After murdering his entire family, a man remarries a widow with a teenage daughter in another town and prepares to do it all over again.
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There are some films that stick with you from the moment you watch it and for me this was one of them, it struck me in a way that no movie had before. It was one of my first experiences of a film thrilling and scaring at the same time and made me very wary of people.
Director Joseph Ruben was initially reluctant to direct the picture because he didn’t want to make another run-of-the-mill slasher movie, well he definitely gave us more than that with a very story driven film that keeps your attention.
Terry O’Quinn was the perfect choice for the role of ‘ Jerry Blake’, he manages to play the character without ever going over the top and he keeps you gripped with his performance. He can go from nice and placid to intense and dangerous in a second without it seeming wrong or out of character, he really gets under your skin.
Sadly this film seems to have been somewhat forgotten over time and it deserves way more credit than it gets, you can even notice it’s influence on modern day films. O’Quinn most certainly deserves recognition for his performance, it was oscar worthy.
“The Stepfather” is most certainly worth your time, sure it’s aged but it’s all part of it’s character.
Miscellaneous facts about the film:
Screenwriter Donald E. Westlake based the character of Stephanie on his real-life teenage stepdaughter who he has having problems getting along with.
Stephanie’s mother was played by Shelley Hack, who is only 16 years older than Jill Schoelen, who played Stephanie. Furthermore, Stephanie’s stepfather was played by Terry O’Quinn, who is only 11 years senior to Schoelen.
Jill Schoelen claimed she was so disturbed from filming the violent final act, she had recurring nightmares for a week about being chased by Terry O’Quinn. These nightmares occurred as a re-enactment of the scene she was filming at the time.
Cinematographer John Lindley was hired as a last minute replacement for the original director of photography who was arrested in a domestic dispute right before shooting was to start.
Jill Schoelen did almost all of her own stunts for the film’s climax.
Director Joseph Ruben originally wanted Jerry Blake to whistle the Barbra Streisand song “The Way We Were,” but the rights to the song proved to be too expensive.
This film was shot in 40 days.
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