Single White Female (1992)

 

I am so excited to be talking about this!  I've seen this movie 50 times by now, and my dad actually owned the VHS tape. I watched this at an age when I wasn't supposed to. And boy, was I in for a surprise. Sex and Violence, oh my! This came out during the wave of the "from hell" movies that were very popular during the 90s. For Example: You have The Tenant From Hell in Pacific Heights, The Nanny From Hell in The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, the Best Friend From Hell in Posion Ivy, The Neighbor From Hell in The Crush, The Temp Worker From Hell in The Temp, The Boss From Hell in Disclosure, You even have the Paperboy From Hell in The Paperboy, and let's not forget The Boyfriend From Hell in Fear. So, yeah, these movies were inescapable back in the day and pretty much gave Lifetime a run for its money. In this case, Single White Female is the one who started it all. In this corner, we have The Roommate From Hell.

I had no idea this was based on a novel, but until recently, I finally had a chance to read it. From what I gather, the movie is only loosely based on the novel. Yes, the characters' names are the same, same location, and same scenario, but not quite as similar as the movie turned out. This plays out more like a crime novel than a full suspense novel, and it's not as intense, though it is an easy read. Not the best novel ever, but it's alright. 

Allie is a blonde in the novel, and from how she's described, she's kind of a cross between model/actress Lauren Hutton and actress Kate Vernon. Allie's boyfriend, Sam Rawson, while sympathetic in the film, is a scoundrel through and through. In fact, Allie catches Sam and Hedra (wearing a wig similar to Allie's hair) having sex in full view. Sure, you would think, oh well, he's probably mistaken for her for Allie, but no, Sam knew it was Hedra, it's just the sex was too good for him to stop it, which eventually leads to his rather brutal demise. Allie's neighbor and friend, Graham, is not gay and, in fact, was married once. He is now a waiter turned playwright who has a bit of a crush on Allie, though, unfortunately, he gets killed off-screen with a mention that Hedra might've run him over just as he was getting attention for his off-Broadway play while writing a script titled SWF Seeks Same. As for Hedra Carlson, she's much more cunning and manipulative and comes off more like the typical Femme Fatale you see in those Lifetime movie thrillers, unlike the film version where she's bumbling and doesn't think things through. The novel is a slow burn, just like the movie. It starts off with Allie receiving obscene phone calls, which turns out to be one of Hedra's kinky wanton lovers who mistaken her for Allie, of course, but just as the plot thickens in the middle portion, when Hedra frames her for Sam's murder, Allie goes on the run. This section takes up half the novel, and while it was a little exciting at first, it started to drag for a bit. Now, in this version, Allie's slimy boss Mitchell Mayfair (Myerson in the film version) doesn't die, but she does break into his apartment to steal his jewelry and his laptop when times get rough. Allie pawns Mitchell's items at a pawn shop, but the owner's suspicions begin to rise, and eventually, the police come to arrest Allie. From then on, our focus is on Hedra, who initially seems to get away with her schemes and eventually styles her hair like Allie's, but sooner or later, she gets caught once she tries to move into the same apartment. There's a minor character named Detective Kennedy who helps out with Allie's case, but he doesn't appear in the movie, which I think is for the best. With Hedra put away, Allie turns a new leaf and moves back to her home state of Illinois where she enjoys a quieter, simpler life. The End. 

This is one of the few instances where I like the movie better than the book, and I feel that the climax in the movie was much more thrilling compared to the rather dull pacing of the novel, which waned my interest far too soon. Overall, it was okay for what it was.

This was the first feature script written by TV writer Dan Roos alongside French New Wave director Barbet Schroeder. Dan Roos added a bit more character development, soap operatic twists, and horror movie elements that made the script more engaging than the book. Speaking of engaging, Director Barbet Schroeder added a certain style and tone that fit well within the erotic thriller craze. Not only is there a mysterious allure to the setting of New York, but there's also a girliness innocence, particularly with Allie and Hedie's bonding scenes. The light before the darkness. That's what I've always loved about Single White Female. It's one of those movies that starts as a drama but slowly builds into a suspense/thriller/horror type of movie. 

Now, the really interesting part is the casting of the movie. Now, don't laugh at this one. I totally respect this person, and she kills it as a dramatic actress, but the part of Allison Jones was going to be given to none other than...

Whoopi Goldberg 

Now from a business standpoint, this doesn't seem like a bad idea. Whoopi Goldberg just won an Oscar for her supporting role in Ghost, and the "From Hell" movies were riding high at the box office. But I can't help to say that this would've been a completely different movie. This was also the same year when Whoopi starred in Sister Act, a lighthearted comedy about a nightclub singer posing as a nun to avoid the mob. I would imagine that this version of Single White Female can still be a serious film, but with a hint of comedy in it. Eventually, Whoopi backed out, and with Schroeder taking over the movie, he had a different approach, which would lead more into the dark, mysterious, erotic-thriller side of things. 

It all went down to the casting of Bridget Fonda, who was, of course, the daughter of award-winning actor Peter Fonda and was also part of an acting family dynasty along with her aunt Jane Fonda. Bridget Fonda would become an award-winning actress herself, starring in either abstract art films or controversial indie films. So she would be the perfect candidate to star in an erotic thriller directed by a French New Wave director. 

I would like to take a moment to gush over the fabulous setting of the film, the historic Cody Arms. The building comes off like a character of itself and is the perfect setting for a horror movie. I would even compare it to The Bramford from Rosemary's Baby, invoking that feeling of claustrophobia and paranoia as the walls are caving in on you, where an anonymous figure can pop out and get you when you're at your most helpless. This especially works within the climax, where the suspense is at an all-time high. 

Now, on the actual movie. Before I get to our darling leading ladies, I want to get the men out of the way, although all three of the male characters do serve a purpose in the plot. 

First, we have Sam Rawson, played by the very attractive Steven Weber. Unlike the complete douchebag that he was in the novel, the movie potrays Sam in a sympathetic light. Instead of just a random hookup, the character of Lisa is now Sam's ex-wife, which explains the connection between them. Lisa apparently wanted some emotional support, which eventually led to Sam cheating on Allie.

 Slowly but surely, Allie and Sam get back together, which doesn't sit well with Hedy, who's grown attached to Allie. This causes her to do the unthinkable...

Late one night, while posing as Allie, Hedy sneaks to Sam's hotel room, climbs into bed while he's sleeping and proceeds to give him a blowjob...without his consent. When Sam wakes up, he realizes this isn't Allie that's doing this, and just as he attempts to push Hedy away, he instantly climaxes. Out of all the crimes Hedy has committed, this is probably the worst of them all. Killing a poor, innocent dog might be on the list, too, but this also counts. This is one of the few depictions of male sexual assault that's portrayed as serious. There's another movie called Thursday that also features sexual male assault, and it's not sexy or erotic at all. It's downright disturbing because the male victim is a happily married man. So, in this instance, this makes Sam a sympathetic character. Sam feels utterly violated and rightfully so. Hedy begs him to leave Allie alone, but Sam refuses and is adamant about telling Allie the truth. In a fit of rage, Hedy throws a shoe at him. And just when Sam charges at her...

Hedy stabs him in the eye with the pointy end of her stellitto. Sam has become Hedy's first murder victim...

Then there's Allie's slimebag boss Mitchell Myerson, played by character actor Stephen Tobolowsky, who also had a small role in another erotic thriller, Basic Instinct. Mitchell in the novel was a lot more tame, and that's to put it mildly. He's still a sexist, perverted asshole but he only merely propositioned Allie for sex.

However, in the film version, he almost sexually assaults her. This was also at a time when women in the workforce were going through some rather unsavory situations, such as sexual abuse. Sometimes, the woman is a willing participant, but only because she wants to reach a higher level at her job. This kind of thing still goes on, unfortunately, but unlike the year this movie was made, at least they're people speaking out about it. Allie doesn't want any of it and gives Mitchell a good punch to the balls.

After this ordeal, Hedy feels that Allie didn't get her just due and gets her to wipe out his personal accounts. Mitchell freaks the fuck out and makes a dash to Allie's apartment.

Just as Hedy blocks his way, Mitchell fights her off and actually attempts to save Allie. Though not out of virtue, more out of saving his own ass. He thinks he got the best of Hedy, but it's only his ego. Hedy eventually knocks him out and puts two bullets in his head. Mitchell becomes Hedy's second murder victim. 

Finally, we have Graham Knox played by Broadway and Television actor Peter Friedman. Graham is the typical gay best friend, but there's really nothing typical about him. He's actually quite a badass. Sure, he gets knocked out cold by Hedy, but unlike the novel, he is able to survive his attack and ends up saving the day. What makes Graham even more admirable is that he's very protective of Allie and even before shit goes down, he informs her that it might be a good time to go the authorities when it comes to Hedy's unstable behavior. So Graham becomes the ideal hero in the end. 

Now, without further ado, we have the two ladies of the hour...but first, let's talk about the iconic hairstyle that starts it all. 

As I've mentioned, Allie is a blonde in the novel, and oddly enough, Bridget Fonda is blonde along with Jennifer Jason Leigh, who is...often blonde. But I think it was the director's choice to make Allie a redhead, I guess because red stands out more, and Bridget Fonda does look more striking with the red hair, so it works for me. The hairstyle, as I would like to call it, is the Elegant bowl cut made popular by actress Demi Moore in the movie Ghost. There's a specific scene in the movie that I would like to discuss further because this hairstyle is what broke the camel's back and sets the chains of events.

