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7/10
Easy to Dismiss, but Worth a Look
swayland78 October 2004
Disturbing Behavior is a difficult film for a serious movie critic to defend, primarily because of a long-standing prejudice to both the teen and horror genres. Granted, few teen movies are designed to treat their subjects with any degree of seriousness. And of all the film genres, horror is kept alive with only the slightest bit of effort, accompanied by even slighter expectations. But director David Nutter tackles both these obstacles in a rare attempt to sophisticate Hollywood's offerings to teen audiences and bring dignity to the maligned horror genre. Despite a screenplay written contrary to his vision, Nutter succeeds in creating a dramatic, moody, and entertaining sci-fi/horror yarn far more difficult to dismiss than its contemporary equivalents. That is, until MGM destroyed it.

It's important to note that the version of Disturbing Behavior being analyzed here is the director's cut, which is not the version released in theaters. Nutter's cut isn't available commercially, but if you watch the DVD's considerable amount of deleted footage and the original ending, you can see just how devastating the studio's changes were.

After suffering the loss of his older brother, Steve and his family relocate to Cradle Bay, where some of the kids at school aren't quite themselves these days. With the help of friends Rachel (Katie Holmes) and Gavin (Nick Stahl), Steve discovers that a local doctor, Caldicott (Bruce Greenwood), is conspiring with parents to lobotomize their teens in order to create "good boys and girls", all of whom become members of the school's Blue Ribbon elitist clique. Caldicott's experiments prevent the Blue Ribbons from sexual impulses and mold them into academic achievers that spend a great deal of their time trying to recruit others to "the program". Unfortunately, the experiments don't always work and trouble is at hand, especially when Steve's parents sign him up.

Scott Rosenberg, the screenwriter of the film, later expressed great disappointment with Nutter's handling of the material. Rosenberg, the screenwriter of Con-Air and Beautiful Girls, never intended his script to be treated as dramatically or realistically as Nutter executed it. Instead, it was supposed to be more "hip" and "cool", allegedly without being mired down by characterization or atmosphere. This seems to indicate that the screenwriter, like the studio executives, had low ambitions with the material, planning to do nothing more than churn out another cheap horror film that insults the intelligence of its target audience.

David Nutter, a veteran director of The X-Files, saw the potential in Rosenberg's script and acted on it. He started by casting three of the most talented young actors in Hollywood. James Marsden breaks the stereotype that models can't be good actors by delivering a subtle, restrained performance as Steve. Katie Holmes has a few opportunities to demonstrate her abilities as well. As the socially outcast Rachel, Holmes combines a defensive posture with an underlying desire to connect. Nick Stahl has the meatiest part, playing the cynical Gavin, a critic of all the other cliques at school. Gavin's quiet omnipotence is colored by a dry sense of humor much needed in the film. Other notable performances include William Sadler as Newberry, the school's janitor. Newberry is a little off kilter, squinting, grumbling, and hell-bent on ridding the world of all rats. Another interesting character who almost steals the show is U.V. (Chad E. Donella), Gavin's reticent albino friend who spends most of the film sitting at Gavin's side and uttering only a few syllables.

Nutter's style is very much the signature X-Files style, dark, steamy, creepy, and purposeful. To achieve this, Nutter enlisted an X-Files photographer (John S. Bartley), the X-Files composer (Mark Snow), several X-Files actors (including Steve Railsback, aka Duane Barry), and key production personnel. The result is a movie that feels like an X-Files spin-off, with a subdued ambiance that washes over you and gets under your skin. Nutter commissioned one of the more remarkable opening title sequences in recent film history, one that serves as a cinematic prelude to the lobotomy procedure later in the film - a rapidly-edited montage of happy images and words designed to hypnotize and brainwash Caldicott's victims.

If Disturbing Behavior should be criticized, it certainly loses points in its third act, one that falls dangerously close to cliché, with Steve becoming more the archetypal hero figure in a predictable and unimaginative showdown with Caldicott and the Blue Ribbons. Since the third act of any story is largely plot (character development is usually pretty well wrapped-up by then), I imagine Nutter had little to work with from Rosenberg's original screenplay. That the first two acts were so emotionally engaging is the result of Nutter's persistence and better judgment. It's too bad that MGM freaked out after a test screening in Texas and thought they could improve their numbers by shortening the film and forcing it into the cookie-cutter shape of the average, low-achieving horror flick.

I champion this film because of its thematic content and its ideology. Like many of my favorite films (RoboCop, Dances with Wolves, Rebel Without a Cause), it deals with characters in crises of identity, trying to become or remain whole, and connect with each other. Equally interesting to me are the notions of sexual repression as a sign of perfection, man playing God, parents' willingness to medically alter their children, and human unwillingness to face loss. Nutter's bold vision for this material, his ability to cull it from a screenplay where it was not just dormant, but banished, makes his director's cut a remarkable achievement. Add in the exemplary performances of Marsden, Stahl, and Holmes, and that special X-Files flare, and I've got something I can really sink my teeth into. - Scott Schirmer
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6/10
Disturbing Behavior by an Overzealous Editor
Mr_Censored21 February 2010
A sci-fi/horror flick aimed at the "Scream" crowd, "Disturbing Behavior" concerns at idyllic coastal town where everything seems just a bit too peachy. The local high school is populated by picture perfect teens who, despite their wholesome love of yogurt, tend to get a little trigger happy when the hormones start flying. When the new kid in town (Jason Marsden) stumbles upon a dark secret, it's up to him and a few other mistfits (Nick Stahl, Katie Holmes) to shut down the powers that be.

