'80s Rewind: 'Parents'

My childhood was spent swapping out home-cooked meals for Cap'n Crunch when my mom didn't cook the food just as I liked it.

Maybe that's why I identified with "Parents," a 1989 horror comedy about a '50s era family with a deep, dark secret. Randy Quaid and Mary Beth Hurt play the too-perfect parents, and young Bryan Madorsky is the son who isn't sure what's in the family stew.

Character actor Bob Balaban directed this intriguing mashup of social criticism and plain ol' horror stylings, and I remember how confused I was that such a trippy film didn't get more buzz. Back then I didn't understand the film marketplace. I just thought good films should be seen by one and all.

This one's a bit diferent, looking back. It's not for the squeamish, but as acquired tastes go, it's one of the '80s tastiest surprises.