The People Under The Stairs (1991):

Starring:

Brandon Adams - Fool

Everett McGill - Man

Wendy Robie - Woman

A.J. Langer - Alice

Ving Rhames - Leroy

Sean Whalen - Roach

Bill Cobbs - Grandpa Booker

Kelly Jo Minter - Ruby Williams

Director:

Wes Craven (Scream's 1-4; Nightmare On Elm Street)

Synopsis:

Two adults and a juvenile burglar break into a house occupied by a brother and sister and their stolen children and can't escape. 

Review:

"Wes Craven's The People Under The Stairs", more like "Wes Craven's Creepy Fetish Made Into A Movie". Not quite a snuff film, but by no means a horror film. There are so many things that I do not understand about this film. WHY does the Man dress up in a full masochistic s&m bondage costume to try & hunt down the kid? Are they husband & wife or brother & sister? OR BOTH!?!?! I like the concept of the film more than the actual film. Kidnapping kids & forcing them to love you as if they were their real parents, Fantastic. When they turn out to be little punks, cutting out their tongues & trapping them "Under The Stairs", very cool. But first of all, when you have that many teenage boys locked together under the stairs, not only are you going to promote some man on man lovin' but you have to expect that most of them would probably kill each other off. Then you get the fantastic acting of Mr. Ving Rhames playing a black panther Esq character, who surprise surprise is also a criminal. To round it all off, once you get the crazy Man in the S&M suite, he starts running around the house, wildly firing a shot gun at the walls, presumably getting himself all riled up to do it with his sister/wife. Playing the main kid, is Brandon Adams, of The Mighty Ducks trilogy fame, only years before the Ducks. I'm not really a big fan of kids in "horror" movies because it really limits the amount of anything that can be in the film. Although with it being an early 90's film, I wouldn't expect much gore, blood, killing etc anyways. The movie serves it's purpose as far as 1990's Wes Craven film. You'd really have to be in the mood to sit through it.

S.P.R.: C/30

Acting: 6/10

Plot: 8/10

Cinematography: 5/10

Intrigue: 6/10

Extra: 7/10