Scanialara
You won't be disappointed!
Breakinger
A Brilliant Conflict
Ava-Grace Willis
Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.
MartinHafer
When an annoyingly controlling and stupid woman comes home with her husband from vacation, they discover her father (Lionel Stander) married to a somewhat disagreeable woman (Bette Davis). However, the daughter is so disagreeable and annoying, the viewer will likely tend to enjoy how miserable she is with the new step-mother. However, soon after this the old lady disappears--in the guise of sexy Barbara Carrera. What's next? Who cares?!"Wicked Stepmother" is a truly god-awful film. Sadly, it was also Bette Davis' last film and I sure would have liked to have seen this great actress go out on a high note...not this turkey!Whether or not the story is true that Davis walked off the set and refused to return because the script was THAT bad, I am very inclined to believe it because the film is horribly written. Part of this could be because the 'clever filmmakers' decided to use what little footage they had of Davis and then re-write the film around that in order to hide her disappearance from the script. But considering how clumsy and stupid it all is, I think they did a lousy job in hiding it!! Clearly the writers they employed were about 6 to 7 years-old!The film itself is in many ways reminiscent of a film made for the Disney Channel or Nickelodeon. After all, the script is clearly something little kids might like and adults with at least a 70 IQ would hate. Oddly, however, it's really NOT a great film for kid because there are many, many sexual references and sexual situations you wouldn't want your kids to see. Overall, a terrible film...one of the worst of Davis' otherwise wonderful career. I should note that late in life, Davis appeared in quite a few questionable roles--roles other famous actresses probably would have refused. She claimed she needed the money...but badly enough to appear in crap like this film, "Murder With Mirrors" and "Bunny O'Hare"?! Ironically, her arch-rival, Joan Crawford, did exactly the same--appearing in tons of terrible movies late in life ("Trog" is the most egregious example).
TedMichaelMor
Director Larry Cohen's best work, The Wicked Stepmother" may also be actor David Rasche's best film role. However, Bette Davis ruins the show. She is not terrific as Miranda the witch; the famous actress is clearly ill and out-of-place. This is not "The Whales of August"; it is naff comedy with inexorable inside jokes.Richard Moll shines in his scenes, especially with Colleen Camp, who essentially carries the film.This might have been a lovely made-for-television movie. I am bit surprised it had theatrical release. The film does have good, strong production values and Larry Cohen never did another film this good.This is an entertaining late night movie when you are too tired to think deeply about a film.
nycritic
WICKED STEPMOTHER is the kind of movie that happens to an actor who cannot understand that his or her time has passed, and that encroaching illness and the approximation of death should be an indicative that maybe it would be best to relax and enjoy the accolades, retrospectives, and lifetime achievement awards.Bette Davis was coming off the mild success of THE WHALES OF AUGUST when she decided to do this movie about a witch who moves into a family's home and causes havoc there. Severely ill, barely able to remember her lines, and frail as a leaf about to fall from its branch in the middle of fall, she was forced to step out of filming only a week after production on the movie began.Surprisingly enough, she claimed problems with the script among other things, making it clear that old age and illness had not mellowed her character one bit. What she seemed unable to understand that this sort of demands which she had been known for back in her prime was supremely out of style by now, and for an actress of her stature to assume she could throw her ego around just because, was pushing it a little.Hence, her scenes remain in this movie and should have probably been either deleted and replaced with another actress. I can only assume that the director did not have the money to replace Davis, and decided to keep her character and have Barbara Carrera step in, adding a ludicrous set-up that would explain Davis' absence from the movie. As it is, WICKED STEPMOTHER remains as Bette Davis' last film, one that can be bypassed as an gargantuan error on her behalf.
Kai-18
This film has an Ugh factor that's a 10 out of 10. It may think it's a comedy but it's in no way funny. It's depressing and boring and stupid and I don't even know what the director was thinking. Any episode of Bewitched is much better and much smarter than this (and I don't really like Bewitched).
