Dead Kids (1981)

Dead Kids (1981)

[+]

(Foreign Titles)

Nomination Year: 1997

SYNOPSIS: Years ago, a mad scientist was conducting controversial mind-control experiments on college students. Luckily, the local sheriff put a stop to his misguided research, killing him in the process. But now it's starting all over again. A new (this time female) scientist is reopening the mad doctor's work -- and now the sheriff's son is unwittingly involved in the study. Just like before, seemingly ordinary people are exhibiting (*ahem*) "Disturbing Behavior," committing brutal murders with no motive and no recollection. But the female psychologist responsible is only the accomplice, not the mastermind. It turns out that the original mad doctor was not killed, but has lain in wait all these years, recuperating and perfecting his techniques, until he could gain his revenge against the sheriff who took away his woman, his work, and (almost) his life. And what better weapon of retribution than his own son?

Bryan Cassidy

Smithee Award Nominations

Deus Ex Machina

It's Kind of a Reverse-Vader/Luke Sorta Thing

The evil scientist has captured the sheriff, his arch-nemesis. Beaten and cuffed to a chair, the sheriff is powerless to do anything but watch as his own son is brought in, clearly in a deep trance-like state of mind control. The wheelchair-bound scientist exults about how the sheriff stole all that was precious to him: his woman, whom he loved and who once loved him, left him for the sheriff; his life's work, exposed and ruined by the sheriff; his health, robbed by the sheriff's bullet. Now the scientist gives the son a nasty-looking kitchen knife and issues the order: "Kill your father!" The young man hesitates, clearly struggling with the command. "I said KILL your FATHER!" he repeats. The son advances on the terrified and pleading sheriff with the knife. Suddenly, at the last second, he plunges the blade into the scientist's chest! "But...I said...kill your father!" he stammers. The young man's reply: "You ARE my father." Whoops. How embarrassing for everyone.

Sorry, this clip has not yet been made available!

Best One-Liner
She Attacked Me, But She Had a Great Personality A witness said the killer was a young, overweight female. At the police station, assistants are bringing armful after armful of file-folders -- dossiers on local teenage girls -- and dump them on the desk. Detective #1: "What are we gonna do with these?" Detective #2: "We're gonna find the FAT ones!"	Sorry, this clip has not yet been made available!

Directors

Director	Claim to Fame
Michael Laughlin

Cast

Actor	Character	Claim to Fame
Michael Murphy	John Brady	Usually plays the clean-cut political type; was the mayor in Batman Returns and Don Parker in Wes Craven's Shocker.
Louise Fletcher	Barbara Moorehead	Nurse Ratched in One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest; Kai Winn on "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." Anywhere you need a harder-than- nails, rod- up-the-posterior, officious bitch, Louise Fletcher will be there.
Dan Shor	Pete Brady	Billy the Kid in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure; Jonah Newman on "Cagney & Lacey."
Fiona Lewis	Gwen Parkinson	Once married to William Hayward, she was in Inner Space and The Fearless Vampire Killers.
Arthur Dignam	Dr Le Sange	Christian's father in Moulin Rouge.
Marc McClure	Oliver Myerhoff	Was Marty McFly's brother in Back to the Future and "Jimmy Olsen" in the original Superman flicks.


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