Set Visit Report – Dead Awake; Exclusive Images
You wake up in the middle of the night in the pitch black. For a moment, you try to figure out what woke you, but then, as you try to sit up, you realize you can’t move. You’re pinned in place by a heavy force on your chest. No matter how hard you try, your arms won’t respond, you can’t lift your head, even your breathing is a laborious effort. All around you, you sense a presence. It is, for lack of a better term, evil. You struggle against invisible bonds with the notion that this is what it feels like to die.
It’s a very real phenomenon called “sleep paralysis,” and it affects hundreds of people every year. And, yes, people have died from it. And it’s also at the core of the new movie Dead Awake from Jeffry Reddick, the mind behind the Final Destination franchise.
“The idea came when the producer brought me some articles on sleep paralysis,” says Reddick, a self-described horror geek, from the San Antonio, Texas, location. “The mythology dates back to biblical times where people would wake up and couldn’t move and would feel like there was something evil in the room with them or a presence sitting on their chest. They called it the ‘night hag,’ and that’s where we get the term ‘haggard.’”
One part science, one part mythology, the story follows a young woman named Kate (Jocelin Donahue, House of the Devil, Insidious Chapter 2) whose sister dies while in the throes of sleep paralysis. During the course of the film, the audience finds out if it’s pure science, or if there’s something more sinister at play, with a well-meaning sleep therapist who tries to get to the bottom of the situation, played by Lori Petty (Tank Girl, A League of Their Own, “Orange is the New Black”). Rounding out the cast are Brea Grant (“Heroes,” Halloween II) and Jesse Bradford (Hackers, Badge of Honor).
“It’s been a long time coming,” says director and producer Phillip Guzman (2:22, Desdemona: A Love Story), who revealed that he first got involved with the project four years ago. “There’s a lot of hard work. And it’s my dream job. I’m excited. The horror and sci-fi fans are the best, period. I’m busting my ass to make the best fucking movie possible so the fans go, ‘Hell Yeah!’”
Guzman also counts himself among the horror fans, as does Reddick and most of the cast, and it shows. For example, practical special effects abound in this movie. “We are ninety-five percent in camera,” says Guzman, to the joy of horror fans everywhere. (NOTE: I promised I wouldn’t give spoilers, and I won’t, but I can tell you that what I did get to see was badass. Horror fans are going to love it.)
For another thing, the entire cast seems to have 100% faith in the script and director, and it’s not just a feel-good we’re-all-in-this-together vibe. The cast and crew are genuine in their belief that this story is one that should be told, and one that will resonate with a wide audience.
“Horror movies are so much fun to make,” says Jocelin Donahue, “because you get to play extremes. Sleep paralysis is such an interesting subject because it’s your interior world while you’re sleeping. It’s the most intimate thing you can explore.” When asked about her resume, and the potential of her becoming one of the new generation of Scream Queens, she is humbled. “It’s an honor,” she says. “I’ve been really lucky because the [projects] I’ve been offered have been great.” About this project in particular she explained: “The concept is something that affects a lot of people and that people relate to. As soon as you bring it up, everyone has their own experiences or knows someone who has experienced it. So to work on something like that, which will really affect people, is great.”
Guzman has more than one reason to tackle this film. He’s actually experienced sleep paralysis. “Not to the degree Jesse [Bradford] has,” he says, “but I have. It’s terrifying.”
Bradford, on the other hand, has had experiences of the horrifying kind with sleep paralysis since he was a kid. “I used to get it all the time in high school and college. And it’s fucking terrifying,” he says. “I sleep on my stomach. But when it happens, it’s like my bed is the ceiling, and I’m pressed up against it. It takes a huge effort to push myself to sitting up. It was like you were bracing to try to push a car. And coming out of it is instantaneous. You’re either in it, or you’re able to break out of it, one or the other. It feels like you’re going to die if you don’t wake yourself up.”
None of the other cast members I spoke to had experienced sleep paralysis, and none of them wanted to. Hearing Bradford’s experiences gave them a close enough look.
Dead Awake is entering its last week of principal photography, then will begin the long post-production process. And although it is an independently produced film, this movie is not going the direct-to-video route. The producers are looking at a wide theatrical release for horror fans everywhere. And Dread Central will be there, every step of the way.
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