I Watch Films: Stepfather 2

 

Stepfather 2

The stepfather in Stepfather was stabbed and shot in the finale of that film. It turns out he’s not dead though, and has been committed to an institution in Puget Sound Washington. A psychiatrist talks to him, tries to learn what’s up. He makes model houses, then sweeps it onto the floor when there’s something wrong. He explains to the psychiatrist that he keeps making them in the hope of getting it right. Then he tricks him, kills him and the guard and escapes disguised as the guard.

He then robs and kills a travelling salesman and adopts a new identity, as Gene Clifford, a deceased publisher. (Curiously while in the hotel room where he changes his appearance and makes plans he’s watching the Gerry Anderson puppet TV show Stingray, but the sound is that of Thunderbirds). He heads for Los Angeles where he moves into a suburban road and sets up as a psychiatrist.

Gene starts to romance Christine, helping with her son Todd. While working with the neighbourhood women he learns that her husband Phil left last year. Phil returns, wanting to reconcile. Gene convinces Christine to send him over for a therapy session; Gene kills Phil and makes it look like he left again. Faced with being abandoned twice, Christine agrees to marry Gene.

One of Christine’s friends, Matty the postwoman, is suspicious of Gene, goes through his post. Discovers a picture of the real Gene in a letter sent to him (in an alumni or industry magazine). It’s not this Gene! Matty confronts him, Gene kills her, but this time there are clues. He whistles Camptown Races, his signature theme which is overheard by a blind neighbour, and brings home a bottle of wine.

Everything’s ready for the wedding, so they go ahead despite Matty’s death. Matty’s parents offer some wine, it’s the same type, and Todd is whistling Camptown Races, which he says Gene taught him. There’s a final, violent confrontation. It’s structured a little differently to the first Stepfather film, with the main action being Gene’s courting of Christine, mentoring Todd and murdering everyone who gets in the way. The final sequence is not technically an interrupted wedding, one of my favourite elements in a film, but it’s close enough to be fun.

Watch This: All the creepiest parts of The Stepfather, Terry O’Quinn’s oily perfect white American Dad, turned up a notch as he seduces a family
Don’t Watch This: A lot of stabbing between bad psychiatry