Riddled with guilt over the loss of his rock star older brother, 16 year old David Forrester (Ricky Ullman) 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 (Diamond Dallas Page) and his brutal young henchman, Yates (Talan Torriero). Once there, David becomes haunted by the spirit of Jonathan (Connor Ross), a former inmate who met a mysterious end; a mystery whose resolution could very well be David's only way out..............
THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY:
After completing production on the horror comedy 2001 MANIACS, an admittedly over-the-top, decidedly non-PC “Splatstick”, co-writer/director Tim Sullivan found himself disturbed by a post-Columbine trend in America; the proliferation of privately owned and run “Attitude Adjustment Camps” for youths deemed troubled and problematic by their parents. Though some youth, in fact, may require severe response to their crimes and violence (i.e. hardened youth offenders who actually find their way into the government run juvenile prison system), the psychology (and business plan) behind these “Adjustment Camps” is to play upon the fears of wealthy parents unable to relate to their teenager that Little Johnny’s troubling behavior may actually be the budding seeds of the next teen “Columbine Killer”. The horrid part is that the definition of ‘troubling’ could easily be that Junior listens to AFI and HIM, reads FANGORIA magazine, wears black, has piercings in unseen places, and (horror of all horrors) may actually prefer the same sex to the girl next door. Thus, on a regular basis, kids who just don’t click with Mom and Dad are being shipped to attitude adjustment camps all over the USA, where they are brutalized, programmed and in some extreme cases, actually murdered (as recently exemplified by the headline making death of a young boy in such an Attitude Adjustment Camp in Florida). The greatest nightmare of all— If Little Johnny is under the age of 18, he’s got no legal rights whatsoever, and if Mom and Dad sign him over, he’s a prisoner till he turns 18. And so, with 2001 MANIACS and SNOOP DOGG’S HOOD OF HORROR under his belt, Sullivan enlisted writing partner Chris Kobin to tackle another type of horror for his follow-up. A complete flip in vibe from the broad tone of his first two features, DRIFTWOOD is a character driven supernatural thriller that has been described as STAND BY ME meets GHOST STORY. It’s Sullivan’s way of expressing his driving philosophy (as expressed in his first producing effort, the cult classic DETROIT ROCK CITY) that no one should be forced to be what they are not, for if and when that does occur, the real nightmares truly do take shape… Welcome to DRIFTWOOD.
STATUS:
Produced by Mike Richardson (SIN CITY, HELL BOY, ALIEN VS PREDATOR) for DARK HORSE INDIE as part of his production deal with IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT, DRIFTWOOD features some of the top young talent on the scene today. Heading this cast of up and comers are Ricky Ullman (PHIL OF THE FUTURE) and Talan Torriero (MTV’s LAGUNA BEACH), both bravely playing against type, along with World Champion Wrestler turned actor (DEVILS REJECTS) and Yoga guru,
Diamond Dallas Page, portraying the truly evil mastermind behind DRIFTWOOD. Rounding out the cast are seasoned vets
David Eigenberg (SEX AND THE CITY), Lin Shaye (SNAKES ON A PLANE), Marc McClure (SUPERMAN), Jeremy Lelliott (7TH HEAVEN), Russell Sams (RULES OF ATTRACTION) and John Walcutt (GHOST WHISPERER). Assisting behind the scenes , a stellar roster of Hollywood pros took a leave of absence from the studio system to get down and dirty once again with this independently funded and minded project, among them producers Bob Engelman (BLADE, THE MASK), Barry Levine (DETROIT ROCK CITY) and Bud Smith (THE EXORCIST, TO LIVE and DIE IN LA), cinematographer Steve Adcock (2001 MANIACS, DEADWOOD), editor
M. Scott Smith (THE CROW),
composer William Ross (LADDER 49, YOUNG BLACK STALLION)
and Warped Tour favorites Tad Jacobs and Bobby Alt who formed the super group Split Window to write and perform the end title rocker SET ME FREE.
