April showers bring … cannibalistic parents living in the 1950s California suburbs with their only son? Yes, you read that right! Spring is in the air and tonight, on MeTV - The Sven Squad – Gwengoolie, Nostalgiaferatoo and IMP aka Ignatius Malvolio Prankenstein – are premiering 1989’s “Parents” on House of Svengoolie. Instead of May flowers, you’ll be smelling something (or someone) else that you often find buried under May flowers. Something much more, let’s just say off-putting. Highly recommend our SVENBLOG members finish your dinner before you watch tonight’s movie because it’s not for those with a delicate or even normal stomach.
It’s 1958 and Nick (Randy Quaid) and Lily (Mary Beth Hurt) Laemle have just moved from Massachusetts to an unnamed suburban California town with their 10-year-old son Michael (Bryan Madorsky). The family is living the idyllic suburban life in their classic split-level house, when Michael starts to notice some strangeness at home, while at school his teachers and school psychologist start to notice some strangeness in Michael. Nick and Lily do a lot of cooking at home and are rather fastidious specifically in how they prepare their meat. Michael becomes suspicious of his folks odd behavior and can’t sleep at night. He awakes one night to find his parents in a compromising position and it’s not the one you’re thinking of. And it just gets weirder from there for Michael and frankly all of us at home.
Michael has made one friend at school, another new student named Shelia (London Juno). She’s unique herself but really can’t hold a candle to what she discovers going on in Michael’s basement freezer back at his house. Michael’s just trying to get through school and his 10-year-old day but doing so with Nick and Lily running the house is not on the menu. Unfortunately for Michael, something else definitely is on the menu.
This 1989 film was produced by Great American Films and distributed by Vestron Pictures. The film’s Director Bob Balaban was probably best known for acting in front of the camera in cinematic classics like Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, Absence of Malice, Waiting for Guffman and Gosford Park but we think you might know him best for his portrayal of the character Russell Dalrymple from Seinfeld - aka the NBC executive who bought the show about nothing from George and Jerry. We’ll give you background on the film introduce you to even more of the small but mighty cast than we’ve listed here. Imp hosts a game show called “The Fabulous Freaky Fifties.” Gwengoolie takes us back to the 1950s commercial days of yore… or was it horror? Hopefully not snore for those of you at home. Nostalgiaferatoo tries to choose his favorite families of siblings who are actors. He really does try guys, even though it may not appear as trying on screen, trust us, he’s putting everything he’s got into it.
“Parents” starts at 8 pm Eastern/Pacific time, 7 pm Central on MeTV. You can join in the live chat during the show on Bluesky, or the live Tweeting on Twitter/X - just be sure to include the hashtag #svengoolie and #houseofsvengoolie on your posts on either one. Our Chicago area audience can buckle up for another watch of 1977’s wild ride “The Car” at 11:00 a.m. on WCIU the U.
Please remember that next week, Svengoolie is back and not unlike the Laemles in their kitchen, Sven is whipping up something special of his own with the with 1958 Herbert L. Strock classic “How To Make A Monster” at 8 pm Eastern/Pacific time, 7 pm Central. Wonder if that’s a complicated recipe? We can pretty much guarantee the Laemles have those difficult to find ingredients. House of Svengoolie will see you on Saturday, May 16 for 1968’s disturbing classic “Rosemary’s Baby.”
But for now put your napkin down and push yourself away from the dinner table because you’re not going to want to watch “Parents” on House of Svengoolie right here on MeTV on a full stomach.
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