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Overall Rating : 7.5/10
Directed By : Tim Sullivan
Raviv Ullman (Phil of the Future (TV) )
Diamond Dallas Page (Snoop Dogg's Hood of Horror)
Talan Torriero (Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County (TV)
Lin Shaye (2001 Maniacs)
Supplied By : Image Entertainment
Film Reviewed By : Rick L. Blalock
Date Reviewed : October. 30, 2007
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| PLOT Riddled with guilt over the loss of his rock star older brother, 16-year-old David Forrester becomes obsessed with death, leading his misguided parents to send him to Driftwood, an "Attitude Adjustment Camp for Troubled Youths" run by the sadistic Captain Doug Kennedy and his brutal young henchman, Yates. Once there, David becomes haunted by the spirit of Jonathan, a former inmate who met a mysterious end-- a mystery whose resolution could very well be David's only way out... |
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| THE REVIEW Overcome with the death of his Brother, David seems unable to accept it and even thinks about ending his own life. Death becomes such a part of him that he slips into a deep depression, that has his parents thinking that he needs some sort of intervention. Their answer is to send their misunderstood son, David to an attitude adjustment camp named Driftwood. Their David meets many other teens, that have a lot of things in common with him - and it's apparent that none of them actually belong in a place like Driftwood. He also begins to wonder about Driftwood as it doesn't quite seem normal to him - instead of any "adjustments" going on, the kids are instead subjected to endless landscaping work. It turns out that instead of receiving the treatment in which their parents have paid yearly for, Captain Kennedy, the camp's hard-nosed leader is planning to sell the camp for profit and are using the kids to do the maintenance work. But this isn't the only secret, as the spirit of a former inmate named Jonathan, still lurks within the facilities. David senses some kind of connection with the spirit as he has seen Jonathan in some of his most recent dreams prior to coming to DRIFTWOOD, and believes that his arrival has brought him full circle. David slowly becomes closer and closer to the mystery that haunts the camp as well as to answering some unanswered questions. I remember awhile back when I reviewed Tim Sullivan's first film 2001 MANIACS, I really didn't know who he was, other than I had saw his name attached to a web column pertaining to Horror - but after seeing that film I knew he wasn't just another Directing newcomer, but that he was actually a fan of the type of films he would be making. With this said, 2001 MANIACS was a gore drenched story, that was just as much a Comedy as it was an actual Horror film - so heading into his newest project DRIFTWOOD, I expected much of the same due to his admiration to the stories which inspired MANIACS. But my assumption couldn't have been more wrong about it, as I would find that DRIFTWOOD is quite different. Here, gone is the comedy and slapstick gags, and in place is a straight forward true to life Horror story about a young man's struggle to grow up, fit in and ultimately cope with the death of a loved one. Not only is this film quite different from Sullivan's previous effort, but it is more mature in story as well as in directing Sullivan presents the film in such a way that is both slick and at times even frightening. Often, when I sit down to review a film, I find myself usually caught in something that takes nearly half of the film's runtime to become the least bit interesting. But I must say, in the case of DRIFTWOOD, I cannot really tell you that I was ever bored with it. The plot is very engaging and fast moving, and dare I say it, but i'd compare it to much like a teen film(teen angst/teen comedy) when comparing it's pace. With me saying this I saw this as not only a thrilling Horror film, but also a coming of age story. In the story the character of David Forrester essentially finds himself, he finds that he's not as bad as people think he is, after he meets some peers whom also share their own problems, but like him are misunderstood by everyone around them. In the midst of this core story, as if it wasn't good already, Tim Sullivan and writing partner Chris Kobin, brilliantly wrap the story in a horrific backdrop involving the corrupt attitude adjustment camp, and a ghost that just won't rest until it's voice is heard by all. What makes the film so great for the most part are the cast and their performances. No one featured here, minus the cameos by Lin Shaye and Marc McClure are really well known acting stars(not yet anyway), but everyone seemed to give it their all for this project. The reason I kept interested is that the kids whom are attending the camp are all young, relatable, and for the most part highly likeable. Raviv Ullman(better known as Ricky Ullman to most) is highly talented and proves to have been the ideal choice for the role of David. I had known that Ullman was on the Disney Channel's PHIL OF THE FUTURE, but had never saw it. To be honest, knowing his Disney connection, I did not expect a very good performance. I feel that actors on that channel are more times that not, terrible - But Raviv really did surprise me, he does a fantastic job making the role ultimately believable. A face I did happen to recognize was that of Cory Hardrict. I saw him way back when I reviewed RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD : NECROPOLIS, there he showed potential, but that film didn't offer him much freedom to display any talent. I knew the talent was in there somewhere, and DRIFTWOOD definitely brought it out. Being a Wrestling fan, I have watched Diamond Dallas Page(or DDP) since the start of his Wrestling career. Through out all of that time watching him in the squared circle, I would have never guessed that he'd ever be a working film actor. From his beginning in Rob Zombie's THE DEVIL'S REJECTS, to now DRIFTWOOD, the man who was once putting down his foes with the dreaded "Diamond Cutter" is more or less doing the same to the world of acting - with his performance here - it's inevitable that DDP is here to stay. DRIFTWOOD is a gripping Thriller that perfectly blends elements of coming of age and Horror films, via a plot that is surprisingly more original than most. It truly is an injustice that clever films such as DRIFTWOOD are quickly shipped off directly to the DVD market, meanwhile, week after week it seems, that yet another remake is added to the never-ending list of Horror films that are released theatrically. |
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| GORE
METER 1/10 All I seem to recall is a bloody gunshot wound....the story didn't really rely on gore, but more on it's plot. |
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| MUSICAL
SCORE 5.5/10 A mix of Rock music, a little Country, and some traditional suspenseful scoring....it worked really well. |
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| OVERALL
IMPRESSION OF THE FILM To be honest, I really liked this movie, as it's not often that we get a smart Horror film these days. The film presents it's story in a way that is not so predictable, and has a really intriguing buildup that keeps you guessing and watching. I highly recommend it! This DVD will be released on November 13, 2007 |
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