The Daily Dig: Strange Behavior (1981)

This Brady Bunch won’t be arguing over who gets the most attention; they’re just trying not to get stabbed in the back!

A scientist’s work to control teens and force them to kill continues after he has supposedly died. Let’s dig into 1981’s STRANGE BEHAVIOR, directed by Michael Laughlin!

As I See It

Also released as Small Town Massacre, Shadowlands, Human Experiments, and the uncouth Dead Kids, this early eighties slasher was shot in New Zealand and holds the distinction of being “the first horror film shot there”.

It feels like both a 1950s and 1960s film before settling into its groove in the seventies, and it was released in the eighties!

The soundtrack is especially creepy and features synth madness from the German experimental electronic group Tangerine Dream. Overall, the music really lends to the whole film. Lou Christie’s 1966 number one hit “Lightning Strikes” saves what may be one of the lamest costume parties put on film. A real missed opportunity that feels like they were just a few years too early.

I did not expect a choreographed dance scene, but I guess Christie has a way of getting into your shoes and making you move.

The story is told in a way that is a bit convoluted, but it feels less like the writing and more like direction/editing. Maybe the studio had a hand in that? Writer Bill Condon would go on to write and direct Dreamgirls, Chicago, and Gods and Monsters—the story of Frankenstein director James Whale, for which Condon won the Best Writing Oscar. Condon would go on to write Strange Invaders for Laughlin as well.

It’s not the most original or enjoyable film, and the ending is such an impotent sputter that it left a bad taste in my mouth. Still, there is enough nuance in the writing to see that Condon would go on to become a successful filmmaker.

Famous Faces

Michael Murphy (John Brady) has one of those faces you know you’ve seen in at least a dozen films. He has some hefty credits to his name, but his standout genre flicks are Wes Craven’s Shocker and Saul Bass’s anti-horror, Phase IV.

Louise Fletcher (Barbara) is perhaps most recognizable as Nurse Ratched (which has become a colloquial pejorative term for an evil caregiver) in Milos Forman’s adaptation of Ken Kesey’s novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

Dan Shor (Peter Brady) was Ram in Tron and a time-traveling Billy the Kid in Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.

Marc McClure (Oliver) played Jimmy Olsen in the Christopher Reeve Superman films, and Marty’s brother Dave McFly in the Back to the Future trilogy.

Dey Young (Caroline) was Riff Randell’s nerdy best friend Kate Rambeau in Rock ‘n’ Roll High School.

Of Gratuitous Nature

The opening scene with John and Peter Brady threw me off. Peter walks into the bathroom, where John is on the phone and getting ready, stark naked. The introduction was so open-ended that it seemed they were lovers instead of father and son, which you don’t learn until the following scene.

I guessed at the moment that this odd dynamic was indicative of John’s poor or non-existent parenting. As if the lines between parent and child were blurred so much that nothing was really out of bounds. I ended up being proven right by the end when we learn there is no blood relation between the two. This subtext wasn’t blatant, so my guess is either elements that made this more poignant were cut out, or Condon was flexing his muscles, which would turn into Oscar-winning brawn.

Heartthrob

Dey Young was cute as Kate Rambeau, and she steps it up another notch here. Her endearing style doesn’t get to shine as much in this cast or story, but we’ll always have Rock ‘n’ Roll High School, forever.

Ripe for a Remake

It’s a sophomoric play on The Manchurian Candidate, and for that reason, I’m out.

Spawns

Strange Invaders was the indirect sequel, part of what was supposed to be Laughlin’s “Strange” trilogy. It features many of the same cast members, including Dan Shor and Dey Young, as well as Louise Fletcher and Fiona Lewis (Gwen). He never did film a third “Strange”.

Where to Watch

Severin Films released a Blu-ray in 2014. You can stream it on multiple streaming platforms, including Plex, Tubi, Amazon Prime, and Troma Now! There is also a VHS rip on YouTube.