Dead Kids

Borne of some bizarre ménage a trois between Halloween, Happy Days and Singin’ in the Rain, the New Zealand import Dead Kids (1981) is a genuine oddity no matter which genre you choose to file it under. Released in the U.S. under the title Strange Behavior and set in the American Midwest, teenagers in this small college town are being programmed to kill after signing up for experiments with the local mad scientist. These remote-controlled murders pique the interest of the local sheriff (Michael Murphy) whose family history is tangled up in this far-fetched medical conspiracy.

At first glance, Dead Kids comes off as just another slasher clone. And an unusually clumsy one at that. But when teens at a party break into a choreographed dance number to Lou Christie’s 1966 hit “Lightnin’ Strikes,” suddenly all expectations go out the window. Co-written by Academy Award Winner Bill Condon (whose resume with Chicago and Dreamgirls confirms his musical aspirations), that scene is probably the unexpected highlight of a film that otherwise mopes around like a sullen 16-year-old.

Director Michael Laughlin’s style could best be described as anti-style. Scenes linger too long or are cut short. The murder sequences (with solid make-up effects from Craig “Poltergeist” Reardon) are robbed of any suspense by poor camera angles and tired editing. While the actors, including another Academy Award Winner - Louise Fletcher – struggle to make sense of the whole thing. Fellow geeks will recognize lead actor Dan Shor as “Ram” from Tron, which came out the same year.

For some, Dead Kids’ quirky tone and ‘50s aesthetic will be enough to overlook its flaws. It’s a film that dares to be different, but you can never quite tell if it’s intentional. Either way, the body count format married with an amateurish script leaves one with the feeling it was nothing more than a “calling card” to further Laughlin and Condon’s career.

For everyone that disagrees, Severin’s new blu-ray / DVD combo is everything you hoped it would be, sporting a beautiful HD transfer and well-produced extras. Dead Kids always suffered through some terrible pan-and-scan transfers, so the widescreen presentation here is a real treat and does wonders for the previously chopped up shot compositions.

There are two audio commentaries, a recycled track with Condon and the two lead actors, plus a brand-new track from Laughlin (although it’s a bit of a rough listen…recorded over Skype). An additional 20-minute interview with Reardon covers the effects work and things wrap up with a pair of trailers and an isolated music score track by Tangerine Dream.