Shout Factory | 1987 | 89 Mins. | Rated R
Very loosely based on the life of mass murderer John List, when The Stepfather was released in 1987 it didn’t set ant box office records, only pulling in an estimated $2,488,740 in the United States. However, given some critical praise, the film enjoyed a successful run on home video and spawned two sequels. Now, twenty-two years after its original release, The Stepfather is getting the remake treatment and is set for release on October 16th. In anticipation of the remake, Shout Factory will make the original available on October 13th.
The film begins innocently enough: the camera focuses in on a typical suburban landscape; the camera follows lush oak trees, following a paper boy until it settles on a nicely landscaped home. The camera cranes back up to the bathroom window where the blinds abruptly close. Safely out of public view, we are introduced to the Stepfather (Terry O’Quinn, Lost) as he cleans himself up from his latest slaughter. Handsomely dressed, he grabs his suitcase, breezily whistles a tune and heads downstairs. His cheerful tone is in stark contrast to the brutal scene in the foyer—the butchered remains of his wife and two children.
One year later, the Stepfather is living a new life as Jerry Blake, real estate agent. He has recently married the widow Susan Maine (Shelley Hack), and has become a father to her troubled daughter Stephanie (Jill Schoelen). While his relationship with Stephanie is strained, Jerry and Susan seem to get along splendidly, with Susan ignoring any of her new husband’s strange quirks. However, Stephanie has serious suspicions about her new stepfather, ones that she’s not willing to let go of. She becomes convinced that he is the killer responsible for murdering his family over a year ago, and begins her own investigation.
Ordinarily, one might brush this off as a teenager being upset at any man who tried to take her dead father’s place in her life. However, in this case, Stephanie has cause for concern. Back in Seattle, Jim Ogilivie (Stephen Shellen), the brother of the last woman killed by the Stepfather, is hunting the killer who seemingly disappeared without a trace.
Unlike most cold blooded killers who avoid love and family ties, the Stepfather thrives on the ideal of the all-American family—dinners in the dining room, barbeques with neighbors and perfectly manicured lawns. The problems happen when reality intrudes (in the case of Stephanie, a rebellious teenager), that ruins his idea of a “perfect family life.” When the Stepfather’s dream is shattered, he simply slaughters his current family and moves on to the next one. Can Stephanie stop him before he has a chance to kill her and her mother?
Scenes Director Joseph Ruben (Sleeping with the Enemy, The Good Son) and screenwriters Carolyn Lefcourt, Brian Garfield and Donald E. Westlake clearly were influenced by Hitchcock films such as Suspicion and Psycho. Similar to Hitch’s tactics, The Stepfather reveals the killer from the start, limits the body count and the onscreen violence is minimal. Instead, the suspense comes in the mental games the audience and the characters plat as this vicious killer pretends to be a perfect husband and father. Instead of relying on the guts and gore that was so popular in the late ‘80’s The Stepfather relies almost exclusively on psychological horror to deliver terror.
The Stepfather works for a number of reasons. The film has a script that is more intelligent than many of the other genre entries of that era, direction and cinematography that work in tandem to create a well crafted visual aesthetic. But what has made The Stepfather a cult classic, is the lead performance by Terry O’Quinn. At a time when crazed killers on screen were personified by Freddy Krueger, O’Quinn’s twitchy performance recalls Anthony Perkins in the first Psycho. Norman Bates maintained a relatively normal appearance on the surface but was capable of cracking at any moment, which makes them far more terrifying than a ghost wearing a glove with knives for fingers.
The Stepfather is presented in 1.85:1 widescreen. The picture quality is surprisingly good, with a vibrant color palette. While there are some noticeable digital flaws, such as dust and scratches that pop up from time to time, Shout Factory has delivered a fairly strong transfer of a twenty-two-year-old film.
The Stepfather is presented in 2.0 Dolby Digital in English. The sound levels are very good, with a great mix that highlights Patrick Moraz’s original score.
The Stepfather has two Special features:
• Audio Commentary with Director Joseph Ruben: Hosted by Fangoria’s Mike Gringold this isn’t a strong commentary. Gringold clearly remembers the film better than Ruben, who says repeatedly that he doesn’t recall certain aspects of the production. Gringold keeps things moving by discussing alternate versions of the film and scenes that appeared cut in television broadcasts. Most viewers likely won’t learn a whole lot from this.
• Featurette (27:00): Includes interviews from much of the cast and crew from the film. The director, writer, producer and actress Jill Schoelen. Much of the piece discusses the true crime inspiration for the story, shooting on a rushed schedule and the logistics of making a film in Chilly Canada. A solid as this featurette is, one can’t help but notice the absence of Terry O’Quinn.
• Theatrical Trailer
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