Brotherhood I and Brotherhood II are both available seperately in a no-frills DVD edition. But the Special Edition Double Feature disc includes both films in their widescreen format (approx. 2:35) and has a commentary track on both films featuring DeCoteau who is joined by actor Bradley Stryker on Brotherhood I. It's fun to hear all the behind-the-scenes secrets on low-budget movies like these. The disc also features a small photo gallery and trailers for both films.

The disc isn't mastered all that well ( digital artifacts are visible in some scenes) Still, it's well worth the price. If you're a fan of Davis DeCoteau's other films (I highly reccomend the lunar edition DVD of Voodoo Academy) you're sure to love these!

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The plot of "The Brotherhood" is your relatively standard modern T&A (in this case, P&A--and I'm thinking pecs) horror movie, but without the sex or any significant amounts of blood. It takes place at a college where one frat is high above the others. What is it about the frat and its members that make it so special is the core "mystery", although hardly a compelling one by any means. The college seems to exist in a time and place of its own with no real town nearby.

Into this setting come two freshmen roommates, Chris (Nathan Watkins) and Dan (Josh Hammond). Chris is your standard issue jock and Dan is your standard issue geek. If you've seen any horror movies from the 80s or 90s, you know the pair. There is an air of sexual tension between the two in the filmmaking, but the movie takes great care to establish that the boys are straight and both interested (kinda) in Megan (Elizabeth Bruderman), one of the few girls on campus. Dan desperately wants to belong, Chris has no interest in being part of the crowd. Chris becomes seduced by Devon, the charismatic president of the top frat. (I base the assessment of the character solely on the mechanics of the plot and not on Bradley Stryker's self-conscious acting.) It is up to Dan to save his friend/roommate. It's a by-the-numbers affair with nothing to make to stand out.

Nathan Watkins is attractive (DeCoteau's camera lingers on his scantily-clad body many times) and his acting is adequate. Josh Hammond gives an animated performance, perhaps too lively. His eyes dart about constantly and his head always seems to be in motion. At least he looks alive, which is more than can be said of some of the other performers. Of the lot, his is the most appealing and interesting performances. He could have a solid future in sitcoms and light comedies if he keeps working.

The script is perfunctory at best. The filmmaking matches the script step-for-step. (That's not a compliment.) There were many cases where I wanted DeCoteau to pull his camera back. He seems to favor close ups, not giving his actors much room within the frame to move. It becomes very claustrophobic, and when combined with some choppy editing, there are times when it becomes very difficult to follow the action.

"Young Warlocks"--Okay, we all know that sequels tend to be lame. This one is no exception. Unfortunately, it's a lame sequel to a lame movie. Talk about the law of diminishing returns.

Producer/director David DeCoteau and screenwriter Matthew Jason Walsh reunite for the second installment of their Brotherhood series. However, other than recycled sets and recycled themes, there is nothing to connect this movie to "The Brotherhood"--except actor Forrest Cochran who is theoretically playing the same character, but as I don't remember the character at all in the first movie, it's hard to call it a true connection.

To be fair, the underlying premise of this installment is slightly stronger than the first, even if it isn't related, and the plot is a little more interesting. However, the execution is weaker. The acting never rises above adequate, with only Sean Ferris exhibiting any real charisma. This is unfortunate, as the whole point of the character Luc is supposed to be his incredible charisma, and Forret Cochran doesn't have the presence to pull it off.

This time, the story takes place at a private high/prep school, although it appeared to me to be the same location on which the original was shot. The student body is keep in a perpetual state of anxiety by a quartet of shirtless bullies. Three outsiders are the primary focus of the bullies. New student Luc arrives and offers the outsiders a way to get even which involves swimming in their boxer briefs and sitting in a satanic circle while wearing boxer briefs.

The quotient of screen time of guys in boxer briefs is higher than the first, and there are two female quasi-leads, doubling the number from the previous installment. The camera work and the editing is slightly better than the first, but there are still times when DeCoteau would better serve his audience by pulling the camera back and using more fluid editing.

It's weak, but what truly appalled me was the amorality of the ending. As a reviewer, I don't think it's fair for me to give away the ending, and I won't, but I have to admit that it really angered me. Screenwriter Walsh hasn't thought through the ramifications of his characters' actions, and this left me quite annoyed.

In the orginigal pressings of these movies, the DVDs were in 1.33:1 screen aspct ratio. This pressing purports to be widescreen, which I suppose is a step up. Unfortunately, from my viewings, seeing more of the frame wouldn't improve the movies. The original pressings had no secondary audio tracks or extras. None are mentioned for this release either.

If you are considering purchasing this DVD because you are looking for a thriller with gay elements or a cheesy guilty pleasure, look elsewhere. The gay audience should put its money into movies with true gay content rather than settle for this weak tease. If you want thrillers with gay characters and gay themes, check out "In the Flesh" or the far better, and far more interesting "Rites of Passage." Neither of them have the occult overtones of the Brotherhood movies, nor is the nudity quotient quite as high, but they are far more interesting movies. If you want to look at young guys without their clothes on, I'm sure there are much better options.

(C)2001 Joe Edkin

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