Listen up, mofos! There’s a quirky, humorous, and fittingly random feature film called ASTRAL PLANE DRIFTER that just started making the rounds on the film festival circuit. In fact, it’ll be screening at New York’s Dances With Films at 10:30 PM on December 6th. If you’re looking for an independent movie that’s completely outside the box, look no further. Beyond that, the earnest, low budget romp that is ASTRAL PLANE DRIFTER works hard to earn its playful catchphrase; “The film the universe needs.”
Having seen this movie, I can whole-heartedly say it defies categorization. Translation; If you’re a fan of kung fu flicks, sci-fi B movies, spaghetti westerns, stoner comedies, bromances, romances, grindhouse cinema, midnight movies, and nutty journey films that feature their protagonists endlessly wandering the desert looking for the meaning of it all, then ASTRAL PLANE DRIFTER will absolutely be for you. At the very least, it’s easy to see why this film won the award for Best Genre-Bender at the 2024 HorrorFest International Film Festival back in October of 2024,
Based on the short film of the same name (an entertaining little gem that enjoyed quite a healthy run of its own on the film festival circuit just a couple of years back), ASTRAL PLANE DRIFTER finds our title character on a crusade to protect his lady friend from the clutches of a villainous space vampire but this is only the beginning of the Drifter’s crazy misadventures as he soon discovers that his best pal in the world has been taken hostage by GalaxiKhan, a supreme intergalactic baddie with aspirations of ruling the universe as we know it all while attempting to bring our fearless (if a tad clueless) hero to his knees.
ASTRAL PLANE DRIFTER (both the short film and the new feature that it inspired) is the brainchild of writer/producer/star, Mike Caravella. This New York native has been floating throughout the industry for several years and quite frankly, he’s an easy guy to root for. If any of you have been fortunate enough to meet this storyteller at a film festival, then you’re already well aware of what I’m talking about. I only even bring it up because it’s always an added bonus when the driving force behind a movie is every bit as lovable and endearing as the goofy character they’re playing on screen. That’s certainly Mike Caravella. In fact, you can add accessible, energetic, and infectiously likable to that list of fitting adjectives.
While Mr. Caravella is the driving force behind this feature, he also had quite the creative team in his corner to bring this little indie to life. Unlike the short film (which Caravella helmed himself), this feature (which is currently unrated at this point but falls squarely in the PG-13 realm) was directed by Scott Slone who, just two short years ago, unleashed his effective, many-years-in-the-making slice of found footage horror, MALIBU HORROR STORY, upon the world. It’s clear that with this film, he wanted to completely shed himself of the horror label. Mission accomplished. Also along for the ride is Co-Producer/Editor Jay Wade Edwards whose many years on the legendary animated series, “Aqua Teen Hunger Force,” make him a perfect fit for this particular material.
Caravella also gets big time assists from a solid roster of onscreen supporting players, most notably John J. Jordan who hits all the right villainous (and comedic) notes as the Drifter’s primary foe, Andrew Joseph Perez as the Drifter’s BFF, and a gloriously strange (and righteously hilarious) Mike Rad as a scene stealing individual who imparts plenty of wisdom when the Drifter needs it most.
Listen, I’m not going to sit here and tell you that ASTRAL PLANE DRIFTER is the perfect motion picture experience. Not every joke lands and the dry, random, and fittingly weird sense of humor at the heart of the movie may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Furthermore, some viewers might find the repetition and redundancy of the numeros wandering sequences a bit maddening (some might even call this the comedy equivalent of 2024’s much divisive horror film, IN A VIOLENT NATURE), but for the rest of us, these attributes will only add to the film’s overall bizarro charm, as does the Drifter’s numerous inner monologues.
As this film drags the dry-witted and sometimes irreverent Drifter from the smoldering desert to the likes of the retro-centric Portal Motel (perhaps my favorite sequence in the film) and pits him against low fi otherworldly beasties like Space Vampires and Snake People, it’s clear that in terms of tone and visual style, an always game Caravella and his dedicated team have been influenced by the original “Star Trek” series, the many comical adventures of Cheech and Chong, the offbeat and random comical stylings of NAPOLEON DYNAMITE, and the campy, B-movie bravado of the beloved 1980 updating of FLASH GORDON, just to name a precious few.
Ultimately, there’s no doubt that whether he’s shitting in the middle of the desert, duking it out with strange creatures not of this Earth, or shooting laser beams from his almighty cock, many of us are likely to find the Drifter instantly relatable because in the end, we’ve all been there, right? Beyond that, if this film suggests anything it’s that while you may not be able to trust Snake People, it’s a safe bet that you can trust Mike Caravella and team to deliver a fittingly weird, undeniably nutty, and often fun time at the movies. And you can all take that to the bank, you badass mofos!
Final note of interest; Oddly enough, ASTRAL PLANE DRIFTER is actually the center section of a proposed trilogy of films. Whether the first or third chapter comes next remains to be seen but if you want to see this saga continue, be sure to go see this movie and spread the word if it plays at a film festival, theater, or streaming service near you.
