HALLOWEEN HANGOVER: STEPFATHER 3 (1992) **

Stepfather 3 begins with an extended back alley plastic surgery scene to explain why the Stepfather is played by a different actor this time out.  I’m not sure if this was totally necessary, but it does start the movie off in an icky manner that helps separate it from its staid predecessors.  In fact, it could’ve been a great self-contained sequence had director Guy (Children of the Corn:  Revelation) Magar not ruined things by using the blurry-cam effect so excessively during the big bone-saw-to-the-throat kill. 

Anyway, the Stepfather (now played by Robert Wightman, who is no Terry O’Quinn, I’ll tell you that) moves to a new town to make a fresh start.  He gets a job as a gardener at the local church where he meets a newly single mom (Three’s Company’s Priscilla Barnes) and puts the moves on her.  They get married almost immediately, much to the protest of her wheelchair-bound son (David Tom) who suspects his new stepfather is up to no good.

I was kind of prepared for the worst with this one, but as it turns out, it has its moments.  There’s a funny scene where the Stepfather dresses up like the Easter Bunny while courting Barnes that’s good for a laugh.  I also dug the subplot with Tom.  Since his condition is psychosomatic, you know he’s going to have a big hero moment late in the film where he rises out of his chair to save the day.  I also admired Magar trying a bit of misdirection as to the new identity of the Stepfather, although it’s fairly obvious who it’s going to be.  

While it’s far from a forgettable sequel, at 105 minutes, it’s just way too long for its own good.  It’s also filled with scenes of the Stepfather flipping out for no good reason and no one seems to care but the kid.  Even though the Stepfather kills people and makes lame wisecracks, it feels more like a Lifetime movie than a horror sequel.  That is, until the wood chipper finale (which was pretty much copied for the Friday the 13^th remake), which almost, but not quite makes up for the sluggish pacing.

That does it for this year’s edition of Halloween Hangover.  Tune in next month when our December movie-watching project will be a tribute to John Travolta called, Tra-la-la-la-la la-volta!