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.

Luckily we had plenty of mad scientists in the movies to keep us going. Nothing said 'bad idea' more than a secret, experimental science lab, especially one that was hidden far away from the prying eyes of responsible people who might be able to save you when it all turns to shit. It was a common theme throughout the 80's, and one that I have yet to grow tired of. The Kindred kicks off with renowned physicist Amanda Hollins (Kim Hunter, Bad Ronald, Planet of the Apes) awakening from a three year coma to urge her son John (David Allen Brooks, Manhunter) to go to her old home in the country, find her secret lab and destroy all her old work and notes. She also drops the bombshell that he has a half brother by the name of Anthony (played by 200lbs of latex and foam rubber), born out of science, who is possibly still alive. However, her noticeably evil ex-science partner, Dr. Lloyd (hammed up by veteran Rod Steiger) wants all the notes himself to help him continue his sinister experiments.

Shortly after Amandas death, John arrives out at the old farmhouse with an entourage of lab geeks, including his girlfriend Sharon (Talia Balsam, The Supernaturals, Crawlspace), and mysteriously sultry Melissa (Amanda Pays, Leviathan, Max Headroom). It doesn't take them long to find his mothers notes, including tape recordings of her humming lullabies. It's not just old ladies and tape recorders though; just what is it that is moving beneath the floorboards? And what was that tentacled thing that killed the dog? Surely Anthony isn't some kind of hideously deformed monster lurking inside the house? It turns out that Dr. Lloyd has been paying ambulance drivers to bring him braindead victims to further his gooey experiments, and has blackmailed Melissa into bringing back Anthony to his own lab for study. But even Dr. Lloyd can't fathom how mutated Anthony is at this stage, and the scene is set for some serious FX work and gloop.

If the plot sounds a bit ragged, well, that's because it is. Five writers and two directors brought this one to the screen, and it shows. The film has a very uneven pacing, and some issues never get resolved/mentioned again. After the initial disturbing scenes in Dr. Lloyds lab, we never get to see any of his mutant creations afterwards. Same goes for the hippy chick who has one of the most memorable deaths in the whole film. She is never mentioned by any of the other characters after she disappears. Even Amandas death is breezed over. How Anthony has avoided discovery over all these years is a bit of a head scratcher, as is why the characters are quite oblivious to the obvious red flags that continuously pop up around them. It smacks of a film that probably had a bunch of material dropped in post, and these trimmed moments might have helped with the pacing issues. But...

...the film really is quite entertaining. Once it gets going it rattles along, and rarely will you get bored during its 91 minute running time. The film has some fantastic moments, such as the hippy/watermelon/car death mentioned above. It really needs to be seen. Dr. Lloyds lab is creepy enough, what with the strange mutant thing wailing on the operating table. That moment made my cat freak out, so I can only assume they were using real animal distress sounds in the mix. The moment where a randy lab student kisses Melissa is unusual; it had a creepy tone to it that makes sense much later on. Other highlights include the delightfully gross transformation of Melissa into the fish/human hybrid, which explains how Dr Lloyd was able to blackmail her. Anthony himself certainly isn't camera shy, and puts in many appearances throughout. The practical special effects look great, as they should in a horror film as late as 1987. Some of the creatures are huge, on the scale of FX work from such classics as The Thing. While they never look quite as good as that particular film, they are pretty solid. Despite all the special effects, the film isn't as gory as you might imagine. More icky, I guess. They really do save the best for last, though, as the finale goes full tilt on the latex and KY Jelly.

The cast do an admirable job of keeping the momentum going, with David Allen Brooks making a likable enough lead. Kim Hunter only has a few minor scenes at the start, unfortunately, but Rod Steiger chews on everything he is given. Equally interesting is Amanda Pays who is spot on as the sexy British tease. Directed by both Stephen Carpenter and Jeffrey Obrow, having the two behind the camera isn't actually that surprising, especially when you see that they both co-directed several other notable horror films, including The Dorm that Dripped Blood and The Power. They do an OK job at holding the film together, but as mentioned before, the film feels like it has been fiddled with in post. They certainly know how to shoot FX sequences, anyway.

The film has struggled to get a legit digital release for years now, and hopefully Synapse can get the rights issues sorted out at some point in the near future. It is never quite in the same league as the mastery of The Fly, Re-Animator or From Beyond, but the film can certainly hold its own in the entertainment stakes. It's perfect for late night showings, and I can imagine it playing well with the beer-and-pizza brigade. Definitely one that is ripe for re-discovery. Lets just hope they keep the UK VHS cover for the re-release!