The Boys Next Door

After seeing this gritty drama, then you wonder why there are nuts in the world. The movie is more ( in a weird kinda way), like a docudrama. It shows how 2 people can become alienated and rejected from society, to become heartless animals. Not to justify what they do, but if these two boys were somewhat loved, maybe they wouldn't be cold blooded killers. There's a scene where one of the teens father ignores him totally. That is shocking. But watching it will disturb you.

First off, don't listen to the comments by the moron from Pleasant Valley, New Mexico. Maxwell Caulfield couldn't possibly be doing his version of "Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer" since "The Boys Next Door" came out BEFORE it. In fact, since "The Boys Next Door" came out in 1985, it's pretty safe to say that "Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer" (which came out in 1986) borrowed from it, not the other way around. Regardless, this movie has a great soundtrack and really funny dialogue ("Two Blacks and a Mexican.") Scenes so outrageous that they're actually funny (gas station beating). Now, while it's not the greatest film in existence, the fact that the (life- like) violence in the movie could really happen (and sad to say, similarly HAS really happened before), make this movie better than a lot of movies out today. The acting is pretty good, especially Maxwell Caulfield (probably his best performance). I'd recommend this movie to anyone, especially if you grew up in the '80s. People who don't like it are usually over-analyzing it a bit too much. Too many people are looking for "social commentary" when watching movies. They usually end up not liking many films. They forget the simplest thing: movies are made to entertain, bottom line.

THE BOYS NEXT DOOR is one of the most intense and powerful movies I've ever seen. Charlie Sheen and Maxwell Caulfield are excellent and the film is very well written and directed. Sheen and Caulfield are two bored teens who decide after graduating, to take a little vacation where they become violent and go on a killing spree, killing whoever gets in their way. Everything feels real and it delivers a true, shocking message. I think this is an amazing movie and even though it didn't get a lot of attention when released, I think it deserves more attention now and shouldn't be missed by anyone.

The most shocking thing in this unsettling film is the way it accurately portrays the state of mind of the two "heroes"; murder seems to be just another inconsequential act of "escapism" for them, and the (sincere) grief that Sheen's character feels for some of their victims is brief and quickly lost amid the "thrill" of it all. The movie handles the violence in an uncompromising but not exploitive way, and it may not have all the answers, but at least it isn't afraid to touch the subject. (***)

Penelope Spheeris received kudos as director of "Wayne's World." I know that flick was funny as hell and made gobs of green, but "The Boys Next Door" is one of her best. This film combines her earlier efforts, particularly "The Decline of Western Civilization" and "Suburbia," into a nihilistic tale of two guys that ultimately realize that everything has its price. Sheen and Caulfield are very convincing as friends. When they first arrive in L.A. and stop at a gas station, Caulfield steals the show by brutally beating the gas station employee and justifying his actions to Sheen by basically saying: it happened, you can turn me in, you can come with me; let's see what the night turns up?