Reviews

Wes Craven is a true master at making horror films. The People Under the Stairs proves that he also has a funny bone in his body. Filled with oddball characters, a house full of booby traps, and a delicious black sense of humor, the film plays more like a comedy, which does help get across the point Craven is making - a flat out social commentary about child abuse and slum lords and the wealthy in general. Aside from that, the film does have it's flaws. The beginning moves slow, as does the final ten or fifteen minutes. But with that being the only major problem, who cares. The script is sharp, the characters are, well, we'll say they're interesting and the comedy sometimes can be uproarous. I highly recommend this flick for all Craven fans, and for mainstream fans as well.

Craven tried to create another great franchise to override the overwhelming success of "Nightmare". He made up a character with pretty much the same qualities as Freddy Kruger himself, a smart ass, show no mercy serial killer, with a pronounced limp. Well, as anyone can clearly see, there is no sequel, and no other movie portrays killer Horace Pinker. But, on a personal note, I did enjoy this movie - somewhat. The beginning is pretty decent, if somewhat standard. It moves at a surprisingly fast pace, making the middle of the film its best part, with Pinker moving from person to person. Only the ending is a let down. It moves slow and a horror flick with a male protagonist doesn't always go hand in hand...in this case, it really doesn't, basically because former teenage heart-throb Peter Berg is rather annoying. The sub-plot with Berg's former girlfriend coming back from the dead is also lame. For Craven's fan, I do recommend it, but only to understand what the director was trying to do with his career in the late eighties. Others need not bother.