There's loads of potential in this film that is, unfortunately, never capitalized upon. You can thank the editing department for that one. If the deleted scenes are any evidence, this movie was trimmed and dumbed down to the point of no recognition. While the uninterrupted flow makes for an easy, breezy viewing, the overall story lacks substance and coherence. Its 84 minute running time, in turn, is a redeeming feature.

The director, David Nutter, spends much of the film building up ample amounts of atmosphere and is aided wonderfully by a brilliant score by fellow "X-Files" alumnus Mark Snow as well as some striking scenery thanks to it's Vancouver location. So, the film isn't a complete waste. You'll get some kicks out of the dialog and while Katie Holmes in particular isn't given much to do, she at least looks good in skimpy outfits while doing so. Also, it's hard to hate on a movie that is of a more intelligent cut than the other teen-geared fare being produced in its time. The movie at least aims high, and even when it doesn't quite reach, it never bores.

A passable sci-fi teen romp, "Disturbing Behavior" is entertaining late-night fodder that, surprisingly, will inspire repeat viewings. It's a shame, though, to think of how much better the whole could have been.
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6/10
Reasonable, but Could Be Great
claudio_carvalho19 June 2008
After the suicide of the teenager Allen Clark (Ethan Embry), his family decides to move from Chicago to the quiet Cradle Bay Island seeking a peaceful life for the siblings Steve (James Marsden) and Lindsay Clark (Katharine Isabelle). When Steve joins the local high-school, the outcast Gavin Strick (Nick Stahl) befriends Steve and introduces his also rejected friend Rachel Wagner (Katie Holmes) to the newcomer. Gavin exposes to Steve in the refectory the punks, the nerds and the different tribes of the school and he defends the weird theory that a sinister force changes the behavior of the annoyingly perfect "Blue Ribbons", a group of good students that wear identical jackets and gather in the Yogurt Shoppe. Further he tells that he had witnessed the blue ribbon Andy Efkin (Tobias Mehler) killing their schoolmate Mary Jo (Natassia Malthe) that is missing and the local Officer Cox (Steve Railsback) covering the murder. Steve does not believe on Gavin words, but when his friend is submitted to the treatment of Dr. Edgar Caldicott (Bruce Greenwood) and immediately changes his behavior, joining the Blue Ribbons, Steve and Rachel decides to investigate the mystery discovering the dark secret of the perfect behavior.

"Disturbing Behavior" has an intriguing beginning, with a murder and a group of former troublemakers and potheads transformed in perfect students, like in the classic "Invasion of Body Snatchers". However, when the paranoid Gavin changes his behavior, the plot becomes silly and flawed, and the conclusion is awful. I saw this movie for the first time on 25 March 2000 and I keep my original opinion that this movie is reasonable, but could be great with improvements in the second-half of the story. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Comportamento Suspeito" ("Suspicious Behavior")
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A tale of two films
Keyser-1510 August 1998
I was a little disappointed when I left this film, but not because of the overall result. I was disappointed because of the wonderful way in which the story was laid out and unfolded itself in the beginning, then seemed to fall away during its 2nd act. The reverse theme of bad kids turning good was fascinating, and the paranoid performance by Nick Stahl was worth watching and intrigued me. But then, as soon as Stahl was converted, the film started to fall apart. For one Stahl was the only character I found to be truly worth watching. Marsden and Holmes were just two pretty faces noticeably void of much talent; I never believed the two as a couple, and I never found any reason to invest myself in hoping for their well-being other the fact they were the lesser of two evils. But most noticeably, I grew disinterested because of the change in aim by the makers. The first half of the film, which by itself I would have given an 8 or 9 out of 10, was more of a grown-up horror movie, where the situation and plot rather than actions dictated the fear of the audience. But after Stahl disappears to the dark side, the film changed into a teen slasher film almost, where blood, violence and screaming is used in a vain attempt to induce fright. This 2nd half was worth a 4 or 5 out of 10. The length did not bother me as much as others (I've seen plenty of effective movies that were under 90 minutes). What bothered me more was the lack of development in some key plot points. I think the entire conspiracy plot behind the conversion of the teens needed to be fleshed out much more, characters needed to be drawn more distinctly, and so on. So I balance out the two halves and come up with a 6 out of 10. Worth renting, but could have been something special.
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2/10
Cute looking teen-idols are hardly disturbing...
Coventry8 October 2005
Warning: Spoilers
The makers of "Disturbing Behavior" proudly call this a horror film, but anyone who has the slightest bit of experience with this (usually) wonderful genre will only label it as childish, pitiful nonsense. The plot is obviously stolen from "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", only it's severely simplified so that fans of dud high-school shows like "Beverly Hills 90210" can get some thrills out of it. The evil school psychiatrist (!) of Cradle Bay island plants computer chips into the brains of mediocre students and, overnight, they mutate into grade-A model adolescents. New arrival Steve Clark teams up with pothead Gavin and hottie Rachel to prevent this from happening to them. Not a single storyline in the script is adequately explained (the reason behind Steve's brother's suicide, the flaws of the 'good behavior'-program, the connection with rodents, etc...) and whenever the film threatens to become too incoherent, the camera quickly zooms in on Katie Holmes sexy belly in order to distract your attention. The attempts to create suspense and mystery are laughable, the use of clichés and stereotypes is dreadful and many lines are vaguely offensive. The climax is hilarious, though. Good actors, like William Sadler and Steve Railsback, make fools out of themselves in the supportive cast. High-school horror was inexplicably popular near the end of the 1990, but this film is the absolute low point of them all. Better watch "The Faculty"...or even "I Know What You Did Last Summer".
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6/10
Decent late night fun
markoparabucki7 September 2006
I caught this film on a late night TV slot (around 1:00). Since it was an evening of surprisingly watchable movies up until then (Michael Chrictons 'Runaway' & Clint Eastwoods 'White hunter, black heart') this mix of teeny horror and x-files type paranoia sci-fi was just the kind of icing on the cake I needed before finally calling it a night.

