ClassyWas
Excellent, smart action film.
CrawlerChunky
In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.
TrueHello
Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.
Darth-Helmet
In an L.A. Neighborhood, 13 year old boy named Fool (Brandon Adams) has problems as he just turn 13 and has a dying mother, there the landlords want to kick him and his family out. Leroy (Ving Rhames) who is a family friend wants to help Fool break into the wealthy greedy landlords (Everett McGille and Wendy Robie) where a fortune of gold coins is rumored to be inside the house. Yet what they discover once inside the house is terror like the dog that would attack them to finding out that they kidnapped and tortured boys to put them in the cellar like animals who are turned into deformed creatures. Fool must find a way to get out of the house with the help of the adopted daughter of the couple named Alice (AJ Linder).Very entertaining, unsual and well made horror comedy thriller from Wes Craven is one of his finest films. He was inspired to write this film after reading a real-life news story about burglars breaking into a house. When authorities arrived, the burglars had disappeared but they discovered locked doors with noises coming from behind. Children had been locked up inside the rooms by their parents, never allowed to go outside. This movie deals with the themes of incest since the evil couple in this movie are siblings and cannibalism thrown into it along with the themes of abuse and all. Wes's direction is quite fine for this movie and i like how suspensful and thrilling this movie is including about the screwed up darkside of some neighborhoods especially the Robeson couple being an incestious one who likes to kidnap young males to torture them even cut off their tounges or eyes or ears for speak no evil hear no evil or see no evil which is quite messed up subject matter. The performance by the lead kid who plays Fool is quite likable and does a solid job as this is one of the rare horror movies that has a kid for a lead and i like that aspect of it. The couple from Twin Peaks in this movie does a solid job as the psycho mother and father, you actually despise the evil characters in this movie and want them to die because they are totally despicable pieces of inhuman monster crap. Sean Whalen did a great job playing Roach the mute deformed young man in this movie who helps Fool. Saw this in theaters as a kid and enjoyed it, this movie became a hit and a cult fave that influenced many films even the recent Resident Evil 7 as one of it's influences. Recommended if you want something fun.Similar movies recommended: "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)", "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2", "Leatherface Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3", "Texas Chainsaw Massacre The Beginning", "The Burbs", "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2003", "Flowers in The Attic", "House by The Cemetery", "House (1986)", "Fright Night", "Day of the Dead", "Basket Case", "Motel Hell", "Mother's Day (1980)", "Isand of Lost Souls (1932)", "House of 1000 Corpses", "The Devil's Rejects", "Hellraiser", "Crawlspace", "The Unseen".
ivo-cobra8
Wes Craven, the director of The Serpent and the Rainbow and Shocker, locks you inside the most terrifying house on the street. The People Under the Stairs (1991) is Wes Craven's masterpiece along side A Nightmare on Elm Street, New Nightmare, Scream, Shocker and The Serpent and the Rainbow. This is a Home alone for only adults. I wish I would see this movie as a child, but sadly I haven't. I never knew about this movie or that it exists. I just realize something Home Alone 2: Lost in New York copied the scene from this movie. When Kevin throws a brick on Marv that scene was copied from this movie in which Fool throws a brick on man's had in the attic. This is a horror comedy that it is well acted, well written and really incredible awesome! I love this film to death! I own it on Blu-ray in my collection and I still love it. This is a great horror movie. Very creative and interesting story line along with characters that are very interesting, at times, very comedic. This movie is one of Craven's best I highly recommend this.This film is in my top 10 Wes Craven favorite movies and it is my fifth favorite movie from Wes Craven that I love it to death. Starring Brandon Adams who played Jesse Hall in The Mighty Ducks 1 and 2 movies. Everett McGill from Silver Bullet and Under Siege 2: Dark Territory. I saw this on demand and I thought it was well played out although the parents were just plain freaks in their own way. The story line was just excellent and the settings gave it more of an eerie feel to it, although the children were an excellent addition, the whole beginning scenes really didn't need to be in there.Plot: Two adults and a juvenile burglar break into a house occupied by a brother and sister and their stolen children and become trapped. Trapped inside a fortified home owned by a mysterious couple brother and sister, a young boy is suddenly thrust into a nightmare. The boy quickly learns the true nature of the house's homicidal inhabitants and the secret creatures hidden deep within the house.I love the story, the idea from richer vs