By Melissa Antoinette Garza
Attentive father and loving husband, Jerry Blake (Terry O’Quinn) survived a horrific near fatal assault at the hands of his spoiled step-daughter and bitchy, nosy ex-wife. They weren’t even the first fam, Jerry tried to brighten up with his presence. He was forced to kill the fam before (and before that) because they didn’t appreciate him either. Why can’t anyone just love Jerry the way he needs to be loved!?
After the judicial system fails and he is thrown in a psych facility, Jerry is plagued with nightmares about the night of the last incident. He attends a meeting with his doctor, Joseph Danvers (Henry Brown). Danvers offers help and asks Jerry to trust him. The two begin regular sessions and the doc is really trying, but it’s too late. Jerry has been hurt too many times and been thru so much that when given the opportunity, he escapes (and also murders Danvers and the guard).
Jerry decides that under the current Wanted By the FBI situation, he should take on a new identity. He picks one from the obituaries and chooses psychiatrist Gene Clifford.
He moves to Palm Meadow Estates after seeing it advertised on a game show. It’s picture-perfect suburbia. If he can just find a family, he’ll be all set. Real estate agent Carol (Meg Foster) shows him a place in her own neighborhood. They chit-chat and she reveals she’s divorced with young son Todd (Jonathan Brandis).
Soon, Carol and her friend Matty (Caroline Williams) along with some other women in the neighborhood begin seeking group treatment from Jerry. Wild girl Matty encourages Meg to hook up with Jerry until she notices that he acts a bit strange. Then she starts warning her away from him, which isn’t a good idea for multiple reasons.
Meanwhile, Todd’s deadbeat dentist ex Phil (Mitchell Laurance) comes creeping around. When Jerry sees this, he goes to his workshop garage to blow off some steam. By this time, Jerry and Meg are on their way to dating, so fuck Phil! He’s an asshole who ran off with his assistant whereas Blake is VERY loyal, until he decides to kill – but before that, he’s a GEM!
Jerry even bonds with Todd. He plays ball and builds with him. This further solidifies the relationship between the family. Sadly, Carol is perceptive and starts picking up on some red flags. Still, she and Jerry become engaged and start planning the wedding. She tries to bury her feelings and move forward, but it becomes impossible when Todd whistles, CAMPTOWN RACES, a tune heard the night Matty died. When Todd reveals that it was Jerry who was singing, his cover is blown.
Poor Jerry Blake! All he wants is the perfect family and no one gives it to him. He’s a nice guy – for a homicidal maniac who turns on a dime, he’s marvelous. Everyone has flaws! Jerry for example isn’t into sex …oh and that killing thing. That’s probably a flaw too! Put that one right below, not putting out enough.
Carol is confused as to why Jerry doesn’t want to initially have sex and he reveals scars on this body that he got from patients that hear voices. I don’t blame Blake for lying. What can he possibly say? Oh I tried to kill my old family and they got a little rough. She wouldn’t understand and it would become this whole big thing. Sometimes, little white lies are okay and unless my moral compass is wayyyyyy off, I think this is one of those times.
Anyways, Carol works the body and gets the response she’s after. She gets her rocks off, but this is more work for him than anything else. As much as I love Jerry, you can’t blame Carol on this one. She’s a knockout! She’s portrayed by Meg Foster! Her eyes alone captivate and bring to mind all sorts of delectable erotic thoughts – the rest of her is just a wondrously, perfect added bonus. So Carol gets a win from me. See I’m looking at this from a completely unbiased and sane standpoint where everyone is equally culpable in these murders – even sensitive & sweet Jerry. (Is it odd that I find myself feeling like the narrator of A TELL-TALE HEART every time I proclaim my sanity?)
In the end, a battle ensures with Carol and Todd teaming up against Jerry on his wedding day.
I love this movie. I could watch Terry O’Quinn portray Blake all day. I truly hope with all the reboots and with HALLOWEEN (2018) doing so well, some of these cult gems will get some new entries with some recognizable faces. I want a real STEPFATHER 3 with O’Quinn in the helm. Wouldn’t it be cool if for the last 30 years, Terry was happily married (finding his perfect family) and now has grand-kids who find some info on the murders online. That would be enough to push him back into insanity and we could see O’Quinn go crazy once more! I want that in my life!
I can’t recommend this one enough. It’s nearly as good as the first. The acting all around is fantastic. Though his role isn’t massive, one can see how great an actor Johnathon Brandis was. Every time I see this, I can’t help but think what a tragic loss his suicide was. Staying on the optimistic outlook of things, he’ll forever be remembered by cult fans everywhere and is hopefully sitting on a cloud right now knowing how much we appreciate his contributions to both film and TV.
Lastly, Meg Foster is beyond incredible. When she goes from 0-10 at the conclusion, I find myself rooting for her, which for most is the logical mode of action. For me, because I like O’Quinn so much it takes one helluva strong actor for me to switch sides. Carol is so nice and laid-back thru the entire film. She’s a giver and a nurturer, but when she finds out the truth, she faces against Jerry with absolute fury. She doesn’t hold back and for a second I’m like, “uh oh Blake, you may have gone too far! You should have gone for a more passive gal.” I love that about her. She’s so fierce and no-holds-barred in her emotion. Though many aspects of the movie have a campiness to it, Foster’s performance is not campy. She plays it straight as an arrow and is a complete dame about it. A level of Joan Crawford/ Helen Mirren iciness escapes her that just astounds. It is so opposite to the demeanor from the previous 70 minutes, that it hit all the harder. It truly becomes a marvelous spectacle of feminine energy and unrestrained anger.
Watch this one on AMAZON PRIME or YOUTUBE as it’s currently on both platforms for free.
Scared Stiff Rating: 8/10
