If You Haven’t Already Seen This and You Love 80s Horror, What Are You Waiting For?

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MOVIE REVIEW
The Kindred
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Genre: Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Year Released: 1987, 2022 (Synapse blu-ray)
Runtime: 1h 33m
Director(s): Jeffrey Obrow, Stephen Carpenter
Writer(s): Jeffrey Obrow, Stephen Carpenter
Cast: David Allen Brooks, Amanda Pays, Talia Balsam, Kim Hunter, Rod Steiger
Where To Watch: Available for pre-order on region-free blu-ray www.synapsefilms.com, releasing October 25, 2022

RAVING REVIEW: Easily one of the most 80s-feeling horror films I’ve ever seen (which makes sense as it was initially released in 1987.)

This was very much a B-movie, but if you like those, then you will love this. Nearly every film scene oozes some reference or homage to those that came before it. From ALIEN, THE FLY, RE-ANIMATOR, and more. There are many fun, practical effects throughout the film (although some others suffer, it almost felt like two different teams were working on them.)

I’m not sure whether it was intentional, but I will go back to watch the commentary when I get the opportunity because I have to know what some of the inspiration for some things were. The best part is that even in 87 when the film was first released, there was no doubt about the level of cheese, but they leaned into that idea, and it worked wonderfully!

Synapse has been working on the film for years, and you can tell how much it paid off; I went back and watched some clips on youtube, and previous releases were rough, to put it nicely. This was a perfect Halloween watch, and I can’t wait to watch their next release, SATAN’S LITTLE HELPER next.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
– New 4K restoration of the unrated version of the film
– New 5.1 stereo surround sound remix (Original 2.0 mono theatrical mix also included)
– Audio commentary with directors Jeffrey Obrow and Stephen Carpenter, moderated by horror journalist Steve Barton
– Inhuman Experiments – The Making of “The Kindred,” an all-new documentary produced by Red Shirt Pictures (52 mins.), nominated for the 2022 Rondo Award for “Best DVD/Blu-ray Extra.”
– A special compilation of creature effects artist Michael McCracken, Jr.’s never-before-seen on-set footage
– Still gallery and original storyboards
– Original theatrical trailer, original video promotional trailer, and TV spots
– Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing

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