The Money Pit (1986)

"Ahh, home crap home!"

There's nothing quite like piling a whole ton of stress upon lovable characters and watching them fall apart for comedy value. All it took was a disasterous holiday to nearly smash up the Griswalds perfect relationship. A few days travelling home together for Thanksgiving to drive both Neal Page and Del Griffith to each others throats. The fun comes from seeing how far our fictional friends can be pushed before their limits of acceptance is reached and the gloves come off. Our empathy towards these characters is always strong; we don't really want to see them break up (or break each other up), as deep down the fears and anxieties that they have to go through are ones we will probably all have to deal with in real life, minus the hilarious consequences of course. Who hasn't had a holiday go pear shaped? Who hasn't had a lengthy trip home meet serious delays and frustration?

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The Kindred (1987)

"Some things are best left unborn"

Science and chemistry sets were all the rage when I was growing up. I remember the adverts on television and in toy magazines; kids with protective eye goggles and white coats on, moody lighting, the possibility of ground breaking discoveries just mere test tubes away... Me? I fancied myself as more the mad scientist type. What could be concocted with all these dangerous materials? Mutant monsters? An evil twin brother, perhaps? In the end I was lucky if I got some vinegar to fizz up with baking soda, but I blame the kit, not my lack of ability or imagination.

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