Check out the review of The People Under the Stairs - A recent Scream Factory Blu-ray. Read the review below:
The People Under the Stairs has been able to gain a new life recently. Before it was seen as a lesser Wes Craven film that was a little to goofy and kooky to fit in with some of the more vicious aspects of the film. As well, the social and political underbelly of the film was probably not as appeciated as it appears to be now. Now the film is a full fledged cult classic and is now receiving a Collector's Edition Blu-ray release from Scream Factory.
The film follows a 13 year old boy named Fool who upon learning that his family which includes his sick mother are being kicked out of their apartment, tags along with a couple of criminals as they break into the home of the landlord in hopes of recovering a rumored stockpile of gold. The breaking in was easy, the getting out was deadly, as vicious monsters dwell in the basement and the house itself seems alive.
This film is very unique in the sense that it combines different aspects that are often difficult to put together. Because of this the film feels like a horror film for younger people or as a good introduction to horror for younger people. This is because the film has a mix of child-like adventure, kooky comedy, and outright horrific elements all wrapped up in a story where young people are the main protagonists. Perfect for people around the age of 13, like the characters in the film. It obviously can be appealing to an older audience too as long as they have an appropriate expectation and understanding of the film.
Overall The People Under the Stairs is just a fun film that is more of an adventure/horror/comedy movie than a straight up horror movie. As well it seems like a film that could definitely have a generational appeal were families could enjoy the film together. In the end this film has been gaining a wider audience, probably more than it has ever had, possibly because of its still relevant social and political opinions as well as its unique blend of adventure and horror.
Special Features:
-House Mother - An Interview With Star Wendy Robie: Beyond discussing her career, the actress engages in a rather philosophical dialog in regards to her character of "Mother." She goes into what she thinks the backstory of the character is and how it molded the insane character she is portraying. An overall interesting interview that brings a new perspective on one of the main characters of the film.
-What Lies Beneath - Interviews With Special Make-Up Effects Artists Greg Nicotero, Howard Berger, and Robert Kurtzman: This feature combines some archival footage with the interviews of the special make-up effect artists. The artists discuss where they were at this point in their careers, how exciting it was to work with a director whose work you admire, and how they accomplished some of the effects on the film despite some budgetary restraints.
-House of Horrors - An Interview With Director Of Photography Sandi Sissel: Is a very interesting interview where the Director of Photography discusses how she got into the business, the types of films she worked on prior, and how she got involved in her first horror film The People Under the Stairs. She definitely gravitates towards the comedic aspects of the film.
-Setting The Score - An Interview With Composer Don Peake: An interesting interview as the composer discusses how he got involved in the film after the initial film score from another composer was rejected. As well he discusses his career in general with some thoughts on the other Wes Craven film he scored, The Hills Have Eyes.
-Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Wes Craven: More of a feature length interview that occasionally refers to what is happening on the screen and instead mostly discusses the film generally through specific questions asked by the interviewer. A lot of solid information about the making of the film and how the film stands up today, including the social and political undertones of the film that are still relevant today.
-Audio Commentary With Stars Brandon Adams, A.J. Langer, Sean Whalen, and Yan Birch: An overall boring and mostly uneventful commentary featuring some cast members. A large amount of time the actors are just watching the film with little or no discussion. Lots of empty space with very little information or details.
-Behind-The-Scenes Footage
-Theatrical Trailer
-TV Spots
-Vintage Making-of Featurette
-Original Storyboards
-Still Gallery
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