Suburban teen, mourning the recent death of her mother in a freak accident, is suspicious of her mother's estranged sister, an exotic model who comes to stay with the girl and her father; turns out this dangerous woman harbors an evil bloodline that must be passed down to a female relative by a kiss. Despite 'shock' deaths and a heavy-breathing feral cat (who pops up with alarming reliability), this entry in the '80s horror cycle is pretty bland. Director Pen Densham juices the proceedings with sex and voodoo--and a menacing mall escalator--but to no avail. Most of the cast is so laid-back, they evaporate on the screen, particularly young Meredith Salenger (a typical movie kid feigning a modern ordinariness that borders on laziness). As the villain, Joanna Pacula gives it a go, but the silliness of her role (and of the movie's entire concept) defeats her. *1/2 from ****
Review of The Kiss
