One of the secrets is that the film does not have all that much of a plot to it. So do not try to analyze it, or figure out what is wrong with the picture. It is a "b" movie to be sure, but a somewhat good "b" movie as it were. The story has a son trying to fulfill his mother's wish of destroying her life's work at the home she used to live with, she had just woken from a coma. So the son is off along with some science type friends to look into the mystery's surrounding his mother's request. Surprisingly when you write it out it does sound like a good plot and maybe it is not all that bad, but for the most part once they arrive at the house the film becomes your typical horror movie about monsters. Though I do love the setting of the old house and the basement stuff, the movie kind of reminds me of a combination of two Stuart Gordon movies "Re-animator" and "From Beyond" without being as good as either of them. Still the monsters look pretty good and there are some rather good kills, the plot is rather ignored after a certain point, but with death and mayhem I can live without plot. I would like to see this movie again someday as it has been awhile since I last saw it, but from what I remember not the best movie in the world, but it kept me entertained.

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.

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!