Allison "Allie" Jones, played by the extraordinary Bridget Fonda, is our plucky female lead. Fonda was asked which role she could play when she was cast in the film. She chose the role of Allie because she thought it would be more difficult, but Fonda pulled it through nicely. 

She could've easily played her as this uptight yuppie type, however, Fonda was able to bring more dimension to the character. In the novel, Allie is an independent woman who holds her own. She has no living family members, not many friends, and is mainly focused on her work. There's not much of a backstory on her movie counterpart, but the screenplay softens the character. 

There's an intelligence about her in her look, style, and confidence, however, there is a sense of loneliness. The scene where she breaks down in the kitchen shows that Sam's betrayal affected her, and her search for a roommate is to fill the void in her life. Sure, she has Graham, but she yearns for more human connection. This wasn't explored in the novel and was probably more of a letdown because it was hard to connect with her character on a deeper level, yet the screenplay, along with Bridget Fonda's awesome performance, gave the character more depth. 

Now is the time to talk about what I consider one of the best villain performances of the '90s. Now present to you...

Hedra "Hedy" Carlson, played by the incredibly talented Jennifer Jason Leigh. 

In the novel, Hedy is more of a mystery with subtle hints of a turbulent home life. It's implied that her father may have sexually abused her, which explains why her targets are mostly men, and there's also mention of her staying at a mental hospital for quite some time, but not much is dwelt upon. However, the movie gives her a lengthy backstory to explain why she is the way she is. When Hedy was younger, she had a twin who died by drowning, causing her to have survivor's guilt and a heavy dose of abandonment issues. Of course, there's the age-old Hollywood trope that if a person has a mental illness, they're obviously violent, but, in due time, Hollywood has gotten a little bit better at making this trope less cliche. 

When Hedy appears, she catches Allie in a pretty, somber moment. Hedy instantly comforts Allie, and out of the interviewees, she completely wins her over. Unfortunately for Hedy, she mistakes this moment as an actual bond, though the two do become close initially. However, the movie gives off subtle hints of Hedy's obsessive nature, such as buying a pet to bring Allie closer, trying and failing to seduce Sam, and eventually...

Getting a haircut. This is the moment where shit hits the fan. This is the moment where things go down. Hedy has officially "twined" herself. Allie is, understandably, freaked out by this and contemplates kicking Hedy out, even though that was the plan when Sam came back into her life. Therefore, the desperation begins, and once Hedy gets more desperate, she becomes more violent and erratic. 

Then there's the scene where Allie follows Hedy to an S&M club. Allie is totally out of her element and wouldn't believe that the initially shy and timid Hedy would be at a club like this. However, this showcases that Allie is now stepping into Hedy's world, and it also reveals Hedy's psychosexual dark side. 

During the climax, when Allie says the line, "I'm not your sister Hedy. Not anymore. I'm like you now,"  this means that Allie shares Hedy's sense of abandonment. When Hedy forces her to write the mock suicide note, Allie is adamant that she was never that afraid, that no one will believe she wrote that, but deep down, that sense of loneliness is still there, and while writing it, Allie can confront that fear of depression and push head-on. It's not just the determination to escape from Hedy's grip but from her own internal struggles. 

I would like to talk about the amazing performance by Jennifer Jason Leigh. It's the kind of acting that's indescribable. She's vulnerable yet vicious, sweet yet scary, and I don't think any actress would pull this off but her. It's one of the most authentic portrayals of mental illness because there are times when she would say something harsh, but then instantly regret it, indicating that she might be going through some sort of pyschosis. She's not just playing the character; she understands the character. It's all right there in the performance, and Jennifer Jason Leigh does it brilliantly. I would even go so far as to say that she should've at least gotten nominated for a Golden Globe. Yes, her performance is that good. And again, shout out to Bridget Fonda for handling such a challenging role and doing an awesome job with it. 

There was an alternate ending filmed for a test audience but the reception was not well-recieved. There's not much information about this, however, I think they were going for the original ending in the book. Fatal Attraction had a similar treatment when, in the alternate ending, Alex killed herself. I found the scene to be quite poetic and haunting but apparently this didn't work with the test audience and so, the filmmakers decided to go for a typical horror movie climax where Alex attacks Dan and his wife and is ultimatley shot and killed. I guess in the alternate ending of Single White Female, Hedy actually survives but I think the test audience thought Hedy's crimes were too severe for her to survive at the end, so as mentioned before, the filmmakers went for a tradtional cat-and-mouse horror scene and, to be quite honest, I don't mind this change. First of all, the furance room is the perfect horror movie setting. The suspense sets into an adreline high as Allie and Hedy gets into a knock-out, drag-out brawl in the elevator, descending into the hellish relams of the furnace room. Just when you think Hedy has the upper hand by strangling Allie to death, her body disappears. This is when Hedy completely transforms into an all-out horror villian, slowly hunting for her prey. Then as Hedy gets distracted, Allie makes her move and stabs her from the ceiling. Therefore, Hedy's reign of terror is over and Allie tries to cope with her recent bout of tramua. 

