The Kindred

This film is not the best around but is certainly worth a watch. The monster itself is very cool, it is like a hybrid of Alien and the monster from The Suckling. In fact the reason I got this film is because it looked similar to The Suckling. The story and characters take a while to develop which does get a bit boring, and it takes a while before the monster arrives on the scene. But it's worth the wait. The bit where the monster pokes a claw through the floorboards and the dog starts barking at it had me in hysterics. Rod Steiger, who was another reason I got this film (I thought he was amazing in American Gothic) was OK but not up to his usual standards. There's some cool special effects like when the monster pokes one of its tentacles through the skin of a woman, but they are used very little.

The Kindred is just a monster movie-no more, no less. While not being Rod Steiger's finest moment (or wig), it does offer up a slim bit of originality. Steiger plays a mad scientist (what other kind are there?) who is searching for a genetically altered monster, Anthony. Also searching for Anthony are a group of 20-something medical students and one of them could be related him; Hence the title. Then it becomes a formulaic slasher movie with the kids being attacked one by one. It's pretty much downhill from there. The scenes in Steiger's lab are the eeriest and the movie should have spent more time there. The climax stands out and the acting is not bad considering two Academy Award winning "screen legends" were conned into starring in it.

After three years in a coma, Amanda Hollins awakens and tells her son, John. To destroy her life experiments and any information found in her secluded old house. He heads there with his girlfriend, some work colleagues and one of his mother's admirers. They eventually discover more then what they bargain for, as some of his mother's genetic engineered creations run amok.

I thought I've seen this one before, but I was wrong. This modest combination of 50's sci-fi / horror goes onto deliver a undervalued oddity, with a tip-top ensemble cast and sure-handling from dual directors Jeffrey Obrow and Stephen Carpenter. Suspense is lacking because the minimal story is just too typical and shredded with loopholes, but it's the surprisingly efficient make-up effects, which are over-the-top and horrifically creative that makes for a pleasurable treat. The excessive use of this icky business in some wicked (and at times silly) set pieces is the film's only real imaginative bone. A quick tempo, builds up after a slow opening and the shocks are well placed for maximum effect. Be it a laugh or a gasp. The material mostly plays it with a straight face, with slight slabs of humour and Rod Steiger's small meaty turn. The composed performances (with Steiger being the exception) are reasonably good from the cast. David Allen Brooks is likable in his steadfast delivery and the ravishing Amanda Pays shines in her shifty portrayal. Talia Balsam gives hearty support and Peter Frechette diverts. The classy Kim Hunter also gets some minor scenes as Amanda Hollins. Obrow and Carpenter's directorial style is systematically sturdy without an ounce of any visual flourishes. The look of the film generates a gloomy air, mainly due to Steven Carpenter's murky photography and dim lighting. David Newman's moody, understated music score is fairly unnoticeable.

Okay, first and foremost, let me take my pants off. Just kidding... No, First and foremost, this film will delight you ONLY if you are a real fan of films described in my summary above. It is ULTRA low budget, but you really have to admire how well they did with what they had. I thought for very low cost creature effects, the creators / directors of the film did an excellent job in making them as believable as possible and actually truly scary at times. You could tell that the directors had a nice natural sense of how to visualize what they wanted; for example, without giving too much away, just the simple scene with the little guy in the jar was really quite good. When compared to MANY other similar scenes in Horror or even Goofy, NOT-Serious Horror (A La 'GREMLINS', for example) where you would use similar effects, I really felt that they made it very believable and lifelike, which went a LONG way in involving and truly immersing you more in the film.

Sure, as some others have stated here, there are some pretty Cheeeeeeezy moments, but even compared to MOST of the Horror crap that has come out during that time and even within, say, ten years of this being made, I think this one very much holds it's own in drawing the audience in and creating a decent level of tension. There are also a nice twist or two that adds to the entertainment value of the movie. One transformation scene, which I WON'T go into because I do not want to enter Spoiler territory, was honestly quite effective and well done, despite some of the scornful comments from a couple of other reviewers here.

The acting is nothing to get too excited about; we don't see very much from the veterans here, except the usual Rod Steiger getting worked up to either an orgasm or heart attack, take your choice... I personally liked Brad though; he had a rather entertaining personality. Everyone else was adequate; the British girl was decent, of course the accent (to us easily impressed Americans) always helps.

I'm NOT trying to say that this is by ANY reach of the imagination an 'ALIEN', 'SESSION 9', or 'EVENT HORIZON', believe me; but for the modest intent of the film and for PRECISELY what it is, it comes across surprisingly well. So, like I mentioned before, IF you are indeed a fan of these kinds of films, then you should have a lot of fun watching it...

Another "When science goes bad" themed b-movie film about a son who discovers the extent of his mothers experiments and the creature that lives within the bowels of her home.

Truth be told The Kindred has some good ideas, some of the practical effects are great and it's not entirely awful. Sadly on the flip side it's not very well made, for every decent sfx there is a poor one and the characters are instantly forgettable.

The Kindred is one of those very few films I'd like to see a reboot of, or at least modern sequel. The potential is there, it just needs a budget and a decent team to put all the pieces together.

In it's current form The Kindred is a barely passable effort that I'd advise only big fans of the genre give time to.

The Good:

Some great practical effects

A few good ideas

One decent death scene

The Bad:

Some poor practical effects

Weak construction

Doesn't meet its potential

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Had Japan made this film it would have been an entirely different movie, you know......the tentacles!