The Stepfather

Being a semi-fan of Gossip Girl, and having fallen in love with the character of Dr. Sean McNamara on Nip/Tuck I had built up an expectation for The Stepfather that just plain didn't do it for me. Dylan Walsh has a unique look that can play the part of the stepfather, but some of the scenes and dialog were almost too cheesy or cliche. The only thing that made me believe he could be the serial killing stepfather was his blank expression and piercing blue eyes which just gave me the creeps. Penn Badgley does a decent job, although a good majority of the film feels like nothing more than an opportunity to see him shirtless and his girlfriend, played by Amber Heard, in a bikni. Unfortunately I felt tempted to check the time several times throught the film, but the only thing stopping me was knowing that security would escort me out of the theater if they saw my cell phone light during the early screening.

I wish that hollywood did not feel compelled to remake every 80's film. Please leave the 80's horror/suspence genre alone. It was great the way it was. I do not believe that Dylan Walsh is able to "one-up" Terry O'Quinn, who played the origina; Stepfather in the 1987 film, as well as the stepfather in the 1989 sequeal Stepfather II. Just watch the original trailer and you will see that originals should be left alone.



Nothing beats Locke playing a psychotic serial killer. And even the opening scene is bloodier than the 2009 remake.