Even though it obviously suffers from some plot holes and studio interference, I must say that I still found it much better than other late 90's 'Scream' influenced (and included) teen horror revival stuff. Sci-fi element was, even though lacking in any deeper explanation, believable enough, especially the part with problems arising due to puberty related hormone/neurotransmitter surges (i.e. Lorna's sexual turn violent outburst at Steve's house) etc.

All in all, not really a shining example of cinematic art but still bearable enough for a late night entertainment.
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5/10
reasonable set up but bad ending
SnoopyStyle8 February 2016
In Cradle Bay on Crescent Island, football jock Andy is parked with a girl. His demeanor turns and kills her. Then he kills a cop and Officer Cox (Steve Railsback) lets him go. Gavin Strick (Nick Stahl) watches from afar. The Clarks from Chicago arrive in town after losing the oldest son. Gavin befriends Steve Clark (James Marsden) who explains the school is ruled by a clique called Blue Ribbon. Steve is taken with edgy girl Rachel Wagner (Katie Holmes). Dorian Newberry (William Sadler) is the school janitor and rat catcher. Steve and Gavin discovers the parents working with Dr. Edgar Caldicott (Bruce Greenwood). Gavin is picked to be the next candidate by his parents.

I like the Bodysnatcher feel to the story setup. There are probably too many kills too early and it probably effected the ending. The actors are all good in their roles. However the movie ends badly. I think the writer couldn't figure out a clever way to end the movie. It's too bad because the movie seems to be set up for a tense thriller. Instead, it's done without any finesse and it's unsatisfying.
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7/10
Studio Hack Job
MissCzarChasm25 November 2001
The theactrical release of Disturbing Behavior is an utter mess of a movie. It has plot holes that the biggest human being in the world could jump through. It moves along at an uneasy pace and at 83 minutes it isn't much of a movie. However, this isn't the filmmakers fault. Blame the studio that released the film. They basically ordered him to cut everything that made the movie make sense and what we got to see was a studio hack job.

The Dvd on the other hand is another story. It provides at least 20 minutes of deleted scenes and when you watch them along with the rest of the movie everything begins to make sense and it makes me grow a new-found appreciation for the film. It isn't cinematic gold but when you look at what the film was like before it may just look like a masterpiece.

The premise is pretty unique. In Cradle Bay failure and misbehaving is a no no. You wil be perfect....or else. When newcommer steve moves to cradle bay he meets gavin who thinks a sinister force is taking over the kids of cradle bay turning them into a group of kids known as the the Blue ribbons. The blue ribbons appear to be perfect with their good grades and bake sales but beneath the surface lies a mal-function that makes them act violently.

What I Liked:

The character of Gavin in both versions of this film remains intact. I completely loved this character and he's played really well y Nick Stahl. I was quite impressed

All the Blue Ribbons are creepy as hell. It's like they came out of an acid-induced version of leave it to beaver or the Brady Bunch.

i like the general idea of the film. Someone trying to make teenagers perfect because we know not we do was pretty interesting to me.

I liked th entire Dvd version of the film. It honestly explains so much and it raises the films level from crap to about average.

What I Didn't Like:

The theatrical release is filled with mistakes. It's too short, the pacing is off, and it ends on a pretty sour note. There are no redemming aspects of this version except for the character of Gavin.

The scene in the insane asylum was pretty dumb. I don't expect much realism out of these films but this was above and beyond being real.

