebag for most of the last decade, Dylan turns his attention to the mysterious Charlie and follows her to her slumhole of an apartment. It turns out Charlie is a sketchy junkie who thinks Dylan is a ghost who believes he's alive and needs to make his final amends before moving on, which inevitably leads to Dylan and Natalie reconnecting and the only thing that might surprise you after that point in the story is how ineptly and inartfully it's all done.There are so many things to criticize in Dead Awake. From Nick Stahl and Brian Lynner acting as though they're in two entirely different movies, to the unnecessary camera movement and pointless visual tricks that herald a director who doesn't know what he's doing, to a soundtrack that belongs on one of those Saturday night atrocities on the SyFy channel, to dual plot twists that epically fail where The Sixth Sense succeeded, the list of mistakes, misjudgments and misery for the audience goes on and on and on.Let me focus on one specific flaw so you can get the overall flavor of how this movie sucks. As previously mentioned, Natalie is introduced as having a long-standing dillhole of a boyfriend (Ben Martin). For the first 5 minutes this guy is on screen, he does everything but drop kick a puppy to make the audience dislike him. Later on, the boyfriend sees Dylan and Natalie talking, with the old chemistry between them reigniting. Everything about that scene, how it's shot, the boyfriend's reactions, even the background music, it's all designed to elicit sympathy for the boyfriend as he sees the woman he loves slipping away from him. Except the boyfriend is a total jagoff and the viewer, up to that point, has been encouraged to want Natalie to dump his sorry ass. So, why should anyone care about his hurt feelings and why would the filmmakers want to make them care? There's bad storytelling, but this is like a psychotic break where the film completely forgets all that's happened to that point and all that's going to happen after that. I don't think I've ever watched another scene as out of tune, emotionally and dramatically, with the rest of a motion picture as this one. It would be like an orgy scene in a porno where everybody just stops for a minute and tries to sell the viewer Girl Scout cookies.Stahl, Amy Smart and Rose McGowan are much better than this material and its execution. The rest of the cast is in their proper element.I wish I would have slept through Dead Awake. There isn't any interesting awfulness here. It's plain vanilla bad. Skip it.

After seeing the low scores on this film, I was encouraged to write a review as this film is worthy of a Seven, not the Four or lower most viewers have given it. The film has an excellent cast including Nick Stahl (Of Terminator Fame), Rose McGowan, and Amy Smart (both extremely under-rated actresses who can do comedy, drama, horror, thrillers, you name it and extremely attractive without being model gorgeous at the same time) as well as two lesser known actors playing the Irish "parent substitutes" for Nick Stahl's character, Dylan.The film is basically a thriller that leaves you guessing as to Dylan's fate. Is he alive or dead? Is he talking to ghosts? This has been compared by other reviewers to "Sixth Sense" and I would agree. In essence, Dylan still hasn't come to terms with the death of his parents and assisting a crack addict, Charlie (Rose McGowan) finds redemption as does she. Meanwhile, with Charlies guidance, he rediscovers his old high school sweetheart, Natalie (Amy Smart), and is able to rekindle a romance that should never have ended.So what does this film offer? It keeps you guessing as an excellent thriller should; the presence of the ?undead? and the fact Dylan works in a funeral home lend an element of fantasy, mystery, and eeriness; the rekindled relationship and flashbacks with Natalie provide romance; and most of all, all of the three main characters achieve some form of redemption. Seven Stars, would recommend to anyone and would watch again.

It boggles the mind that movies this bad continue to get made. One can only wonder, can anyone write or tell (direct) a coherent story in Hollywood these days? The description for this movie talks about the main character faking his own death, and indeed there is a single scene that deals with this intriguing idea. But the movie is more about death and atonement for one's choices while living.There are plot holes you could drive a sixteen wheeler through, including the main character being shot twice at point blank range and not suffering so much as a scratch; and a would be guardian angel, who though dead, can register vitals on hospital equipment and interact with the living as a normal living human being (for ten years, no less).Mix in some David Lynch-ian like purposely nebulous confusion and you've got a recipe for the typical piece of **** film that leaves the viewer wondering: "are the writers really this stupid, or is it just them trying to be too clever by half".The only silver lining for me was that my girlfriend got it for free with a coupon deal at Redbox. Mercifully, we paid nothing to view it, which is exactly what it was worth.