Fool, a 13-year-old boy, lives in the ghetto with his sister and sick mother. When his family doesn't have enough money to pay the rent, Fool is persuaded by Leroy (Ving Rhames) to break into his landlord's house to steal a valuable coin collection. Once Fool and Leroy are inside the huge and heavily fortified house, they realize they've gotten more than they bargained for, as the landlords turn out to be an insane brother and sister couple (Everett McGill and Wendy Robie) who murder visitors and keep their kidnapped "sons" locked up in the basement as deformed monsters. Only Alice, an imprisoned girl, can save Fool from the horrors within, and a frantic chase begins between the walls of the bizarre house as Fool tries to save himself, Alice, and his community from the evil landlords. A unique and inventive horror film, THE PEOPLE UNDER THE STAIRS combines the structure of a classic fairy tale with modern social criticism and imaginative production design. Director Wes Craven based his film on real-life news reports of parents who kept their children locked up at home.
Trapped inside a fortified home owned by a mysterious couple, an impoverished young boy is suddenly thrust into a nightmare. Quickly learning the true nature of the house's homicidal inhabitants, the boy battles against sadistic devices, befriends an elusive and abused young girl, and finally learns the secret of the creatures deep within the house.
Theatrical release: November 1, 1991.
Brandon Adams had previously been seen in Michael Jackson's "Moonwalker" video.
Everett McGill and Wendy Robie were starring as a married couple in the television series TWIN PEAKS when this film was made.
Wes Craven was inspired to write this film after seeing a real-life news story about parents who locked their children up inside their house, never allowing them outside.
DVD Features:
Region 1
Keep Case
Anamorphic Widecreen - 1.85
Audio:
Dolby Surround - English
Dolby Digital Mono - Spanish
Interactive Features:
Scene Access
Interactive Menus
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Review 1:
"...Craven achieves a quietly eerie effect..."
Source: Sight and Sound
p.54-5 02/01/1992
Review 2:
"...Creepy and, considering the bizarre circumstances, surprisingly funny....Plays like a stroll through an amusement park's haunted house..."
Source: New York Times
p.17 11/01/1991
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