Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.

Spotless house? Make up everyday? Wearing dresses everywhere? Can you think of anything scarier than all that? Ayeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! I'm like the anti-wife. If things somehow accidently get too clean, I start buggin' out. This is why 1975's The Stepford Wives is the ultimate in horror flicks to me. Oh yes. This gives me nightmares 3 decades later.

What we have is a nice professional couple. He's a lawyer, she's into photography. They have two adorable kids. They have just moved from the city to the peaceful little town of Stepford... what have I told you time and again about moving to idyllic small towns? You never listen... Well, somethin odd is going on in Stepford. Perfectly intelligent females are suddenly becoming obsessed with pleasing their husbands and keeping the house spotless. This cannot possibly bode well, now can it?

Besides being a well done story, we also have a great cast. Katherine Ross, Paula Prentiss, Tina Louise, Mary Stuart Masterson, and Dee Wallace-Stone all play perfectly normal gals who apparently aren't quite good enough for their husbands and get moved to Stepford.. where they become the proverbial perfect wives. I like all of these actresses very much, but especially Ross and Prentiss. As best friends and the last to get converted they are remarkable and easily get across to us the horror of it all. You see, they have figured out that there is something that just is not quite right going on here.

This is based on a book by Ira Levin. Now admittedly I've never read the book although I've watched this movie countless times. Shame on me! Levin is just a master of the subtle macabre tale, having also penned Rosemary's Baby, Boys from Brazil, and countless others. If Levin's name is attached to a project, I'm sure to like it. Can't wait for the release of the 2004 remake next week!

Bryan Forbes Directed this one. I say bang up job! The slow build of the suspense was fantastic, and the character development was just right on the money. There was really no fancy camera action going on, and that's a good thing in this case. One thing that stands out is the mansion where the Men's Association meets. Just the right amount of eerie and foreboding going on there.

Now since this is a 30 year old movie, I have to say that it transfered to DVD quite well. It's not as crisp as newer films, but all in all I think it was done very well considering. The one gripe is the sound. It's hard to hear the voices unless you turn it waaaaay up, and then you get blasted by the music after the ending credits. Ouch. Ok one more gripe.. no menus. You load this and the movie starts. After it ends it will loop back and begin playing again if you don't eject it in time too. Odd, eh? That's ok, the movie is worth that little irk.

This DVD runs 115 minutes and is rated PG in the US. There's really no language, but there are some shear blouses and quite a bit of cleavage. heh. I really don't see young kids having the least bit of interest in this one anyway. It's a slow psychological build. But I was 18 when I first saw it and loved it. I would have loved it probably back to 14. So yeah to teens.

The costuming is a bit dated, but I just finished watching it again and I personally think that this actually adds to the whole surreal feel of it.

So yes, I do recommend this one and am going with a whole 5 stars in spite of the DVD irritants. The movie itself is just a classic.. now if you'll excuse me, I need to go do the dishes......



Review of the 2004 remake:
http://www.epinions.com/content_143330086532


Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD