Stepfather 2 (1989)

That was an excellent one.

Don't Believe the Hype

Admirable film.

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

"Stepfather II" (creepily sub-titled "Make Room For Daddy") knows he isn't the original. He knows you probably won't care for him as much as the one that came before him. But he would like to try. Maybe if you just spent some time with him, you'd grow to appreciate that he is not in any way or form trying to replace his predecessor but that he's always there for you if you need him.With that in mind, the low-budget sequel to the surprise slasher/thriller flick, "The Stepfather" is a noticeable yet serviceable step-down from the original. Director Jeff Burr, who would go on to helm other horror sequels like "Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III" and "Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings" does a pretty decent job of keeping "Stepfather II" from being too much of a step-down in quality. While the suspense from the original is all but gone, the film moves at a nice pace that compliments its somewhat contrived feeling. You might not be surprised or shocked while watching the film, but you'll never find yourself counting the minutes until it's over, either.It helps that the film boasts a solid cast. Leading the pack is the indispensable Terry O'Quinn, returning to the titular role. O'Quinn is given many an opportunity to expand on the character and have a little fun with it, and boy, does he. One line in particular -- the disgusted "I even had sex with you, for God's sake!" -- hinges completely on his deadpan delivery and his commitment to the character. Meg Foster plays his would-be wife, and as with anything she's appeared in, she's a pleasure to watch and classes up the whole affair in the process. A young Jonathan Brandis plays the hapless and clueless kid to perfection, while Caroline Williams entertains as the suspicious and somewhat obnoxious best-friend and neighbor, making the perfect foil for O'Quinn.The film was born in the era of mindless yet enjoyable slasher sequels and it shows. There is a lot of extra violence and gore that was shoe-horned in at the last minute, much to the dismay of the director, and often the film plays for cheap thrills whenever possible. But while it is nowhere near as effective as its predecessor, it is an enjoyable and breezy 89 minutes just the same. Worth seeing just to see Terry O'Quinn do his thing once more (he would be replaced in the mostly unseen third installment) and certainly of interest to any fan of '80s horror just the same. If you make room for daddy,"Stepfather II" promises not to disappoint.

The disturbed man looking for the perfect family, and will do anything to get it, is back at it again in 'Stepfather II: Make room for Daddy'. We pick up shortly after the original film, and see that the man formerly known as Jerry Blake is inside of a psychiatric facility serving his sentence for all the murders and attempts he committed. He breaks out early on and changes his persona yet again to a psychiatrist named Gene, this time targeting single mother Carol and her teenage son Todd. After brutally dispatching people in the way of him building a life with them, Gene makes it to the church on his wedding day ... but will he get through the ceremony without losing his mind completely?Terry Quinn I thought 'Stepfather II' was really interesting in the sense that it separated itself from the other two films. In parts one and three, the stepchildren (Stephanie in 1 and Andy in 3) disliked the stepfather a lot. They could see that something was off with him, and it never really clicked. In this sequel, the son Todd really liked Gene the stepfather and looked up to him as a role model of sorts. His father just up and left him and his mom, so the writers did a great job of establishing Todd's need for a male figure. It kind of makes it all the more sad when it's revealed how sick Gene really is.Terry Quinn puts in an amazing performance yet again as the deranged man who would kill for a perfect family unit. Meg Foster did really well as the mother Carol as did Jonathan Brandis as Todd. I liked the friend Maddie that they gave Carol, played by Caroline Williams. She was really good too. It lacked the intensity of the original film, but 'Stepfather II' is still very well done. The finale at the church as Gene prepares for his wedding is also very creepy.. and perhaps very bloody. I recommend this one!7/10

At first, in maybe the first hour or so, I thought this film as on par with the original. But then the flaws started rolling in. Granted, the first film has flaws, but this one has far more. For one, The Stepfather should have changed his appearance better, as he looked exactly as he did in the first film (someone could have recognized him from pictures on the news, or in the papers). Second off, what was with Carol's friend being so suspicious of The Stepfather? She had NO reason to, yet she suspected him of being a fake. There was simply no reason for her to have those suspicions, as he did nothing to provoke those suspicions out of her. It was just thrown in there to replicate how the daughter found out about him in the first film. It just was ridiculous. Other problems include nobody not finding the dead ex husband's body (eventually the guts of the body would have been seen), and the fact the wife somehow remembered some wine The Stepfather bought her a while back. Also, how he killed that guy in the beginning in broad daylight. It was all just too forced & unbelievable. The original felt more realistic in that sense. Any way, complaints aside, this film is pretty enjoyable, and O'Quinn gives an excellent performance yet again, but unlike it's predecessor, this film ends up being a routine slasher due to a pretty weak script. I give it a 6/10.

Terry O'Quinn reprises his role as the psychopath searching for the perfect family and willing to kill anyone who stands in his way. The first was more of a thriller while Jeff Burr's sequel is more or less a violent slasher film. Escaping from prison thanks to ridiculous means(..a psychiatrist wanting to help "rehabilitate" him, allows O'Quinn to meet with him, absent handcuffs, with the security guard waiting outside!It was an issue of trust, and O'Quinn saw fit to take advantage of such foolishness), O'Quinn uproots in a nice suburban neighborhood assuming the identity of a shrink, soon bewitching a real estate agent and her son(Meg Foster and Jonathan Brandis). Foster's husband, played by Mitchell Laurance, a dentist, took off with his receptionist and attempts to re-enter her life to the chagrin of O'Quinn. Also disrupting matters is Foster's gal pal, Caroline Williams, a postal worker who senses something's wrong about Mr. Right. Will O'Quinn allow certain people to interfere with his plans of betrothal? Or, will he solve such complications through violent means? Burr's direction is just as flashy and colorful as ever, attempting to better rather mediocre material. The movie is as predictable as they come, helped somewhat by a solid cast. Caroline Williams(..best known in Tobe Hooper's Texas Chainsaw Massacre II)has a substantial role as Foster's snooping best friend, and pays a heavy price for attempting to protect her from O'Quinn. Foster and Brandis have rather thankless roles here, more or less servicing the plot as potential victims-in-the-making. This is O'Quinn and Williams' show all the way, and Terry capitalizes on the many nuances of his character, trying to develop him despite a plot which would wish to have him just murder people like some soulless madman. Amusing use of the tune "Camptown Races", whistled, and how it plays in the undoing of O'Quinn.