Customer Reviews

Driftwood

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Like one of the kids that finds himself held captive at "Driftwood", it's easy to misjudge Tim Sullivan's new film when you glance at the surface. It's got the kid from the Disney Channel, the wrestler, and that guy from the MTV reality show. It's probably pretty easy for a horror fan to immediately think "teen horror" and dismiss "Driftwood", but "Driftwood" is not "The Covenant in Boot Camp", it's not "Stay Alive In Reform School". If you're willing to toss this film based on the cast you've heard about, then really, "Driftwood" is exactly the kind of movie you need to see. The film opens up with David Forrester (Ricky Ullman) arriving, obviously by force, at the Driftwood boot camp. He soon learns his parents, still reeling from the death of his older brother and after misreading some of David's journal entries, have placed him in the custody of the camp until his 18th birthday. David, and the other boys he will soon meet, are overseen by the vicious Captain Kennedy (Dallas Page).Kennedy runs the camp with both an iron fist and a cruel, forced hierarchy amongst the other boys in the camp that often pits them against one another. It seems the easiest way for Kennedy to get away with his brand of violent discipline is to have the boys beating each other. By his first night in Driftwood, David is having strange visions of a ghostly figure. As the ghostly presence appears again and again, a dark and violent secret begins to reveal itself.Sullivan and his co-writer Chris Kobin really know how to write teen characters that aren't patronizing, dumb, or clichéd. They feel real, and that's something so rare in horror films. With strong writing like this, you need a cast that's going be able to take the character and really make them come alive.One of most surprising thing in "Driftwood" is the strength of the performances. (Ok, well maybe not that surprising considering I think Sullivan got the best performance out of Robert Englund in damn near a decade in "2001 Maniacs".) You're not getting flat, one-dimensional teen stock characters in "Driftwood". Ricky Ullman plays David with incredible depth. Dallas Page takes the roll of the cruel leader and creates a nasty, violent son-of-a-bitch you just want to kick in the nuts.More than that, Page is able, in the end, to show Kennedy as pathetic, worn, and broken that he even garners a slight bit of sympathy from us. Also, in his first film, Talan Torriero delivers a surprisingly solid performance as an upper-classman at Driftwood, one of Kennedy's lackeys. Talan shines at the climax of the film and truly adds to the intensity and suspense of these scenes.The supporting cast, including David's cellmates all stand out on their own. Again, it's surprising to see teen characters that are all different, without being caricatures. Lin Shaye also makes a brief, but very memorable, cameo as David's confused, misguided, but well meaning mother."Driftwood" is a very different film from Tim Sullivan, who's last film was the raunchy and tongue-in-cheek "2001 Maniacs". "Driftwood" is far more subtle in its horror. A quick glance of the ghost here, a little bit more of the horrifying truth revealed there, the story quietly unwinds. Sullivan uses the boot camp setting, with its inherent cruelty and violence to build incredible tension and suspense. It's a ghost story, of course, but it's clear there are a lot more horrifying things going on in Driftwood than a haunting.I was frequently reminded of one of my favorite 80's ghost stories, "Lady in White", in the way that the story was layered. It's a very well written mystery. It's not the supernatural elements of "Driftwood" that are frightening aspects of it. It's the idea of kids being thrown away by their parents, the idea of a man like Kennedy who's so lost in his obviously unreconciled past that he takes his anger out on innocent children with tragic results. What's terrifying about "Driftwood" is the realization as you leave the theater that while ghosts don't exist in the real world, camps like Driftwood, thrown away kids like David, and human monsters like Captain Kennedy really do. - Mike C.

Did we watch the same movie? Are all you guys friends with the director and producer? After seeing the 5 star rating I thought what the hell. Boy, was I wrong. I kept watching, hoping it would get better but it just never did. Why was this rated R too? The MPAA is so offbase half the time. Anyway, this was like watching an Afterschool special. "The film also has a fantastic performance from Diamond Dallas Page"? You have to be kidding! The acting was mediocre at best, the so called mystery was pretty easy to figure out and if you think just flashing a quick ghostly image and turning up the volume produces scares it doesn't. The story was somewhat original but intense and scary, you guys are dead wrong!

Filmmaker Tim Sullivan Shows Us He's More Than Just A Maniac

Imagine you are sixteen years old and you've just lost your idol, best mate and older brother to drugs. Suddenly life seems to only be about death. You've got a hole in you the size of Texas and all you can think about is dying just so you can maybe be with your brother again. To cope with this, you start keeping a blog and pour out your deepest, darkest feelings in the hope of somehow purging yourself of those demons. Then your parents find this blog, read it and assume that you are on the fast track to a massive downfall. And then, to top off all this agony, your parents decide to put you in an 'attitude-adjustment camp' called Driftwood to get you back on the right track. You are there until you turn eighteen years old. You have no rights, no freedom and no hope for escape.

That is the absolute nightmare faced by David Forrester (played by Ricky Ullman, star of the Disney Channel's Phil Of The Future), the protagonist of Driftwood. Upon arriving at the camp, he first meets the man who runs Driftwood (and surely will run David's life), Captain Doug Kennedy (fiercely played by wrestler-turned-actor Diamond Dallas Page). The two characters are almost immediately at loggerheads as David is no shrinking violet. Quite the opposite, David has no problem telling The Captain (or anyone else within earshot) exactly what he thinks of his situation and the camp. David is so strong and obstinate, in fact, that you wince with the anticipation of what awful things await him, for surely he will not be able to hold his tongue.

Very soon after arriving at Driftwood, David starts having incredibly unsettling visions of another young man who is seemingly trying to tell him something. He leads David into a corridor on his first night in the camp where David comes across a wall of photos of the young men currently interred at Driftwood. One photo is conspicuously askew, and there is no name under it. When David asks fellow inmate Noah (Jeremy Lelliot) who's in the photo, Noah clearly doesn't want to answer. As time goes by, David continues to see visions of this young man all around the camp, and soon he finds himself filled with questions. Who is this kid? What happened to him? What's really going on at Driftwood?

Ricky Ullman has got quite a future ahead of him, if his performance in Driftwood is any indication. And if he went into this project with hopes of shedding his Disney image, I think he accomplished that in spades. There are a myriad of emotions David goes through in the course of this tale, and Ullman portrays each and every one of them so convincingly that you feel those emotions right along with him.

The film also has a fantastic performance from Diamond Dallas Page (The Devil's Rejects), who's brutal Captain Kennedy is the ultimate bully. Page also gives you fleeting moments of insight into the Captain's vulnerability, which is a rarity with this kind of character (and that speaks volumes about the calibre of the writing on this flick as well). Jeremy Lelliot (7th Heaven, Smallville), who's character Noah is faced with the horror of trying to be `cured' of his homosexuality, has a standout performance as well. And Talan Torriero (Laguna Beach) is very memorable as The Captain's henchman.

Director Tim Sullivan has created a very realistically frightening world in Driftwood. There's no boogey man here. Freddie's not going to kill anyone while they're sleeping at this camp. There's only the harsh reality of a teenager who's rights have been taken away by well-meaning but incredibly clueless parents (convincingly portrayed by the brilliant Lin Shaye and Marc McClure) who, in desperation, turn to The Captain and his camp to make their little boy all better again. There's also a great mystery in the film as you discover, along with David, the answers to all of his questions about the sad, ghostly young man he sees everywhere.

If you're a fan of 2001 Maniacs (and how could you not be?), Tim Sullivan's previous film, don't expect the same black humor-laced, gore-soaked, balls-out romp. This is not a sequel to Maniacs, by any stretch (but Sullivan does have that in the works anyway, so be patient). As Sullivan once said, "I like directors like, say Robert Wise, who one day is doing West Side Story and the next day he's doing The Haunting and the next day he's doing The Day The Earth Stood Still, next day he's doing Star Trek, then he's doing Sound Of Music, you know?" Clearly Sullivan is on his way to being the same kind of varied filmmaker, and I couldn't be happier.

So go see Driftwood with an open mind, expecting a great film. You won't be disappointed.

Slick Matecheck, Fangirl Magazine (www.fangirlmag.com)

After his brother dies of a drug overdose, a troubled teen David Forrester (Raviv Ullman) is sent to reform school because of his obsession with death. While there, he's tormented by a sadistic camp director , Captain Kennedy (Diamond Dallas Page), and the spirit of previous camper who appeared to be a big fan of the Insane Clown Posse in his former life. David's only hope of surviving this pseudo-prison is to uncover the secret, deadly history and cover-up keeping the ghost around. Conversely, Raviv Ullman's only hope of surviving this movie was to ignore the atrocious overacting from Page, dismiss the complete lack of conclusion, and try to keep a straight face every time the "supernatural" ghostly character showed up looking like a death warmed over juggalo.

All jokes aside, most of the acting in this film was sufficient, if not a bit uneven. The character development was nearly nonexistent. I can't see how anyone could associate with a single stereotypical character (e.g. wannabe gangster Hispanic and Italian), much less the irritatingly smart-mouthed protagonist who was a little too defensive and not nearly as clever as his perceptions led him to believe.

Production values and budget are obviously low, which can be overlooked if not appreciated, but there has to be something else to sink teeth into. Unfortunately, the plot and cast are completely unoriginal, and the "twist" ending is about as surprising as a sunrise. What's more, there is at least one massive plot-hole (i.e. the camper didn't have to die) that makes the ending untenable. The cinematography and special effects were either unspectacular, unenthusiastic, or both. The simple display of a black-and-white overlay does not create a scary scene. Tim Sullivan has created a decent, low-budget film, but it's devoid of anything fresh, startling, or unpredictable.

As for the disparity in voting for this movie, it's pure meatpuppetry. The majority of the 5-star reviews are from people who have reviewed less than 5 items, and it's clear they're just shills.

Jason Elin

David is a suicidal teen that is sent away to an oppressive reform school with a dark past, where he is haunted by the spirit of one of the institution's prior residents. Tim Sullivan's sophomore directing effort following the success of 2001 MANIACS offers strong writing, believable characters, and a clean cinematic style. Its suffocating atmosphere and depressing mood are established in the dark, shadowy hallways and sepia tones that house David's unseen ally. The main strength of the picture lies in the performances of its young actors, particularly in Ricky Ullman's portrayal of the wise-cracking lead. Unfortunately, the acting of the authority figures (including Diamond Dallas Page's antagonizing Cap'n) comes off as being unnatural and exaggerated, countering the effectiveness of both the writing and the gifted teen cast. DRIFTWOOD is easily compared to Del Toro's THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE, since the two films share a similar plot and character arcs. Where THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE was entrenched in spiritual, political, and philosophical subtext, DRIFTWOOD is a much more straightforward ghost tale. It does, however, take a heart-felt stab at exposing the gap that exists between many troubled teens and their disconnected parents, who would rather send them away from home than invest the time and energy needed to heal a broken family. For a film of its size, DRIFTWOOD is a solid entry in the haunting realm of vengeful spirits that is worth checking out for any Guillermo del Toro fans.

-Carl Manes
I Like Horror Movies

this needs to be the best dramatic horror film since the sixth sense! i normally dislike disney stars, and i did not know what to exppect from raviv ullman, but his performance was a pleasant surprise! ddp also gives a great performance and makes you hate him the entire film. the only thing is, fans of tim sullivan, dont expect the crazy, funny, gory, fun, splatstick goresfest snoop doggs hood of horror or 2001 maniacs was, with driftwood tim sullivan shows he can make an awseome movie without gore! driftwood is unbelievable! although it is not gory, it has some creepy visuals, it has one of the creepiest looking gohsts in a long time (not the usual boring long haired evil little girl ghost), but he does not over do it. it is not gory, but it is brutal, and what it doesnt show sometimes realy is more effective. driftwood is not pg-13, kiddie movie. it is creepy, good, smart, and real horror. anothit has ascaer great thing is the atmosphere, the whole feel of the movie, it was shot in a real " correctional facility for kids" and that makes the movie even scarier. it has a a scary feel to it. this is so different than 2001 maniacs! this is one of the best horror movies i have seen in a long time!


j.d.

Driftwood is quite magical. I watched it last night and while there are horror elements there it was something else, you feel like you are there, right alongside those there....its a transportation of your soul to that place and the characters and is a visceral expierience is the best sense. I really can ' t tell you how much i enjoy Driftwood, its a film i think every teenager needs to see to get a real and true grip on reality, and you know what it has quickly become one of my top films ever and why? It 's because it has a heart, a great big heart at the centre, that being your writing and your spirit and staying true to us teens and not giving them the adult attitude of today, but rather making them the most realistic people you could ever want to see.... For want of better words my friend Driftwood is an art all in itself, people like Spielberg and im being serious here should take a look at something like that an take a look at his films and see how he can never capture a youth of today!

By CRAIG HUTCHINGS United Kingdom

The best thing about this movie is the box cover. To paraphrase another review, this is an after school, g rated, horror movie.

I think it was the reviews that did it. If they were all 1's, I probably would have watched and thought, ok, this movie wasn't great but it wasn't horrible, not blaming the reviewers of course, to each their own. It's in no way a "horror" movie which was fine by me, a good thriller is always GREAT but this wasn't that either. More like a g rated after school special, but even those can be good and have a plot.

DDP not only a wrestler, but also a movie star. A great movie. The site in the movie is real. I've talked to DDP myself. Found out it used to be a school, that they were going to reopen after the movie was made. These camps are also real.