Based on the Jack Horrigan play "Children! Children!", this was filmed in 1985, one of Christian Slater's first movies, but not actually released (direct to video) until 1991, to capitalize on his growing popularity in movies like "Heathers" (where he also played a murderous psycho).
This was cinematographer Adam Holender's only film as a director (he photographed "Midnight Cowboy", and most recently, "Wide Awake", with the director of "Sixth Sense"). His co-writer and producer, Glenn Kersher, is also a cinematographer (currently working on HBO's "Oz", and NBC's "Third Watch").
Christian plays Mark, a 16 year-old who has trouble fitting into every new town his family moves to (a familiar concept if you saw "Pump Up the Volume"). In the opening scene, he is busy murdering his babysitter before his parents get home.
Although this is a low-budget film, it sports a grown-up cast. Lois Smith ("East of Eden", "5 Easy Pieces", and seen lately in "How to make an American Quilt" as the senior version of Samantha Mathis, coincidentally a frequent co-star of Slater's. She was also a publicity consultant on "All the President's Men", if you can trust the Internet Movie Database!) plays a neighbor of Mark's. Her character is a former psychiatric hospital resident, a sweet but mentally unbalanced woman who had accidentally gave her mother the wrong dosage of medication. Now rehabilitated, she dotes on Mark's younger sister, and volunteers to be her new babysitter.
Lois's sister and guardian is the town's wealthy scion, played by Dina Merrill. Dina is a distinguished actress, the daughter of E.F. Hutton, and the grandaughter of C.W. Post. With her husband, Ted Hartley, she runs legendary RKO pictures, which recently produced "Mighty Joe Young". She also hosted "Decor", a series on PBS.
Mark's mother is played by Tandy Cronin, the daughter of Hume Cronin and Jessica Tandy.
The sheriff stops by to investigate the murder of Mark's babysitter. He is played by J.C. Quinn, who was also in "At Close Range" and "The Preppie Murder", making him a veteran of Noëlle Parker movies! (If you saw "Primary Colors", he was the infamous "Uncle Charlie").
As a sure sign of his deranged mind, Mark listens to Hitler's speeches, eavesdrops on his family electronically, and goes to high school dressed as political commentator George F. Will.
Noëlle plays Jeanette, a voluptuous, no-nonsense high school girl, who sits in front of Mark in science class.
David, the school's sports hero, is punished for laughing inappropriately, and sentenced to sit next to Mark, who is busy on next year's assignment. This would seem like a boon to a poor student, and Noëlle watches Mark and starts taking notes. But as she starts to take a liking to David, Mark quietly uses his scientific expertise on David's right arm, ending his sports career "accidently".
Jeanette could care less about David's career, however, and they make plans to go out.
A sudden appearance by Mark disturbs their bliss. Jeanette blocks David's vision and changes the subject.
Mark works on his aggression with fencing exercises.
Little sister, don't you do what your big brother done!
David works out his frustration in a much different manner...
...but with little success. He can't get his rival out of his mind.
Jeanette figures out a way to get his mind off revenge...
...but not even showers are safe these days!
Jeanette seems better able to deal with her tormentors than David.
His thoughts turn increasingly violent, despite her counsel. She takes charge by offering to treat him to a night on the town.
Unfortunately, this only makes him feel more helpless and hemmed in.
Finally, nothing can stop him from confronting the "twisted" kid who crippled him. Usually, in these kinds of films, you tend to root for the psychotic killer vs. high school stereotypes like football jock David, but not in this case. Slater's character is far too contemptuous for the viewer to enjoy living vicariously through him.
The film's tagliine, "A Step Beyond Insanity", takes on new meaning in the last scene. David's murderous behaviour isn't just the result of mental illness (like Lois Smith's accidental killing), but a carefully tended obsession with history's greatest killers, whose speeches he carries around with him on a tape recorder, set to Wagnerian music. In a gruesome end sequence, David drops his reserve and reveals the demented range of his cruelty. Although the character is fairly one-dimensional, Slater's mesmerizing final outburst against the film's most vulnerable character raises it a notch above the usual slasher flick.
