Best movie of this year hands down!

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Far from Perfect, Far from Terrible

Excellent characters with emotional depth. My wife, daughter and granddaughter all enjoyed it...and me, too! Very good movie! You won't be disappointed.

This came out during the slasher boom around the early '80s, except "Strange Behavior" dodged the norm from the infamous films of the heyday such as "Halloween," "Friday the 13th" and "Prom Night," as there isn't one killer at large and the murderers aren't cold-blooded psychopaths with twisted pasts, even if their bizarre motivations make them act like maniacal blood fiends.The continually annoyed and stressed looking local Chief of Police--who never dons a traditional uniform as everything is usually hunky dory--must investigate these mysterious deaths. The strange part is the audience hardly ever witnesses the small town in the grip of fear. Some innocent gets sadistically killed and others go about their lives as if the grass is always greener on the other side with frivolous humor and their regular routines intact. This is the type of plot where there's an "elephant in the room" and only one man detects it, as this focuses on a connection between the Chief, experimenters at the local college and the Chief's late wife fitting right smack in the middle. The story thickens when the Chief's son opposes his stubborn father to make decisions as his own man but gets ensnared by the affiliation."Strange Behavior" throws in some distractions to lighten the load from watching violence and blood, such as a subplot between the Chief's son and the newly met, easy-going, blond secretary, as well as the chipper step mother who wants to fill the role of late wife. This takes cues from "Halloween" type killings meets "Altered States"-esque mad science meets "Bond"-like villains meets small town TV mystery/sitcom/love connection. This had the makings to be an esteemed film, though the filmmaker's ambitions were aiming sky high in an attempt to appease a viewer with scenes of the surreal and macabre, as well as the person who wants established, down-to-earth characters, though both sides bump heads to compete and this hardly feels steadily creepy or like it could actually happen as it doesn't fully come together and keep one on the edge of their seat. Even a potential for one last scare wasn't capitalized on. This could have learned from the weirdness that "Dead & Buried" had: to keep the atmosphere alive by feeding throughout. (Also submitted on http://fromblacktoredfilmreviews.blogspot.com/)

A couple of teens looking to grab a few extra bucks sign up to be experimented on by the scientists at the local university. Unfortunately, something strange is going on that will cost the lives of more than a few of the town's teens: The experiments are causing them to turn into violent killers! Though it starts out a bit shaky with one of the least thrilling death scenes ever, Strange Behavior quickly becomes one of the most entertaining and enjoyable slashers I've ever seen. Using a great blend of comedy and horror, Michael Laughlin creates a film that is quite tragically forgotten or overlooked when consulting the huge library of late 70s/early 80s horrors. There isn't much to complain about since almost everything is done surprisingly well. The writing & direction work very well, which results in a film that works on several different levels: horror, sci-fi, thriller, and comedy. The acting is pretty good for a teen film, not over-the-top or cheesy like one would expect, but still not great. There are a few good songs on the soundtrack from Lou Christie and Pop Mechanix. The conclusion is cool and a bit unexpected, though it seemed rather rushed. But, it all comes together to be a very, very watchable slasher. In the end, if this film sounds like it would be enjoyable. . . you will find it enjoyable. It's the kind of movie that was made for one thing: entertainment, and it succeeds. I'll now be checking in on the second installment of the failed trilogy: Strange Invaders. Unfortunately, the third installment was never produced. Never too late, Endeavour Productions (well, for you it is). *wink wink* Obligatory Slasher Elements:Violence/Gore: Well, there isn't much violence (most of it is off-screen), but there's some good gore. The 'smaller' gore scenes are done well, but some of the more extravagant ones aren't so great.Sex/Nudity: Sadly, no.Cool Killer(s): Yes, very. Because the experiments cause the OTHERS to be killers, it made it far more interesting.Scares/Suspense: There are some jump scares and some good tension (especially during the experiments), but it wasn't overly suspenseful.Mystery: Yeah, there is. . . origins of the medical facility & all that.Awkward Dance Scene: There is a totally rockin' costume party complete with an Adam West-style Batman and a tuxedo t-shirt. . . and all the great choreographed 80s moves none of us want to remember.Classic Quote of the Film: ''We're going to find the fat ones!" Final verdict: 8/10. See this slasher! -AP3-

In the last few weeks I've been passed one or two (what looked like) low-budget horror DVDs.Im surprised to find out that this is the first film by writer Bill Condon.While it has some slight "slasher" parts that defined the 1980s horrors,thankfully this films doges most of these things (no sign of groups of "dumb teens"),and thought flawed,this is still a very good under-rated horror: The Plot:Pete Brody finds out that hes been offered a place at some top colleges (includeing the same one his dad,the head of police,John went to.)But he unable to afford the cost of going to them,Pete gets some advice from a friend,so he decides to go to an "animal testing" lab,and offers himself as a human guinipig.What Pete does not know is that his dad blames the death of his mother on the lab,and with killings starting to happened by teens who are on a "weight loss" pill made at the lab.So John decides to look deeper into the workings of the lab... View on the film:The score is by famous electronic band Tangerine Dream,who give a very good ambient score,and there's also song by before-he-went-solo Nick Caves band The Birthday Party.The screenplay by Bill condon,one of the things thew film looks at is animal testing,thought sadly Condon does not fully build on the very interesting issues,thought he thankfully does include some good horror scenes (the best one being in a mens toilet!)The odd thing is for some scenes it seems that someone has pressed "mute" on the sound-effects!Final view on the film:A good horror film,with a good cast,score and screenplay,thats sadly let down by the low budget.

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.