The Stepfather 1987

The Stepfather is based on the crimes of mass murderer John List. In 1971 List murdered his wife, three teenage children and his mother.  The family was living in New Jersey at the time of the crime. The murders went undiscovered for a month due to List's efforts to make people believe the family would be out of town for some weeks. In 1989 America's Most Wanted did a show on List and he was quickly captured while working as an accountant in Virgina. He eventually was convicted and sent to prison where he died.

This movie is dominated by Tery O'Quinn's portrayal of a serious nut. At the beginning of the film we watch as O'Quinn changes his look while in the bathroom of his house. As he walks out we see the carnage he's left behind, his dead family. The movie moves forward in time to where O'Quinn is now a guy named Jerry Blake who works as a realator in a small town. He has married a woman who has a teenaged daughter played by Jill Schoelen.  Schoelen has been in many horror movies and does a great job as the stepdaughter who knows not all is as it seems with her new stepdad.

The times where O'Quinn has his crazy mood swings and the eventual final showdown between he and Schoelen will make some people cringe and make for a great ending.

To see what of the great acting jobs in horror films you need to see the original The Stepfather.  This movie gets an "A" from me.