Single White Female went on to be a cult hit as it rose up in the box office and home movie rentals. So it was inevitable that a sequel would be in the works. But the question is...how? 

This didn't happen until 13 years later. Lo and behold, we have Single White Female 2: The Psycho. Really? That's the title they came up with? As you would expect the movie is a piece of shit direct-to-video sequel: Bad wigs, bad writing, and bad acting. It pretty much follows the same beats as the first movie. Hell, even the main character is a redhead! So yeah, I've seen this on Lifetime ONCE and pretend it never happened. 

Then there's the Lifetime Movie of the Week, Single Black Female. It's a semi-remake of another movie starring former Destiny's Child member Farrah Franklin, which was basically a cheap knock-off.  It is said to be inspired by Single White Female with a dose of All About Eve. All I know is that it stars Amber Riley from Glee as the main antagonist. Haven't seen it and, to be honest, I really don't care to. This was at a time when Lifetime was on a decline, and their specialty was usually these low-budget, cheap so-called thrillers that would put Tubi to shame. Apparently, this has two more sequels, but again, I don't see myself watching this and it's not going to be anytime soon, so...yeah. 

Just recently I heard the news that there was going to be a remake of Single White Female. Yes, I said it. A remake starring Jenna Ortega. As much as I like Jenna Ortega, I'm not looking forward to it. This movie already had countless of bad sequels, rip-offs, spin-offs, and I can even argue a remake of its own.

Do you remember The Roommate? Yeah, I didn't either, but it basically follows the same plot points with the only difference is that it set in college with a few changes here and there. This is as close to remake it can get and I can't see how they would replicate the same magic that the original had. From what I've seen lately, we're getting a lot of generic remakes and I don't see how this version of Single White Female is going to be any different. A concept like Single White Female is made for the 90s, it's like lightining in a bottle and it's hard to replicate it. 

So despite all its imitators, Single White Female will always be known as the ultimate cult classic of its era. 

My Last Word: Defintely Worth Watching.

The Stepford Wives (1975)

 

After the sweeping success of Rosemary's Baby, Ira Levin continued his exploration of the horrors of idle domesticity in his 1972 novel, The Stepford Wives. This was when the Second-Wave Feminism movement gained momentum, as did the divorce revolution of the 1970s. Levin began to dissect the Norman Rockwell 1950s picture-perfect housewife that seemed to clash with the more free-thinking, intelligent, and liberated women of the 1970s. So why not make a horror satire? At first, the project would be a stage play, but since there were too many characters, Levin decided to make it into a novel instead. Then it was going to be a comedy. Still, considering how those women suffered during the seemingly idyllic 50s, whether it be emotional, physical or psychological abuse, Levin decided to take the novel into a more serious approach. 

The novel is more so a character-driven story with a bit of mystery and suspense thrown in. It mostly focuses on Joanna's discomfort with suburban life and how the women of Stepford, once upstanding feminists, suddenly devote their entire livelihood to cooking, cleaning, gardening, and tending the children. What Joanna desperately wants to escape from is to not set herself up to be just a wife and mother. If anything, she strives to establish herself as a photographer, which doesn't sit right with her egghead husband Walter. As the novel concludes, Joanna befriends two new women in Stepford: The talkative, sharp-tongued Bobbie and the sexy, shallow Charmaine. Joanna fits as a balance between their distinct personalities. Speaking of which, that's the driving force of her story arc: Seeking the balance between her family and career. However, something seems to disrupt that balance...

Now, at first,  the novel shows Walter as a supportive husband. He joins her in the women's liberation movement, helps her tend to the kids, and supports her chosen career. But as the novel continues and as Joanna's suspicions about the Men's Association arise, Walter gaslights her. You see, the women of Stepford had their own association, but strangely, mysteriously, the president of the Women's Association, Mrs. Dale Coba, stepped down from her duties and the other members followed suit. The reason? To cook, clean, and tend to the children. In the early moments of the novel, Joanna and Bobbie attempt to run their own women's group but, unfortunately, most of the Stepford women decline their offer, deciding that cooking and cleaning are more important. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until there was a sudden change in Charmaine too. Charmaine, an avid tennis player who had a keen interest in astrology, suddenly forgoes her daily hobbies to cook, clean, and satisfy her husband. Bobbie thinks there might be some chemical goings-on in Stepford and suggests Joanna should move out with her in a town in Eastbridge. But when Bobbie goes away for some alone time with her husband on the weekend, there's a sudden change in her too! She pleads with her husband Walter to move out of Stepford, but he vehemently refuses. Feeling the walls cave in on her, Joanna tries to unveil the mysteries of the Men's Association but it's far too late...By the end of the novel, a minor supporting character, a black woman named Ruthanne, runs into Joanna who recently gave up her photography career to...cook, clean, and tend to her children. Ruthanne, a children's author, has a bout of writer's block and feels uneasy about her run-in with Joanna. The novel soon hints that Ruthanne might be next in line...

