It's the story of Steve Clark (James Marsden), who moves to the small town of Cradle Bay with his family and attends a new school where trouble-making students are dealt with by an aggressive brain-washing technique that turns them into really helpful over-achieving students. From there, you can probably guess the rest: new student falls afoul of the powers that be, is taken by authorities to be "dealt with," and throws a wrench into the whole operation. Car chase, blow something up, weak attempt at a twist ending.

"Disturbing Behavior" (1998) was directed by David Nutter, perhaps best known for his helming of numerous episodes of "The X-Files" but also a veteran of such other series as "Millennium," "Roswell," "Sleepwalkers," and "Space Above and Beyond." In addition to Marsden, the film stars Katie Holmes, Nick Stahl, Steve Railsback, Bruce Greenwood, William Sadler, and others.

It was a second-choice film for me when I first saw it; hey, how was I to know "Saving Private Ryan" would be sold out? And though "Behavior" proved to be no Oscar contender, it did turn out to be a slickly produced little by-the-numbers picture, not crude at all. It's worth slumming a little to enjoy it.

| Visit the official "Disturbing Behavior" site. | Here are a couple fan sites: One; Two |

Some other SF films to note on TV this week: "Dark City," 11:20 p.m. Wednesday on Encore; "Lost in Space," 8:00 p.m. Thursday on Starz; "The Road Warrior," 8:00 p.m. Thursday on Encore; "The Abyss," 8:00 p.m. Thursday on Sci-Fi; "The Faculty," 8:00 p.m. Friday on Showtime; "The Shadow," 8:00 p.m. Friday on Encore; "The Day the Earth Stood Still," 2:00 a.m. Saturday on AMC; "Tales from the Crypt Presents Bordello of Blood," 2:00 p.m. Saturday on Comedy Channel; and "Wishmaster," 9:00 p.m. Saturday on Sci-Fi.

In other news and views...

Reader Mail: Fowler Jones writes regarding last week's "X-Files" season seven episode review: "Just for the record, the small town you referred to in the episode 'Fight Club' was supposed to be Kansas City. Perhaps you knew that. Since the TV Barn Web site is run by a Kansas City TV critic, perhaps it was just as well that the Kansas City reference was omitted. We certainly have our share of idiots running around town, but there are plenty of smart folks too. Perhaps Aaron could devote a column to all the references made to Kansas City on TV over the years that haven't done the city justice? I think our community ranks second only to Cleveland as being the most undesirable destination. It's the TV equivalent to the Russian front on Hogan's Heroes. <grin> Anyway, it's only a Fox network show. I'm sure when there's a Kansas City reference on PBS, it's done in the best possible light. Ha!" Don't feel too bad; I'm sure Milwaukeeans still groan with every "Laverne and Shirley" repeat. Critics have noted in the past that "The X-Files" has a consistently negative way of dealing with any city not frequented by the coast-hopping TV geeks. Remember the episode in which a Minneapolis police officer told the "X-Files'" FBI agents that people in Minneapolis still leave their doors unlocked? And smaller towns are treated with incredible disdain, populated by rubes and every Bible-thumping stereotype Central Casting can provide. Does Chris Carter ever get out of LA?
Cinescape and TV Guide report that there will be no "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" film, at least not while the series is still in production.. "Buffy" TV series creator Joss Whedon reportedly can't give a film the necessary attention while still shepherding the "Buffy" series and its spinoff "Angel." He did have one intriguing quote: "If I make a movie of 'Buffy,' it's going to be because I have a story that can't be told on television. It would have to be after the show, a la 'Star Trek,' in the future." Of course, don't forget that "Buffy" began as a mediocre film that had a lukewarm reception; it was an unlikely candidate for promotion to a television series, but Whedon gets credit for taking a mishmash of a film and making a viable series out of it.

This week's episodes

All times Eastern. Syndicated episodes are sometimes shown in different weeks in different locations, so your local broadcast may, naturally, differ.

