Step Father = PG-13

Many cried bullshit when it was announced that they (the general Hollywood ‘they’) were remaking THE STEPFATHER, a fun crazed killer flick barely 20 years since it’s original release. The original starred the now LOST star Terry O’Quinn, and continues to rock as a top-notch horror flick. And from the news coming out of the MPAA today, I don’t think we’ll be able to say the same for the remake.

The MPAA has slapped THE STEP FATHER with a big fat lame-ass PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, disturbing images, mature thematic material and brief sensuality. Basically, it’s gonna have all the elements of the original without any of the bite. Talk about a bummer, man.

The new STEP FATHER stars Amber Heard, Sela Ward, and Dylan Walsh as the Stepfather. I like the dude in NIP/TUCK, but does he have what it takes to create a truly scary stepfather figure? That PG-13 rating tells me… no. He doesn’t.

I know a movie’s rating doesn’t make or break a film, as there have been some good PG-13 horror flicks in the past… but a PG-13 remake of an originally R rated film? That’s usally a pretty good sign it’s going to suck. Just another cookie-cutter horror flick for preteen girls to make a bunch of cash on opening weekend, then drop like a rock once word of mouth hits the street. And here I thought 2009 was going to be the year of quality horror… well, I guess every year needs a bad seed.

THE STEP FATHER hits theaters in all of its PG-13 glory October 16th, 2009.