The characters with the exception of Gavin don't really fit their roles. I didn't by James Marsden as a hero. He was quite bland as well. Katie Holmes, who is actually good on Dawson's Creek and in The Gift, and Wonder Boys, doesn't really fit as the rebel gothic girl.

i suggest that everyone that bashed this movie, like me when i firt saw it, go see the DVD version. I promise you that you'll have a better understanding on what is going on and it may make the film a little better for you.

Theatrical Version: 2/10

DVD Version: 6/10
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2/10
A complete waste of time. Isn't scary, suspenseful...or disturbing. * (out of four_
Movie-1213 October 2001
Warning: Spoilers
DISTURBING BEHAVIOR / (1998) * (out of four)

(Minor Spoilers)

Prozac and Ritalyn fill the medicine cabinets of today's youth, yet "Disturbing Behavior" takes this generation to the next level, giving teenagers even more of an excuse to consume such drugs. Just what we need, another reason for young people to be paranoid about what their parents are planning for them.

In theme, "Disturbing Behavior" can be compared to one of my all time favorite movies, Stanley Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange." It manifest engaging ideas about society and freewill. "A Clockwork Orange" lunged into the subject with shocking perversity and artistic expression, but "Disturbing Behavior" lacks exactly what is counterpart explores.

Falling captive to conformity and peer pressure from the recent string of popular teen slasher movies, "Disturbing Behavior," misses almost every opportunity to provide audiences with satisfying material. It takes the point-of-view of a typical teenager named Steve Clark (James Marsden from "X-Men"), who doesn't have much time to react to the suicide of his older brother (Ethan Embry) when his family packs their bags and moves to a nice little town called Cradle Bay.

Local stoners Galvin (Nick Stahl) and U.V. (Chad E. Donella) greet Steve during his first day at the new high school. A an attractive loner, Rachel (Katie Holmes), predictably snatches Steve's attention. The school's mentally challenged janitor, Dorian Newberry (William Sadler), obsesses about the town's rat population in the basement. All in all, though, Cradle Bay is a pleasant village.

But then Galvin rants about the school's elite club, the Blue Ribbons. He think's they're brainwashing all the town's teens. Steve initially thinks nothing of his new friend's paranoia, until he himself discovers the technologically diabolical plans of the school's principal (Bruce Greenwood): the villainous faculty plans to turn all of the local teens into being of sole perfection.

This man's idea sure would end half the problems of society, wouldn't it? But just for kicks, lets say that this is a bad thing. And besides, what would the world be like if teens couldn't get themselves into trouble. Think about it all you Mom's and Dad's, a world without trouble making teenagers. Perfect kids. No wonder why so many parents in to movie want their kids to join the Blue Ribbon Club.

At the very most, "Disturbing Behavior" could have been a guilty pleasure. But the film, directed by David Nutter, doesn't even manager to elicit that much gratification. Actually, there's hardly anything remotely pleasing in the entire movie. No thrills. No excitement. No surprises. With the exception of a few moments, this movie is a complete waste of time.

Screenwriter Scott Rosenberg conceived a decent concept, but movies are about ideas, not a single good concept. He stretches the individual concept across 84 minutes of movie, and that leads to many problems. There isn't enough conflict to keep audiences interested, and it wastes most of its time filling the scenes with characters roaming the neighborhood.

The film does show signs of good ideas hidden deep within, but it doesn't deliver create images out of those ideas. The little juicy material present is but a temptation. When a movie makes us want more, that's great. But when it makes us want more and doesn't deliver, that's not so great. Instead of deliciously initiative situations and sexy surprises, we get scene after scene of bland dialogue. Example:

Rachel: What now? Steve: We go home. Rachel: Where's home? Steve: Wherever.

The film also suffers from casting miscalculations. Although James Marsden, Nick Stahl, and William Sadler support their flat, one-dimensional characters with adequate performances, Katie Holmes and Bruce Greenwood do not fit their characters in the least. Holmes is a fine young actress, but she's not a gothic town rebel, and Greenwood is also a good actor, but he's definitely not a sinister villain.

"Disturbing Behavior" even lowers itself to a level of inconceivable incompetence. It delivers long-awaited love scenes under increasing plausible circumstances. A girl tries to seduce Steve, but instead bashes her own head against a mirror and leaves, before anything takes place. And how about the love scene near the end, where Steve and Rachel make love in the truck. Their town is being ransacked by evil minions, time is of the essence, and they take a time out to make love in a truck. I shouldn't complain, though, because it's the most indulgent scene in the movie.

I can't help but to question this film's title. What do they mean by disturbing behavior? There's nothing disturbing about this movie. It's tired, silly, boring hokum. Disturbing behavior? Well, perhaps they are referring the audience's response. I can't say this movie lost money, because with a $17 million gross, and a budget of $15 million, it made enough money to earn a profit. But considering most teen slasher film make title waves at the box office, $17 million isn't all that impressive.
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7/10
Decent Thriller
welhof116 October 2019
Not too bad of a movie. The plot was pretty strange. There's a lot of 'disturbing behavior' that's going on in this school but no one seems to notice. The people disappearing, the fights, no one seems to be to concerned about it.

