Stepfather III
Tags: murder

Plot synopsis:
Having survived the stab wounds he sustained at the end of the previous film, Gene Clifford (Robert Wightman), escapes from the same institution in Puget Sound, Washington he was placed in four years ago. He seeks out a back alley plastic surgeon (Mario Roccuzzo) to alter his appearance, using no anesthesia. After a few days, Gene kills the doctor by slitting his throat with a bone saw and makes his way to Deer View, California, where he acquires a new identity, "Keith Grant", as well as a small cottage and a job at a plant nursery. Nine months after crafting his new life, Keith, during an Easter dance held by the church, meets divorced school principal Christine Davis (Priscilla Barnes) and her psychosomatically paralyzed son Andy (David Tom). Keith and Christine begin dating. When Christine's possessive ex-boyfriend Mark Wraynal (Stephen Mendel) follows Keith home and confronts him, Keith offers to have a chat. Keith kills him with a shovel and buries the body in his garden.
Keith and Christine marry, despite Andy's misgivings. Andy's biological father Steve (Jay Acovone) offers Andy the chance to spend the summer with his family and attend a school for the gifted, and Andy decides to take his father up on the offer, despite Keith's protests. With Andy gone and Christine revealed to be infertile, Keith begins courting Jennifer Ashley (Season Hubley), a widow who has moved into Keith's old cottage with her son Nicholas (Adam Ryen). Keith plans to murder Christine and marry Jennifer. Andy sees a news story about an unidentified serial killer who murders families, and suspects that Gene is the culprit. Meanwhile, Christine and Jennifer meet and become friends, which makes Keith nervous. Keith murders his boss with a garden implement, Mr. Thompson (Dennis Paladino), when Thompson mentions that he spotted Keith cheating on Christine with Jennifer.
Andy asks family friend Father Ernest Brennan (John Ingle) to help him discover Keiths past. Andy invites Brennan over for dinner and the two sneak Keith's fork off the table, to have the fingerprints analyzed. Realizing Brennan is up to something, Keith excuses himself after dinner and follows the priest home. He runs Brennan off the road, beats him to death, and makes it look like a car accident. He also discovers the fork. When Christine mentions visiting Jennifer, Keith rushes to the plant nursery and calls Jennifer, telling her to meet him. Before going to the nursery Jennifer calls Christine to cancel their meeting, claiming her new boyfriend called with an emergency. When Jennifer arrives, Keith reveals he is married before claiming he needs her out of the way. Keith knocks her unconscious and prepares to kill her by feeding her body into a big wood chipper.
Christine and Andy suddenly appear; Christine has figured out that Keith is Jennifer's new boyfriend and confronts him about the affair. He beats her unconscious when she discovers Jennifer weakly writhing on the ground. As Keith prepares to murder his two lovers, Andy finds the courage to get out of his wheelchair and walk. Gene chases him through the cemetery, until Andy knocks him into the wood chipper. However, Gene is only hanging on the edge and grabs Andy. Christine gets up and helps Andy get away, leaving Gene to fall into the chipper, killing him.

Review: It is surprisingly good for a made-for-cable movie, and it stands up to Stepfather II, at the very least.
Terry O'Quinn does not return to his role in this one, he is replaced by Robert Wightman.
The plastic surgery sequence is particularly unsettling, as the stepfather undergoes the procedure without any anesthesia, and by a 'back-alley' plastic surgeon.
Priscilla Barnes carries the whole movie.
I get a kick out of these Stepfather movies.
The I just wanna be a family man gets a super duper facial make over from an underground plastic surgeon then finds another single mom with child and we're off and running.
Robert Wightman just didn't seem to be able to project that Psycho demeanor that Terry O'Quinn was so good at.
As many times that the Stepfather had been stabbed, shot, hit over the head etc.
you'd think that he would have wised up and said `This time I'm gonna get a girl who doesn't already have a child and try it that way for a change.'.
The part in the movie that just made it so stupid is when there in the gardens and the little kid in the wheelchair is trying to save his mom from the stepfather and he just gets up from his wheelchair and starts walking as if he was never paralyzed and he also starts RUNNING from the stepfather who is trying to kill him.
As awful this movie is i still sat threw the whole thing.
Stepfather 3 Father's Day ranks as the worst horror film ever even Troll 2 was better than this trash.
