An investigate reporter arrives in the suburb of Stepford to dig up a news story about its low crime and divorce rates and discovers the horrific secret behind the women's docile and submiss... Read allAn investigate reporter arrives in the suburb of Stepford to dig up a news story about its low crime and divorce rates and discovers the horrific secret behind the women's docile and submissive nature.An investigate reporter arrives in the suburb of Stepford to dig up a news story about its low crime and divorce rates and discovers the horrific secret behind the women's docile and submissive nature.
- Awards
- 1 nomination total
- Bruce Manson
- (as Jim McKrell)
- Sally Tarshis
- (as Lee Benard)
- Gary Tarshis
- (as Edward Bell)
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"Revenge of the Stepford Wives" is the first in a series of three '80s made-for-TV sequels to the terrific theatrical original, "The Stepford Wives", from 1975. While this is more or less a direct sequel - albeit a very inconsistent one - to the first film, parts 3 & 4 ("The Stepford Children" and "The Stepford Husbands") are more like spin-offs. Naturally, the great - and at times terrifying - concept from the original film gets a bit unintentionally sillier in "Revenge of the Stepford Wives". Since we know from the start what's going on in the town of Stepford, the mystery simply isn't there anymore. All scenes take place during the day and the made-for-TV look & feel doesn't exactly help things either. Meaning, things never get creepy or suspenseful. Even the involvement of cult genre director Robert Fuest (from the "Dr. Phibes" movies, starring Vincent Price, and everybody's favorite melt-movie "The Devil's Rain", featuring Ernest Borgnine as a cross-eyed devil goatman) didn't do anything to uplift the bland production values. But that doesn't mean the film doesn't manage to entertain.
Sharon Gless (as the investigating reporter Kaye Foster, arriving in Stepford with the intent of possibly making a TV program about the town's way of life) is a capable leading lady and it's applaudable she managed to walk through this movie with a straight face, seeing how she often found herself in rather ridiculous situations (like Julie Kavner 'short-circuiting' in her kitchen, then picking up a knife trying to kill Gless). A pre-"Miami Vice" Don Johnson is also walking around in it as the fresh cop in town, eventually agreeing with the Men's Association for his wife to become Stepfordized. You'll also have to wait until the very end of the film for the Stepford wives to actually take revenge (in a laughably appropriate manner). Things might have been dumbed down a lot in this implausible script which takes the original concept of the first film and runs the wrong way with it. But perhaps just because of all this, "Revenge of the Stepford Wives" turns out a rather amusing watch.
Did you know
- TriviaAccording to Sharon Gless's memoir, "Apparently There Were Complaints," when Angie Dickinson dropped out of the film, Gless was hired to take the lead role with less than 24 hours notice.
- GoofsAt the beginning when the Manson's car skids while being chased by the police chief it's on a dirt track. When the police car forces their car down a valley hillside it's a solid tar-mac road.
- Quotes
Dale 'Diz' Corbett: No one is hurt. It's as much for their good as for yours. You know what happens to women as they get older. They get bored. Restless. They become discontented with their lot in life. It can ruin marriages, careers. It can ruin lives. And to what purpose? Are they better off? Give me the wisdom to accept those things I cannot change. All we do is instill values that will enrich and sustain them. A perfect mother, always there for the kids. A perfect wife, always there for you. Any way you want her to be.
- ConnectionsFollowed by The Stepford Children (1987)
- SoundtracksSymphony No. 8 in F Major, Op. 93
(uncredited)
Composed by Ludwig van Beethoven
Conducted by János Ferencsik
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