DVD Review: Forget Remake; Check Out Original ‘The Stepfather’

CHICAGO – I could be wrong, but my love for the 1986 original and the lack of critic screenings for the remake opening today leads me to feel confident in saying that the DVD of the original “The Stepfather,” available on the format for the first time this week, is the way to go this weekend if you’re looking for a nasty slice of domestic terror.

DVD Rating: 4.0/5.0

Clever, well-made, wonderfully performed, and simply thrilling, “The Stepfather” is one of the best movies of its kind of the ’80s. Even if you do journey out to see the remake, make sure you catch up with the original too.

The Stepfather was released on DVD on October 13th, 2009.
Photo credit: Shout Factory

Terry O’Quinn (who would go on to play John Locke on “Lost”) gives a fantastic performance as Jerry Blake, a man who has watched his beloved America turn into a nation of spoiled brats (the original film was a wonderful commentary on the “me first” persona of the decade in which it was made). Jerry is obsessed with creating the perfect family and living his idea of the American Dream. Of course, that includes a wife and loving children. Small problem - Jerry’s crazy.

He seems to have found a bit of normalcy when he marries Susan Maine (Shelley Hack) and becomes stepfather to her 16-year-old daughter Stephanie. Of course, Stephanie senses something’s wrong with her new daddy. She sees the darkness beyond the picket fence persona. Is she just a bratty teenager going through a phase and resenting the new man in her house? Or could Jerry be the fugitive who murdered his whole family a year earlier? Of course, if you’ve seen the previews for the new movie, they give everything away.

The original “The Stepfather” is a totally engrossing thriller that’s aged very, very well. With precise, wonderfully paced direction by Joseph Ruben, the original film wisely plays more as a domestic nightmare than a straight-up horror movie. This is not “Saw”. It’s more in the vein of “Fatal Attraction,” another film from the same era about a relationship that leads to disaster. The best of these movies have a relatability, as if you could be the one falling for Jerry Blake or in trouble when he becomes your new stepdad. And O’Quinn is simply fantastic. All “Lost” fans should especially take a look.

“The Stepfather,” which has inexplicably never been on DVD before, is presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio with an anamorphic widescreen transfer. It includes an audio commentary by Ruben and the great “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.

We had to wait this long for a DVD of “The Stepfather”. It turns out that it may have been worth the wait.

By BRIAN TALLERICO Content Director HollywoodChicago.com brian@hollywoodchicago.com