User reviews

A young man is building a large sand castle, and a young woman playing beach volleyball nearby takes a liking to him, and they begin dating. He lives with his parents, who are frustrated by how he doesn't do they things they ask, but they still love him. He works as a dishwasher, and at some point at been in group therapy at a hospital. He takes Thorazine, but he's run out of it.

He has a number of fantasies, often sexual. Some of them are nice, but in some he rapes and kills. He starts having hallucinations and dreams that are disturbing. His relationship was going well, until some of his problems start affecting him, and his girlfriend gets scared. For example, he's had a recurring nightmare about a hand emerging from the sand castle, and when he sees his girlfriend working on the castle on her own, he's afraid for her, and tackles her. He grows angrier and more violent.

Kind of a sad movie, in a way, since you're watching someone's life and mind deteriorate for lack of the right help. There are a fair number of icky horror effects, like melting hands, floating eyeballs, alien facehuggers, and so on - all things in his mind. There are a couple relationship montage-to-music scenes that detract a bit from the movie for the sheer cheesiness of the music.

I don't think The Disturbance deserves the high rating it's got because for the most part, it's very boring. There's more sex scenes and breasts than any regular horror flick and little violence or gore. The beginning is extremely cheesy as we see the main star falling in love, complete with cheesy music. I fast forwarded through most of these parts. He starts acting weirder and weirder as time goes on until his girlfriend says she's had enough. There is really only one part that I thought was excellent in this film and that's when the police burst into the home where the guys parents are sitting down for dinner. The parents haven't a clue what's been going on, and the man sits in the bathroom and slits his wrists. I thought this was very well done and believable, especially seeing the shock on the parents faces. The film starts to look sort of "good" after this, as the man is put in hospital and we realise what's actually been going on, and why there was a distinct lack of gore and murders. The trouble is, it comes far too late to save the film - by this time you will be bored to death. The concept is good and it's a good look at insanity, but it should have been more interesting from the beginning.

I wouldn't recommend this unless you're into films that take a peek at mental illness and insanity. It's not really for horror fans.

So many negative reviews about this flick so it was time for me to give it a try. Especially when you know that the director Cliff Guest made a famous videoclip in 1986, Madonna's True Blue. He moved further to direct a lot of clips but he also made a few flick, let this one his first and it shows that he has the acknowledge of making a flick. I mean, the use of zoom and editing, it do works.

But for many it's all too cheesy. In some ways it is, the monsters that our schizo is seeing are indeed a bit cheesy but for me it all fits perfectly. With his sick mind he think every girl is going to strip for him and that's what they do throughout the whole movie, gratuitous nudity, in some way yes and no.

But the sickness in his mind do offer a few killings, not that bloody or so but due the way it's shot it do gives it a disturbing feeling. Some viewers will find it boring, maybe the sound could have been better but I liked it. It's not a classic but the acting from almost all first time thespians is above mediocre. The title is what it's all about and does show it in a cheesy and disturbing (slo-mo of shot in the head) way.

Gore 1/5 Nudity 2/5 Effects 2/5 Story 2,5/5 Comedy 0/5

I Bet You Had No Idea that "The Disturbance" a full featured Indie Movie made by a group of Talented South Florida Filmmakers in the Early 1990's was the First, and still, Only, Motion Picture of its kind. Edited and re-edited as, a World Wide Theatrical Released Horror Feature, and a Highly Acclaimed, Educational Docudrama about a young man suffering from Schizophrenia. One Version Edited for two distinctly different markets. Never before or since, has a film had such a……… Split Personality!

It is true; this movie is shallow at times, even A little corny at times, but upon closer inspection and due diligence, here is what I found out!

After researching this film more closely, I have discovered the Following:

The actor playing the leads Mother, (Clay's Mom), is the One and Only... Carole Garlin, real life mother of Jeff Garlin, Co-Executive Producer and Co-Star of HBO's Hit Comedy, "Curb your Enthusiasm". Jeff is also a member of Stand-Up Comedy's "In Crowd", and stars with Eddie Murphy in "Daddy Day Care" as well as dozens of Leno and Letterman walk-ons and TV Appearances Galore...

I wonder if Jeff has ever seen the movie. Especially, the controversial Shower Scene between Mother and Son? Wow....Now, that is just plain crazy film making. And years before Quentin Tarrintino!

The Girlfriend, played by newcomer, Lisa Geoffrion, (Now deceased), was the real life daughter of Hockey Great, Boom Boom Geoffrion.

