VHS : The Stepfather

Rating: - best horror ever
Suspense/horror, what's the difference, usually suspense is scarier, while horror has wereworves and big alligators. This movie has stuck with me forever. From the first shot of this movie, which brings you into the creepiest looking house ever put on film, to the last shot of this film, which I won't give away. Maybe it's just cause I am so die hard kungfu, but this had a lot of elements of those style of movies. If you have seen Lost you will recogzize the stepfather and you will never know him as Lock again. He puts on one of the most powerful performanves I have ever seen. It's rare that a guy can look that convincingly scary in such a low-budget movie.

I also have to back up what the other reviewer asked about this not being on dvd, as one of my personal favorites ever I want AT LEAST a commentary from director or maybe the stepfather himself, woudn't that be something.

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Rating: - one of the creepiest thrillers ever made....
sharp, detailed, scary, creepy, well acted.
music score is great.
acting by the daughter is fantastic...as well as the stepfather.
shelley hack is dreadful in this film, yet still very attractive.one of director ruben's best.

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Rating: - Please release this on DVD
Hands down, this is one of the most finely crafted horror/suspense movies of all time. Campy? Yes, but so insanely wonderful at the same time. I would gladly pay $50 for a copy of this movie on DVD. I have to copies of it on VHS (just in case). Seriously, if you are a fan of Terry O'Quinn or the horror/suspense genre, do yourself a favor and see this movie.

miked

www.sinikil.com

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Rating: - WHY ISN'T THIS ON DVD???
Stepfather 2 & 3 are on DVD nad yet the original still is not. What kind of sense does that make? The late 80's/early 90's gave us a whole series of what I call "the ____ from hell" type of movie. Fatal Attraction gave us the affair from hell, Pacific Heights gave us the tenant from hell, and The Hand that Rocked the Cradle gave us the nanny from hell. As the title suggests, "Stepfather" was the stepfather from hell starring Terry O' Quinn, one of my favorite character actors.

Quinn is Jerry Blake...or maybe he isn't. Blake is a homicidal maniac looking for the perfect family in the perfect neighborhood. all he wants is the 1950's style Americana life with a nice white picket fence, a family that has dinner together and plays together. He marries Susan (Shelly Hack) who has a teenage daughter Stephanie (Jill Schoelen). Stephanie begins to suspect something isn't quite right about Jerry and begins checking him out. This infuriates Jerry who finds her rebellious leading to numerous run-ins. Jerry then takes on another alias and begins scouting for a new family. Meanwhile a member of the last family that Jerry killed is on his trail looking to kill him before Jerry can kill another family.

Terry O' Quinn is fantastic in his role moving from a Mr. Brady/Father Knows Best dad to a raging maniac at the drop of a hat. When everything goes well, Jerry is the loving father and husband everyone would want, but when things don't live up to his expectations...well...Look out! A very underrated slasher that is as much psychological horror as it is slasher film. Hopefully this will be on DVD soon. Great film!

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Rating: - No one can act like a psyco like terry :-)
Loved it! Awesome movie. Only Terry O'Quinn can pull off being a psycho in this great horror flick. My only gripe is why is this movie not on dvd? I have stepfather 2 on dvd also a great horror movie! I recommend stepfather and stepfather 2.Was not pleased with stepfather 3 because Terry is not in it.