I know it seems kind of dishonest to comment on a movie if you haven't seen it all the way through, but trust me on this one, kids...you don't need to see this turkey all the way through to know how bad it truly is.
The only way you wouldn't know how that bout would end up, is if you've NEVER SEEN A MOVIE BEFORE!
And the whole thing with 'Bad Ex' threatening good ol' 'Stepfather,' as he's turning his flower bed with a BIG shovel???
Meaning I could channel surf over to a really GOOD movie, even one that's been on about a thousand times.
Like the first NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, which I'm sure I've seen about a thousand times and still enjoyed it.Well, thanks to STEPFATHER 3, make that a thousand and one.So, if you want to respect yourself in the morning, do what Terry O'Quinn did way before me.
This movie's script, plot and acting are all so stupid (except for Priscilla Barnes) that they're hilarious.
Unfortunately, this was intended to be a horror film.Unless you like movies that are so bad they're funny (a la Plan 9 From Outer Space), I'd recommend avoiding this film..
Keith Grant (Robert Wightman) seems like an ideal choice for a husband.
Unfortunately, Keith is also the same mass murderer played by Terry O'Quinn in the two previous entries.
Thanks to the miracle of plastic surgery, the psycho is now a new man (literally) and is free to continue on in his psychotic search for the "perfect" family.
He meets, romances and marries a schoolteacher (Priscilla Barnes) with a prodigal, computer-obsessed, wheelchair-bound son (David Tom), who sees right through Keith's facade.
And they're not perfect so you know what to expect.Wightman has his hands full trying to fill in for the wonderful O'Quinn, and comes off more nerdy and weird than psychotic and calculating.
That aside, this third entry is acceptable genre fare, with a good supporting cast, realistic characters and some stupid fun with a garden mulch machine.Score: 4 out of 10.
how about the scenes where the stepfather gets angry and goes by himself chopping wood or whatever while he is yelling at himself.
The only reason that i kept watching was that it is a ridiculous bad film!The only thing horrible was the camera-work!
I kept laughing in disbelief over so much stupidity!Watch this only as an example how to do things the bad way in movie-making.
Obviously Terry O'quinn didn't want to do this so they made up the storyline that the stepfather had his face changed so that he could go on with his murderous ways.
With an annoying wheelchair-bound son to boot, we recommended surfing right past this film..
Wow, and I thought the second one was bad,This the stepfather as yet again escaped from the insane asylum and had his face surgically, that one to add a re-cast into the story.This was no wear near as good as first movie, it was even worse then second movie, which I didn't not like that much,However I do think this movie was far more bloody then the other two movies put together, there were few gory deaths in this movie, even the way they show the death scenes look a bit strange in bad way.The acting in this movie was really bad from most of the cast, I didn't think Robert Wightman was the right person for this role, I just could find him believable as the killer.I did like how the movie ended, also some parts of the movie are very predicable as we seen twice, with little sub plot about boy in wheelchair.I was not aware that this was TV movie until now, I thought it was decent and really bloody for TV movie, the acting was really bad in this movie from most of the cast.4 out of 10.
I loved the Stepfather movies and it's a shame they cannot go onto a fourth chapter after this...I won;t spoil it for you but...it's a sad ending to the franchise..
The first movie was OK, second not bad, but this last movie designed for the cable simply sucks !
The acting is so bad, the plot (what plot ?) is poor and maybe less inventive than a '' Bold and the Beautiful'' episode.Robert Wightman (as the stepfather) is the worst actor on earth.
Terry O'Quinn, who performed the stepfather in the two previous movies, was frightening.
Wightman is funny and idiot by moments, especially in the final scene.Sincerely, avoid this movie, don't even waste a buck for it.
You know, i sort of liked this one even though Terry O'Quinn wasn't in it.
The things i liked about this is the brilliant idea of plastic surgery on a killer's face, and the way Robert Wightman portrayed the stepfather as a Terry O'Quinn Wannabe.
When I first saw this one i kind of laughed at who played the stepfather because the last time i saw Wightman was when he replaced Richard Thomas as John Boy Walton, so in the long run John Boy Walton is playing the stepfather who seemed to be of a goofy version of O'Quinn, but on the other hand, perhaps if he was crazy enough to take the role of John Boy Walton i guess he would be crazy enough to play a psychotic perfect family man.
Just keep all that in mind when you ask why they would choose Wightman as the stepfather.
