Storyline: Set in the vibrant party atmosphere of UC Santa Barbara's adjacent town, DEL PLAYA tells the story of Claire Rhodes, a girl with a tragic past that returns to haunt her. Her senior year of high school is shattered by a fellow classmate who's feelings for her turn to obsession. When a high school dance brawl leads to the brutal murder of her boyfriend, Claire's fairy tale childhood eviscerates.
Years later, during her junior year at the University of Santa Barbara, Claire's life seems to be on track: good boyfriend, loyal friends, and a rising star in the psychology department. But on the inside Claire is broken and scarred. A classic example of a wounded healer whose destructive behavior starts to spiral out of control just as her high school stalker reemerges from the shadows on the anniversary of Claire's high school sweetheart's murder. The real question is: who will be the first to succeed in the total destruction of her life?
Written and Directed By: Shaun Hart...
The trailer to 'Del Playa', has sparked controversy.. Claiming the film has to much in common with the real life tragic event that took place last year, when Elliot Rodger went on a killing spree...
On May 23, 2014, Elliot Rodger killed six people and injured fourteen others in Isla Vista, California, near the campus of University of California, Santa Barbara, before committing suicide. The attack began when 22-year-old Rodger stabbed three men to death in his apartment. Afterwards, he drove to a sorority house and shot three female students outside, killing two. He drove to a nearby delicatessen and shot to death a male student who was inside. Then, he began to speed through Isla Vista, shooting and wounding several pedestrians and striking several others with his car. Rodger exchanged gunfire with police twice during the attack, receiving a non-fatal gunshot to the hip. The rampage ended when his car crashed into a parked vehicle and came to a stop. Police found him dead in the car with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.
Before driving to the sorority house, Rodger uploaded a video to YouTube, titled "Elliot Rodger's Retribution", in which he outlined details of his upcoming attack and its motivations, which he described as a desire to punish women for rejecting him and also a desire to punish sexually active men for living a more enjoyable life than his.
After uploading the video, Rodger e-mailed a lengthy autobiographical manuscript to approximately a dozen acquaintances and family members. The document, which he titled "My Twisted World", was made available on the Internet and became widely known as his "manifesto". In it, he describes his childhood, family conflicts, frustration over not being able to find a girlfriend, his hatred of women, his contempt for racial minorities and interracial couples, and his plans for what he described as "retribution". -wikipedia...
Director Shaun Hart released this statement:
"First and foremost, I would like to publicly apologize to everyone who has been offended in any way by our making of this film. It was never our intent to monopolize on the tragic shootings in Isla Vista that took place last year. While I do admit there is the connection of Santa Barbara, this film is not about Elliot Rodger. The fictional character in the film is not meant to portray anyone in particular. It is meant to portray incidents that take place, not only in Santa Barbara, but across the country on a daily basis. Our intentions were not to make light of such a serious issue, but to engage our audience in an active discussion about bullying and violence."
"As a graduate of UCSB and a former resident of Del Playa, that day was a knife to my heart. For me, the actions of one individual tainted a lot of good memories of an innocent time and brought darkness to a place that should only be home to the hopes and dreams of the young. For all touched by the tragedy at DP, know this: I stand right there with you. And share love and compassion for our fallen Gauchos."
