Strange Behavior (1981)

A scientist is experimenting with teenagers and turning them into murderers.

Director:

Michael Laughlin

Writers:

Bill Condon, Michael Laughlin

Stars:

Michael Murphy, Louise Fletcher, Dan Shor

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Murphy	...	John Brady
Louise Fletcher	...	Barbara Moorehead
Dan Shor	...	Pete Brady
Fiona Lewis	...	Gwen Parkinson
Arthur Dignam	...	Dr. Le Sange / Nagel
Dey Young	...	Caroline
Marc McClure	...	Oliver Myerhoff
Scott Brady	...	Shea
Charles Lane	...	Donovan
Elizabeth Cheshire	...	Lucy Brown
Beryl Te Wiata	...	Mrs. Haskell
Jim Boelsen	...	Waldo
Billy Al Bengston	...	Felix Rowe
Nicole Anderson	...	Flying Nun
Bill Condon	...	Bryan Morgan

Storyline

Widowed John Brady is the Chief of Police in small town Galesburg, Illinois, where he has lived most of his life. His only offspring, Pete Brady, is a bright high school senior. John has been in turmoil since the suspicious death of his wife Catherine years earlier, which he always believed had something to do with her boss, Dr. Le Sange, who himself died shortly after Catherine's passing. Only recently has John and Pete's home life gotten back on track with John dating Barbara Moorehead, a waitress at the local hangout, she who has known John for some time. John's life takes a turn for the worse when he has to investigate the brutal slashing murders of four townsfolk in four separate incidents. A brief eyewitness statement to one of the murders before the eyewitness herself is murdered is the only substantive evidence. However, the three other victims were the sons of long time friends of his. Those three friends have a special connection to John's past. As such, he believes if the ...

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Plot Keywords:

murder | college | australian science fiction | australian horror | musical sequence in non musical work | 

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Taglines:

Good Kids Turned Killers!

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Genres:

Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Australia New Zealand USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

17 June 1982 (Australia)

Also Known As:

Dead Kids

Filming Locations:

Avondale College, Victor Street, Avondale, Auckland, New Zealand

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hemdale, Fay, Richwite, South Street Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min (DVD)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Laughlin originally intended Strange Behavior to be the first installment in a trilogy of horror movies with the word "Strange" in the title. Laughlin's follow up, Strange Invaders, was the second film, however, the third film installment has yet to be made.

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Alternate Versions

Although the 1986 UK video version was uncut the 1993 Vipco release was cut by 26 secs by the BBFC to remove shots of Pete Brady vertically cutting his wrist with a knife, as this was classed as an imitable suicide technique. The cuts were expanded to 41 secs for the 2004 DVD release though the 2008 Optimum DVD restores around 14 secs via a different edit.

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Connections

Referenced in Video Nasties: Draconian Days (2014)

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Soundtracks

Shivers
by The Birthday Party
Published by Doodah Music
Reproduced by courtesy of Missing Link Records

User Reviews

The Best Scene in a Movie Ever?

Overall, Strange Behaviour is a fairly lame sci-fi/horror hybrid with seemingly ordinary kids making a few bucks at a research facility and turning out a little bit...wrong. There are a few decent shocks here and there, but mostly it seems like there's just something missing - like the filmmakers lost part of the script on the way to the shoot and just went with it.

Cinematic ally, there's no real reason to watch it, but there's also no real reason not to.

However, our hero goes to a party (for no reason) and it's a costume party (for no reason) and eventually everyone breaks out into a synchronized dance to Lou Christie's "Lightning Strikes." That's quite possibly the greatest scene in a movie ever.