The acting was probably the strongest part. It has a few future A listers in it. It's always fun to see old movies of actors before they made it big.

The ending had my eyes roll a little but it was short.

Definitely worth the watch if you are in the mood for a late 90's par thriller.
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2/10
Leave it alone.
emm12 February 1999
The lion of famous legends is on critical mass life support! It growls and gasps for air! DISTURBING BEHAVIOR will not revive the legendary M.G.M. studio from the recent doomsday exposure to box-office "BOMB"s! Showing off the violent teenage life in distasteful 90s form links to nothing satisfying in the fun department. Our entire time to sit through this piece of scrap metal is horribly plagued. A horror / slasher film it is not, and it illustrates how lame a silly, dumb plot can duplicate on the high-tech digital theater screen. Offering practically nothing that entertains, there is justification to what type of strange audience this movie caters. This brand new genre is poised to attract millions of dysfunctional idiots everywhere: "Generation-X Genocide"! Katie Holmes' prescence on the screen gives way to the successful running of DAWSON'S CREEK, the reason to watch this mediocre movie. Lurid trash from start to end! Disturbingly rotten! The lion sleeps tonight until his very death!
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10/10
Similar to The Faculty
rdoubleoc17 August 2019
I'll never forget these teen movies, especially since I was a teen at the time. If they wanted to make movies we would remember, they definitely succeeded. I can't seem to figure out why I liked and remembered these movies, however, which is kind of wierd. Maybe just because I could relate to the characters and it showed school as it pretty much was in real life at the time. I wrote a similar review for The Faculty, saying the same.
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7/10
S10 Reviews: Disturbing Behavior (1998)
suspiria109 April 2006
Steve and his sister are moved with to this sleepy little coastal island community after the suicide of his older parents. Soon it becomes apparent that the 'popular' click involving bake-sale throwing straight A'ers are actually programmed zombies and Steve is next in line. But when several 'incidents' threaten to destroy the program can Steve and his sister (with a few ragtag friends) get out of there with their own minds. 'Disturbing Behavior' is a solid 'Stepford Wives' like thriller directed by David Nutter who cut his teeth on episodes of 'The X-Files' and 'Millennium' does a good job with the material. The acting by the core (James Marsden, Katie Holmes and Nick Stahl) cast is very good, also keep and eye out for Bill Sadler and Steve Railsback in scene-chewing supporting rolls. Better than your average teen thriller / horror 'Disturbing Behavior' is also a solid retelling of 'The Stepford Wives'.
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1/10
Very Disappointing
Bianca-36 August 1998
I certainly expected more from this movie, especially since the trailer looked promising, but this movie lacks a lot of the important stuff that makes a movie worth watching. The initial idea was probably good, but the movie itself is very vague and too short. The characters had no depth and are very "dead". The script is very monotonous in a way that makes the movie very boring. I would give it a 4/10....if they are planning to make a sequel, i certainly hope for a drastic improvement.
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Disturbing but entertaining
vchimpanzee17 May 2005
Steve and his family move from Chicago to Cradle Bay (which based on a road sign is outside Seattle). We later learn his brother Allen died, and that has something to do with the move. At his new high school, he meets Gavin and U. V., who take drugs and listen to depressing heavy metal music. Gavin has the hots for Lorna, but she's a Blue Ribbon, a member of a group of students that help out in the community and help each other study. Gavin wants nothing to do with these people.

It turns out the Blue Ribbons aren't as goody-goody as they first appear. To call them snobs is an understatement. Anyone who isn't a member is treated like dirt, but of course new members are accepted all the time. The organization had its beginning with a deadly car wreck, and Dr. Edgar Caldicott played a large role in getting it started.

This film reminds me of an episode of 'Smallville', except only the villains (who appear to be the good kids) have the super powers. Or maybe they're not actually super powers. This film had its own version of Belle Reve, where all the Smallville freaks seemed to end up eventually. Also, there was the loud alternative rock music in some scenes and the pleasant classical-style background music in others. I really liked the music in Roscoe's Yogurt Shoppe and in the asylum (I'm referring to Barry Manilow).

I actually found the bad kids appealing in this movie--Gavin, Rachel, and Dickie in particular. The real standout character, though, is the demented janitor Mr. Newberry, who comes across as if Gilbert Gottfried had played the Bill Murray role in 'Caddyshack'. Another good though brief performance came from Julie Patzwald as Betty Caldicott.

This was a little on the violent side, but I guess for the type of movie it wasn't too bad. A lot of bad language seemed to have been cleaned up for TV. And I'm not sure whether this is something that was edited out, but in one scene, the position of a girl's head relative to her date suggests something that happened in Bill Clinton's White House.

