Genre: B Horror
Sub-category: Secret Society, Campus Thriller, Homoerotic
Setting: College Campus
Predictability: Predictable
Scare Factor: It sent a few chills down my spine
Gore Factor: Non-existent
Look-at-these: Lots of half naked men

Synopsis: Chris is new on campus and so is his roommate Dan. Chris appears to be the stereotypical jock with good looks and a perfect body, except that he doesn't drink and doesn't seem to be attracted to women. He abhors frats until he meets Devon -- the big man on campus. Chris is drawn into a brotherhood, not of raging keggers and promiscuous sex, but of vampiric behavior. Devon needs a new mortal vessel for the next 100 years and he wants it to be Chris. Can Dan and the beautiful young woman he's been courting save the day?

Title: The movie is about more than just a fraternity, it's about a brotherhood. The brothers will do anything to help each other, the very essence of a brotherhood. But these brothers go a little further and the bond lasts a lot longer.

Analysis: This is far from a typical vampire movie. There are fraternity pins instead of fangs. There are white boxers and leather pants instead of capes. There are no rules about sunlight or garlic. The Brotherhood brings the idea of the classical blood suckers into the twentieth century. I have to applaud Director David DeCoteua for trying to be original, but the plot as a whole is nothing overly intriguing or even frightening. There are a few suspenseful moments, but you always have some idea of what is going to happen.

The only thing new about this film is that there are no naked women, but lots of half naked men. (There is no actual nudity so don't get too excited) This extends the idea of bringing vampires into the twentieth century and perhaps reaches out to a new audience. The homoerotic thriller has become DeCoteau's trademark as he finds his niche within the B horror community. The cast is attractive, but relatively inexperienced. Samuel Page (credited as Nathan Watkins) is fun to look at, but barely convinces us that he even has a pulse. Josh Hammond is adequate as the introverted Dan. His crush on Megan (Elizabeth Bruderman) is either real or very convincing. Bruderman is sweet and sexy, so I'm guessing that it's real.

When I saw this movie on the shelf at Blockbuster, I thought it would be about a typical college fraternity with lots of half naked women. Not the case at all. There is only one female character in the entire movie but at least a half-dozen male characters that appear consistently. And they have absolutely no apprehensions about stripping down to their skibbies. Rather than wearing the traditional black robes during the transfer of souls, they are wearing white boxer briefs. This brings new meaning to casual dress.

Most horror movies involve a pure, virgin female. The Brotherhood continues along the aforementioned progressive track by utilizing a pure, virginal male (Chris). Horror films have long been known to serve up loads of bouncing boobs while hardly revealing an inch of male skin. DeCoteau attempts to fill-in this void that has left the female and gay male audiences with nothing. Some of the scenes I might even classify as homoerotic. If you have an aversion to watching lots of men then you might want to reconsider watching this movie. In a progressive society it was only a matter of time before such a movie came to the market.

Other than some pretty well done shots during the sacrifice scene, there is little to say about the cinematography or the special effects. Neither The Brotherhood nor its sequel boast any spectacular performances. The plot is what raises the film to above average in the end.

Final Comments: If you don't want to see a bunch of half naked men then I recommend skipping The Brotherhood. There is neither a portion of the film that is overly strong, nor one that is overly weak. (Except maybe the acting -- but hey, they're just supposed to look good, right?) I would have no trouble recommending this film with the above mentioned caveat. So, if you want some man flesh or a decent campus thriller then give it a watch.

Sequel: The Brotherhood 2 is also available at your local video store. This movie is targeted for essentially the same audiences and is just as ripe with half naked men. Update: The Brotherhood 3 is now available!

DeCoteau's Homoerotic Thrillers: The Brotherhood I, II, III, Leeches!, The Frightening, Voodoo Academy

DeCoteau's Non-Homoerotic Thrillers: Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama, Witchouse, Ancient Evil: Scream of the Mummy


Recommended:
Yes

Viewing Format: VHS
Video Occasion: Good Date Movie
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older