I have been hearing a lot about Tim Sullivan since it was announced that he would be remaking Two Thousand Maniacs. I figured that someone who would remake H.G. Lewis' schlock classic would need to be both a big fan of the genre and would know how to deliver what a horror fan would want to see. If Driftwood is an indication of Sullivan's style, I am reluctant to check out what he did to Lewis' legacy. This is not a bad movie but it has way more clichés than I would have expected, does not deliver on exploitation elements, and is just not very much entertaining. Usually you can't go wrong with reform school movies but wrestling star Diamond Dallas Page chewing up the scenery as a redneck despot is all that makes this flick more than a simple ghost story with a handful of cheap jump scares.

Raviv Ullman stars as David, a teenager who is sent off to an attitude adjustment camp as his parents are concerned about his self-destructive behaviour. Upon arrival, David is introduced to the head of the facility who likes to be referred to as the Captain (Page). It is quickly established that the method of rehabilitation at the camp involves verbal humiliation and the occasional mild beating. As David tries to get by in his new surroundings, he soon discovers that he is able to see the ghost of a former resident of Driftwood. The restless spirit appears at various times throughout the movie in an attempt to guide David to uncover the sordid past of the institution. The more David pokes his nose around, the more the Captain gets angry and the tensions build as the Captain tries to protect his secrets.

The plot of this movie has been recycled many times and I kept finding myself surprised that this movie is directed by Sullivan as I had a completely different idea of what this guy is all about. It just seems so run-of-the-mill that I honestly do not understand how it was directed by a self-proclaimed horror fan and film nerd in general. The scares are cheesy and awkward, there is no gore, and there is not even much tension. Even pedestrian fans of the genre will know how this is going to play out within about five minutes and it feels like a wasted opportunity. It unravels like a David DeCoteau movie from the last decade without the excessive homosexual subtext. Ullman does his best to portray a tough loner but it doesn't come through that he has had a rough and tumble past. He has five roommates in his dorm where there are ample opportunities for character development for both David and the others but these interactions are left to be very shallow aside from a minor altercation between David and Boyle (Frankie Levangie), the supposed resident psycho. I think Sullivan made a huge mistake trying to incorporate supernatural elements into a movie that should have played more like Bad Boys from 1983. The core story had potential but the amateur-looking spectre frequently popping up took away any intensity and felt totally out of place.

As mentioned before, I am a little at a loss here. I thought there would be fanboy references abounds, gore splashing across the screen, and at least a freaky-looking ghost. Instead, we get a boring and predictable drama that could probably play on regular cable as a movie of the week. The cheesy metal song over the DVD menu was my first warning that this movie may lack an edge. DDP shows potential as a villain so long as he can work with the right director and Baelyn Neff is effective as Captain's daughter who may or may not be having an incestuous relationship with him. Aside from that, the biggest thrill I got from this movie was seeing Jimmy Olsen (Marc McClure) from the Christopher Reeve-era Superman movies all grown up as David's dad. (Josh Pasnak, 10/2/10)

Directed By: Tim Sullivan.
Written By: Tim Sullivan, Chris Kobin.

Starring: Raviv Ullman, Diamond Dallas Page, Talan Torriero, David Eigenberg.

Picture Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen.

Picture Quality: A decent enough transfer for an indie flick.

Extras: First up we have a pair of commentaries featuring writer/director Tim Sullivan. He is joined by co-writer Chris Kobin and the first and actor Diamond Dallas Page on the second. Sullivan is a good speaker and enthusiastic but the film is simply not as good as he keeps saying it is. His repeated references to Cool Hand Luke and The Great Escape are a little egotistical and I think it is a massive stretch calling Raviv Ullman a young Steve McQueen. It is good that Sullivan is so excited about his movie but he should reel it in a bit if he doesn't want to sound too narcissistic. I am not a fan of DVDs where the director is on more than one commentary as much of the information is repeated in most cases. There are a number of other extras including a making-of featurette, deleted scenes including an alternate ending, audition footage, a blooper, a trailer, and a photo gallery.