The Stepfather

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

Terry O'Quinn plays The Stepfather in this intelligent, unsettling chiller. We'd tell you O'Quinn's character name, but he has so many. You see, O'Quinn has been a stepfather many times over, romancing and marrying widowed women in several different states. After each wedding, everything is blissful -- at least, until O'Quinn's new wife and kids fail to measure up to his notions of perfection. Then he kills them en masse, and moves on to his next victims. Shelley Hack and Jill Schoelen co-star as O'Quinn's latest wife and stepdaughter, who prove to be yet another disappointment to him. An adroit witches' blend of Ozzie & Harriet and Psycho, The Stepfather was scripted by suspense veteran Donald E. Westlake. A lesser sequel, Stepfather 2, followed in 1989. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

DVD FEATURES:

• Number of Discs: 1
• Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 (Theatre Wide Screen)
• Features:
  • Audio Commentary with Director Joseph Ruben
  • The Stepfather Chronicles - An all-new retrospective featuring interviews with Director Joseph Ruben, Producer Jay Benson, Actress Jill Schoelen, Author Brian Garfield and others on the making of the film and its enduring legacy

AWARDS

• Independent Spirit Awards

•     Nominated Best Actor - 1987 (Terry O'Quinn)

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Terry O'Quinn - Jerry Blake/Henry Morrison/Bill Hodgkins
       Jill Schoelen - Stephanie Maine, Jerry's Step-Daughter
       Shelley Hack - Susan Blake, Jerry's Wife
       Stephen Shellen - Jim Ogilvie
       Charles Lanyer - Dr. Bondurant, Stephanie's Psychiatrist
       Dale Wilson - Frank
       Paul Batten - Mr. Fairfax
       Sheila Paterson - Dr. Barbara Faraden
       Rochelle Greenwood - Mrs. Anderson
       Jeff Schultz - Paul Baker
       Marie Stillin - Mrs. Fairfax
       Gary Hetherington - Herb
       Don Williams - Mr. Stark
       Gillian Barber - Anne Barnes
       Blu Mankuma - Lt. Jack Wall
       Sandra Head - Receptionist
       Jackson Davies - Mr. Chesterton
       Andrew Snider - Mr. Grace
       Anna Hagan - Mrs. Leitner
       Robyn Stevan - Karen
       Don Mackay - Joe
       Stephen E. Miller - Al Brennan
       Lindsay Bourne - Art Teacher
       Gabrielle Rose - Dorothy
       Don S. Sargent - Mr. Anderson

• Director:

  Joseph Ruben

• Producer:

  Jay Benson

• Screen Story:

  Donald E. Westlake

• Screenwriter:

  Donald E. Westlake

• Screen Story:

  Brian Garfield

• Screenwriter:

  Brian Garfield

• Screen Story:

  Carolyn Lefcourt

• Cinematographer:

  John Lindley

• Songwriter:

  C. Amphlett, N. Geraldo, M. Grombacher, John MacBurnie, M. McEntee

• Composer (Music Score):

  Patrick Moraz

• Songwriter:

  Patrick Moraz

• Editor:

  George Bowers

• Production Designer:

  James Newport, David Wilson

• Art Director:

  David Willson

• Set Designer:

  Kimberley Richardson

• Costume Designer:

  Mina Mittleman

• Sound/Sound Designer:

  Larry Sutton

• First Assistant Director:

  Michael Steele

• Production Manager:

  Warren Carr

• Casting:

  Sid Kozak, Judy Taylor, Mike Fenton, Jane Feinberg

REVIEW:

• A surprisingly well-crafted and frightening tale unhampered by its B-movie mise-en-scene, The Stepfather manages to upend some established horror-movie conventions as it entertains. Joseph Ruben's loopy direction fits the eerie, slimy feel of the picture perfectly. As the psychopathic titular character, Terry O'Quinn seethes with a duplicitous Norman Bates quality. O'Quinn plays the "sickopath" role to perfection, showing some flair for Jack Nicholson-style dark comedy as well. In its awkward way, the film disturbingly uncovers what lies beneath the middle-class sensibility. Based on real events, The Stepfather has a very tangible, gruesome feel and proves to be quite effective in the horror department. Afterschool-special production values aside, this warped film truly works in a way that most horror films do not. ~ Mike DiBella, Rovi