Kierstin Cunnington

A family man convicted of killing an intruder must cope with life afterward in the violent penal system.

Waking Life is about a young man in a persistent lucid dream-like state. The film follows its protagonist as he initially observes and later participates in philosophical discussions that weave together issues like reality, free will, our relationships with others, and the meaning of life.

Writer/Director Danny Draven takes the helm for this supernaturally driven shocker about an unassuming housekeeper drawn into a terrifying world of vengeful apparitions. According to the Chinese calendar, the seventh month of every year marks the time when the restless spirits of the dead break free from the gates of hell to mix among the mortals. During this time, specific rules must be followed to avoid falling prey to the spirits of the damned. When a solitude-seeking housekeeper arrives at the desert home of a superstitious Chinese woman and her devoutly religious aunt, death senses an opportunity to extend its grip into the mortal realm.

James wants to have fun, but cynically realizes that life has little fun to offer. Turning nineteen has been a souring experience filled with disappointments. The added pressures of manhood have begun to weigh in as friends become scarce. He needs a good night out and his only hope lies with his best friend Russell, whose own world was perfect until his girlfriend, Jennifer, announced that she was "going out with some other guy" that night. The two nineteen-year-old men simply want to forget their individual problems over a few beers and set out into the underage world where strange things happen. Bad directions, bad luck, and teenage-harassing cops stand in the way of these two slackers as they hopelessly meander through the streets of Austin, Texas trying to buy a case of beer. Their patience and worries are pushed to the limit until they are forced to do the unthinkable.