MPAA Rated – R
It’s 1:24 Long
A Review by:
– The Dude on the Right
| Disturbing Behavior Movie Stats & Links |
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| Starring: | James Marsden, Katie Holmes, Nick Stahl, Chad E. Donella ] |
| MPAA Rated: | R |
| Released By: | MGM Pictures |
| Release Date: | 1998 |
| Kiddie Movie: | Not at all. |
| Date Movie: | She might jump in your lap. |
| Gratuitous Sex: | Implied oral homage and a quick tit-shot until the chick goes psycho. |
| Gratuitous Violence: | Some pretty brutal beatings. |
| Action: | Not really. |
| Laughs: | Lots of one-liners that fit the scenes perfectly (see quotes below). |
| Memorable Scene: | A few: Gavin and U.V. explaining to Steve the various cliques at school, the dude getting the hummer, Steve and Rachel cruising the mental hospital, and the dude getting his nose-ring taken out the hard way. |
| Memorable Quote: | A few: – Gavin’s parents reason for making him a “Blue Ribbon”: “He’s spending too much time listening to rock-n-roll music and masturbating.” – Steve tells Dr. Caldicott “Oh shut the fuck up.” (The timing was perfect) – U.V. to Steve “What’s the capitol of North Dakota?” Steve replies “How the fuck should I know.” (Again, prefect timing.) |
| Directed By: | David Nutter |
You’ve got to love a movie that opens with the scene of a dude getting a hummer but then deciding that, well, he should be “retaining his fluids” for the big game, so he snaps the girl’s neck and calls her a slut. Such was the opening of “Disturbing Behavior,” and if you think that is a violent end to some oral gratification then you might also appreciate a dude getting his nose-ring taken out the hard way. Yep, “Disturbing Behavior” gives us a bunch of do-good high-schoolers who sometimes have a mean side.
Alrighty, here’s the story in an elongated nutshell. Our hero is Steve (James Marsden). He is up-rooted from his exciting life in Chicago after his brother kills himself, and his parents drag him and his sister to Cradle Bay, a lovely, picturesque, supposedly small town. So he’s new in school and a few stoners, Gavin (Nick Stahl), U.V. (Chad E. Donella), and Rachel (Katie Holmes), befriend him, explaining to him the cliques of the school. Gavin also tries to explain to Steve that the “Blue Ribbons,” a high school clique of too-smart jocks and cheerleader types, are possessed or something. Well, Gavin becomes possessed before he can figure out what’s up, so it is up to our hero Steve, and the love-interest Rachel, to figure it out. Guess what – they do, almost too directly for their own good. Now they’re on the run, but how do you save yourself from a bunch of do-gooders with bad attitudes? Well, you get lucky that your janitor (William Sadler) isn’t as dumb as he seems, as well as pretty creative with some electronics and an el-Camino (I’m pretty sure that was his ride, but I could be wrong). Yay! Our heroes are safe, or are they (sorry, but the movie screamed “sequel” from the beginning)?
The story sounds simple, and sure, it probably is, but “Disturbing Behavior” is a decent movie. I won’t say it is a masterpiece of a thriller, in fact as you’re watching the movie there aren’t many surprises, but I did like it. Gavin and U.V. are pretty right-on in their stoner roles, Rachel is a great rebellious chick but with a caring side, and in all honesty, for me, the only person who seemed out of place a little was Steve – since when does the pretty boy who is shy, in high school, hang out with the stoners? Alright, I’ll give him that his brother killed himself, he’s in the new school, and coming in a loner, but I just couldn’t picture him hanging with Gavin and U.V. I’m guessing he just hung out with them because Rachel was Gavin’s friend. Alright, enough about Steve’s love life.
“Disturbing Behavior” gives you a decent movie for your buck. You’ve got a little suspense, some violence, a little sex, some laughs, and some truly fucked-up teenagers. That’s a pretty good mix. So, without going into it any more and boring you, I’ll give “Disturbing Behavior” 3 stars out of 5. It’s worth the price of admission, maybe a little more worth a matinee, but a fun way to spend an hour and a half.
That’s it for this one, I’m The Dude on the Right!! L8R!!!