Strange Behavior, also known as Dead Kids (not to be confused with the 2019 film of the same name) is a 1981 New Zealand Slasher Film directed by Michael Laughlin and starring Michael Murphy, Louise Fletcher, Dan Shor, Fiona Lewis, Arthur Dignam, and Dey Young. Tangerine Dream composed the score. The plot centers around a series of bizarre murders being perpetuated against teenagers in a small Illinois town while the local university is conducting secret mind control experiments on the town's youth.
It was intended to be the first film in a trilogy, but following the box-office failure of its sequel Strange Invaders, these plans were put on permanent hold.
This film provides examples of the following tropes:
- Ambiguous Time Period: There is a vaguely retro, 1950s-eque look to the film, but also some modern touches that suggest a present-day or near-future setting.
- Anachronism Stew: In addition to the 1950s elements, Dr. Parkinson wears a hairstyle straight out of the 1940s.
- Asshole Victim: Waldo. Leads to Who Murdered the Asshole being invoked when Chief Brady is interrogating the boys.
- Bad Habits: Sarah the flirty partygoer shows up to the costume party dressed as the Flying Nun.
- Big Bad Duumvirate: Dr. Gwen Parkinson, director of the mind control operation at the university, and her (not actually) deceased mentor Dr. Le Sange.
- Big Damn Heroes: Averted in the climax even as it's set up with both Pete and Chief Brady captured but Caroline and Barbara knowing where they are. In the end Dr. Le Sange defeats himself when his plan backfires. Played more straight when Pete rescues Lucy from drowning.
- Blood Is Squicker in Water: Happens after the injured Lucy falls into the pool after escaping the killer in the woods.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: Dr. Parkinson is conducting secret mind control experiments at the local university, turning seemingly ordinary young people into cold-blooded killers.
- Cowboy Cop: Chief Brady heading to the lab alone with a shotgun during the movie's climax.
- Creepy Basement: Location of the movie's first kill.
- Decade-Themed Party: Apparently the guests to the party at the start of the movie were invited to show up as 60s TV characters. Lucy, Oliver, and Pete however just wear ordinary party clothes.
- Disconnected by Death: Mrs. Haskell is killed in the middle of describing the killer.
- Disrupting the Theater: Pete and Oliver keep talking during Dr. Le Sange's recorded lecture, causing a student to repeatedly shush them.
- Don't Go in the Woods: Waldo and Lucy are attacked near the forest, and Lucy is then chased through it.
- Eye Scream: Pete is injected in the eye with a mind control serum by Dr. Parkinson.
- Everybody Smokes: Perhaps its part of the movie's deliberate throw backs to 1950s movies, but it's still jarring how often the kids smoke in this movie, most notably Dey Young's character Caroline.
- Evil Brit: Dr. Parkinson speaks with her actress' natural British accent despite the middle American setting.
- Evil Is Hammy: Dr. Le Sange hams it up even during his lectures.
- Evil Mentor: Dr. Le Sange to Dr. Parkinson.
- Faking the Dead:Dr. Le Sange does this
- "Eureka!" Moment: Chief Brady realizing that the victims are connected to the men who previously investigated Dr. Le Sange.
- Forbidden Zone: Dr. Le Sange's old office at the university.
- Genre Throwback: To low-budget paranoid horror thrillers of the 1950s, complete with over-the-top villain names and the concept of voices from beyond the grave.
- Hidden in Plain Sight: Dr. Le Sange was disguised the whole time as one of Dr. Parkinson's assistants.
- Jump Scare: Nothing involving the actual murders, but it happens when Pete surprises Caroline at the lab after she locks up and shuts off the lights.
- Leave No Witnesses: The reason the killer goes after Lucy and Mrs Haskell.
- Literal Genie: Dr. Le Sange gets killed after ordering the mind controlled Pete to kill his father, Chief Brady, forgetting that he Dr. Le Sange however had conceived Pete when having an affair with his late mother.
- Malevolent Masked Men: Oliver kills Waldo while wearing a Tor Johnson mask which was just laying around at the 1960s costume party. You can see it in the background of the kitchen.
- My Car Hates Me: How Waldo and Lucy end up getting attacked by the killer.
- Meaningful Name: Dr. Le Sange (Dr. Blood) is involved in violent experiments. Who would've guessed?
- Not Even Bothering with the Accent: A few of the extras were obviously New Zealand locals and no effort is made to explain their accent.
- Nothing Is Scarier: The slowly opening door to the empty closet after Mrs. Haskell discovers Timmy's body. Nobody ever pops out, but the anticipation is there.
- Not So Similar: Caroline rebuffs Pete's notion that they're both at the lab to make money, pointing out that working the front desk is a lot different than being subject to experimentation.
- Old Flame: Sarah for Pete apparently. She spends the party trying and failing to regain his attention.
- Phlebotinum Pills: Pete is given one during the lab's tests, allegedly to improve his intelligence, but probably as part of the mind control.
- Police Are Useless: Somewhat averted. While the killer does get away with a few murders at first, Chief Brady does figure out who's doing the killing pretty soon. His decision to go alone and armed to the university without backup however was pretty reckless and gets him captured.
- Power Outage Plot: Galesburg has apparently been suffering recurring power outages for dramatic effect. Bryan is killed during one of them.
- Product Placement: You would've thought the movie was sponsored by Coke from how often it appears in scenes but director Michael Laughlin was apparently just a big fan.
- Psycho Knife Nut: The killer always uses a knife despite other methods arguably being more practical and less conspicuous.
- Scary Scarecrows: The fate of Bryan's body.
- Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness: To test the allegedly mind enhancing pill, Dr. Parkinson has Pete repeat the word floccinaucinihilipilification.
- Shout-Out: The 1960s TV themed party includes costumes from Batman, Bonanza, The Flying Nun, I Dream of Jeannie, Pippi Longstocking, and The Flintstones.
- Sound Proof Booth: Ominously enough, the injection room at the university lab is in one of these.
- Sneaking Out at Night: Lucy sneaks out of her bedroom to go to the party.
- The Reveal:
- Waldo's killer is Oliver.
- Dr. Le Sange is still alive.
- Dr. Le Sange is Pete's real father.
- Toilet Horror: Mrs. Haskell finds Timothy dismembered in the bathroom.
- Town with a Dark Secret: Galesburg is a seemingly typical middle American town where the youth are secretly being brainwashed into committing bloody murders.
- Ugly Guy, Hot Girlfriend: Waldo and Lucy.
- Video Credits: When the movie ends, all of the main actors get billed with accompanying clips of their characters.
- Wedding Finale: Chief Brady and Barbara
- What Happened to the Mouse??: Despite a few more scenes with teen extras none of the characters from the party (and scene of one of the murders) ever appear again although it is mentioned that Lucy is recovering.