It wasn't a classic by any means, but it wasn't too bad.
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1/10
Disturbing How Bad This Is.
anaconda-4065811 August 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Disturbing Behavior (1998): Dir: David Nutter / Cast: James Marsden, Katie Holmes, Nick Stahl, William Sadler, Bruce Greenwood: Follows the trend of hacked up teenagers and loud music and this one ranks amongst the worst of them. One young lady bashes her head into a mirror then says, "I have to go home. I have a physics exam tomorrow." Perhaps it was her reaction to reading the script sober and she was looking for an excuse to leave the set. Ripoff of the far superior Invasion of the Body Snatchers only this one involves a scientific experiment to render teenagers perfect. They're kidding, right? I'm afraid society has long given up that quest and just hope that they avoid more meaningless projects such as this. A family moves into town and discover that the local kids are a tad strange. It could be a drug problem since that is generally to blame. This town looks constructed straight from other horror films, only this time they should burn it so not to repeat this mistake again. Director David Nutter shamelessly attempts to make this garbage look original but who is he kidding? Laughable performances by James Marsden, Katie Holmes, Nick Stahl, and William Sadler as a crazed janitor. Their mission is to die in creative methods because the screenwriter cares about as much as we do. Pointless crap showcases someone getting their head bashed in with a pipe. That is exactly what should happen to the film. Score: 0 / 10
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6/10
Entertaining!
the amorphousmachine31 August 2000
James Marsden and Katie Holmes star in this teen thriller involving teenage kids getting brainwashed! I expected a fairly bad movie but I didn't mind this flick! It was an enjoyable yarn that didn't try and go overboard at the end!

Although I can't say I'd rush out to see it again, I think it's worth a look! Because I wasn't expecting much and I was entertained for 90 minutes. Plus I liked the whole concept! *** out of *****!
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1/10
Obvious, dreadful junk, cynically created, badly made
Erewhon17 October 1998
This is one of the worst of the latter-day horror movies following in the wake of SCREAM, but lord help us, I'm sure that even worse wait in the wings. Cynically calculated to appeal to the audience the filmmakers think like horror movies (slightly alienated kids into Goth), this tries to re-do some of the ideas of INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS and THE STEPFORD WIVES as a teen-oriented horror movie. But it makes no sense, and the idea of horror here seems to consist of kids wearing letterman jackets! and liking yogurt! and combing their hair! And they freak out when they get horny. Fortunately, the goofy janitor -- a badly wasted William Sadler -- has an electronic rat-attracting device that, by a really impressive coincidence, works on the zombified teens. Lucky for us. A shameful movie.
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7/10
The Stepford Teens, sort of
Wuchakk2 August 2019
When a Chicago family moves to an island in the Puget Sound, Washington, Steve (James Marsden) encounters the usual cliques at his new high school, but there's something odd about the Blue Ribbon Club, a circle of high-achieving students who get a pass from the police when they screw-up. Nick Stahl plays Steve's new friend, Katie Holmes a potential girlfriend and Katharine Isabelle his sister. Bruce Greenwood is on hand as a dubious school psychologist.

The set-up of "Disturbing Behavior" (1998) is similar to the same in "Twilight" (2008), but there are no vampires and werewolves. I won't say more about the plot, except that it includes elements of Dr. Frankenstein and "The Stepford Wives" (1975). This isn't really giving much away as the movie telegraphs everything from the get-go and so is kind of predictable.

Yet the Great Northwest locations are spectacular, the cast is good, particularly Marsden and Stahl, and the story is compelling enough. It's just laden by a been-there, done-that vibe. Still, it's way superior to the similar "The Faculty" (1998), not to mention more serious. It's also arguably better than comparable flicks from the time period, like "Scream" (1996), "I Know What You Did Last Summer" (1997), "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" (1998), "Urban Legend" (1998), "Jawbreaker" (1999) and "Final Destination" (2000). "Bad Girls from Valley High" is on par (which was shot in 1999, but not released until 2005).

The original length was 115 minutes, about 32 minutes longer than the released version, but producers found it too long and so cut out scenes that supposedly helped the movie to make more sense. Personally, I didn't feel the movie was hard to grasp and never felt lost. But the last act needed more finesse because it does seem awkward and rushed; for instance, the mental hospital sequence flashes by so quickly you might miss it if you blink.

The film runs 1 hour, 23 minutes, and was shot in the Vancouver area, British Columbia, including Bowen Island.

