In the reading, “Trying to Survive on the Darker Side; 1980s Family Horror” by Tony Williams, the author maintains that the 1980 horror films are still dealing with family situations, but the characters were drastically questioning what was considered normal. In many of the films during this decade there is a great deal of gender confusion. For example, in, Friday the 13th (1980) the murderer surprisingly turns out to be a woman rather than a man. She is a conflicted character however because she speaks in Jason’s voice and replies in her own voice. Another example is Freddy Kruger from the many Nightmare on Elm Street films. He, “Opens up, absorbs bodies, and frequently changes sex during the movies” (pg 200). In Freddy’s Revenge (1985) he actually comes out of a girl’s chest and takes on the body of a woman. Williams definitely portrays the fact that the 1980 horror films focus on dysfunctional families. He writes, “The film’s all make clear that submissions to any form of family authority results in death” (pg 204). If a character decides to be something other than normal there is going to be trouble.
In the 1980s horror genre the family is the central unit in many of the films. The film The Stepfather (1987) is a prime example of this. In The Stepfather, the protagonist is a deeply disturbed father figure. In the reading, Tony Williams claims that many of the movies try to “maintain dominant values”. This is the major theme in The Stepfather as Jerry has a need to find and maintain a perfect family situation. Asa realtor, he is showing a house to a client and the client says to him, “You’re a cheerleader for old traditional values.” Ironically Jerry kills the client who is his stepdaughters psychologist. As stated in the reading many horror films include “adult monsters as products of abusive parents” (pg 197). This is shown in the stepfather when Jerry is having a temper tantrum in the basement. He is freaking out and having an inner dialogue with his father and says “all we need is a little order around here” It is clear to the audience that he must have been in an abusive relationship with his own father who demanded perfection and organization within the household. Due to his chaotic childhood he has become obsessed with creating a perfect family situation.
Source: ITC Productions, 1987, The Stepfather
(Jerry throwing a temper tantrum while having inner dialogue with his father)
In the reading it is declared that in the 1980s there was an increasing number of abused children and dysfunctional families. As shown in the film, Jerry builds a birdhouse and claims it will be a perfect place for a family of birds to move into. As he erects the structure his wife and stepdaughter gather around and they claim that things are working, they understand each other better, bury the hatchet of Jerry and his stepdaughter not getting along from the start. It appears that they are working towards that perfect family life that Jerry has sought after since he was a child.
Source: ITC Productions, 1987, The Stepfather
(Jerry imagining he has the perfectly family that he’s always coveted)
Clearly things do not continue in this manner as horrific events follow. At the end of the movie Stephanie is dismantling the birdhouse to rid herself of the memories it symbolized.
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