There is little to contest when saying that the ‘80s was a golden period for Horror movies. At a time when movie studios were pumping out one after another at a record pace, the cash cow of the time was Slashers. Dominated by the likes of the Friday the 13th franchise, Halloween franchise, and tons of other cloaked killers, then came a little film called The Stepfather with a madman who hides behind a different type of mask.
Focusing on a seemingly atypical middle-aged American man named Jerry Blake, he seems genuinely nice, caring, and with good intentions. However, beneath the surface, there is something far more nefarious about Jerry. A psychological study, The Stepfather’s screenplay tore inspiration directly from headlines to create the character of Jerry Blake. A real-life mystery, award-winning Writer Donald E. Westlake (who had several of his stories turned into feature films) modeled the baseline for Jerry Blake after a New Jersey man who murdered his entire family, only to seemingly vanish and relocate somewhere else under a false name to start another life.
Truly terrifying, The Stepfather’s Jerry Blake is portrayed convincingly by the Emmy-award-winning Terry O’Quinn (known for his role in films like 1988’s Young Guns and the hit series Lost) as an internally conflicted man who struggles with an unhealthy perception of what a family should be and a murderous demon within. O’Quinn’s performance is nothing less than sensation and the perfect mix of a Jekyll and Hyde personality. Meanwhile, directly opposing him is Jill Schoelen (a talented actress known for films such as 1989’s The Phantom of the Opera and 1991’s Popcorn) as his teenage stepdaughter Stephanie Maine. Stephanie, intuitive and sharp, is on to Jerry’s act, and while she may not know the entire story, she will stop at nothing to uncover his true intentions.
In truth, Schoelen’s authentic portrayal of Stephanie is the boldest aspect surrounding The Stepfather; because beyond her seeing right through Jerry, no one else is the least bit suspicious. A thorn in Jerry’s side, the real question is – will Stephanie tear down his cover before he erases all evidence, only to move on yet again?
An edge-of-your-seat Thriller, The Stepfather keeps you enthralled from beginning to end thus making it one of the latter part of the ‘80s best to emerge under the Horror banner. Ironically, when the film was initially released in early 1987, it was marketed by New Century Vista Film Company as a Psychological Thriller in theaters but did not sell well. A head-scratcher, because there was truth in that advertisement, the distributor opted to quickly re-label it as a Slasher to gain more attention. All part of playing the game, even film lead Jill Schoelen told Cryptic Rock Magazine in a 2018 interview –
“The Stepfather was really more to me a story of crime, drama, and suspense.”
Nonetheless, history has been kind to The Stepfather, because nearly forty years later it has earned its place as one of the ‘80s best Horror films. A late arrival to the DVD market in 2009, it soon emerged on Blu-ray a year later in 2010, but now in 2024, it arrives in 4K Ultra HD format. Released on September 10, 2024 through Shout! Factory’s imprint label Scream Factory, The Stepfather Collector’s Edition comes in a 2-disc set which is unqualifiedly the best home media format of the film to date.
Featuring the first ever 4K restoration of The Stepfather, the imagery is legitimately more pristine than ever before. Done so with the help of Dolby Vision, the colors are richer, while the contrast is more distinct. With that in mind, you get the 4K UHD disc with the film and some new audio commentaries. This is while the Blu-ray disc also includes the film, with the same commentaries on the 4K UHD disc, plus holdover content from the 2010 Blu-ray release such as The Stepfather Chronicles featurette. Looking at the new bonuses, the additional audio commentary with the likes of Jill Schoelen is well worth a listen.
Beyond all of this, the new release includes the original theatrical poster in its purest representation for a home video release to date as the artwork and cardboard slipcover. All combined aspects that should please long-time fans, it is highly recommended to pick up the 2024 Collector’s Edition of The Stepfather, because Cryptic Rock gives it 5 out of 5 stars.
Interested in a further introspective look into The Stepfather? Click the photo below:
Want to read the full interview with Jill Schoelen? Click the photo below:
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