As for the rest of the cast, Priscilla Barnes did not seem to be the vulnerable victim, it looked like Season Hubley had that part.
The first film in the Stepfather slasher film series was excellent!
This third film felt unnecessary, particularly because it was minus the star of the first two films, Terry O'Quinn.
This sequel picks up following the events of part two with the homicidal stepfather again escaping custody and this time getting plastic surgery, which explains the change of actor.
Robert Wightman takes over as Keith Grant / The Stepfather and once again tries to find the perfect all-American family.
This new family has Priscilla Barnes as the mother to a young wheelchair-bound boy, who is paralyzed for no medically explained reason.
works its way into the film's finale where he has to use his legs to fight off his deranged stepfather.
Wightman is passable as the stepfather and actually does a good job impersonating the odd Robert Young Father Knows Best speech cadence established by O'Quinn in the firsts two films, but he lacks the the edge and frightening mental instability O'Quinn brought to the role.
Stepfather III (1992) ** (out of 4)After the events in the previous film, the stepfather finds himself at a plastic surgeon changing his apperance.
Flash forward nine months and single mother Christine (Priscilla Barnes) meets the charming Keith Grant (Robert Wightman).
The two quickly fall in love but Christine's young son Andy (David Tom) just feels that something isn't quite right with his new stepfather.You know, STEPFATHER III was obviously just a cheap film to try and cash in on the success of the first two but I must say that there was an actual good movie lurking around this thing but sadly it just never came together, which is really too bad.
With that being said, the film was quite frustrating to me because for every good thing there were at least two bad ones and in the end the film is more of a disappointment than anything else.Obviously the plastic surgery bit was done because Terry O'Quinn wasn't willing to come back to the film.
This entire gimmick seems pretty stupid so perhaps it would have been a better idea had they simply started the series over and had a new person doing the killings.
However, that decision wasn't made and we've got the same guy once again looking for the perfect family.
One of the film's good parts is the fact that there's a twist in the story where a second family enters the picture halfway through.
I really liked how they did this and thought it added something fresh to the story.I liked other touches throughout the film including smaller moments where Keith is carrying out these two lives and mixes them up.
Performances are also rather mixed here as Barnes was quite good and I also liked John Ingle in the role of Father Brennan.
This movie clocks in at 104-minutes, which is way too long for this type of film.
A lot of the family drama could have been left out and the film just takes way too long to get where it's going.
The family killer from parts one and two gets a face change via plastic surgery and sets his sights on finding a new wife.
It´s not a sooo bad movie !.
OK , Stepfather 3 is sometimes very boring but the Gore-Effects in this movie are very bloody and were made very good !
So you can watch this movie 1 or 2 times and you will have fun with it !.
"The Stepfather III" is one of the most un necessary sequels on Slasher cinema history.
I liked this movie for the wrong reasons.
I mean, when you rent/buy this movie you want to have cheap entertainment, or watch some gore.
I watched it because it features Prsicila Barnes, and because it's a sequel to a guilty pleasure: The Stepfather.
Expect some decent death scenes and good acting.
This is a perfect example of a regular Slasher flick with drama tones made for T.V. The ending is actually pretty good and it assures that the stepfather won't return.
The highlight of the movie is Priscila Barnes in a steamy sex scene where she wears sexy lingerie.
That's it.This time the Stepfather with a perfect plastic surgery in the face returns with a horrible attitude.
The kid gets really annoying at some point but delivers a good role.You could either watch the movie for Mrs. Barnes or if you love low budget Slashers.
Stepfather III: Cashgrab sequel.
Terry O'Quinn was fantastic as the antagonist in the previous films, he made them entertaining and better than by all rights they should have been.Having a sequel without him in was just asking for trouble but to Robert Wightman's credit he actually did a good job.Sadly the film starts off poorly, the very concept of the plastic surgery is quite frankly offensive to the viewers!
If you can get past that this is essentially the same film as the previous two and is a passable if much not needed effort.The one difference here is that our antagonist decides that one family isn't enough and pry's himself into the lives of two while desperately trying to keep them apart.This is harmless enough stuff but in many ways felt more like a Lifetime original than a Stepfather movie.The Good: Strong performance by Robert Wightman The Bad: Plastic surgery concept is ridiculous Things I Learnt From This Movie: Plastic surgery comes with a free voice change The sight of a priest and a young boy bonding makes me uncomfortable, and this one couldn't even run away!
