I think I saw The People Under the Stairs when I was a little kid, but I didn’t remember any of it. So, I didn’t categorize this as a rewatch, but I will say that I’m glad I watched this.
This is definitely one of Wes Craven’s best, up there with Nightmare on Elm Street and Last House on the Left. When did Craven start to deteriorate as a director? Anyways, this film tried to have a plot with a socio-political context concerning class tension in the early 90’s. But, as were Candyman succeeded at this same time by having something to say about perpetuating stereotypes, The People Under the Stairs just comes off as having unintentional camp sensibilities.
The film is fun as it is flawed, creative and original. When a young African-American boy named Pointdexter (nicknamed “Fool”) goes to steal gold coins with his uncle he ends up on an adventure in a house owned by a bizarre couple.
The couple is what makes the movie, and they are played by Everett McGill and Wendy Robbie (both who also played husband and wife in Twin Peaks). If you were a fan of their characters in Twin Peaks then you won’t be disappointed. Their “zaniness” makes the film well-worth watching.
Also, Ving Rhames as Uncle Leroy is hilarious with such great one-liners as, “Maybe the president is going to make me the secretary of pussy.” Overall, the film is a little drawn-out and has a pretty stupid ending, with 90’s hip-hop-do-gooder music. The People Under the Stairs feels like an awkward mix of a kid-friendly Disney horror film and the gross-out scenes of a Clive Barker movie.
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