Drive-In Dust Offs: STRANGE BEHAVIOR aka DEAD KIDS

Strange Behavior. What an apt title for this film. Released in 1981, AKA Dead Kids, Strange Behavior is a unique mash up of a popular (at the time) sub-genre and one long forgotten – the Slasher and The Mad Scientist. For fans of either, it provides a weird, loving tribute to the latter while quietly etching a place for itself in the former. A lot of horror lovers missed the boat on this one at the time of its release, which is strange behavior, indeed.

Given a limited release in October by World Northal stateside, Strange Behavior impressed many critics at the time with its ethereal quality and 50’s throwback feel, but audiences really never got a chance to see it until released on video the following year. And even then, it never picked up steam with the horror crowd. Which is quite sad, as the film still plays as a creepy, beautiful (and funny) paean to yesteryear with a modern twist of the blade.

Let’s spin some yarn: In the sleepy town of Galesberg, Illinois, teenagers are being murdered. Sheriff John Brady (Michael Murphy – Shocker) has no clue as to whom or why, so reinforcement from Chicago is brought in for help. And it probably has nothing to do with the weird mind control experiments of Dr. LeSange (Arthur Dignam – Australia) performed decades earlier, resulting in the death of John’s wife. Nope, probably not. Meanwhile, John’s son, Pete (Dan Shor – Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure) has (unbeknownst to his dad) signed up for – wouldn’t you know it - new lab testing done at the same college as the initial experiments, this time conducted by the icily seductive Gwen Parkinson (Fiona Lewis – The Fury). As Pete falls deeper down the rabbit hole, John must face his past in order to ensure there’s a future for him and his son…

Strange Behavior is a fever dream of a film that tunes in to its own frequency and bathes in the vibrations. You’ve never seen a Slasher like this – the beats are different, and certainly the tone is unique. It’s hard to really even classify it as one, as the killings are just the paint on a bigger palette. So while the killings are fun, and will satisfy your bloodlust (one moment takes a great ‘hands off’ approach), the heart of the story (and humor) lies with the brainwashing and evil deeds up at the college.

The two men most responsible for this surreal concoction are first time director Michael Laughlin (Strange Invaders) and co-writer Bill Condon (Chicago, Dreamgirls). Laughlin had a history as a producer of such films as Two Lane Blacktop (1971) and others before getting the itch to direct. He met Condon through articles that he was writing for a trade magazine, liked his style and asked him to collaborate. So they came up with Dead Kids, a homage to 50’s sci-fi tropes with a new suit of splatter to keep the young folk interested. However, their script was unusual – it does have killings, but also a lot of character development that was unusual at that time and was certainly incongruous with either sub-genre. The script also has a very dry sense of humor, displayed in everything from the performances through to the wardrobe (note the hairstyles of the ladies – very femme fatale), funny asides in the dialogue, to the anachronistic 50’s set design (all the cars, most of the clothes, appliances, etc. are of the era – but it also features computers and punk music at a party), all done at a languid pace that suits the material as written, but is again at odds with their intended targets (one more possible reason for it not catching on with general audiences).

The cast handles the material in a low key manner, underplaying when I’m sure the temptation was there to play it broad. Murphy and Shor make a solid father/son combo and a special nod to the supporting cast, from Dey Young (Rock ‘n’ Roll High School) as receptionist Caroline (and Pete’s gal), to Louise Fletcher (Brainstorm) as Murphy’s long suffering girlfriend, to Jimmy Olsen himself, Marc McClure. All give good performances, however the real star of the show is Lewis. Her scheming, chilling, and very sexy Gwen Parkinson is a B movie villainess wrapped up in a delightfully wry comic turn.

For a directorial debut, Laughlin’s work is subtle and sure. Again, getting away from the pacing of a normal horror film, Laughlin and his D.P. Louis Horvath (Black Samurai), along with editor Petra (From The Life of the Marionettes), have created a lush, widescreen dreamscape, with very long takes done with hardly any coverage – it’s a vision that unfolds in front of you, from one perspective, leaving you transfixed and mesmerized. It’s a beautiful looking film (almost) on par with the best from Carpenter. However, one more blow against it – when it was released on video in ’82, it was in a hideous pan and scan version that distorted the picture almost to the point of incomprehensibility. Did they want this film to make any money at all? Clearly, fans of Strange Behavior would have to wait patiently for the horror community to deem it worthy of an upgrade – and they were initially rewarded with DVD releases from Elite Entertainment and Synapse Films in 2003 and 2008, respectively.

It’s the little touches that set a film apart (especially with horror, as the templates are usually so rigid), and this baby is loaded: from shadow slashing, to a killer in a Tor Johnson mask, to a costume party with a synchronized dance performance of Lou Christie’s Lightning Strikes, all woven through a beautiful and haunting score by Tangerine Dream. Whether you know it as Dead Kids (original title in the U.S., until an unfortunate spate of killings at the time made it seem insensitive), or Strange Behavior (or for that matter, how about David Lynch’s Halloween? – cause that’s kind of what it feels like), do yourself a favor and check it out – this lab is always looking for some new volunteers.

Strange Behavior is available on DVD from Synapse Films, and on Blu-ray from Severin Films.