I only watched this because it has Andy Griffith and John Ritter - two greatly underated actors.
The film seems to follow the trend for 'initially nice person with secret obcessive traits, cracks and wreaks vengeance on wholesome family' set by the likes of "Hand That Rocks The Cradle", "The Crush", and "The Stepfather" and many others. But this time it is the estranged geriatric Father's turn to turn psycho.
It might have made a change if for once they had made a film where the person seeking acceptance from the family did NOT have to turn psycho.
In this case it would definately have made for a better film because Andy Griffith is great as the old man trying to make up for missing out on his grownup son's childhood. Why did he have to turn psycho, why couldnt it have been a genuine drama where an old man makes up for his past mistakes ? Because the few emotional scenes there are between Griffith and Ritter as Father and Son had the potential to have been quite powerful if only the film had been a Drama instead of a Psychological Thriller.
But what the heck - Gramps goes mental and tries to take over the family by breaking up the Son's marriage and attacking and/or killing anyone and everyone else who gets in his way, period.
Predictable "twists", predictable finale. What a waste of talent. Still worth watching if it's on TV.
The film seems to follow the trend for 'initially nice person with secret obcessive traits, cracks and wreaks vengeance on wholesome family' set by the likes of "Hand That Rocks The Cradle", "The Crush", and "The Stepfather" and many others. But this time it is the estranged geriatric Father's turn to turn psycho.
It might have made a change if for once they had made a film where the person seeking acceptance from the family did NOT have to turn psycho.
In this case it would definately have made for a better film because Andy Griffith is great as the old man trying to make up for missing out on his grownup son's childhood. Why did he have to turn psycho, why couldnt it have been a genuine drama where an old man makes up for his past mistakes ? Because the few emotional scenes there are between Griffith and Ritter as Father and Son had the potential to have been quite powerful if only the film had been a Drama instead of a Psychological Thriller.
But what the heck - Gramps goes mental and tries to take over the family by breaking up the Son's marriage and attacking and/or killing anyone and everyone else who gets in his way, period.
Predictable "twists", predictable finale. What a waste of talent. Still worth watching if it's on TV.