I’ll Just Die if I Don’t Get This Recipe

The Stepford Wives Review

The Stepford Wives

Some movies completely slip beneath my radar and I’m ashamed to admit that often I see a remake of a film before I see its predecessor. The Stepford Wives was one of those cases. I saw the god awful 2004 version first and boy did I remember hating it, but I also remember saying, “Man, this ‘could’ be great.” A few years passed and lo and behold, I discovered the original film, which was released in 1975. This version was directed by Bryan Forbes and written by Ira Levin (who also wrote Rosemary’s Baby).

The original film is an incredibly dark portrait of humanity, men more specifically. I really enjoy films of this nature with this sort of “questioning our humanity” vibe ala Invasion of the Body Snatchers and Village of the Damned, to name a few. For anyone who hasn’t seen this film, I must say it should be some sort of prerequisite for horror fans. It is a fantastic slow-burn movie with much more to offer than a standard “hack and slash” film.

The acting is superb as is the pace of the film. When Joanna Eberhart and her family move to the town of Stepford, it doesn’t take long for her to notice the women are docile and void of any personality and all of the men are loud, lazy, and incredibly boring. Things pick up about 40 minutes in and never really let back down.

This is a true genre piece that can pretty much please anyone. Although it has a PG rating, it has some sexual themes and even a bit of nudity… ah, the good ol’ days. I fully recommend checking it out, if it has slipped past you like it did me.

I give this film 4 mannequins out of 5.

One Response to I’ll Just Die if I Don’t Get This Recipe

  1. Christopher Poulios says:

    I think a good sequel would have been the psychiatrist wondering why she never again heard from Joanna and then launching her own investigation into Stepford. The African-American woman who is seen in the supermarket at the end of the film (and presumably the next victim) could possibly have teamed up with her to expose the evil goings on.

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