Editorials
Father Kills Best: Revisiting ‘Stepfather II’ 35 Years Later
If just its box office numbers had been considered, then The Stepfather would have remained a standalone movie. However, the 1987 cult flick ultimately found an audience after tanking in theaters; it went on to become a major success on both video and television. So the production company behind the original movie, ITC, went ahead with putting cinema’s deadliest daddy back on the big screen. The pressing question at the time though, was whether or not Terry O’Quinn would return. And if he did, how would his character even come back?
John Auerbach, whose sole screenwriting credit is Stepfather II, was put in charge of bringing the fatal father figure back from the dead. Like anyone else in his position, Auerbach assumed he would be penning a prequel, on account of the fact that O’Quinn’s character was killed at the end of the first movie. On the contrary, this new story was a direct continuation. One where Jerry Blake not only survived his gruesome finish, but he also found himself another vulnerable and fatherless family to prey on.
Horror sequels are decried by default, yet there was more vocal disapproval than usual when Stepfather II — subtitled Make Room for Daddy — was first announced. The original movie, in spite of its lack of immediate success, was critically approved; O’Quinn was especially praised for his performance. A main concern, regarding the sequel, was doing away with Jerry’s sense of mystery. Being so puzzling was why he intrigued as well as intimidated audiences.
Stepfather II has its fanbase, albeit a far smaller one than that of the first movie, but those who do enjoy this second installment may be thankful that Auerbach and director Jeff Burr (The Offspring, Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III) kept the story relatively grounded. Despite the title character escaping what looked to be an unequivocal death, he did not reappear through supernatural means. In hindsight it might have been more believable to pull a Jason Voorhees or Michael Myers, what with this being a cash-in sequel from the ‘80s. Instead, the real strangeness was saved for the third entry in the franchise; to allow for a new actor to take over for O’Quinn, Stepfather III received a whole new face à la plastic surgery.
Image: Terry O’Quinn as Gene in Stepfather II.
Once the first sequel gets its absurd setup out of the way — at a psychiatric hospital, Jerry played the long game and won — O’Quinn’s character resumes business. As opposed to hightailing it out of the country, Jerry does what any movie madman in his state of mind might do; he repeats his insane actions in the hopes that the outcome will somehow be different. This second outing has the serial killer going about things the same as before, more or less, although his pursuit for what he deems old-fashioned values are challenged in new and uncharted territory.
Now borrowing the name of a recently deceased man named Gene Clifford, Jerry’s latest persona is inspired by the therapist he offed earlier. The family killer also trades Seattle for a suburb of Los Angeles. To be more specific, a seemingly quaint planned community called Palm Meadow Estates. Yet as “Dr. Clifford” gets to know his realtor-turned-fiancée Carol (Meg Foster, They Live), her teenage son (Jonathan Brandis), and their colorful neighbors, he soon realizes this is anything but a wholesome place. At least not in the eyes of someone as old-fashioned as O’Quinn’s character. From fellatio humor to premarital sex to machismo checks, this quack has a hard time adjusting. And, of course, that clash of personal values only leads to another violent standoff.
John List, a man who murdered his family in 1971 before then disappearing, was a real-life inspiration for The Stepfather. These first two movies are also, without a doubt, satirical commentary on American society since Ronald Reagan took office. Gene is a Reaganist caricature; he does everything and anything to preserve so-called family values. The sequel shows Gene compromising his principles to keep up the illusion — sleeping with Carol before marriage — in addition to his standard bursts of brutality. And when Carol’s best friend Matty (Caroline Williams, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2), a single, childless and assertive woman, stands in the way of Gene’s happiness, he naturally removes her along with Carol’s philandering ex-husband (Mitchell Laurance).
Image: Terry O’Quinn and Meg Foster in Stepfather II.
