Die Frauen von Stepford

Classy adaptation from Ira Levin's best seller with script by prestigious William Goldman and stars beauty Katharina Ross . This very thrilling and suspense story from the author of Rosemary's Baby deals with the charming Joanna (Katharine Ross) along with her hubby Walker (Peter Masterson) and children tired of the rat race move from bustling Manhattan towards the quaint little town of Stepford (Conneticut) , a really modern and upper class location . She doesn't like the bizarre neighborhood with attractive and perfect but unintelligent housewives . She gets suspects and is concerned when many wives spend their lives in domestic slavery , as they seem to delight in moronic conversation and are strangely content and subservient to their hubbies . Joanna early befriends a pair good friends (Paula Prentiss , Tina Louise) . Meanwhile , her husband joins the mysterious Stepford Men's club (run by a powerful Patrick O'Neal and married another too perfect wife ) which takes place in an old Manor house . Joanna soon discovers there lies a dark truth about the strange and servitude behavior in the all female residents and the sinister secrets hidden in the Stepford town . As the truth about the wives is more terrifying and shocking that their lives . ¨Something strange is happening in the town of Stepford. Where the men spend their nights doing something secret . And every woman acts like every man's dream of the "perfect" wife. Where a young woman watches the dream become a nightmare. And sees the nightmare engulf her best friend. And realizes that any moment, any second - her turn is coming¨.

This enjoyable film is a sci-fi/thriller with a twsted plot , intriguing and suspenseful elements and a little bit of drama . Being almost a classic film , faithfully based on an Ira Levin novel , retelling several creepy and eerie events when a newcomer woman arriving in Stepford decides to investigate the rare happenings occurring in the rare , sleepy little town . A nice and original idea given light touch with a neat twist at the final . Although , it's a shame that first hour or so of this film is so slow , resulting to be in some moments briefly dull . The casting is frankly well as the fine trio of protagonists : Katharine Ross , Peter Masterson and Paula Prentiss , all of them giving terrific performances . As well as an excellent support cast , such as : Nanette Newman , Patrick O'Neal , William Prince , Carol Rossen, George Coe , Dee Wallace Stone , Michael Higgins , Josef Sommer and seven-year-old Mary Stuart Masterson, who is daughter of the starring , in her first film role . Special mention for atmospheric and evocative cinematography by Owen Roitzman who photographed The Exorcist . As well as moving and thrilling musical score by Michael Small . This is the classic rendition , this is the old version well directed by expert filmmaker Brian Forbes resulting in a splendid chiller and considered to be very superior to remake ¨The Stepford wives¨ 2004 that was preferably an amiable comedy regularly directed by Frank Oz with Nicole Kidman, Matthew Broderick , Bette Midler and John Lovitz ; this latter being heavily re-edited and re-written following test screenings , with new scenes shot and others deleted . This¨Stepford wives¨ 1975 was followed three inferior sequels : ¨Revenge Stepford wives ¨, ¨Stepford children¨, ¨Stepford husbands¨ . The picture will appeal to thriller fans . Rating : Notable 7/10 . Better than average.

"The Stepford Wives" certainly isn't the greatest thriller ever made, it isn't one of my all-time favorite movies, yet I've probably seen it 25 times and I'm always willing to return for more of its creepy, seductive ambiance. Director Bryan Forbes has created a funny/sinister atmosphere surrounding a secretive society of men in suburbia who exchange chilling glances and lines when they are alone ("She cooks as good as she looks, Ted."). It does however feature a very moody and unhappy Katharine Ross at the center, and it's easy to see why somebody might want to bump her off: she gripes, she complains, she stalks out of rooms flicking her long, thick hair out of her face. When Patrick O'Neal tells Ross at a social gathering that he used to work at Disneyland, she balks, "You don't look like someone who enjoys making other people happy." This just after meeting the man! Thank goodness then for happily crass and vulgar Paula Prentiss as Katharine's gal-pal Bobbie. Prentiss overdoes it a bit, but she comes into the picture at the right time and gives it an extra lift. The scenario (a squeaky clean Connecticut community) is gleefully turned inside out to reveal sinister underpinnings, and I loved Ross' sequence with the psychiatrist (who seems convinced by Katharine's outlandish story, which is a nice change of pace). No, it isn't art (or even the black comedy screenwriter William Goldman says he intended it to be), but "The Stepford Wives" is smooth, absorbing and enjoyable. It cooks as good as it looks. ***1/2 from ****

The image of beautiful, not necessarily sexy, women parading through the aisles of a grocery story in picturesque, almost Victorian summer dresses and wide white broad brimmed hats is one of the most lasting of this effective thriller based on the work by Ira Levin. Katherine Ross engagingly plays a women being moved with family in tow from the hustle and bustle of New York City to the serene suburbs of old Connetticut. Ross soon discovers that life for the gentle sex is anything but normal. All the women of Stepford seem to be concerned with is housecleaning and pleasing their husbands. This is a good, high energy film that shocks more from looks and what you do not see rather than what you do see. Helping greatly is a solid acting cast working with a pliable script. Though shot with an almost static effect at times, The Stepford Wives packs a few good punches. The scene in the grocery store and the scene with the empty eyes are just two of the highlights for me. Patrick O' Neal, lovely Tina Louise, and the ever loquacious Paula Prentiss costar. At the heart of the film is human identity and the worth it has/should have. There are aspects of social commentary abounding: the relationship of men and women in marriage, the effects of Suburban living, and the dangers of technology.

This movie holds up surprisingly well, nearly twenty five years after its first release. The premise could still intrigue today - there are still men who would like nothing better than to have the women in their lives be less human. I guess now women want the same things and this is known as progress.

Anywho, the movie is great and if it were up to me, Katherine Ross' birthday would be a national holiday. She is terrific and beautiful and is matched by best buddy Paula Prentiss. Tina Louise and Nanette ("I'll die if I don't get this recipe") Newman are also memorable. The final shots of Ross are chilling, and top off a memorable movie.

A normal couple move out of the stressful big city to live in a tranquil upper middle class semi- rural community, seeking peace and quiet. The town holds a sinister secret though- why do the wives of Stepford all seem to mindlessly content ? That is the start of this slow paced , surreal , and in some ways silly horror story. Gradually, clues begin the mount and the viewer becomes aware that soothing is very terribly wrong with these women. The last third of the film is better, more intense than the prior segments; the ending makes it all worth the while. Several themes are explored in this movie- an intensification of the 'war' between the sexes, crude stereotypes about that women think men want, the conflict between being independent , an individual, being free, plus Mans desire to 'create.' Some feminists objected to this movie but it should be obvious that , if anything, the movie is anti men, and not anti women at all.