Comportements troublants

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

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.

I thought the movie was very entertaining, even with the similarities to several other movies in mind. I thought the acting was very good, and we should expect to see a lot more of the young actors/actresses in this film, especially Katie Holmes. I can't wait to see more work from her.

This is a very sadly underrated film. This is a film that I believe was intended to wake kids up. It's no artistic venture, I know. It's all laid out in a very simple fashion, and was made for the MTV kids to be able to understand it. Still, the point is a great one, and was carried out well. After reading someone's review of this, I have to say I was enraged. The good guys sometimes smoke pot in this. Would it be worse if they were on crack? Yes, it would. The good guys look a little freaky most of the time. Would it make them better people if they wore "nice clothes"? No, it wouldn't. They cuss a lot and talk their weird, poetic jive. Would they be more interesting if they didn't? No, they would be LESS interesting. The good guys like rock music. Does that make them bad, scary kids? Absolutely not, because you can't judge a person solely on their tastes. And as for the brainwashed psycho kids that even a lot of kids nowadays would root for, they break people's necks because they're ashamed to be sexually aroused. Is that less scary than a kid who just wants to get laid and can't because he's viewed as a monster by society? If your answer is "yes", you are obviously very disturbed yourself. This movie is about the underdogs, those people who are good people but have no choice other than to fight when so many would rather oppress them for being who they really are. This hardens and depresses them considerably, and why shouldn't it? The world is not a "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood", and, though that is a nice fantasy, this movie, despite any fantastic contexts it might have, is full of harsh realities. If there's a world full of Blue Ribbons, things wouldn't be exciting to you unless you're totally brainwashed. If you're not, that makes it scary. That's why this movie sends chills up my spine, no matter how simple and MTV-styled it might be. This is one of the best horror films of the 1990s. At least it's not junk like "I Know What You Did Last Summer". This film has something to say, something only severely distorted people would see as completely negative and wrong. NOT FOR BLUE RIBBONS!

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.