The Kindred

I really enjoyed this movie. It has some really original special effects, i.e. "fish-woman". It has remained one of my favourites. The cast made up of mostly little known actors are all likeable, (even when being obnoxious) and the setting is not your usual sci-fi horror laboratory deal.

If you like a scare, I recommend it and if you do see it and like it you might want to try "From Beyond".

A man who's scientist mother recently died has been told that she created a genetically made baby brother named " Anthony" but it turns out that it's a fully grown mutant monster that murders people, only the man can stop this freak of nature.

Entertaining little flick with good acting and an OK plot, the creature itself looks a little H.R. Giger-esque, recommended if you like " Jurassic Park", " Species", "Resident Evil" and " From Beyond".

5/10.

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.

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!

Dying woman (Kim Hunter) tells her son (David Allen Brooks) to destroy all of her lab work and that he also had a brother. Brooks takes some of his friends, plus a mysterious woman (Amanda Pays) that claims to be a big fan of his mother's work, to mom's house. There they fall victim to a monster that his mom accidently created and that Rod Steiger is trying to capture for research. Scary film with an intense opening sequence and a good cast, especially Steiger and Pays. It also features some good nasty gross out special effects, especially the watermelon scene and the finale. A very underrated horror film.

Rated R; Graphic Violence and Profanity.