Oct 05 2008
YOUR MOTHER’S ONE SICK MOTHER TOO (THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS)
Wes Craven at his best.
PLOT
Fool is a poor boy living in the ghetto who learns that his family’s about to be evicted. His uncle Leroy (Ving Rhames) tries to teach him real skills he needs in their neighborhood as opposed to fostering the boy’s dreams of being a doctor. The film then cuts to a traditional family who own the building Fool lives in and right away we learn that they aren’t quite ordinary. After robbing a liquor store, Fool’s uncle finds proof that the family has gold coins hidden away and decides to rob the house. He, his friend and Fool scope out the place, but the friend suddenly disappears inside the house. Fool and his uncle both get caught in the house where the boy encounters the daughter Alice as well as the people under the stairs. The longer he spends in the house, the more he learns about the twisted lives of those living there and he also learns that once you get in, you don’t get out…
TRIVIA
The People Under the Stairs was written and directed by Wes Craven.
Plans are calling for a remake of the original movie and early reports claim that AJ Langer has signed on to the film.
THOUGHTS
I don’t know what it is about The People Under the Stairs. I remember seeing it years ago and thinking it was boring, dull and not very good. While browsing the section at Wal-Mart recently I picked up the two pack of Shocker and The People Under the Stairs for $11, thinking it would be interesting to see the two movies again and it really was.
The People Under the Stairs is a far better movie than I ever gave it credit for in the past. It’s interesting and exciting and even has a few intentional laughs thrown in. It’s odd too that I don’t remember Ving Rhames or AJ Langer in the movie considering how great they were.
My one general complaint are the walls and crawlspaces scattered throughout the house. They’re conveniently big enough for several people to walk through at one time. Sadly, those types of things aren’t actually found in real houses or at least none of the 7,000+ houses and buildings I’ve worked in/on over the years.
I’d really love to sit down with a film theorist and get their take on The People Under the Stairs because of all the thematic elements of the movie. Child abuse, poverty, love, family, racism…and those are just the ones I can think of right off the top of my head. I’m sure there are dozens more I never even considered.
