azathothpwiggins STEPFATHER 2 opens w/ a quick recap of the first film. In the present, Jerry has somehow survived his wounds, and sits in a psychiatric hospital. Needless to say, Jerry wants out, so he can find that perfect family he so fervently seeks. Through his own cunning and some boneheaded security lapses by hospital staff, Jerry -his name is Gene Clifford now- gets busy locating his next target. Carol Grayland (Meg Foster) and her son, Todd (Jonathan Brandis) live across the street from Jerry / Gene's new abode, where he's set himself up as a family counselor (!!). Super conveniently, Carol needs the "doctor's" help. As fate -and Gene- would have it, love is in the air, and wedding bells are soon about to ring. That is, once Gene takes care of Carol's pesky ex-husband, before he ruins everything! Oh, and that nosy, mail-carrying friend of hers, Matty (Caroline Williams)! Oops-y daisy! Time for Dr. Clifford to get to work. Problems solved! Will Carol ever wake up and smell the madness? As sequels go, this is a good one, though it isn't as stellar as the first film. O'Quinn shines w/ the same lunacy, and Ms. Foster's character is just as clueless as Shelley Hack before her. The church finale is... breathtaking!...

Anonymous Andy (Minus_The_Beer) "Stepfather II" (creepily sub-titled "Make Room For Daddy") knows he isn't the original. He knows you probably won't care for him as much as the one that came before him. But he would like to try. Maybe if you just spent some time with him, you'd grow to appreciate that he is not in any way or form trying to replace his predecessor but that he's always there for you if you need him.With that in mind, the low-budget sequel to the surprise slasher/thriller flick, "The Stepfather" is a noticeable yet serviceable step-down from the original. Director Jeff Burr, who would go on to helm other horror sequels like "Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III" and "Pumpkinhead II: Blood Wings" does a pretty decent job of keeping "Stepfather II" from being too much of a step-down in quality. While the suspense from the original is all but gone, the film moves at a nice pace that compliments its somewhat contrived feeling. You might not be surprised or shocked while watching the film, but you'll never find yourself counting the minutes until it's over, either.It helps that the film boasts a solid cast. Leading the pack is the indispensable Terry O'Quinn, returning to the titular role. O'Quinn is given many an opportunity to expand on the character and have a little fun with it, and boy, does he. One line in particular -- the disgusted "I even had sex with you, for God's sake!" -- hinges completely on his deadpan delivery and his commitment to the character. Meg Foster plays his would-be wife, and as with anything she's appeared in, she's a pleasure to watch and classes up the whole affair in the process. A young Jonathan Brandis plays the hapless and clueless kid to perfection, while Caroline Williams entertains as the suspicious and somewhat obnoxious best-friend and neighbor, making the perfect foil for O'Quinn.The film was born in the era of mindless yet enjoyable slasher sequels and it shows. There is a lot of extra violence and gore that was shoe-horned in at the last minute, much to the dismay of the director, and often the film plays for cheap thrills whenever possible. But while it is nowhere near as effective as its predecessor, it is an enjoyable and breezy 89 minutes just the same. Worth seeing just to see Terry O'Quinn do his thing once more (he would be replaced in the mostly unseen third installment) and certainly of interest to any fan of '80s horror just the same. If you make room for daddy,"Stepfather II" promises not to disappoint.

thesar-2 Though the first was slightly better, I wouldn't count this sequel out. 'Stepfather 2: Make Room for Daddy' was all but equal (if not for the horrid closing) in reference to acting of the extras and the suburb job O'Quinn did on both. And with such a short film (I consider anything under 1½ hours short) I loved the long intro with Stepfather working his psycho madness on his psychologist. Honestly, they were good scenes. And then you're thrust back into Stepfather's routine of finding lost souls to take down. I will say this for #2: there was a lot of humor that despite it being a real b-movie, should've-been-direct to video, that still makes me laugh out loud. Also, I loved Meg Foster (back in 1989 when I first saw it) and those eyes – they mesmerized me. Today's watching makes me cringe at her acting, but still, those eyes. The biggest problems with the film happen towards the middle and second half. Again we get this Stepfather that apparently is invincible in regards to all the traces of DNA, evidence, fingerprints, etc around and a mail carrier who (in broad daylight) snoops around people's mail, opens it and then actually brags about it. Sure, it's a movie, but that was harder to shallow than Stepfather getting away with all this. And finally, the rushed end-job was so out of left field (see them walking down the isle) it all-but almost ruined the movie. Again, O'Quinn saves the movie with his solid Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, a role he played so perfectly in 1 & 2. On a side note, I remember seeing this 11/10/89 (almost 20 years ago) and geekly enough, I still have the movie stub. Without having seeing #1 and only 14, I loved it back then.Side Note (basically just for my own fond memories): Yes, I am a geek; I collect/save my movie stubs. Well, since 1989 and I thought the one I saved on 11/10/1989 for 'Stepfather 2: Make Room for Daddy' was the first (I actually have that summer's as well: 'Batman' et al.) I remember seeing this movie at UA Metro (which has been destroyed for many years now) farthest left screen and alone, but they must've not carded as I was 14. I used to ride my bike roughly 3½ miles to Metrocenter in Phoenix, AZ, get a small cheese pizza at Peter Piper Pizza next door with a drink and then ride over to see whatever playing. Those were the good ole days, when I wasn't so critical about movies and just loved the thrill of going. That being said, still, to date, 1989 is my favorite movie year of all time: 'Batman,' 'Lethal Weapon 2,' 'The Little Mermaid,' 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,' 'Back to the Future Part II,' 'A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child' and even 'License to Kill,' 'Ghostbusters 2' (I still have my glow-in-the-dark 'Ghostbusters 2' AMC cup, and yes, it still works) and 'Star Trek V: The Final Frontier' were fun to watch, because it was fun to go to the movies. I'm sure I'm missing some I saw that year (such as this movie) or in the years following (I just checked to see at least a 100 more I loved that year.) Maybe it's just the excitement of finally getting out on my own, my own bike, and watching dozens of movies (many 2-3+ times) that make 1989 so magical. Maybe that the studios were looking to make quality over box office. Though I am sure they wanted to make money, but look at 1990 since and how it became almost ONLY about money.Just now, looking at the list of 1989 releases, I am in total agreeance with my statement. 1989 was the best year for movies of all time. (Yes, this is all placed in a review for 'Stepfather 2,' and no, I wouldn't put this anywhere near the top of that year. I am mainly speaking of the experience.) Look for yourself and see how many you used to love, or still do.

Backlash007 ~Spoiler~ Sequel king, Jeff Burr, takes over the reigns for The Stepfather 2. The original stepfather is an underrated horror/thriller thanks in all parts to a terrific performance by Terry O'Quinn. Stepfather 2 is almost the exact same movie, but with all the surprises gone. It also lacks the believability of the first movie. First off, we're asked to believe that the Stepfather survived the events of the last film's finale. Stabbed through the chest and shot twice...right. Anyway, he now resides in an asylum where a psychiatrist is trying to unravel his thought process and motivations. This is the most interesting area of the movie. Unfortunately, it doesn't last long. He's too soon back in the suburbs leading a women's support group and looking for potential wives. Did any of these women bother to check his credentials? We're also asked to believe that the Stepfather is a master criminal, yet does the DUMBEST things to get himself into trouble. The supporting cast around O'Quinn is as good as the original. This time we have Meg Foster as the new target and Jonathan Brandis is playing her son. Caroline Williams (Stretch from Texas Chainsaw 2) is quite good as the nosey neighbor. If you enjoyed The Stepfather and want to see more of the character, this is for you. However, I implore you not to waste your time with Part 3.