Brotherhood: Die Macht des Blutes

Doma Tau Omega is an exclusive fraternity whose privileged members drink blood in order to preserve their youthful good looks. When their hunky leader Devon claps eyes on the firm, muscular frame of innocent college newcomer Chris Chandler (Sam Page), he sets about recruiting the handsome freshman, tempting him with the promise of eternal life, but secretly schemes to enter the young man's body (spiritually speaking, although one could easily be mistaken for thinking otherwise at times) in order to replace his current corporeal form.

Vampire films have long been linked with homo-eroticism, but rarely has the theme been so blatant as in David DeCoteau's I've Been Watching You, a horror film that oozes gayness from virtually every frame. With scene after scene of young men gazing wistfully at each other, exchanging bodily fluid (only blood, thank heavens!), parading around in silky shirts, rubber vests and tight PVC trousers, and stripping to their Calvins, this wasn't quite what I had in mind when I spied the DVD, which caught my eye because of the beautiful buxom woman on the cover: there is a hot chick in the film, Megan (Elizabeth Bruderman), but she doesn't show any cleavage, the only exposed chest area on display belonging to the guys.

Although clearly intended for a different demographic to myself, I would still rate this film as much as a four: it wasn't totally unwatchable, the hilarious homo-erotic content, diabolical dialogue, and crappy acting providing me with a more than a few unintentional laughs (the frat guys' atrocious taste in clothing is particularly amusing!).

This movie fails on all accounts.

The script is pathetic. The story is weak and the characters shallow. You couldn't set out to write a B-movie script this bad. The plot is so weak that the framework seems like it's designed for pornography.

The cinematography is juvenile. The camera angles are contrived, close-ups are used without good purpose and the lighting always seems artificial. It feels like one never leaves the same simple set.

The acting, save Josh Hammond as Dan, is really bad. The actors' deliveries are monotonous. The range of emotions is zero.

The men are all beautiful, each one an Adonis, but to what end? Adolescent girls and adolescent gay boys will surely revel in these images but beyond that, there is no artful purpose served by the physiques.

I hate to pan someone's work so badly but this movies is truly horrible.

A bunch of hunky guys with bodies to die for march around - say a few stilted sentences - pull off their shirts, reveal they are vampires and then say a few more stilted words. That pretty much sums up this baaaad film. If you want to look at really hunky guys - go for it. Don't expect much in the way of script or acting though. There is only one actor with anything resembling talent and he's relegated to being the "ugly geek" though he is not. You could drive trains through the gaps in the dialogue - which is too elaborate and wordy for what is being said. Expositional information is related that doesn't fit the characters presenting it. And explain something to me - how does the most popular fraternity manage to have only four members, yet have parties where dozens upon dozens attend - and yet they "rush" only one candidate?

The "best" thing about this film is its blatent homoerotic overtones. There's a particularly cheesy scene in which one vampire helps his novice drink blood from a girl's arm...from the camera angle, for all practical purposes, it looks as if one guy is having oral sex with the other. And the guys seem to hang all over each other and walk around half naked in front of each other for no reason at all. I think this had to have been scripted, shot, directed, or lensed by either a woman or a gay male because it is just "too" much.

I'd like to find out how to become a filmmaker of this caliber because it seems like there is some sort of market for this trash. However, I would imagine that it is probably just as difficult to make a film like this as it would be to make a good one - so why not go the extra mile?

Blond super-hunk Sam Page (or "Nathan Watkins"/ as Chris Chandler) goes to Drake college, on a swimming scholarship. Stripping down to his gym shorts for a run, Mr. Page catches the eye of blonder super-hunk Bradley Stryker (as Devon Eisley). Mr. Stryker is the leader of Drake's weirdest fraternity; and, he travels around with good-looking men in sunglasses. Stryker decides he wants Page's perfect body. Page tells super-geek (but cute) roommate Josh Hammond (as Dan Myers) he isn't interested in joining a fraternity. Then, Page admires Stryker's big fraternity pin, and gets sucked in…

Director David DeCoteau is definitely going after something. Page and Stryker make an interesting couple, especially when they play a "three way" love scene; note, the female ("Sandy") is incidental. "The Brotherhood" may have worked better if Mr. DeCoteau had either gone all out, or made the "gay subtext" more subtle. The subtle route is often taken by other filmmakers. The "vampire" storyline is more than a little hard to swallow (if the guys in question are supposed to be vampires).

*** The Brotherhood (2/01) David DeCoteau ~ Sam Page, Bradley Stryker, Josh Hammond, Elizabeth Bruderman

No, this is not Male Model University, but judging by the student body you need to look like one to attend. It's apparent you need a muscular physique, perfectly gelled hair and tight leather duds just to take a stroll around campus. At parties, name drop Nietzsche and make sure you wear a fine suit and tie so you have something nice to puke all over. Never button up your top three buttons, hang out in juvenile high schoolish cliques and always wear shades. No, this thing isn't set on Mars, but close enough: it's set in the minds of horny skeezers David DeCoteau and scripter Matthew Jason Walsh, so any resemblance between this and any real college campus is strictly coincidental.

Oh yeah, the so-called plot... Hunky freshman stud-ent Christopher Chandler (Nathan Watkins) is anti-frat, but still wooed by the most popular house on campus. I mean, aren't Devon, Barry, Jordan and Mikhael the type of dudes everyone wants to hang with? No, not really. They're conceited, shallow, boring, and stupid, they throw lame parties and they drink blood to stay young and desirable. Go figure.

DeCoteau began his career exploiting the bods of B-babes like Linnea Quigley and Brinke Stevens and now he's switched to men's bodies, which is completely fair in our more enlightened age. Men deserve to be treated like meat, too, but it's too bad these talent-dry bonehead boy toys ACT like meat. You'd be hard pressed to find more lifeless, listless performances (particularly Bradley Stryker as the main bad guy) but hell, they DO look great in their matching boxer briefs. Save yourself the time and skim through a Calvin Klein catalogue instead. And this thing merits a pair of sequels?!