Tim Sullivan is an undeniably talented filmmaker. His underseen and underappreciated cult hit 2001 Maniacs was a well executed and original film (the sequel is currently in pre-production and is hilariously called Beverly Hellbillys) that will turn into a bigger midnight movie that it has already. So, I approached Sullivan’s follow-up, the more dramatic Driftwood, with excitement and am very sorry to say that it’s a complete misfire. Call it a sophomore slump but Driftwood, the tale of an “Attitude Adjustment Camp for Troubled Youths” that is a little haunted and a little abusive just doesn’t work. The dramatic undertones of a young man dealing with his brother’s death, a crazy boy’s home warden, and ghosts at the same time just don’t blend. Sullivan still shows some talent behind the camera but Driftwood is a mess thematically and won’t appeal to horror or drama fans. Go back to the Maniacs.

Hearing Tim Sullivan talk about Driftwood is actually more entertaining than watching the film itself. Sullivan not only speaks eloquently about his work but has one of those likable personalities that makes for a good audio track. And he shows up on two, one that’s a little more behind-the-scenes with producer Chris Kobin and one that’s a little more fun and in-front-of-the-scenes with Diamond Dallas Page. Yes, THAT Diamond Dallas Page.

None of the features are particularly bad, but if we had to choose the worst it would probably be the featurette that seems a little repetitive after the strong commentary tracks, alternate ending with commentary and deleted scenes. It’s not bad, just a little unnecessary. Like some of the ill-fitting horror elements of Driftwood, it’s overkill.

Tim Sullivan deserves credit for trying to branch out from the gonzo horror style of 2001 Maniacs to the more dramatic undertones of Driftwood. It’s too bad that it didn’t work out, but we’re still interested in what he does next and Image has put together a strong collection of special features for fans of the film, something every film deserves, even straight-to-DVD ones.