GRADE: B
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5/10
Not as bad as I heard
preppy-318 July 2000
I avoided this movie in the theatres back in 1998. Nobody liked it--all the critics tore this movie to ribbons and there were a lot of complaints about how 20 minutes (!) was cut from the movie to make it shorter. The studio (MGM) figured teenagers didn't like to see adults in movies, so all the sequences with adults alone were cut out. It also rendered the movie incomprehensible. Seeing it on cable, I was surprised at how OK it was. The acting was pretty good (especially James Marsden), the story moved REAL quick and it had an interesting (albeit unbelievable) idea. The thing is you have to turn off your brain totally and not think about the movie afterwords because there are HUGE plot holes (too numerous to mention here) and glaring inconsistencies. And it got tiresome to see Marsden's character getting beaten up again and again and again...I think I counted a total of SEVEN times! The movie was way too short (82 minutes)...I guess I have to see the DVD for the full version. So, this is a pretty good horror flick--it might have been great but we'll never know.
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7/10
"Mr. Newberry here got the full on Boo Radley, village idiot, Quasimodo thing going." Not too bad actually.
poolandrews16 July 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Disturbing Behavior is set in the small idyllic American town of Cradle Bay. Late one night two of it's teenage residents Andy Effkin (Tobias Mehler) & Mary Jo Copeland (Natassia Malthe) are having sexual relations in a car in some woods. Local social misfit & outcast Gavin Strick (Nick Stahl) happens upon them while walking his dog. Suddenly Andy breaks Mary's neck while she's giving him a blow-job, at the same time two cops arrive, Officer's Cox (Steve Railsback) & Kramer (Chris Owens) pull up. Kramer discovers Mary's body but Andy grabs Cox's gun & shoots him, Cox appears to let Andy go & proceeds to cover up what's just occurred, Gavin witnesses all of this. Nathan (Terry David Mulligan) & Cynthia Clark (Susan Hogan) are moving from Chicago to Cradle Bay with their two teenage children, Steve (James Marsden) & Lindsay (Katharine Isabelle). At school Steve becomes friends with Gavin & U.V. (Chad Donella) who also introduce him to Rachel Wagner (Katie Holmes) whom Steve takes an instant liking to, Gavin seems paranoid as he suggests that the members of the 'Blue Ribbon' club are brainwashed somehow & he thinks he might be next to suffer the same fate after overhearing a conversation between the mysterious Dr. Edgar Caldicott (Bruce Greenwood) & his parents. Steve tries to reassure him & sends him home only for Gavin to turn up at school the next day with a totally changed personality. Steve & Rachel realise something sinister has happened to Gavin & decide to discover the truth before they too end up mindless obedient well behaved zombies...

Directed by David Nutter I thought Disturbing Behavior was a lot better than I had originally anticipated it to be. Disturbing Behavior obviously rode on the then recent success of teen horror films like Scream (1996) & I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) amongst others. The script by co-producer Scott Rosenberg plays like an episode of The X-Files (1993 - 2002) which isn't a surprise as Nutter directed 15 episodes of the show. It tries to keep everything under wraps until the revealing climax & it does a good job of doing so while at the same time keeping the viewer interested in where the story & characters are going. Disturbing Behavior isn't an action heavy film, it relies more on dialogue, mystery & suspense to engage the viewer. I found all the characters surprisingly likable which is very unusual for a teen horror, the clichés are almost used to Disturbing Behavior's advantage with a great speech by Gavin as he explains the school's social structure using stereotypes. It's well written with some witty dialogue with Gavin in particular seeming to have a smart answer to everything. The only aspect I found disappointing was the end, it felt rushed & was the only part of the film which seemed routine & unoriginal. Everything is resolved far too quickly, easily & neatly which is a shame because with a better ending Disturbing Behavior would be getting an 8 star review instead of a 7, neither do I think that the film has great repeat appeal. There is a nice foreboding atmosphere throughout it's duration until the aforementioned let down of an ending. There is no blood or gore whatsoever that I could remember apart from a few cuts & scratches but this is a horror film which relies on good storytelling instead of flashy CGI & make-up effect's to maintain interest & entertain it's viewers. A word about the cast now, the acting is fine & Stahl especially puts in a good performance. Director Nutter has an eye for a good looking lady with two in particular that stand out, first Holmes as Rachel is a babe & second Crystal Cass as Lorna Longley who is a stunner as well, these two are real easy on the eyes & provide a very good reason for any red blooded male to give this a go! The familiar face of Steve Railsback makes an appearance in a brief role as does William Saddler. Disturbing Behavior is well made but the IMDb's suggested $15,000,000 budget does seem a little high when you look at what actually ended up on screen, where did all the money go? I didn't think I would but I found Disturbing Behavior really enjoyable & better than a lot of the teen horror that probably swamped it's initial release. I recommend anyone thinking of giving it a go to do so, especially if you can find it cheap or watch it on TV for free as I don't think it is a film that would be watched repeatedly as once you know where the story is going that's it, virtually all of it's effectiveness is gone. Definitely worth watching at least once.
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8/10
stepford children on acid
bigwig_thalyi28 November 2005
This is basically a modern take on the Sepford children but with added sexual content and more graphic detail. The premise is this.After the death of his brother ,young teen Steven Clark, played by James Marsden, X Men,moves to the seemingly innocent town of Cradle Bay with his family.At first everything seems normal.The children are typical teens but when they get a red light in their eyes they become totally different. Steven makes friends with a weird group of outsiders including Katie Holmes who warn him that something is going on.He remains sceptical till he gets beaten up by a group of the teens and realises that something is terribly wrong. In this film you are never quite sure who is what and look out for the seemingly retarded janitor whose role is pivotal in the outcome of the movie. This film reminded me of the film The Faculty in many respects but wasn't as good. I saw this at 9.00 on channel 5 so it was probably cut but it still an enjoyable romp into the world of mind control and the scene in the hospital sticks in the memory. The cast did well but William sadler, as the janitor, did especially well and James Marsden and Katie Holmes show good chemistry. This film is not in my top ten fave movies but good for an hour and a half of escapism. Good film but the twist can be seen a mile away. My score 8/10
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7/10
A good underrated sci-fi favorite film i'm in love with Katie Holmes
ivo-cobra87 September 2017
First I want to say I love Katie Holmes to death and I really miss the actress. She was so great in the 90's until 2005 when Tom Cruise turned her around and mess her career. Katie Holmes is a wonderful actress beautiful sexy babe and talented in this movie that is one of the reason's why I think this movie is so good and it is not because of James Marsden but because of Katie Holmes. She was so great in Dawson's Creek I watched that show mainly because of Katie. She was damn good in Go and she was a bad-ass in Teaching Mrs. Tingle. I haven't seen her in Pieces of April but I am sure it must be a good movie. I miss the actress after Batman Begins I don't see her on screen time anymore it feel's like she disappeared. In this movie she was so damn awesome and she had such a charm and she was hot. She appeared in video spot The Flys: Got You (Where I Want You) today I am still listening that song.