The word “unnecessary” is thrown around when talking about Stepfather II. Does this sequel rehash its predecessor? Yes, indeed, but Jerry/Gene is a man ruled by patterns. To break from them would actually be some kind of progress. This second movie, however, slowly and slightly peels back the layers of its villain, a man who has no single identity anymore. As director Burr demonstrated with a manifestation of that inner disarray, one where O’Quinn is gazing upon his multiple reflections, this series’ namesake is like a walking funhouse of mirrors. There is no telling what is real anymore as this man looks back at himself. And Auerbach’s script, flaws and all, taps into the main character’s complexity from time to time. To help make the central character study even more noticeable, the movie uses the backdrop of less simplistic, not quite so sterile, and trend-chasing SoCal to bring out these alien responses in Gene.
Variety said this movie “reduces the intriguing premise of the original Stepfather to the level of an inconsequential, tongue-in-cheek slasher film.” As a counterargument, the sequel definitely reiterates the same story as before, only now using the familiar to emphasize the sadness intrinsic to O’Quinn’s role. To imagine someone so trapped in their own futile pursuit of perfection is depressing. Especially when the ending is known from the start. Jerry, Gene, or whatever he wants to be called, is at his most pathetic here. To capture that wretchedness is, perhaps, unwarranted, however, as contemporary culture confirms with its enthusiasm for true crime, there is a nagging desire to understand human anomalies like The Stepfather.
In a bid to attract a bigger audience turnout than before, the studio aimed for a less psychological horror movie with Stepfather II. Reshoots at the request of the higher-ups were done without Burr or O’Quinn’s involvement, thus leading to some poorly shot inserts of blood and violence that drag this entry down into the schlock pit. Knowing this and the new direction of the series, O’Quinn elevated the ill-received and oft low-grade sequel with another substantial performance. That alone should warrant a watch. And in all frankness, the movie is not even remotely close to being the black sheep of the Stepfather family.
Stepfather II is now streaming on SCREAMBOX.
Image: Terry O’Quinn, Meg Foster and Jonathan Brandis in Stepfather II.
Editorials
‘Bloodstone: Subspecies II’ Revisited: A Bigger, Bolder Follow-Up to Full Moon’s Vampire Cult Classic
Horror sequels are a peculiar thing. In most cases, follow-ups to scary movies tend to retread the same formula with different victims and more over-the-top scares. This is because audiences tend to be more interested in the antagonists of these pictures than anything else, with even main characters becoming disposable when the time comes to produce a sequel.
That’s why some of the most memorable horror sequels are the ones that actually manage to hold onto interesting survivors from previous films while also pushing the story forward instead of having the same thing happen again to a different group of people. From Scream 2 to Dream Warriors (and arguably even The Exorcist III: Legion), there are quite a few of these innovative sequels to go around.
However, if there’s one franchise that deserves more attention when discussing bigger and better continuations that make the most of episodic filmmaking, it has to be Ted Nicolaou’s Subspecies.
The Full Moon classic spawned an indie horror icon, but bizarre sequel Bloodstone: Subspecies II is even more beloved than its predecessor.
Building a Bigger Vampire Saga
While the film itself takes place almost immediately after the events of the first movie, Bloodstone only entered production a couple of years after the release of the original as both Charles Band and Nicolaou weighed the pros and cons of returning to Romania to continue the series. In an effort to maximize efficiency, the team decided to invest in a trilogy where parts II and III, now fully written by Nicolaou, would be filmed simultaneously over the course of a single grueling shoot.
Much like the first Subspecies, Bloodstone’s low budget meant that the filmmakers once again had to cut corners and re-use as many of their resources as possible. Thankfully, the process was much easier this time around as Nicolaou, with the help of Romanian cinematographer Vlad Paunescu and his wife Oana, became more acquainted with local customs and made new friends. Shooting abroad still came with its own unique set of challenges due to a lack of translators and the occasional safety concerns, but the crew managed to make things work by filming things guerrilla-style and setting up shop in abandoned caves and real medieval ruins.