Angel
WB, 9 p.m. Tuesdays; David Boreanaz, Seth Green, and Charisma Carpenter
June 6: In "I Fall to Pieces," a crazy doctor is stalking a woman. The doc has, um, amazing controls over his body parts. (Repeat)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
WB, 8 p.m. Tuesdays; Sarah Michelle Gellar, Alyson Hannigan, Nicholas Brendon, Charisma Carpenter, David Boreanaz, Kristine Sutherland, and Anthony Stewart Head; official site
June 6: In "Goodbye Iowa," Adam escapes from the Initiative and wreaks havoc, which is what all monsters do. At the same time, Riley falls apart. (Repeat)

Cleopatra 2525
Syndicated; Gina Torres, Victoria Pratt, Jennifer Sky, Patrick Kake, Danielle Cormack, Joel Tobeck
Week of June 6: "Run Cleo Run" (Repeat)

Earth: Final Conflict
Syndicated, Lisa Howard, Leni Parker, Von Flores, David Hemblen, Robert Leeshock, Richard Chevolleau, Anita LaSelva, Jayne Heitmeyer, Peter Krantz, Barna Moricz, Lindy Booth, Sten Eirik; official site
Week of June 6: "Emancipation" (Repeat)
Week of June 13: "Crackdown" (Repeat)
Week of June 20: "The Vanished" (Repeat)

Farscape
Sci-Fi, 9 p.m. Fridays; Ben Browder, Lani John Tupu, and Virginia Hey; official site
June 9: Preempted
June 16: In "Home on the Remains," Chaina's planet is visited in an attempt to find food for Zhaan, who, being vegetable, is kinda food herself, no? No. Anyway, Chiana meets with a less-than-friendly reception.
June 23: "Dream a Little Dream"
June 30: Preempted

First Wave
Sci-Fi, 7 p.m. Sundays; Sebastian Spence and Roger Cross; official site
June 11: In "Red Flag," Cade Foster investigates an alien plan to infiltrate the military.
June 18: "The Heist"
June 25: "Ohio Players"

Futurama
Fox, 7:00 p.m. Sundays; Billy West, Lauren Tom, John Di Maggio, and Katey Sagal; official site
June 11: In "Mars University," Fry goes back to school and his roommate is a talking monkey. Bender, meanwhile, goes on a bender. (Repeat)

Lexx
Sci-Fi, 10 p.m.; Xenia Seeberg.
June 9: Preempted
June 16: "791"
June 23: "Norb"
June 30: Preempted

Outer Limits
Showtime, 11:30 p.m. Fridays
June 9: Preempted.
June 16: "Stasis" (Repeat)
June 23: "Down to Earth" (Repeat)

Roswell
WB, 9:00 p.m. Mondays; Jason Behr, Shiri Appleby, Brendan Fehr, and Katherine Heigl
June 12: In "285 South," Maria and Michael head to Texas to look for a dome Michael's dreamed about. Others pursue. (Repeat)

Seven Days
UPN, 8 p.m. Wednesdays; Jonathan LaPaglia, Don Franklin; official site
June 7: "Sister's Keeper" (Repeat)
June 14: In "The Collector," a backstep boo-boo lets a serial killer escape execution and resume his serial killing. (Repeat)
June 21: "Love and Other Disasters" (Repeat)

Stargate SG-1
Showtime, 10 p.m. Fridays; official site
June 9: Preempted
June 16: In "Crystal Skull," the Stargaters try to get help from Jackson's grandfather. (Repeat)
June 23: "Nemesis" (Repeat)

Star Trek: Voyager
UPN, 9 p.m. Wednesdays; Kate Mulgrew, Robert Beltran, Roxann Dawson, Robert Duncan McNeill, Ethan Phillips, Robert Picardo, Tim Russ, Jeri Ryan, and Garrett Wang. official site
June 7: "Dragon's Teeth" (Repeat)
June 14: In "One Small Step," Chakotay, Seven of Nine, and Paris search for a manned Mars probe that disappeared three centuries earlier. (Repeat)
June 21: The Voyager crew finds quaintness and quaint problems when they create a holosuite of an idyllic Irish town known as "Fair Haven." (Repeat)

Xena: Warrior Princess
Syndicated, Lucy Lawless, Renee O'Connor, Bruce Campbell, official site
Week of June 6: "Punch Lines" (Repeat)
Week of June 13: "God Fearing Child" (Repeat)
Week of June 20: "Eternal Bonds" (Repeat)

The X-Files
Fox, 9 p.m. Sundays; David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Mitch Pileggi; official site
June 11: In "Amazing Maleeni," a magician is murdered, or is he? Or did he twist his head around 360 degrees one time too may? (Repeat)

"So, in the middle of the press conference, someone called out, 'Mr. Bradbury, have you seen "The Martian Chronicles"; what did you think of it?' And I said, "Boring.'"
—Ray Bradbury, recalling the mini-series of his "Martian Chronicles" classic, in SFX (May 2000)