Etched into pop culture, the term Stepford Wife is still thrown around today, for those who seek magazine spread domestic perfection and the original film is a firm favourite of any camp classic cult movie fan.
However this one stands out a little from your average cheesy 70's horror thriller and its premise of something so sinister hiding in suburbia, is a little bit creepy.
Although I find them slightly comedic, I just adore the wives when they are in full 50's housewife mode, "I'll just die if I don't get this recipe" and "Joanna how could you do a thing like that", being firm favourite quotes for any gay movie geek.
I think it's the contrast with this and Joanna actually playing it terrified straight, that makes the film both oddly unsettling and a little bit hammy (in a good way)
The plot is actually pretty good and although its a slower paced build up, I kinda like how that reflects the sleepy nature of the town, I also like that this horror takes the unusual step of things mainly taking place in daylight, (I use the term horror loosely, but it just about fits into that category).
The ending always leaves me feeling a little bit sad, but is also wonderfully iconic and the music that plays us out is really haunting and very 70's.
Paula and Katherine and wonderful, who wouldn't want Bobby as a neighbour?! And it's the contrast of their great performance of characters, well full of character, turning into a deadpan joke of the perfect housewife by retro advertising standards that really pulls this movie off.
However this one stands out a little from your average cheesy 70's horror thriller and its premise of something so sinister hiding in suburbia, is a little bit creepy.
Although I find them slightly comedic, I just adore the wives when they are in full 50's housewife mode, "I'll just die if I don't get this recipe" and "Joanna how could you do a thing like that", being firm favourite quotes for any gay movie geek.
I think it's the contrast with this and Joanna actually playing it terrified straight, that makes the film both oddly unsettling and a little bit hammy (in a good way)
The plot is actually pretty good and although its a slower paced build up, I kinda like how that reflects the sleepy nature of the town, I also like that this horror takes the unusual step of things mainly taking place in daylight, (I use the term horror loosely, but it just about fits into that category).
The ending always leaves me feeling a little bit sad, but is also wonderfully iconic and the music that plays us out is really haunting and very 70's.
Paula and Katherine and wonderful, who wouldn't want Bobby as a neighbour?! And it's the contrast of their great performance of characters, well full of character, turning into a deadpan joke of the perfect housewife by retro advertising standards that really pulls this movie off.