Terror in New York

I just saw this film today and thought it was entertaining. I've seen the original Stepford Wives and read the book- and I'm a big fan, but I don't really take this film seriously. Some of the acting is bad- the Stepford Wives are nowhere near as great in this one than in the original- in this one the robotic acting isn't that good. But I still like the plot- and it's very entertaining, and unintenionally funny. I knew I recognised Julie Kavners voice- i checked IMDB and she sounds excatly like Selma from the simpsons in real life! Anyway- I wouldn't say it was a really bad film- and the ending was great!

In REVENGE OF THE STEPFORD WIVES, it's been ten years since the events of the first film.

A resistant resident of the oddly idyllic suburb meets with an unfortunate fate.

Enter TV reporter, Kaye Foster (Sharon Gless), who's in town to investigate Stepford's unusually low rates of crime, divorce, etc.

Meanwhile, the secret, male cabal, led by the sinister Dale "Diz" Corbett (now played by Arthur Hill), uses their army of mindless fembots to keep a watchful eye on Kaye.

For her part, Kaye catches Stepford's crazy vibe right away, as she observes the creepy, somnambulistic wives going through their daily routines. Not surprisingly, the deeper Kaye digs into this bizarre mystery, the more danger she finds herself in, and anyone who attempts to help her doesn't fare very well.

While never approaching the sublime, satirical terror of the original film, REVENGE does have its moments, some of which are quite suspenseful. The wives are convincing, especially Barbara Parkinson, played brilliantly by Audra Lindley. Her "remote control" scene is a classic!

One of the better made-for-TV movies of the period. Watch for the magnificent grrrl power finale!

Co-stars Don Johnson as a police officer with a particularly rebellious wife...

Revenge of the Stepford Wives (1980) is a movie I recently watched on YouTube. The storyline follows a magazine that wants to write an article on the amazing town of Stepford that has no crime and once people move there no one wants to leave. Shortly after the newspaper reporter arrives she quickly finds her life at risk as she gets to see how people behave in the unique town.

This movie is directed by Robert Fuest (The Abominable Dr. Phibes) and stars Sharon Gless (Cagney & Lacey), Don Johnson (Miami Vice), Julie Kavner (Click), Audra Lindley (The Relic), Mason Adams (Son in Law) and Arthur Hill (The Andromeda Strain).

The reporter angle was a good plot for a sequel. I will say this does have a lower budget feel and cinematography. You can tell this was a made for television movie. The men in this are more apparent on how they execute their plans and use the community for help than the previous picture since the cat is out of the bag. The costar, Meg, has a annoying voice that drove me crazy all movie. 😂 The Stepford women are well depicted and the kills and action are more fun than good.

Overall this is a huge step down from the original but is still a fun viewing. Don Johnson was entertaining in this role. I would score this a 5.5/10 and recommend seeing it once.

Maybe if I had never seen the original or read the book, I might have been mildly amused, but I doubt it. The fact is the husbands were killing their wives and replacing them with robots. An idea scarier today than it may have been then because it seems more possible that it could happen in the near future. But this movie's premise that the wives are servants because once a day when a big horn sounds, they all drop everything and take a pill is pretty stupid. If I were Ira Levin, I would've sued.

With the recent remake of the original Stepford Wives, this time as a comedy with Nicole Kidman, Bette Midler, Christopher Walken, Glenn Close and Matthew Broderick, there may be interest in in the original with Katherine Ross and Paula Prentiss, as well as this 1980 sequel with Sharon Gless, Don Johnson and Julie Kavner, yes, she who does the voice of Marge Simpson.

I would see this version first before I would see the original 1975 movie.

Normally I do not care for women vs. men programs done in such a moralistic light, but I am aware of sexism in society and that there is beliefs and opinions that women "should be more supportive, obedient and submissive" to their men, with the men not having to reciprocate.

Having since seen the original, which seemed more like a spoof on tv commercials to me than anything else, this one did seem to delve more into women being doting housewives.

Gless was a single woman who came to town. That alone upsets this whole cart. I wonder how Stepford handled that? Does someone get a concubine in the process?

We did glimpse an unnamed couple attempting to flee at the very beginning. They don't make it. I was misled to think this was a couple shown in the original, which they weren't.

Also, this one did take the approach that the women aren't replaced with robots, they are drugged.

The first Stepford was more of a Twilight Zone movie as well. This one sought to give the wives their revenge. Granted, had the robots of the first one rebelled, it might have been interesting, but then it could also have simply been "Westworld, the Women."

Nevertheless, nothing failed in this sequel. The siren going off for the women to take the medication could have been absurd, but it was kept low-key, as was the women in the lacy outfits and aprons.

I only truly grasped there was something impractical about the dresses when Kavner commented to Gless about it in the car.

Yes, Revenge was nearly a totally different movie from Stepford Wives, different motives, different outcome, but there has been sequels that pretty much follow the same path as the original and those are no fun.

Want to see the women lose? See the 1975 movie.

Want to see the men lose? See the 1980 sequel.

There is a third, horrendous movie, called Stepford Children, with Barbara Eden, Don Murray and Tammy Lauren. Avoid this one at all costs. It doesn't add anything further to this concept.