The Stepfather [Unrated] [Blu-ray]

Director: Nelson McCormick Nelson McCormick

Overview

When a teenage boy (Penn Badgley) begins to suspect that his new stepfather (Dylan Walsh) is a notorious serial killer who preys on broken families, he races to gather the evidence that will back up his radical claim before it's too late. The 1987 thriller that shot Lost star Terry O'Quinn to cult stardom serves as inspiration for this remake penned by J.S. Cardone and directed by Nelson McCormick. Sela Ward, Jon Tenney, and Amber Heard co-star in a Screen Gems release.

Product Details

Release Date:	02/09/2010
UPC:	0043396331792
Original Release:	2009
Rating:	NR
Source:	SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMT
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:42:00
Sales rank:	27,601

Special Features

Gag Reel; Commentary with Penn Badgley, Dylan Walsh and Director Nelson McCormick; ; "Open House: Making the Film" Featurette; "Visualizing the Stunts" Featurette

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Dylan Walsh	David Harris
Penn Badgley	Michael Harding
Sela Ward	Susan Harding
Amber Heard	Kelly Porter
Sherry Stringfield	Leah
Paige Turco	Jackie Kearns
Jon Tenney	Jay
Nancy Linehan Charles	Mrs. Cutter
Marcuis Harris	Detective Shay,detektyw Shay
Braeden Lemasters	Sean Harding
Deirdre Lovejoy	Detective Tylar
Skyler Samuels	Beth Harding
Blue Deckert	Captain Mackie
Jason Wiles	Dylan Bennet
Kara Briola	Real Estate Assistant
Jessalyn Gilsig	Julie King
Cathy Schenkelberg	Waitress
David Guzzone	Male Buyer
Amanda Reyne	Woman Buyer,Woman Buyer
Carmen Mormino	Taxi Driver
Todd Cosgrove	Mailman
Tracey Costello	Mrs. Rivers
Cheryl Anderson	Older Woman
Pride Grinn	Car Salesman
Sean Moran	Gus/Hardware Clerk
Jack Chang	Cell Phone Clerk
Savannah Levin	Lisa Bennet
Kara Ortiz	agentka nieruchomo¿ci
Kayden Kessler	Jason
Savannah Brooke Lathem	zamordowane dziecko
Vitaliy Versace	agent FBI
Charlie Clouser	Composer

Technical Credits

J.S. Cardone

Carolyn Lefcourt

Brian Garfield

Donald E. Westlake

Nelson McCormick	Director
J.S. Cardone	Screenwriter,Executive Producer
Mark Morgan	Producer
Greg Mooradian	Producer
Robert Green	Executive Producer,Producer
Julie Meldal-Johnsen	Executive Producer,Producer
Meredith Zamsky	Executive Producer,Producer
Guy Oseary	Executive Producer,Producer
Lisa London	Casting
Catherine Stroud	Casting
Mike Smith	Stunts
John Frazier	Special Effects
Jeff Wischnack	Special Effects
Carolyn Lefcourt	Screenwriter
Brian Garfield	Screenwriter
Donald E. Westlake	Screenwriter
Chris Jones	Special Effects
Casey Adams	Stunts
Scott Cannizzaro	Sound Effects

Editorial Reviews

While the original version of The Stepfather may not be remembered with quite the same familiarity as its fellows in 1980s horror, the movie still holds a spot within the genre. Its suit-and-tie-wearing sociopath killed with a cold efficiency that was just as terrifying, albeit quieter, than his machete-wielding brethren. The remake, at times, is able to tap into the sense of unease elicited by killers that mix well with society -- but, for the most part, it's a bland, if passable, psychological thriller. The Stepfather begins as Grady Edwards (also known as David Harris in the film, among other aliases, played by Dylan Walsh) calmly exits his suburban home, where his latest family, having failed to meet his expectations, lies dead, scattered about the Christmas decorations. The killer has his routine down to a science: find a harried single mother in a public place, utter a few witticisms, pretend to be a widower, imitate all the hallmarks of an ideal courtship, and quickly take over the role of father and husband. Eventually, he believes, he'll stumble across the right fit. When he meets Susan (Sela Ward), a recent divorcée, and two of her children in a grocery store, he has high hopes that they're the family he's been searching for. This is all made clear within the first 15 minutes of the film -- and those 15 minutes have potential. The film, as well as Edwards' plans, however, starts to unravel when he meets Michael Harding (Penn Badgley), Susan's son, fresh from a stint at military school, and his girlfriend, Kelly (Amber Heard). It's not that either of the young actors does a particularly bad job with what they were told to do, but most of their interactions are limited to frolicking by the pool, posing prettily in swimsuits, making out, and alluding to the possibility that Michael will have to return to military school in the fall. Though there are some genuinely tense moments as Michael begins to realize there's something seriously amiss, it doesn't take away from the feeling that a teen romance was hastily tacked on to draw a larger audience. The script doesn't help matters -- it's hard to believe Michael would notice that there's something too practiced about his soon-to-be stepfather's schtick when the rest of the dialogue is just as plastic. Ward and Walsh do manage to turn in two strong performances, both putting across a palpable, desperate desire for the perfect life, which manifests itself in denial for one, and murder for the other. There are several modern tweaks -- browser history, text messaging, and telltale ringtones, to name a few -- that bump the tension up a notch, but not enough to make The Stepfather much more than mildly entertaining.