Hatchet Man

Remember New Century/Vista’s “The Stepfather,” the 1987 suspense thriller about a murderous family man? It won positive reviews, but never did find an audience--despite four different ad campaigns.

So why are we getting “Stepfather II,” opening in N.Y.C. this weekend, with a release here Friday?

“There is a strong, strong awareness of the first movie,” figured Russell Schwartz, exec VP of Miramax Films, which releases “II” through its Millimeter Films division--awareness based partly on the original’s exposure in cassette and TV syndication.

As for advertising this time around: “We’re not pulling any punches. . . . We’ve made a very substantial TV buy and we’re going big and broad.”

That includes two TV campaigns--a genre horror spot, another aimed at an upscale audience, focusing on the movie’s psychological aspects.

Tag for both: “Make Room for Daddy.”