poor, you have a lead that it is a kid Brandon Adams is the star and the hero of the film. That is very unique, it is very unique. In every neighborhood there is one house that adults whisper about and children cross the street to avoid. Now Wes Craven, creator of "A Nightmare on Elm Street" takes you inside.I love this movie to death: It is different than Home Alone. A young boy breaks in to a house by the landlords to steal the golden coins to support his poor family including his dying sick mom with his partner/ sister boyfriend Leroy (Ving Rhames) unaware the house is full of booby traps and no one get's out, no one ever has. Fool has to fight for his life while it is impossible to get out of the house because he is locked from inside. You have full of booby traps, monsters in the basement, ugly mad dog and two psychos in the house chasing fool which is scary. I think Kevin (Macaulay Culkin) would s**t in his pens, if he would be in this house. A.J. Langer is absolutely gorgeous, awesome in this movie seriously she is so beautiful and gorgeous that my jaw drop. I love the scene in which Leroy defends Fool and shouts to Fool "run Fool" when brother and sister killed him with a shot gun. It also has a heart. Another scene that I love is after Fool escapes from the house later he learns the secret about the landlords, he comes back to the house for Alice who he gave her a promise. The characters, especially the main hero are decent written by Wes him self. This movie is intelligent and really brilliant. You have to put brains in this movie, because it is so intense. Brandon Adams was fantastic as the main hero Fool. Everett McGill as the psycho brother was great and creepy in a lethal, while Wendy Robie was a great psycho sister in the house.I also love the music song Do The Right Thing by Redhead Kingpin And The FBI. Wes Craven directed this movie perfectly. His script was perfect and the direction locations were fantastic in the movie. Wes Craven for me was a master of horror and I miss him so much. The People Under the Stairs is a classic horror film and I really do wish I would have watch it as a child.R.I.P. - Wes Craven (1939 - 2015) I really miss you and thank you for all the Freddy movies, thank you for all horror franchise and movies like are: A Nightmare on Elm Street, New Nightmare, Scream, The Serpent and the Rainbow, Shocker and The People Under the Stairs. Thank you for all your work Wes. I love you so much I wish you could done more horror movies, I really love them.This movie get's my perfect 10/10 for been one of my favorite Wes Craven horror movies of all time. The People Under the Stairs is a 1991 American horror film written and directed by Wes Craven and starring Brandon Adams, Everett McGill, Wendy Robie, A. J. Langer, Ving Rhames and Sean Whalen.10/10 Grade: Bad Ass Seal Of Approval Studio: Universal Pictures Starring: Brandon Adams, Everett McGill, Wendy Robie, A. J. Langer, Ving Rhames, Bill Cobbs, Kelly Jo Minter, Sean Whalen, Jeremy Roberts Director: Wes Craven Producers: Shep Gordon, Wes Craven, Marianne Maddalena, Stuart M. Besser, Dixie Capp, Peter Foster Writer: Wes Craven Rated: R Running Time: 1 Hr. 42 Mins. Budget: $6.000.000 Box Office: $24,204,154
keithbrown-90195
It's a horror movie in concept, but not entirely in execution. I'd call it kooky and bizarre, with some social and political commentary thrown in around the margins.A young boy and two older criminals break into their landlord's mansion, hoping to score a loot that will help them pay off the increased rent. To get more than they bargained for would be an understatement. Personally, I got most of my enjoyment from the reunion of Twin Peak's Big Ed and Nadine, doing their best to bring the camp levels through the roof. Big Ed running around the house dressed in a gimp suit with a shotgun in tow screaming bloody murder is a sight to behold.While the story is fun in a backwards Home Alone sort of way, I thought Craven really struggled balancing the right tone. There are scenes that are too gruesome and scary for children, but the tension never materialized and the titular people under the stairs are never used to incite fear. I guess I just couldn't get a grip on what it was exactly trying to do, and it hampered my enjoyment.It's still a decently fun watch, something I wish I experienced at a younger age, to be sure.
Johnnyd20102013
I remember when this movie first came out I had to be about 8 or 9 years old. Growing up I had a cool mom who loved watching horror movies and she used to let me watch them with her. This used to be one of my favorite movies. Every chance it was on I would watch it. Lets face it they don't make movies like this anymore. Nothing special about this movie just good old fashion horror fun. I love around Halloween time when you turn on the TV and you have a movie like People Under the Stairs on and you say to yourself: 'it's been years since I seen this'. I don't understand how this movie has so many bad reviews what else can you ask for from a Wes Craven movie?! People are just spoiled these days . You can give me this movie over some of the crap that Hollywood has pooped out in the past 10 years. Once my daughter is old enough we will both sit down and watch the awesomeness that is People Under the Stairs.