This sequel features a new actor as Stepfather, and boy, do i miss Terry O'Quinn.
To me he was 'The Stepfather'...In this version Stepfather is a lot younger (with lil help from scalpel) and in one part is dressed as The Easter Bunny....There are a few interesting moments where his old character emerges, but not an awfully good rendition...( note, unlike some people I don't watch films for sex scenes alone!!
)I watched it cos it was from the Stepfather clan, and I have a thing about the films!!
Most of all -lots of fun!!!Basically I am giving this a six out of ten as a film filler...More of a TV movie...associated recommendations from me would be psycho IV and Halloween III....
~Spoiler~ The only thing that worked about Stepfather 2 was Terry O'Quinn.
How is a Stepfather movie going to measure up with his absence?
Stepfather 3 is a horrible attempt to breathe new life into a dated franchise.
It's plastic surgery time.
Robert Wightman takes over the Stepfather mantle and I feel bad for the guy.
He's doing a very stiff impersonation of O'Quinn the entire run of the movie.
Maybe if he had made the character his own, the movie wouldn't have been so horrid.
The Stepfather is trying to deal with two families at once because he's unsatisfied with his situation.
The ending is definitive this time (even moreso than the last two films).
The Stepfather is shoved into a wood chipper by the paralyzed boy who has finally overcome his fear of walking (yes, it's as cheesy as you picture).
Can you keep a good stepfather down, despite him being shot and stabbed in the heart multiple times?
That's why even if Terry O'Quinn isn't coming back, his character definitely will in this made for HBO movie.Yes, Gene Clifford has survived being stabbed with a clawhammer in the heart and went right back into the same mental institution in Puget Sound.
And he escapes it all over again, finding a back alley surgeon to change his appearance, all with no anesthesia, before killing that very same doctor.Oh yeah - now the stepfather is played by Robert Wightman, who is best known for taking over the role of John-Boy Walton from Richard Thomas.Now, he's Keith Grant, a gardener who dresses up as the Easter Bunny for a church party.
There, he meets Christine Davis (Priscilla Barnes from TV's Three's Company) and her son Andy, who has been in a wheelchair since an accident.
He's surprised when his new dad misidentifies him as Nicholas, so the typical stepfather behavior has started as he begins forgetting his identity and killing anyone who learns the truth, like that troublemaking priest!Will the stepfather find true love?
All of these questions and probably a few more will be answered by the end of this movie.If you watch this movie without looking at the screen, you may think that Terry O'Quinn is still in it.
But once you watch it, the acting isn't as good.
In fact, Wightman is quite wooden, particularly in a sex scene with Barnes where she's sweaty and super into it.
Stepfather III.
Distributor: VIDMARK Entertainment Plot: Even the asylum couldn't keep the Stepfather away from his grisly mission.
This time he has found two loving families...and the ideal job---burying things in the earth at Thompson's Nursery.
And getting rid of bodies is so easy now---there's a people sized shredder in the potting shed.Audio/Video: Excellent picture quality from Vidmark.Extras: Nothing.Final Thoughts: Stepfather 3 is different from the rest because Terry Quinn is absent.
**This review may contain spoilers** Even though this movie is the weakest in the series I would say I walked into this movie with almost no expectations whatsoever and it surprised me.
The Stepfather has now gone through plastic surgery and is searching for a new "perfect" family.
This felt like a rehash of the first movie since it's almost the same story except for the plastic surgery involved in the plot.Terry O'Quinn is replaced by Robert Wightman and this is what's probably the biggest problem with the movie.
He's nowhere near as good as Terry O'Quinn but he keeps getting better the longer into the movie you get (when he plays the "nice" Stepfather is the weakest part of the movie but when he plays the "evil" Stepfather he does a really great job).
The supporting cast is probably the best part of the movie and the actress who carries this movie on her shoulders is Priscilla Barnes, she gives her all in this movie and she does a really great job.
Another character I was very fond of was Father Brennan played by John Ingle, he was very likable and funny at times as one of the most down to earth preachers I've seen on film.
A surprise for me was the character of Andy portrayed excellent by David Tom (espesially during the more emotional scenes).The soundtrack is good and you can sort of hear the theme from the previous two films in the series within this theme if you listen very closely.For a made for TV movie Stepfather 3 was great, even though it's the worst in the series I can recommend it if you enjoyed the first two.