The novel sparked a cultural wave of both outrage and intrigue from its female audience, which caught the attention of producer Edgar Scherick.

At first, Brian De Palma went on board to take the directing duties, which would've been quite the choice. Carrie is one of my all-time favorite movies and for Brian De Palma to direct an off-the-wall concept like The Stepford Wives would be a match made in heaven. But screenwriter William Goldman wanted nothing to do with De Palma, so Sherick recruited English director Bryan Forbes. However, Goldman would have issues with him, too. Forbes decided to cast his wife Nanette Newman as Carol Van Sant, which didn't sit well with Goldman. Originally, he wrote the wives to be younger and scantily-clad, which was obviously inspired by Julie Newmar's character in the short-lived TV series My Living Doll. Nanette Newman, although beautiful in her own right, didn't quite fit the playboy bunny image Goldman envisioned and looked more like a typical suburban mom, which prompted Forbes to do some re-writing, making them less like pin-up models and more like June Cleaver. Considering that the movie satirizes this type of character, Bryan Forbes' revision works better for me. 

As for the casting for the Joanna Eberhart, here are the actresses considered:

We have Diane Keaton who would've been an amazing runner-up but her analyst got bad vibes from the script, so unfortunately Keaton backed out of the project.

Then we have Anne Archer, an underrated actress I've seen time-to-time.

The legendary Jacqueline Bisset.

The sensational Karen Black.

The one and only Stockard Channing.

The riveting Julie Christie. 

The highly respected Blythe Danner.

The fabulous Jane Fonda.

The adorable Barbara Harris.

Then there's the captivating cult actress Olivia Hussey who starred in another classic horror film, Black Christmas, which was released the year before. If she had starred in this film, it would make a great double feature for her 70s horror film set.

The always endearing Shirley MacLaine.

Then you have Elizabeth Montgomery who would've been an interesting choice since she's best known for playing the witchy housewife Samantha Stevens on Bewitched.

The imperial Vanessa Redgrave.

Then there's the impeccable Susan Sarandon, who would later star in another 70s cult classic, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which catapulted her into stardom.

The iconic Jean Seberg from the French New Wave.

And lastly, the ever-enchanting Natalie Wood, who I could definitely see in a role like this.

Also, actress Joanna Cassidy was originally cast to play Bobbie but eventually dropped out in favor of Paula Prentiss. However, she would star in the 80s cult classic Blade Runner years later. 

Another fun fact: the movie would be the screen debut of Mary Stuart Matherson, who I've seen in a string of films throughout the 80s and 90s. She plays one of Joanna's daughters and is the real-life daughter of Peter Masterson who plays her on-screen father. 

Now on the actual film review...

What I like about these underrated movies from the 70s is how the actors portray these characters as real people, and The Stepford Wives is the best example of that. The main three women have different quirks, personalities, and sensitivities, to the point where the actresses make them as real and human as possible. It makes the audience feel for them more, and once their personalities are stripped from them, it's very unnerving to watch.

Just like in my Rosemary's Baby perspective, the main crust of the film is Joanna and Walter's marriage. Before the credits roll, the camera focuses on Joanna staring at the mirror as she prepares for her move to Stepford. You can tell that she's not too keen on moving out of the city and she's a bit out of her element, though Joanna is willing to make it work if she has to. The city ignites her passion for photography as she observes the strange and unknown, but now that she's moving to the quaint and quiet suburbs of Stepford, Joanna worries that her artistic integrity could be stagnant. Unlike the book, the tension between Joanna and Walter is noticeable. Walter seems to be one to make the decisions without consulting his wife, and it greatly frustrates Joanna. When the family finally settles in, Walter meets up with his neighbor, Carol Van Sant, who greets him with a welcome casserole. When he has a little chit-chat with Carol's husband, Ted Van Sant, Walter mentions that his wife "cooks as good as she looks"...as sinister music plays, which indicates that there might be a conspiracy between these two men.

As we focus on the topic of Carol Van Sant, the film shows hints that something isn't quite right with her. First, she gets into a car accident at the grocery store, and as the ambulance pulls her away she seems dazed and confused. Secondly, when she arrives at a party, she keeps repeating the line, "I'll just die if I don't get this recipe" over and over again. When Carol visits Joanna and the other townswomen, she insists that she has a drinking problem...but again, nothing is what it seems. 

