{"id":36424,"date":"2016-03-03T21:34:35","date_gmt":"2016-03-04T04:34:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=36424"},"modified":"2021-01-12T20:01:51","modified_gmt":"2021-01-13T03:01:51","slug":"stepfather-the-1987","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=36424","title":{"rendered":"Stepfather, The (1987)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;All we need is a little order around here.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Poster-193x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"193\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-36425\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Poster-193x300.jpg 193w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Poster-82x128.jpg 82w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Poster.jpg 580w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 193px) 100vw, 193px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nAfter brutally murdering his wife and daughter, a sociopathic killer (Terry O&#8217;Quinn) moves to another town, where he assumes a new identity and marries a widow (Shelley Hack) with a troubled teenage daughter (Jill Schoelen). Will Hack and Schoelen be O&#8217;Quinn&#8217;s next victims &#8212; or will his ex-wife&#8217;s brother (Stephen Shellen) locate him in time to stop him from killing again?\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Mistaken or Hidden Identities<\/li>\n<li>Horror<\/li>\n<li>Serial Killers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nBased on a screenplay and story by prolific crime-writer <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Donald_E._Westlake\">Donald Westlake<\/a>, <em>The Stepfather<\/em> plays on the worst fears of every child living in a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/blended%20family\">blended family<\/a>: what if the new &#8220;parent&#8221; living in your house turned out to be a sociopathic killer? O&#8217;Quinn delivers a memorably creepy performance as a would-be-Ward-Cleaver desperate for a picture-perfect family while perpetually on the edge of pathological insanity (those knives&#8230; those tools&#8230;). <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Tools.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Tools.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-63098\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Tools.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Tools-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Tools-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Tools-360x270.png 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>John Lindley&#8217;s cinematography perfectly captures the dichotomy between O&#8217;Quinn&#8217;s desired pastel Americana (complete with a home-made bird house, Thanksgiving turkey, and block party): <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Dinner.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Dinner.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-63097\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Dinner.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Dinner-300x225.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Dinner-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Dinner-360x270.png 360w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>and the darker recesses of his sick psyche; meanwhile, director Joseph Ruben handles the entire narrative with tension and expert pacing, producing some genuinely freaky scenes. While not quite a gem like its Hitchcockian inspirations, this horror-thriller deserves its status as an &#8217;80s cult flick, and is worth a revisit every now and then.   <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Terry O&#8217;Quinn as Jerry (nominated by Peary as one of the Best Actors of the Year in his <em>Alternate Oscars<\/em>)<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-OQuinn.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-OQuinn.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36431\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-OQuinn.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-OQuinn-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-OQuinn-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Jill Schoelen as Stephanie<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Schoellen.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Schoellen.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36426\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Schoellen.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Schoellen-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Schoellen-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Atmospheric cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Cinematography.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Cinematography.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Cinematography-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Cinematography-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Cinematography2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Cinematography2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36428\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Cinematography2.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Cinematography2-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Cinematography2-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Cinematography3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Cinematography3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36429\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Cinematography3.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Cinematography3-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Cinematography3-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Many effectively chilling sequences<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Creepy.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Creepy.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-36430\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Creepy.png 640w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Creepy-128x96.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Stepfather-Creepy-300x225.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as an enjoyable cult favorite. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Cult Movie<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0094035\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1987\/05\/08\/movies\/the-film-a-wicked-stepfather.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/moria.co.nz\/horror\/stepfather-1987.htm\">Moria Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/wp-srv\/style\/longterm\/movies\/videos\/thestepfatherrhinson_a0c954.htm\">Washington Post Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.thespinningimage.co.uk\/cultfilms\/displaycultfilm.asp?reviewid=13&#038;aff=13\">Spinning Image Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.timeout.com\/london\/film\/the-stepfather\">Time Out Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;All we need is a little order around here.&#8221; Synopsis: After brutally murdering his wife and daughter, a sociopathic killer (Terry O&#8217;Quinn) moves to another town, where he assumes a new identity and marries a widow (Shelley Hack) with a troubled teenage daughter (Jill Schoelen). Will Hack and Schoelen be O&#8217;Quinn&#8217;s next victims &#8212; or will his ex-wife&#8217;s brother (Stephen Shellen) locate him in time to stop him from killing again? Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Mistaken or Hidden Identities&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=36424\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36424","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36424","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=36424"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36424\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63099,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36424\/revisions\/63099"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=36424"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=36424"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=36424"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}