BA_Harrison Set in the US, but shot in New Zealand by an Australian, Strange Behaviour stars Dan Shor as teenager Pete Brady who unwisely volunteers as a test subject for an experimental drug, in order to raise some much-needed cash. What Pete doesn't know, however, is that the scientist who has developed the treatment is a few sandwiches short of a picnic, and is turning his human lab-rats into knife-wielding assassins.'Strange' is a very fitting word for this early 80s movie, which opts to buck the trends of the day—gratuitous gore and nudity—to deliver a very unique horror experience. Although the basic premise of a mad scientist using human guinea pigs to carry out nefarious acts might be considered fairly routine material for the genre, this film proves to be far removed from other similarly themed fare, and totally unlike the mainstream horrors of the era: there is a small helping of nasty violence in Strange Behaviour, but it is director Michael Laughlin's distinctly offbeat style and the promise of much weirdness that has lead fans of cult/drive-in movies to seek out the film.An impromptu formation dance routine at a 50s themed party, set to the sound of Lou Christie's "Lighting Strikes"; a psycho bitch scientist (played by Fiona Lewis) who is handy with a syringe; a gratuitous toenail clipping scene; Jimmy Olsen from Superman in crap fancy dress; Louise Fletcher NOT playing an evil cow; a creepy kid in a rubber mask and a murderous fat girl: it's all very quirky, and yet, somehow, it works—at least until the lacklustre final act, which fails to keep the levels of lunacy sufficiently high, and which is capped by a very abrupt ending that sorely needs a clever twist or suitably bizarre revelation to round off things in a satisfactory manner.

Coventry Feel free to call me a sick and disturbed individual, but I have a weakness for horror movies in which the bloodthirsty murderers are young children and/or movies in which young kids are being killed off. So you can image, since one of the a.k.a title of this movie is "Dead Kids", I was very much intrigued and eager to trace it down. Browsing through the other user comments, it looks as if the film has quite a solid cult following and many fans even refer to it as a genuinely underrated and neglected gem of early 80's horror. Personally, I wouldn't go so far and call it that, but it definitely is a worthwhile sleeper, featuring several moments of effective creepiness, an overall sinister atmosphere and a handful of delightfully insane characters. Actually, the only thing that keeps me from rating "Strange Behavior" as a neglected gem myself is the rather mundane and unoriginal plot as well as the disappointing amount of explicit gore. The script – courtesy of Bill Condon ("Gods and Monsters") – contains a few ingenious ideas and neat touches, but it generally is a run-of-the-mill shocker about a mad scientist whose behaviorist experiments are causing the youthful guinea pigs to turn into sadistic & unaware murderers. "Strange Behavior" is set in a quiet little town near Chicago (although filmed in New Zealand), where four young citizens are brutally killed within a short period of time. The police remain clueless regarding the identity & motivation of the culprit(s), until inspector John Brady discovers that the local psychiatric center pays students in exchange for experimenting on them. Brady had unpleasant encounters with the eerie Dr. Le Sange in the past – and assumed he was dead – but the nightmare starts all over again, especially when his own son appears to be involved in the experiments. The finale is a tad bit predictable and déjà-vu, but the earlier killing sequences are extremely well staged and macabre. There also is an unforgettably unsettling syringe-in-the-eyeball sequence that made me feel uncomfortable for a second. Definitely the best shot in its type, along with the similar moment in – and that's a true gem – "Dead & Buried". The soundtrack is quite awesome and there's even room for a slight bit of black humor, provided by Charles Lane as the elderly cop. When the authorities finally receive a lead stating that a mildly obese young girl committed one of the murders, he goes to the local high school in order to collect the files of all the female students. When asked what they're for, he cheerfully replies: "We're gonna find the fat ones!" Priceless… "Strange Behavior" is a fun horror film that does deserve a little more appreciation, but the basic plot surely had more potential. Nonetheless, it's worth checking out.

e_esben I just got it on DVD because I read of all the positive hype, and loved movies like "Stepford "Wifes", "Desturbing Behavior" and "The Mansurain Candidate", and I hoped to find more movies in this genre. I stumbled over this movie, and though I had found what I was looking for because of the good reviews and interesting plot, but I was really WRONG!First of all, this movie has a really slow pace! You can deal with that is the acting and the atmosphere is good, but none of these were good. There was just about no atmosphere at all, you never get a shock or feel scared or even interested in the characters. The Good: Kid with scare mask makes a kill. (Really great mask!) Nice filming while riding the car. (camera on backseat) Plot with potentialThe Bad: only 5 kills in the entire movie, and only one is interesting. No interest in the characters hardly any focus on the experiments/plot Lots of random talk, no continuation in the movie No atmosphere, you feel nothing but boredom while watching this movie Boring surroundings Boring sound side of the movieConclusion: Not worth watching, even if your a horror fan. There is no reason for watching this movie, unless your a major fan of someone in it :-S Don't know who that should be!

filmbuff410 I first saw this inventive and well-produced thriller in the mid-nineties via a full-screen Rhino Video cassette I bought--this is not a film that is easy to find in most video stores (I currently have it on DVD and, I must say, it is like a new film, immaculate and widescreen in all of its Panavision glory). Well, when I saw this deliciously tongue-in-cheek flick, I fell in love with it instantly. The direction by Michael Laughlin was tight and effective; Bill Condon's script was clever, funny and twisty; Louis Horvath's provocative and incredibly colorful cinematography was impressive; the Tangerine Dream score was stunning and dream-like; and, in the lead, Michael Murphy, towering and unforgettable, was both brilliantly subtle and medium cool, as well as intense and humanly believable. Along with fine supporting turns from Louis Fletcher, Fiona Lewis, Arthur Dignam, Scott Brady and Charles Lane, the whole film is quite satisfying.It's hard to describe this film in a few short, concise words, so I choose to say that "Strange Behavior" is like "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" meets "Halloween" meets "Blue Velvet." It's an atmospheric, genre-busting, deliciously quirky slice of cinematic cleverness. A must for genuine horror film enthusiasts.