Ooh, daddy! If you want some old-fashioned, sometimes-cheesy suspense, look no farther than "The Stepfather."

It's based on the 1987 cult classic starring Terry O'Quinn as a killer who makes his way from home to home. It's not as good as the original, but it has its moments more often than not.

This time, Dylan Walsh (television's "Nip/Tuck") stars as David Harris, a killer who calmly shaves and has a bite of breakfast as he leaves behind the bodies of a family he has slain. He heads to Oregon, where he meets the divorced Susan (Sela Ward, TV's "House") in a grocery store.

She's rather desperate and somewhat lonely, and the two immediately begin a friendship. She asks him to have pizza with her and her children and, presto! They're engaged six months later.

David is on hand to welcome Susan's son Michael (Penn Badgley, television's "Gossip Girl") when he comes home from military school. David spouts corny stuff about the importance of family and struts around making everyone believe he's the head of the household who is determined to bring the family together.

Although David tries to buddy up to Michael at every turn, the youngster is suspicious of this new guy who's about to marry his mother. He expresses concern to his girlfriend Kelly (Amber Heard, on a neighboring screen in "Zombieland"), but she thinks he's being silly.

Still, when David refuses to turn in personal information to the human resources department at his new job, Michael becomes all the more skeptical about the man's identity. In fact, he makes it his mission to check out this guy and see what he's really up to in the basement, where he seems to spend a lot of time.

The original movie was based loosely - as is this one, I assume - on the incredible real-life story of John List, who killed his family and then began another life elsewhere. "America's Most Wanted" was instrumental in bringing List to justice, and the reference to "AMW" here is well-done.

The finale is just plain silly - and obviously contrived to pave the way for a sequel. Still, it's an enjoyable, but sometimes outlandish, ride throughout, well worth the price of a matinee or, in a few months, a DVD rental.