When Walter gets back from a meeting with the Men's Association, he has an overwhelming sense of guilt which wasn't explored in the novel. Whether humanizing Walter in the movie is a good or bad choice, it still works here because at least it shows that Walter seems to be conflicted with the choice he's making. 

Feeling isolated by the archaic values of Stepford, Joanna finally meets her match: Bobbie Markowe. She's vibrant, expressive, and full of life. A fully realized woman she can connect with. The chemistry between Katherine Ross and Paula Prentiss was totally spot-on as they were friends in real life. You can tell that they can lean on each other for anything, which is why the middle half of the film becomes heartbreaking once you see the change in Bobbie. 

Paula Prentiss was just delightful as Bobbie. She's not afraid to speak her mind and she refuses to be put in a box. Just because she's a housewife doesn't mean she's prone to doing wifely duties like cooking or cleaning. She's the type of mom who would order the kids take-out or just sit back and live in a messy house. After all, it's her life. Who needs to be perfect?

They meet up with another independent-minded Stepford woman named Charmaine, a former model and trophy wife. Although Charmaine is meant to be on the superficial side, Tina Louise gives an exceptionally charming performance that you can't but like her. She accepts that her husband Ed doesn't truly love her and just marries her for her looks, pretty much like a typical sugar daddy wanting to show her off as eye candy. And it's also implied that she might've had affairs in the past since Ed doesn't sexually satisfy her. 

Although it's a very serious film, there are subtle hints of comedy. There's of course the awkward party scene where the three main women are dressed in their hip, 70s fashion in contrast to the old-fashioned style of the Stepford wives. Then there's the scene in the women's group held by Joanna and Bobbie. While Joanna, Bobbie, and Charmaine pour their feelings out and share their grievances in their marriages, the other Stepford women are more concerned about housework and cooking, as if they were advertising for an infomercial. At the end of the scene, Bobbie's face is priceless. 

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary until there's a sudden change in Charmaine. Now dressed in a frilly white frock, she boasts about how selfish she was and now it's her duty to serve Ed as a devoted wife. No more hobbies and no more tennis, just cooking, cleaning, and serving.

As Joanna and Bobbie watch the construction men tear down Charmaine's tennis court, they feel that something's not right in Stepford. So, the two of them decide to conduct an amateur investigation to find out why the women in Stepford are so capricious.

Bobbie thinks there might be a chemical imbalance, and Joanna just so happens to have an ex-boyfriend who is a biochemist. When they meet up with him, Joanna and the biochemist ex-boyfriend catch up on old times when they claim to be "happily" married but eventually confess that's not the case. Unfortunately, Bobbie's theories are debunked but she is determined to leave Stepford and wants Joanna to go with her, insisting that they're a team and should stick together...This eventually will lead to a tragic end for Bobbie. She soon asks Joanna to watch her kids while she goes away with her husband for a little vacation time. 

While taking the kids to a summer picnic, Joanna suddenly reignites her passion for photography. There's a key scene where Walter is left to fret over the kids while Joanna works on her photo lab. Walter is totally incompetent in entertaining the kids, so he asks Joanna for help but she waves him off, heavily focusing on her newly printed photos. It kind of implies that Walter, who's a workaholic and an alcoholic, has no idea how to spend time with his own kids, insisting that Joanna should be their caretaker 24/7. But Joanna refuses to be tied down and eventually takes a trip to the city for somebody to purchase her photos. Hope seems to be on the horizon when an art gallery dealer is actually interested in selling her photos. 

But as soon as she tells Bobbie the good news, Joanna notices that something has changed in Bobbie too. Her messy kitchen is suddenly spotless, her hip 70s fashion is now an outdated white blouse and dress, and her blunt forwardness is now switched into a sunny disposition, a happy, smiley drone. This unnerves Joanna to the point where she almost gets into a cat accident. She soon becomes paranoid, worried she might become a hausfrau like the other women in Stepford. After getting into an argument with Joanna about leaving Stepford, Walter suggests she sees a therapist, and until then, he might move the family out. Tired of Walter making decisions for her, Joanna insists on choosing her therapist. Which turns out to be a woman since a male therapist could be prone to gaslighting. 

