User Reviews

This is a Spanish/Mexican production from 1974 that I found for a buck in the bin at Walgreen's. The sound quality is poor, and there are a lot of dropped frames, but it is quite watchable. There are no subtitles on the version I watched.

The story centers around a prostitute who marries an old industrialist who dies. The prostitute tries to get it on with her stepson, then switches her affections to a the new CEO of her dead husband's company. The CEO, however, is a closeted homosexual who falls in love with the industrialist son.

The most fascinating thing about this movie is that I had no idea that homosexual themes were even being explored in 1974 Spanish cinema. But I know almost nothing about Spanish cinema.

Note: John Moulder-Brown is listed on the credits at IMDb, but I did not seen him in the credits. He either isn't in the movie, or changed his name, or the frame with his credit got dropped.

It was an interesting experience to watch this movie "La Madrastra" aka: Amor Perverso (probably a more appropriate title). I also find interesting that the only other reviewer didn't seem to recognize John Moulder Brown, he's not only the lead as Daniel, but also he seems to bring (very) old fashioned director Roberto Gaveldon constantly "distracted' by the step mother, and, increasingly uniquely interested in Moulder-Brown's handsome features and top model alike body, and presence. Certainly, John Moulder Brown is an actor i have liked always very much: a cult presence in a way, with an off beat career that started when he was a delightful British classic looking child, and, became famous a decade later, when he moved on to teen ager or young leading roles, making some very fine movies such as the classic "Deep End" and Schell's version of Turgenev's "First Love" opposite Dominique Sanda, and the chemistry between the two was somewhat memorable. Now, after such international cult films, Moulder Brown's career perhaps was badly managed, or not so fortunate, because he did get to work again with his "Deep End" director, Jerzy Skolimowski, in the International comedy "King, Queen and Knave" and was sublime in a few supporting roles with directors like Luchino Visconti, Ward Baker, etc. But, by the mid 1970s, aside from some great TV work, his film's roles became sparse, and often ending in embarrassing productions like this grotesque soap opera, about an old wealthy man with fake teeth, who marries a well aged, unattractive prostitute, takes her home, and makes her his new wife, while his son Daniel seems to fall for her from the get go. The older man dies after making love, the widow now does not seem so in love with Moulder Brown, who actually comes back home after a trip to find his stepmother madly in love with another handsome man, an executive who's helping the family business, but, that seems just a boy toy for the older lady. However, the man who's also a painter, will eventually develop a morbid passion for Daniel, constantly portraying him in a myriad of paintings and assaulting him at every time, now madly in love, while Daniel seems indifferent as he lets the man go mad over him and doesn't dislike to be touched or kissed either! When the stepmother finds out, after a scene that could have been better done in "The Bold and the Beautiful" puts the 'morbid relationship' (or it was considered just a friendship? Hard to believe) between the 2 men to an end, while a little later the handsome exec kills himself drowning ironically submerged by paintings of Moulder Brown. Who knows, after all, he (Daniel) was right to make his step mother mad of jealousy, since now the old woman grotesquely is ready to make love with him. Fin. What to say? A curious film, a Mexican and Spanish co-production not horribly shot, well lit and professional, but, truly just grotesque, plagued by a trite and laughable script, and by a phenomenal miscasting. Moulder Brown who does not seem to care a bit about the whole affair, poses constantly, photographed very well in the semi nude, and, making look the step mother even older and out of place than she was for the part. The dialogs are unbelievably funny, the staging, as i said, reminded at its best the one of a pitiful soap, just shot with more of a budget, and some decent exterior work. A regrettable, bad movie, ironically sad in each one of its attempts. But, why an actor like Moulder Brown stars? (The main titles miss all the main cast, that's why the other reviewer didn't probably see Brown's name listed which is instead top billed on the DVD cover) I would have liked to see this remarkable young actor in movies like "The Go-Between" opposite Julie Christie, or with Glenda Jackson, and with other Hollywood stars, or at least in great European movies such those he was making at the beginning of the decade! I have heard those above were all positions he had apparently been planned or considered for, but lost them for different reasons. So, while doing some great stage work, and good TV movies, or mini series, his work on films became limited to such lousy products, only capable to damage the name of the even most gifted young, leading man! Too sad, and too bad for this "Stepmother" vehicle, which, to be quite fair, it should have been called "The step son" since Moulder-Brown not only is the true lead, but also is almost obsessively photographed in the semi nude, basically from beginning to end. And thank God, the movie was rather short! I would give a 3 stars, but i do give a 5 just to the respect i have for this still stunningly great British actor, whose career, again, has been so interesting, but, could have been outstanding with a little more luck, and much better management.