About the movie: for me this is more mystery sci-fi thriller with flaws and with less action it doesn't have enough action. The film is fast paced mostly those three actors James Marsden, Katie Holmes, and Nick Stahl are really good and they are giving best of their performances I miss that.

The movie follows a group of high school outcasts who are horrified by their "Blue Ribbon" classmates. The new kid in town stumbles across something sinister about the town's method of transforming its unruly teens into upstanding citizens. The movie is more a sci-fi mystery thriller a group of students Blue Ribbon are completely upstanding citizens but they also kill people. They are like cyborg's turned in to zombies. Dr. Edgar Caldicott (Bruce Greenwood) want's to make everyone to be obeying upstanding citizen. When the new kid Steve Clark find's out the truth about what is going on in his school he has to get out. But first he has to safe his sister and his friends from the same fate as his friend Gavin (Nick Stahl) turned out to be.

The film really lacks on the story and it has a flaws. I wish there would be more action and there would more stuntman's in this film. It also lacks on the story how this scantiest brainwashed those kids to be under his spell. It wasn't that enough explained but the rest was great. I enjoyed the film and I had a fun watching it. I loved the ending in which Nick Stahl shows alive and now a high school teacher he he. William Sadler from Die Hard 2 is in this movie and he plays the good guy a janitor and a bad-ass on the end of the film I loved it.

I watched this movie in high school and after high school and even today I am watching it. Disturbing Behavior was released the same year as The Faculty come out. They don't make movies like this one today they really don't. They made a horror movie Get Out that stole mostly this scenes from this movie and it was flawless in my opinion but this movie is my favorite. I want movies like this back, I want movies like this one today I want them so much today. Hollywood doesn't make good movies anymore like are this one today.

Directed was by David Nutter who also directed The X-Files episodes, 21 Jump Street, Booker, Game of Thrones and way other TV Shows he more directed TV shows then movies but still I like this movie it was good. The ranting I am giving is a B 7/10 I wish it wouldn't be that short and also the ending in my opinion was good and happy. Steve (James Marsden) and Rachel (Katie Holmes) are together on a boat they have each other and Steve saved his sister Lindsay (Katharine Isabelle,) the acting from everyone was good and everyone did a good job on this movie, peace.

Disturbing Behavior is a 1998 American science fiction horror film starring James Marsden, Katie Holmes, and Nick Stahl. The screenplay, written by Scott Rosenberg and was compared unfavorably by most critics to the 1975 thriller, The Stepford Wives.

7/10 Grade: B Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Starring: James Marsden, Katie Holmes, Nick Stahl, Bruce Greenwood, William Sadler Director: David Nutter Producer: Armyan Bernstein Writter: Scott Rosenberg Rated: R Running Time: 1 Hrs. 24 Mins. Budget: $15.000.000 Box Office: $17.411.331
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3/10
Hollywood attempts to cross into alternative territory
Selene-519 February 1999
I, like many teenagers, was sucked into seeing Disturbing Behavior by the teasers on TV which despite being backed by Harvey Danger songs seemed to speak volumes: the preppies are evil, they get away with murder and they want you for their new recruit.

Besides my total waste of $5 just so Hollywood could try to stretch enough to reach my angsty punk teenage soul, Disturbing Behavior is ridiculously condescending. It's almost like they were looking directly into my eyes and seeing how they could use me to make money. Ooh the Dawson's Creek girl has NOFX and Alternative Tentacles stickers... on the back of her pickup truck!! What followed the initial amusement was 90 minutes of boring hell as I debated whether or not to go over to the next theater and see what was playing there... Titanic sounded preferable at times.

Anyway, I'm calling out to all of you now who want to know if Disturbing Behavior spills the honest truth about high school cliques and preppy crimes: the preppies aren't out to get you, my black-clad, boot-wearing, spikey-haired brothers and sisters, it's the big corporate producers of Hollywood teenage movies.
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