 This actually turns out to be one of my favorite scenes in the film. Now there really wasn't much going on in this scene in the book but it's played out much differently here. When Joanna finally confesses that she might become a robot like the other Stepford women, the therapist actually believes her. Now she's not thinking that the women of Stepford are actually being replaced by robots, oh no, the therapist might think that Joanna is in an abusive and controlling situation. Throughout her time, the therapist must know what women like Joanna go through and how society treats women. The therapist herself might've fought hard for people to take her seriously as a professional. She actually understands Joanna's goal to be a full-time photographer and not just the pretty kitchen-wife Walter wants her to be. It also reminded me of the scene in Rosemary's Baby because through all the gaslighting she goes through in that movie, Rosemary finally gets to be around friends who empathize with her situation. So I find this scene to be incredibly powerful because there might be hope that Joanna could get out of this...

Before I continue on to the climax of the film I would like to take a moment to praise the amazing performance of Katherine Ross. After starring in supporting roles in films like The Graduate and Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, Ross really gets to shine on her own here. There is a sense of earnestness in her role as Joanna. She reminds me of a hippy mom. Laid back, carefree, isn't afraid to let her hair down, and can dress a little hip and sexy if she wants to. Now it's easy to see Joanna as a blank slate in the novel but she so easy to root for her here. Thanks to Katherine Ross' terrific range, Joanna becomes a three-dimensional character who can feel all kinds of emotions and it adds an emotional weight to her survival. You as the audience want her to get out of the situation so badly and there's a sense of urgency that you want Joanna to succeed in the end...

Now the last 20 minutes of this film is absolutely bonkers! When Joanna plans to sneak out the kids, they're nowhere to be found. Walter becomes evasive which raises Joanna's paranoia. She knows her time is running out. Joanna makes a mad dash up the stairs while Walter tries to stop her. They get into a physical scuffle until Joanna finally breaks free, locks the door, and sneaks out the window. 

This leads to the "I bleed, do you bleed?" scene. Now this happens in the few final moments of the book and it's pretty anti-climatic in my opinion. So, the Men's Association members finally catch up with Joanna. To convince her that Bobbie is not a robot, they lead Joanna to her house. Strangely, loud rock music is playing from upstairs while Bobbie brings out a huge knife, she slowly walks towards Joanna while the members hurriedly run into the house where the scene suddenly ends, implying that Bobbie stabbed Joanna to death. But the filmmakers wanted to give this scene more gravitas and suspense, which definitely works here. Joanna cuts her hand to show Bobbie that she's human, to somehow see if Bobbie is still human too. Out of desperation, Joanna stabs her below the waist but...somehow, Bobbie doesn't bleed! She doesn't even feel the pain of her wound, just slightly annoyed. This leads to one of the creepiest and strangest moments of the film where Bobbie malfunctions, freaking Joanna out. 

When she sneaks back home, Joanna gives a good swing at Walter with a fire poker. You can't help but cheer her on because Walter definitely deserved that. She demands to know where the children are and Walter mutters that they're at the Men's Association headquarters before passing out. Little does Joanna know that this is most likely a trap. 

When Joanna arrives at the Men's Association headquarters, she hears the cries of her children. Joanna hurries up the stairs as she tries to save them but as it turns out, it's a tape recording. It turns out that this was all a rouse to fall for their trap. And then, Dale Coba, The Men's Association ringleader appears. He claims that the children are safe and sound with Charmaine. He sneakily locks the front door and has Joanna trapped in the mansion. Need I remind you that Joanna does have a fire poker in her hand but somehow, she doesn't use it. She asks Dale why he's doing this of course, and he just simply answers, "Because they can" and imagines a world where the men are men and the women are "perfect." As Dale calmly takes the fire poker from her, Joanna makes a dash for it. 

Joanna eventually runs into a strange room where a woman is brushing her hair, which mirrors the same length as Joanna's. As the woman turns around, Joanna stands back in horror. The woman has all her features. From her hair to her lips, and even her body frame except for...her eyes.

The filmmakers originally wanted to give the effect where the Joanna replicant had no eyes but they couldn't quite pull it off and gave her black contacts instead. However, the black contacts are just as effective as they give the Joanna replicant a sort of ghostly, ethereal aesthetic. But what makes the scene kind of frustrating is that Joanna doesn't put up a fight in the end. Hell, even Katherine Ross agrees. But sadly, Joanna gets strangled by her robot Joanna which leads to the grocery store scene.

So all of the robot women of Stepford greet each other in a pleasant but hollow manner, all saying each other's name as if they're in a lineup meeting. There's a brief shot of a black couple arguing in the store, which I assume is Ruthanne and her husband. Obviously, she feels uncomfortable about staying in Stepford but her husband might have plans for her soon. Then there's robot Joanna, dressed in a white lace dress and hat, staring blankly at the camera as the credits roll.

