The Brotherhood (2001)

A confusing tale which confronts issues like popularity, and fitting into social groups... oh and some kind of vampire ritualism too. It's too easy to throw this movie straight in the Buffy/Dawsons Creek, bin... but hey, that's what the bin is there for! Teen acting is often a little on the stiff side, especially in a teen movie like this. Very little charisma, but a whole bag of enforced "cool", which they do quite well. There is a consistent street-wise-cum-spooky atmosphere, but also a gross inconsistency whereby these supposedly most popular guys in college are never seen to do anything in or around the college. Strange! We hear about their popularity and even good grades, but don't see any interaction at all! So a cool, likable individual (Chris), doesn't want to join a fraternity and become "Mr Popular" because that would make him un-cool and un-likable? His room-mate, "Who got thrown out of chess-club for being too geeky" would love to be "Mr Popular", and if he was would spend all his time doing really un-popular things to other people and school buildings! It's a teen movie... geddit?? The whole vampire idea is quite good, not a fang in sight, but a wickedly cool lair. Their catch phrase, "Blood Brothers", links well to the fraternity idea and their vampirical past-time. It's a well designed fantasy, and even a good story for teen vampire fans.But, and there's always a but, it doesn't quite hang together. Watching this movie leaves you feeling something is missing. Maybe that the college disappears as soon as the movie gets going, and then exists between Chris' bungalow and the Frat house itself. There is more than just a hint of Homo-eroticism, with the number of fit young men crawling around each other in their underwear. Hey, maybe all fraternities are like that? A little more than 'blood' brothers perhaps!! Whereas a little more female interaction would have made the film a tad more credible... even if the guys are all gay! Also, and probably most annoying was the lead female (Megan), who put on an especially grating, gravelly drawl of an accent, and managed to deliver all her lines slowly, without breaths, or even pauses between words. Ick! Maybe that's the only way she could come across as 'cool'... or was she 'uncool' being a psychology major and all. Oh, I give up! And finally, so it's a budget film, but did it have to end quite so abruptly and unspectacularly and uninterestingly? So, I'm now left with a shell of a film, that has a couple of good ideas, and does flow through to an albeit rather abrupt ending. This may be a favourite with some unquestioning young teenage girls... I'd say around 11 or 12years should do it! So how on earth did this flick get a 15 rating?? One thing is for sure, "Lost Boys" this ain't! I rated a "4"

This isn't the best of all of the horror movies that I have seen;I wouldn't even call it horror-more of a thriller-but it was good. A bit cheesy in some scenes,not very high-tech in the s/f/x department but worth a look. If your into hot, well-built guys and cute girls and movies without the gore, and some cool music(especially the ending credits),then this is your movie. Try it at least once. If you hate it then don't bother watching the other two with this title. If you like it and get over the low-tech s/f/x, then get or rent the sequels. This is truly a good movie and as the title of this comment states, its not the best but it is good and interesting and definitely the best of what David Decoteau has done before and to date.P.S.: I also own this movie and its sequels.

Considering the director of this film has over 20 features under his belt and the experience of working with B-Movie legend Linnea Quigley, you would think he could have handled this textbook campus thriller with a bit more competance. Before I go further I must make it clear that I only came into possesion of this film for free, saving it from the dustbin at work. Having now seen the film I think the bin would have been a merciful end for this low rent attempt. The characterisations are thin, the acting is forced and appalling, the production design is very limited, the party scenes don't have enough extras and the plot is a pastiche of the Lost Boys, The Skulls and Scream 2. The plot revolves around a group of quasi-vampires who aren't harmed by sunlight and don't actually kill anyone, so there is never any real threat. Also becoming part of the "Brotherhood" is never really that bad as you don't have to avoid sunlight, you can go to college for you're whole life and you get to suck the blood of lots of willing women. Did I mention that the love interest is pretty minging and the geeky best friend is an all too familiar cliche. A waste of money and time.

In this feeble horror tale Chris (Samuel Page as Nathan Watkins), a college student, is offered the chance to join an elite Fraternity by Devon (Bradley Stryker). Unknown to Chris this particular Fraternity happens to be the cover for a vampire coven.‘The Brotherhood' (known in the UK as ‘I've Been Watching You') is one of the worst movies I have ever had the displeasure to watch. With no real storyline, a poor script and dismal acting this movie appears to be nothing more than a softcore gay porn movie disguised as a supposedly stylish horror movie. If the homoeroticism served a purpose to the story then I would not be as unimpressed but there is nothing in here remotely resembling a horror movie. The story comes across as exactly what it is – a tacked on and meaningless narrative with no redeeming features.The homoeroticism is not what makes this movie dire, that dubious distinction belongs to the appalling story closely followed by the inept acting and the inexcusably bad script. Veteran director, David DeCoteau's direction was the only real highlight of this movie and even that seemed to be of a particularly low standard. While it may be nice for some to watch a bunch of college jocks wandering around with their shirts off, anybody who wants a half-decent story should look elsewhere. This movie is really nothing more than boring tripe! My rating for ‘The Brotherhood' – 2/10.