Review of The People Under the Stairs (1991) by Kevin K — 19 Jun 2008
Wes Craven must have been on heavy drugs when he made this movie in an attempt to think up a new hit. He was probably on some stairs, heard them creak, and came up with this wonderful concept of there being, get this, People, UNDER THE STAIRS! Thus, a classic was born.
I immediately knew this was going to be a good movie when Ving Rhames mentions that he found a treasure map while he was robbing a convience store. What does this treasure map say? Why, that there are gold coins in the home of the landowners evicting everyone in the ghetto! First, what kind of map is it that only gives you the end destination, and a general location at that? Second, when the hell are the People going to be coming in from Under the Stairs? (PuS).
Well, a shotgun wielding commando gimp, an incestual couple, a rottweiler, and some maniacal laughing later, the PuS show up. They're zombie-looking people caged in the basement running around playing grabass and flashlight tag. I know I was scared. Throw in some unnecessary cannibalism and a house that has more holes in it than the plot, and you've god a good time. Unless you think about it. No one has ever excaped from this house, and yet there are so many secret passages and corridors woven throughout it that I thought they were in some ancient castle rathe than some house in the ghetto. And if no one could ever get out, how did a young black child who had never been in the house find not only a way out, but a way back in, all in the span of 30 minutes? Not only that, but once he was in again, he somehow got out ANOTHER way, went up the side of the house, back in through the attic to meet up with a girl, before telling her the only way to get out is through the chiney going back into the house. I don't know how the hell that worked either, but apparently it did.
Anyway, I don't know why there is a skull on the cover. A couple of times they show a guy's skull ring on his hand (A guy who is killed very early in the room), and yet it has no significance other than indicating he might have had an unhealthy obsession with quarter prize machines.
Anyway, go watch this movie, if only because the gimp commando apparently inspired Tarantino's own gimp character in Pulp Fiction.
Be on the look out of PuS 2, coming in 2010.
This review of The People Under the Stairs (1991) was written by Kevin K on 19 Jun 2008.
The People Under the Stairs has generally received positive reviews.
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