Daniel Baldwin Movie:

Dead Awake Reviews:
Dead Awake
2009-09-04 - Despite a roster of eccentrics and a surrealistically inscrutable story, DEAD AWAKE (2001) is not a David Lynch picture. Except for Michael Ironside, who played 'Jester' in TOP GUN (1986) (VHS) (DVD), and Stephen Baldwin (he filed for personal bankruptcy in July '09), this hallucinogenic neo-noir has a cast of Canadian unknowns.


SYNOPSIS--
Desmond Caine (Baldwin) is a man afflicted with insomnia and a rare disorder that causes him to slumber at all hours while sitting with eyes open. During these spells, he experiences violently bad dreams. Soon enough, paranoic daymares become reality.

Caine's sleepless late-night strolls usually end at a nearby diner where he encounters such regulars as a CDing male prostitute, an Hispanic man with two nasty pit bulls, a cop who's terrified of patrolling his beat, and a legally blind shotgun-toting waitress. Most prominent is the vociferous pseudo-philosopher, Skay (Ironside). When not spouting demented conspiracy theories, Skay lets brave folks reach into the hole in the back of his skull to touch his brain. White collar professional Desmond just doesn't fit in with these weirdos, but he hangs with them anyway.

When a wheelchair-bound man (Lorne Brass) intentionally electrocutes Desmond's secretary, she's replaced by 'Kick' Birmingham (Janet Kidder, aka Margot's niece). 'Kick' and Udo (the paraplegic) set in motion a plot that makes Desmond's waking moments as nighmarish as his dreams. Udo goes "missing" (only his foot is found) and Det. Gary Belladonna (Edward Yankie) is convinced that Desmond killed him. By the time evidence proves otherwise, the cop hits the lottery for millions and quits the force. And then the story REALLY gets strange!

This is good ...
2008-02-06 - This is really good but, then again, I like the macabre so many of you readers might not like this.

It was a good story
2007-06-30 - But it could have been told in a much clearer way. The movie does travel very slow and tedious at times but I did like it all in all. I am a Stephen Baldwin fan and do like to see him in movies. This story was a unique one with a "framing" intertwined within the movie. I recommend this movie to anyone that likes mysteries and to people that are also Stephen Baldwin fans.

A New Proverb I Want To Give To You Tonight
2005-05-28 - A good woman in bed with you makes for blissful sleep. I know it would with me. This is a twisted, and somewhat bizarre retelling of the 1965 classic "Mirage". Stephen Baldwin is an insomniac who walks the streets at night, and on one night he is a witness to a murder, and he goes to the police, and all of a sudden he becomes the number 1 suspect. Baldwin keeps his wits about him, or so he tries to as he's driving everyone around him crazy, and the police don't know whether he's telling the truth, or not. I found this to be a good slab of suspense as everyone is above suspicion, and who is credible, and who's not? Well unfortunately, the flashbacks, and the entering into Baldwin's psyche as he sees all the people he goes by in his walk at night tend to make this movie hard to follow at times. It's still a good film, and I find that it may not grow on you if you can't follow it the first time through. Why I was able to stay on top of this movie was around the waitress W.D. as I sensed she was the other genuine character in this movie other than the one played by Baldwin. Luckily Baldwin found that out too, and now why I give you this proverb "A Good Woman In Bed With You Makes For Good Sleep". If you check the closing credits W.D.& Baldwin are in bed together, and Baldwin finally closes his eyes, and is asleep. It's as beautiful as finding your soulmate, and getting married, and happily ever after kind thing, but as I said if you can't pick up on this it will be hard to later. There were ways of making it better, and more easier to follow.

It's not for everyone but I liked it
2005-04-04 - It's 3:30 in the morning and there's a movie on about an insomniac. As an insomniac, how could I possibly pass on watching this movie? I thought it was a great movie. It's a movie that appeals to the mind. What is real? Is the whole thing just one long hallucination by this guy who can't sleep? I mean with character names like Belladonna (last name of the police detective) and Uno Magic, how can you be sure anything this guy sees and hears isn't just a delusion? If you like weird movies, then this might really appeal to you. If you don't like unusual movies then watch something else. Oh, by the way, don't listen to the reviewer that said this movie was predictable. I can guess most movies within 5 minutes. But I didn't guess this one and the reason is that this movie is so weird/unusual that I just sat back and let it take me where it wanted. Rent it, buy it or catch it on cable but don't watch it the first time until it's 3:30 in the morning.