Dead Kids (aka Strange Behavior) – Indicator Series (4k UHD)

Theatrical Release Date: Australia, 1981
Director: Michael Laughlin
Writers: Bill Condon, Michael Laughlin
Cast: Michael Murphy, Louise Fletcher, Dan Shor, Fiona Lewis, Arthur Dignam, Dey Young, Marc McClure, Scott Brady, Charles Lane, Elizabeth Cheshire

Release Date: March 30th, 2026 (UK), March 31st, 2026 (USA)
Approximate Running Time: 102 Minutes 1 Second (Dead Kids), 99 Minutes 10 Seconds (Strange Behavior)
Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10 (Both Versions)
Rating: 18 (UK), R (USA)
Sound: DTS-HD Mono English (Both Versions)
Subtitles: English SDH (Both Versions)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £24.99 (UK), $49.95 (USA)

"In a small midwestern town, police chief John Brady (Murphy) investigates a bizarre series of murders. As the corpses pile up, all signs point to the hellish mind-control experiments of a twisted scientist..." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about the transfer, “Dead Kids was scanned in 4K by the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), using the original 35mm negative, which it preserves. Picture restoration and color correction work were carried out in 4K HDR by Renasci Films in the UK. Thousands of instances of dirt were removed, scratches, stains, and other imperfections were eliminated, and a number of torn or damaged frames were repaired. No grain management, edge enhancement, or sharpening tools were employed to artificially alter the image in any way.”

Dead Kids (aka Strange Behavior) comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 90.2 GB

Feature: 69.4/67.9 GB (Australian Theatrical Version/US Theatrical Version via seemless branching)

The source is in excellent shape; flesh tones look healthy, colors look correct, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic. This release uses seamless branching for the two versions.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in English with removable English SDH. The audio sounds excellent; dialogue comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced and robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include image galleries: original promotional material (139 images—posters/lobby cards/stills/home video art) and behind-the-scenes (99 stills), Trailers from Hell with Patton Oswalt (3 minutes 38 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an international theatrical trailer (3 minutes 16 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), a U.S. theatrical trailer (1 minute 39 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an appreciation by the academic and Australian cinema specialist Stephen Morgan titled Perfect Strangers (17 minutes 51 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an new presentation of a 2004 interview with producer Antony I Ginnane titled Lightning Strikes (4 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), ‘Not Quite Hollywood' interview with Antony I Ginnane (10 minutes 51 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actor Michael Murphy (20 minutes 40 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actress Fiona Lewis Lasting Bonds (10 minutes 18 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actress Dey Young titled An Actor’s Dream (15 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), Podcasting After Dark: Dan Shor, excerpts from a career-spanning audio interview (13 minutes 7 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an extensive interview with Dan Shor titled A Very Delicious Conversation with Dan Shor (44 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with special make-up effects artist Craig Reardon titled The Effects of ‘Strange Behavior’ (20 minutes 45 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an isolated score track, an archival audio commentary with director Michael Laughlin, and filmmaker David Gregory, an archival audio commentary with screenwriter Bill Condon and Dan Shor and Dey Young, and an 80-page book with cast & crew information, an essay titled Rockin’ and Reelin’ in Auckland New Zealand written by Paul Duane, an exclusive extract from producer Antony I Ginnane’s unpublished memoirs, an archival interview with Michael Laughlin titled Strange Creator conducted by Alan Jones, an archival interview with Michael Murphy conducted by Vadim Rizov, an archival interview with composers Tangerine Dream titled Electronic Music Pioneers Want You to Get the Message, and information about the restoration.

Summary:

Strange Behavior was the directional debut of Michael Laughlin, who is most known for producing The Whisperers and Two-Lane Blacktop. He directed only two other films, Strange Invaders and Mesmerized. The former, along with Strange Behavior, was part of a "strange"-themed trilogy of films; the third film was never made. Strange Behavior was written by Bill Condon, who would become a director known for Sister, Sister; Gods and Monsters; and Dream Girls.

Scientists in a rural town where nothing out of the ordinary happens conduct controversial medical experiments that are turning the teenagers into murderers.

Although the premise and vibe of Dead Kids is an homage to 1950s horror films, another influence is the 1980s slasher film. The opening setup does an excellent job drawing you in with a sequence where someone murders a teenager while his parents are away. This sequence shows the carnage that unfolds via the victim's and the killers' shadows on the wall. Instead of going the graphic route right out of the gate, Dead Kids deceptively shoots the scene like a film from the 1950s would. That said, when it comes to the later kill scenes, they are more graphic and hold nothing back.

While the influence of the slasher film is evident in the killings, Dead Kids distinguishes itself from other films of the era by revealing the killers' identities. Besides the horror genre, there are a multitude of other genres at play throughout Dead Kids. These genres are science fiction, melodrama, and thriller, making Dead Kids a well-blended melting pot where everything perfectly comes together.

Dead Kids excels in its casting, and overall, the performances are exceptional. The most notable performance is Fiona Lewis (The Fury) in the role of Gwen Parkinson; her character is carrying on her mentor's experiments. She delivers a sinister performance that serves as an homage to the 1950s mad scientist character. Another performance of note is Dan Shor (TRON) in the role of Pete Brady, the sheriff's son. Notable cast members include Michael Murphy (Count Yorga, Vampire), Louise Fletcher (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest), Jim Boelsen (The Curious Case of the Campus Corpse), Dey Young (Rock ‘n’ Roll High School), and Marc McClure, who is most remembered as Jimmy Olson from Christopher Reeve's Superman films.

While watching Dead Kids, you notice nothing about it that indicates it's an Australian film that was shot in New Zealand. In fact, Dead Kids does a remarkable job creating a Midwestern setting that is utterly convincing. Another area where Dead Kids delivers and then some is Tangerine Dream’s (Thief) mood-reinforcing score and an exemplary soundtrack of rock songs, notably Lou Christie’s Lightning Strikes, which plays during a costume party. Ultimately, Dead Kids does a phenomenal job drawing you and holding your attention, and most importantly, it is a lot of fun.

Dead Kids gets an excellent release from Powerhouse Films, highly recommended.

Note: This release is a limited edition of 10,000 numbered units (6,000 4K UHDs and 4,000 Blu-rays) for the UK and US.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer