PARENTS (1989) – Episode 264 – Decades of Horror 1980s

“Uh, if you take a black cat and broil it in the oven, and you peel off the skin on the bones and take it off… and you chew on the bone, you’ll be invisible.” Just a little something for show and tell. Don’t try it at home, children. Join your faithful Grue Crew – Crystal Cleveland, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr – as they check out some very weird parents in the aptly titled film… Parents (1989).

Decades of Horror 1980s
Episode 264 – Parents (1989)

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A young boy living in 1950s suburbia suspects that his parents are cannibalistic murderers

• Director: Bob Balaban
• Writer: Christopher Hawthorne
• Selected Cast:
  • Randy Quaid as Nick Laemle
  • Mary Beth Hurt as Lily Laemle
  • Sandy Dennis as Millie Dew
  • Bryan Madorsky as Michael Laemle
  • London Juno as Sheila Zellner (as Juno Mills-Cockell)
  • Kathryn Grody as Miss Baxter
  • Deborah Rush as Mrs. Zellner
  • Graham Jarvis as Mr. Zellner
  • Helen Carscallen as Grandmother
  • Warren Van Evera as Grandfather
  • Wayne Robson as Lab Attendant
  • Uriel Byfield as Little Boy
  • Mariah Balaban as Little Girl
  • Larry Palef as Announcer

You might not get what you’re expecting in Bob Balaban’s Parents (1989). Labeled as a horror comedy and starring Randy Quaid, one might expect some wild-and-crazy, whack-a-doodle hijinx. Instead, you get the button-down collar, tie-and-lab-coat-wearing version of Mr. Quaid, and some very dark humor with a heavy emphasis on dark. Quaid and Mary Beth Hurt are the parents of Michael (Bryan Madorsky), an emotionally flat and expressionless kid living a nightmare with his parents. Enter Sandy Dennis as Millie Dew, the school social worker, who jumps right into the frying pan. Literally. Mileage may vary regarding outright laughs, but the Grue-Crew enjoyed the watch and have much to discuss.

At the time of this writing, Parents is available to stream from Tubi and on physical media as a Blu-ray disc from Lionsgate Home Entertainment. 

Every two weeks, Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror 1980s podcast will cover another horror film from the 1980s. The next episode’s film, chosen by Chad, will be Aenigma (1987). It’s Fulci time!

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