The Kindred

1987 "John's got a half brother... half human... half something else!"
5.6| 1h33m| R| en| More Info
Released: 09 January 1987 Released
Producted By: Kindred Limited Partnership
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Info

Amanda's deathbed request to her son, John, was for him to destroy all the lab notes etc. from her last experiment. She also blurts out he had a brother. At the funeral John meets Melissa, who claims to be his mother's biggest fan. Together with some of John's friends they go to Amanda's house, but none are prepared for what they find there.

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Director

Jeffrey Obrow, Stephen Carpenter

Production Companies

Kindred Limited Partnership

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The Kindred Audience Reviews

Stometer Save your money for something good and enjoyable
Exoticalot People are voting emotionally.
Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.
Lela The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.
maarck6 Storywise, this is a two tiered tale. The first dealing with Rod Steiger as a (very) mad scientist who is performing unholy genetic experiments with humans who have been kidnapped from automobile accidents, turning them into mad half-people half-something else (watch the movie and find out what). Meanwhile, John is a young doctor who is informed by his girlfriend that his mother has just come out of a three year coma after a heart attack.Unfortunately, she is also a mad scientist, but, having found her conscious, wants her son to go out to her house and destroy all her research and notes. Steiger, of course, takes umbrage to this, and wants to put the skids on this destruction. To help him, he plants Melissa, who is a spy, in John's camp.John takes Melissa, his girlfriend, and some friends up to his mom's house, and it is here that strange things start happening, including a dog's bloody death and a woman being attacked by a creature possessed watermelon (!), and the pacing starts to pick up from there to a truly exciting climax.This is an old-fashioned monster romp, full of icky monsters, monster attacks, a mad scientists, mad scientists experiments, people running amok in panic, cute babes, and a solid pacing. There's suspense and humor, although this film never devolves into comedy. The special effects are totally icky, but in a fun way. The story is full of plot holes to be sure, something that comes from a script that was written by five people, including Stephen Carpenter (who created Grimm), Joseph Stefano (Psycho), and Earl Ghaffari (music editor for such movies as Frozen, Zootopia, and Wreck-It Ralph). But it also moves at a quick pace, and all seem to be having a wacky time making it. Including the cast, which includes such journeymen actors like Kim Hunter, Rod Steiger, who just chews up the scenery, Talia Balsam, Peter Frechette (Profiler), and the yummy Amanda Pays (Max Headroom, and both versions of The Flash) as the subversive Melissa.The best way to describe this movie is as if Frankenstein and The Island of Doctor Moreau were written by H. P. Lovecraft and filmed by a less coked out Stuart Gordon. No nudity, no real gore, good make-up, so it's fun for everybody and don't forget to bring the kids.
lost-in-limbo 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.
HumanoidOfFlesh Dr.Amanda Hollins,a molecular biologist who,in distress and ill health requests her son John to destroy all the lab notes from her last genetic experiment.She also blurts out that he had a brother named Anthony.From her natural son's living tissue,Amanda has created a half-human monster that sits dormant in her basement.Unfortunately for John and his friends Anthony has come to life as an oozing,tentacled and slime-covered monster,ready to taste human blood..."The Kindred" is a seriously underrated little horror flick.The creature effects are pretty good,the acting is fine and there is a little bit of gore.The action is fast-paced and the film manages to be both entertaining and gruesome.All in all,"The Kindred" provides a few chills plus a few intense moments.Give this obscure little gem a look.7 out of 10.
Tikkin 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.