The Films Visionary and Executive Producer, Ron Cerasuolo, was the originator of the idea behind the Billion Dollar, "Planet Hollywood" Theme Restaurant Concept (People, April 1991). Ron is also leading the development of "Class Action TV" a revolutionary concept in Network Television , giving "Power back to the People" and Entertaining them at the same time!

"The Disturbance", was one of the first Indie Films made and distributed, years before Independent Films were the Rage.

In Fact, the Docudrama, "What's Wrong with the Neighbors Son?" was the originally titled 1989 film, by which "The Disturbance" was created.

"What's Wrong with the Neighbor's Son?" was an educational film about the horrors of the real-life disorder, Schizophrenia, which has won World Wide Acclaim and Endorsements from Harvard, Yale, Cornell, Notre Dame, Oxford, UCLA, USC, John Hopkins, Stony Brook, Hofstra, Stanford, West Point, the AMA, NAMI, NIMH, 2 Surgeon Generals, Governors, Senators, even President's Bush, Bush and Clinton, as well as numerous accolades from both the NY and Chicago Film Festivals and, as stated above, is the Only film of its kind that has ever been released as both a Medical Documentary and a Full Feature "Horror" Film, simultaneously!

Now, after all of that, don't you feel that this History Making, Indie, Break-Through, Motion Picture, deserves another look? "I certainly think it does"...........! I give it an A+

I was originally alerted to the existence of this film when I read a review by Film Director, Quentin Tarantino, where he said, that strictly as a horror film coming out in 1990, The Disturbace ranked highly on his top ten list.... End of Story. I purchased the newer DVD Re-Release, 2005 Rareflix, and agree completely with Mr. Tarantino. Yes, there is nudity, but there is also a great psychological horror story at work here. One of the characters I loved so much was that of the Mother, played by Carol Garlin, Real Life Mother to Comedian and star of "Curb Your Entusiasum, Jeff Garlin. The Special make-up effects where also quite horrific, made by Barry Anderson, Tom Savini's understudy and make-up artist for "The UnHoly" and "Dawn of the Dead".

I recommend this film for anyone that loves independent horror movies without all of the computer graphics, as so many use today. Very few films from this truly independent era, low budget, but with stunning visual effects throughout. My fav effect was the Gun Shot to the Head scene, it is flawless and way ahead of its time... 10 Stars all the way...

I have seen a multitude of films of the serial killer genre, but never have I had the privilege of viewing these very sick persons from the inside out. Before watching "The Disturbance", I was under the assumption that all serial killers were evil, but since viewing this film, I am able to empathize with their distorted perspective. "The Disturbance" is the first film I have seen that allows you to truly enter the mind of these out of control killers, allowing me to better understand why they do what they do, and through a better, more scientific understanding, I feel better prepared to shoulder my part of the responsibility. Most of these killers are very sick people whom suffer from severe forms of mental illness, such as schizophrenia. In January, 2000, the Surgeon General of the United States issued a 473 page report on the Mentally Ill in America, stating that one out of every five Americans suffers from severe mental illness. This was very shocking news indeed, making it even more important to see "The Disturbance" The film also portrays many of the warning signs that lead up to these mentally ill persons to explode and further exemplifies how society shrugs its head and turns its back on these poor souls until they or one of their loved ones becomes the next victim. We have seen an epidemic of teen violence as well as incident after incident of this uncontrolled rage, culminating in many innocent victims suffering the consequences. This film is a must see for anyone who values their life as well as the safety of their family and friends, in that it is a wake up call to pay attention of your surroundings and presents a solid foundation in which to take the appropriate action in the event of a close encounter with the likes of the next Manson, Berkowitz, Dahmner, Weston, Ramirez, Gacy and Bundy. Oh yes, I almost forgot, "The Disturbance" is based on a true story, of one serial killer that still remains at large...for all you know it could be your nice next door neighbor or you child's teacher. Watch the film and get a real education, I certainly did...not to mention adding additional home security just in case....?

It's good to see that violence towards women, stereotyping of the mentally ill and animal abuse are all still alive and well in this cult classic. Touted as one of Tarrantinos' favs, this is a great flick to watch at home on a rainy night with a box of popcorn and a beer. Director Cliff Guest did a great job of making this film in a time when independent films were hip and not trash shot by some idiot sporting a camcorder from Walmart and calling it art.

There's a real story here, with fairly decent acting, good direction and cool special effects, the best of which is the main actor, Clay, getting shot in the head, on camera, in agonizing slow motion, at the end of the movie.

If you get a chance, and love B horror flicks, make sure to check this one out. It's still available and worth the $4.99 that I paid for it.