The director’s newfound contacts, coupled with the relative success of the first movie, meant that he was basically given free rein over an assortment of shooting locations usually considered off-limits for indie horror. That’s why Bloodstone features insanely ambitious lighting and effects work even during scenes shot in the middle of a bustling Bucharest. The filmmakers went so far as to project Radu’s Nosferatu-like shadows over local monuments as if he were a Romanian boogeyman, an idea that was actually encouraged by local cinephiles.
In fact, many of the more elaborate scenes here had originally been planned for the first movie before being discarded due to the lack of available resources. It was only with the support of Romanian fans and filmmakers that Bloodstone was able to give Radu a chance to be even more menacing the second time around.
Michelle’s Transformation Takes Center Stage
However, when it came to the American part of the crew, not everyone was able or willing to return for another round of Romanian adventuring. That’s why Radu’s human-loving half-brother Stefan (Michael Watson) is unceremoniously killed off at the beginning of the film while the role of Michelle had to be recast. Denice Duff took over for Laura Mae Tate, with the character now being joined by her sister, Rebecca, played by Melanie Shatner (yes, that Shatner).
In the finished film, we follow Michelle as she awakens to her new life as a vampire and discovers that Radu has murdered her lover. Struggling with grief and her newfound bloodlust, Michelle contacts her sister overseas, with Rebecca soon travelling to Romania on an ill-advised rescue mission. Meanwhile, Radu (Anders Hove) reaches out to his undead Mummy (Pamela Gordon, underneath heavy layers of impressive makeup effects) and promises to deliver her the coveted Bloodstone artifact while also making Michelle his eternal consort.
Revisiting the movie, I was impressed with how introspective this story is when compared to the original. The sequel assumes that you’re already familiar with the previously established characters, so the story wastes no time in exploring the immediate aftermath of the previous film’s events. From Michelle’s reluctant transformation into a creature of the night to Radu’s obvious mommy issues, Nicolaou is way more interested in pushing these characters into new and uncharted territory rather than recycling existing plot points.
Practical Effects and Gothic Atmosphere Still Impress
Yet, much like the first film, it’s Romania itself that makes the movie worth watching. The ruins of Castle Vladislav are even more majestic now, and visiting the moody streets of Bucharest with its surprisingly punk-rock nightlife made for a nice change of pace when compared to the original film’s quiet village setting. Once again, the abundance of interesting locations makes the movie feel much more expensive than it really is, with the filmmakers surrounding our characters with a living, breathing environment that would be impossible to recreate in a studio.
The increased freedom also allowed Nicolaou to flex his filmmaking muscles and tackle more ambitious blocking/composition in the sequel. The low budget and tropey script mean that the visuals don’t always work, but it’s consistently clear that this neo-expressionist style could only come from a passionate team attempting to pay homage to the shadowy horror classics of yesteryear. If the retro atmosphere isn’t enough for you, there’s enough practical gore here to satisfy even the most demanding of horror hounds!
Radu himself is also far more interesting now that Hove is more comfortable working alongside an international crew, with the actor having gone on record explaining that, while he spent more time drinking vodka than working while shooting the first movie, the sequel was a much more creatively satisfying experience for everyone involved. The character’s relationship with his abusive Mummy is also a highlight of the expanded mythology, especially since the practical effects that bring her to life are just as freaky now as they were back in ’93.
My only real gripe with the horror elements of the picture comes from the glaring absence of the diminutive stop-motion minions from the first film, though I guess the surprisingly entertaining addition of Professor Popescu (Michael Denish) and his archeological antics mostly make up for that.
Bloodstone: Subspecies II is obviously the middle chapter of a trilogy, with the ending feeling a lot less definitive than its predecessor as several plot threads are left to dangle in the wind, but I appreciate how the flick explores new ground while remaining faithful to nearly all the ideas that made the original such a good time. While I don’t think it’s as big of an improvement over the first movie as some fans make it out to be, Bloodstone is definitely worth revisiting if you’re a fan of old-fashioned vampire yarns.
Tune in next time for the thrilling conclusion to this initial trilogy, Bloodlust: Subspecies III!
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