Wicked Stepmother
| Wicked Stepmother | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Larry Cohen |
| Written by | Larry Cohen |
| Produced by | Larry Cohen |
| Starring | Bette Davis Barbara Carrera |
| Cinematography | Bryan England |
| Edited by | David Kern |
| Music by | Robert Folk |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
Release date | February 3, 1989 (USA) |
Running time | 93 minutes |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2,500,000 (estimated) |
| Box office | $43,749 (USA) |
Wicked Stepmother is a 1989 American comedy film written, produced, and directed by Larry Cohen. It is best known for being the last film of Bette Davis, who withdrew from the project after filming began, citing major problems with the script and the way she was being photographed. Cohen later claimed she really dropped out due to ill health but avoided publicizing the truth for fear it would affect potential future employment. The actress died eight months after the film was released.
Synopsis
The original plot cast Davis as the title character, a chain smoking witch named Miranda, who has married Sam while his vegetarian daughter Jenny and son-in-law Steve are on vacation. They return to find their new stepmother has filled their refrigerator with meat and played havoc with their collection of herbs. To explain Davis' absence, the script was rewritten to introduce Miranda's daughter Priscilla, who takes on a human form while her mother's spirit inhabits the body of a cat. Priscilla then sets out to get Jenny who has figured out that there is something going on. She accuses her of messing up the kitchen while Jenny's on a bike ride. Priscilla ends up sleeping with Jenny's husband. The entire time she refuses to switch bodies with Miranda. Jenny then figures out that they're witches and tries to stop them from ruining her family.
Principal cast
- Bette Davis as Miranda Pierpoint
- Barbara Carrera as Priscilla Pierpoint
- Colleen Camp as Jenny Fisher
- Lionel Stander as Sam
- David Rasche as Steve Fisher
- Shawn Donahue as Mike
- Tom Bosley as Lt. MacIntosh
- Richard Moll as Nathan Pringle
- Evelyn Keyes as Witch Instructor
- James Dixon as Detective Flynn
- Seymour Cassel as Feldshine
Principal production credits
- Original Music as Robert Folk
- Cinematography as Bryan England
- Art Direction as Gene Abel
- Costume Design as Julie Weiss
Critical reception
TV Guide calls it "a good-natured, occasionally hilarious spookshow, graced with a few ingenious special effects and sassily acted - with Davis giving a gleefully nasty, if abbreviated, last film performance.[1]