DRIFTWOOD review by TEX MASSACRE
“Fans of Sullivan’s debut feature are apt for a severe case of shell shock when they sit down to view DRIFTWOOD. Gone are the sly sexual innuendos, the free-for-all madness, the musical interludes and the grisly gore effects. In it’s place, Sullivan delivers a harsh dissertation on abusive authority and senseless violence. DRIFTWOOD has more in common with the dramatic works of Stephen King than it does with the bloody excesses of most modern day horror films. All-in-all the film delivers an exceptionally well-rounded look at a very real type of terror.” READ FULL REVIEW HERE
DRIFTWOOD review by COLONEL SCOTT W. PERRY
"Tim Sullivan, who impressed with his first directorial film 2001 MANIACS, makes a terrific sophomore effort here, and wisely went with thrills as opposed to gore. This film was shot in 15 days on a shoestring budget, and Sullivan got the most of his location and actors. With 2001 Maniacs he showed he is not afraid to go all out with splatter and slapstick. With Driftwood, he proves that he can create just as compelling a story and film while staying true to the genre he loves. He is one in the horror genre to keep an eye on." READ FULL REVIEW HERE
DRIFTWOOD review by NOMAD
"Driftwood is one part Holes, one part Cool Hand Luke, with a little dash of Stir of Echoes thrown in. Tim Sullivan presents a story of desperation wrapped around a study in fear, whether that fear is of a physically imposing authority figure or a supernatural being. The walls of Driftwood hold more than one dark secret, but revealing them could mean the death to all who know. And a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing." READ FULL REVIEW HERE
DRIFTWOOD review by SLICK MATECHECK
“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. READ FULL REVIEW HERE
FIRST LOOK AT DRIFTWOOD by MIKE C
"One of most surprising things 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." READ FULL REVIEW HERE
ON THE MAT WITH DIAMOND DALLAS PAGE by PHIL NUTMAN
" I didn’t even think about trying out for the part of Kennedy; I read for a smaller part, that of Norris, who’s one of the Captain’s henchmen. The bottom line is, Tim called me the next day and said he really didn’t see me playing Norris, but I see you playing the Captain: “Really?” [Laughs] That was a very pleasant surprise."READ FULL ARTICLE HERE
Finally found Driftwood at blockbuster and it was awesome. The "Jonathan" character scared the crap out of me roommate and I. Saw the eyes in my dreams. To me, thats a frickin good film. well done. new favorite.
For all the people who have not seen Driftwood yet, you should really go out and buy it! I'ts worth every penny. For us Horror fans it's a real treat, but at the same time you don't have to be a horror fan to appreciate Driftwood. It has the capability of having a huge audience both horror fans, and non horror fans. Jonathan the ghost kid is once of the coolest monsters I have seen in a long time. I loved him so much I put his face on my 18th birthday cake! My stepdad suprised me last night with my DRIFTWOOD DVD. I LOVED IT!!! I WATCHED ALL THE SPECIAL FEATURES! I thought the alternate ending was great, but I like the ending you chose better. I'm not just saying that, I really mean it! I loved the insert in the DVD, I wish all DVD's came with those! The Diamond Dallas Page blooper was hilarious, I watched it like 60 times. I also loved it when you were talking about the maggots. "YOU WERE JUST STEPPING ON THOSE FUCKERS" that was so funny! I laughed for like an hour! The documentaries were great! The picture gallery was great! Everything was BRILLIANT!
First let me compliment Tim Sullivan for making one of my favourite horror films, 2001 Maniacs, the film was funny and well Robert Englund, need we say anymore really? So after seeing Maniacs my next question was how would Tim follow the film up, the answer is Driftwood.
I'm not going to go into the story, thats what the plot outlines for, however what i will say is this is a really nice original horror film that stands out and brings a real smile to my face. Tim has crafted a film which is really about teen angst, how teens deal with that and how they're pressured by the people they are asked to respect, adults.
Ricky Ulman is brilliant, make no mistake he plays his role to the bitter end and never lets his grip on the material go. He brings a real grity attitude that plays so well it almost feels like your watching real life, he really is that good.
Diamod Dallas Page also deserves a mention for playing the bad guy to the baddest of bad. He comes across as nice at first glance and then once he's crossed, he's total badass!
Tim Sullivan has once again done it for me, he has written and directed a beautiful film that in my opinion should be seen by as many people as possible. The film plays out with such nice pace, a real good set of characters and a great amount of suspense created by our brilliant director! All i can say Tim is well done and make sure to keep making one of these types of film every so often because they really work!
Overall there was nothing i really had a problem with, the acting, the writing, the directing, all of them were on par and certainly had an appeal where i couldn't be drawn away from the screen.
Please whatever you do, go and watch this film, its such a fantastic effort i couldn't help but in some way feel better for seeing it, it brought a real smile to my face and it takes some doing believe me.
So all i'll say is if your a lover of film, independent film then go and watch this!
In honor of the release of DRIFTWOOD, I want to personally express my thanks and gratitude to all the fans that have been so generous with their support of the film, and so- in conjunction with my pals at Bloody Disgusting, I am pleased to announce the following one of a kind contest:
1st Prize –Life scale replica of Connor Ross as JONATHAN from Tim Sullivan's DRIFTWOOD created and hand crafted by Vincent Guastini Studios along with a signed photo of Connor Ross.
2nd Prize – Official Driftwood Soundtrack signed by director Tim Sullivan and music composer William Ross. This soundtrack from BSX records features music by William Ross along with SET ME FREE performed by Split Window (Tad Jacobs & Bobby Alt)
I watched my Driftwood dvd today. What a great movie! And don't forget to watch the special features...some interesting stuff. I wasn't sure what to expect from Raviv Ullman in this type of role but he did an amazing job.
Thank you so much for having us up there the other night! It was so good seeing you again. We met a lot of interesting people and got a little more in depth look at who the characters really are as people. It was so much fun. We'll definitely be taking you up for that lunch date. Eric's working on his license right now,, but he has a cherried 1963 Cadillac Coupe de Ville and he's dying to take you out in it :) Keep in touch!!
Online Now!