Let's talk about the Men's Association. Early in the film, there are subtle hints that they're up to no good. When Joanna invites them for dinner, although it comes off like an awkward get-together, with the men being super creepy and weird towards Joanna, they're actually examining her like a test subject. Drawing out sketches, recording her voice, and eventually molding her into a robot replicant. Back in the day, there were criticisms that the film was against women. But from my understanding, the film is actually empathetic towards the women and it's men who are being satirized and stereotyped. They are presented as schluby, pathetic, egotistical chauvinists who are workaholics as well as alcoholics. They may have won in the end but not really. There is nothing more valuable than having a soul connection with someone and these men will never have that with these robots. They're not able to feel, just obligated to do, and yes it's valuable to them or at least they think so, but in the long run, they'll become hollow and depressed and even worse than how they started off. Some of the kids may be small now but as they get older, they're going to question why mom looks the same while dad is aging, This was even hinted in the book where Bobbie's older son noticed the change in his mom and he feels uncomfortable about it. So what? Are they gonna switch out the children too? And trust me, I'll explain that later. Anywho, the men may have conquered in the end but it's more of a detriment for them than an accomplishment.

So this was an overall fairly decent film but there is one thing that would've worked better. I wish the Stepford wives were more exaggerated and more animated to really sink into how their personalities changed. However, I quite enjoyed this film and especially the performances of Katherine Ross and Paula Prentiss. 

Throughout the years, there has been at least three TV sequels and a 2004 remake. Now with the 2004 remake, that's going to be it's own review. So for the time being, I'll give a brief on the TV sequels. 

There's Revenge of the Stepford Wives (1980) starring Sharon Gless (Cagney and Lacey), Don Johnson (Miami Vice), and Julie Kavner (The Simpsons). In this sequel, a news reporter goes out to investigate the strange eldritch town called Stepford. This was the strongest of the three although the filmmakers did make some slight changes. In this version, the Stepford wives are brainwashed not replaced by robots or at least Julie Kavner's character is the one that gets brainwashed but she gets better in the end. However, one of the things that worked in this sequel is that one of the members of the Men's Association actually regrets his decision, as he feels he can't connect with his robot wife on a human level. See what I mean? And it's nice to see that disgusting Dale Coba gets his comeuppance at the end where he gets practically devoured by the Stepford wives. Touché. 

Then there's The Stepford Children (1987), which I find to be the weakest of the bunch. Bad dialogue, so-so acting, and a really hacky script really soured my enjoyment of this movie. It stars Barbara Eden (I Dream of Jeannie) joining her whiny, controlling husband alongside her unruly teenage kids to the mysterious town of Stepford where not only the wives are arbitrary, but so are the teenagers. Now the main teenagers are not really all that bad, they're just slightly obnoxious and pretty much overall regular teenage kids, it's just the male adults around them, particularly the members of the Men's Association are extremely controlling if not outright unhinged and psychotic. So in this version, yes, the kids are replaced by robots but...so is their essence? You see, they have the kids hooked up to a machine where the robots slowly take over their minds, bodies, and souls. Well, not actually their soul in which they're still alive yet they become skeletal zombies? Yeah, this was a total headscratcher. So Barbara Eden and her kids escape while her husband, alongside the members of the Men's Association, are killed in an explosion, blowing the Men's Association headquarters for good. So this wasn't at all great but there is one interesting thing about the movie. This actually predates Disturbing Behavior, which I feel is a much better sequel than The Stepford Children.

Lastly,  we have The Stepford Husbands starring the legendary Donna Mills (Knots Landing) and the fantastic Michael Ontkean (Twin Peaks) as an artsy city couple who moves to the town of Stepford to gain some inspiration. Little do they know that the women of Stepford might be hiding a secret that involves their husbands...

This was WAY better than The Stepford Children. Sure, it plays out like a typical Lifetime Movie of the Week but I do find comfort in that and to be honest, I had a bit of nostalgia while watching this. And Donna Mills was a staple in these movies and she was a joy to watch as well as Michael Ontkean who was also decent. Yes, they do the whole brainwashing thing but I didn't mind it here. Plus you have Oscar-winning actress Louise Fletcher in a deliciously villainous role as the Dale Coba equivalent, Miriam Benton. Not to mention, Sarah Douglas and Cindy Williams who were also great in their supporting roles. So I've enjoyed this for what it was. Nothing much but just enough. 

A concept like The Stepford Wives is still resonant today. You got your Red Pill guys who prefer a woman who's not over the age of twenty-five, always wears a bikini, and serves them sandwiches, which is beyond absurd and nonsensical. But that's the thing, men who have this mindset are beyond absurd and nonsensical. That's what the film was trying to teach us. A Stepford wife is just an idea, not a person you can share your thoughts with or have a mutual understanding with. Feelings are important. Human connections are important. And if you can't find that with someone you love, it leaves a hollow, empty person. So the town of Stepford is a fantasy. And it's a fantasy not worth fulfilling.

My Last Word: Five of the Dime Cult Classic! You should definitely check it out.