People Under the Stairs

Pros: entertaining, at times funny, solid plot, believable acting

Cons: graphic and profane

Review: Wes Craven's The People Under The Stairs takes a modern twist on an old story. Fool has just turned thirteen and his mother has cancer. She will die if she doesn't receive an operation to remove it. However, Fool's family can not afford an operation...

Pros: Expert direction, atmosphere, great performances, a feeling of endless terror

Cons: Comedy/horror mix doesn't always work, the ending is predictable

The Bottom Line: Craven's better effort in the horror genre.

Review: Wes Craven, director of many horror films, usually makes predictable and boring horror movies such as THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT, SHOCKER, and THE SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW. Mind you, there are some good horror movies in this director's uneven career, such...

Pros: acting, suspense, feeling of nostalgia

Cons: hokey special effects at times

The Bottom Line: This movie is so much fun. I've loved it since I was a kid and I revisit that fun every time I see it. A classic.

Review: It's a simple story: Just turned thirteen, Fool has some grown-up problems. His mother is sick and there's no money for a doctor and his family is about to be evicted by uncaring landlords. So when his sister's boyfriend comes up with a crazy plot (steal ...

Pros: Interesting story and allegory, solid performances.

Cons: A weak climax that's implausible, too long, and heavy-handed.

The Bottom Line: While not Craven's best film, this is certainly one of his more entertaining efforts. Catch this one with some friends.

Review: The People Under the Stairs: MCA Universal Pictures
Rating: USA: R

As far as genre directors go, Wes Craven doesn’t always get the respect he deserves. This isn’t solely the fault of genre fans, but also Craven’s as well....

Pros: Craven's best flick so far.

Cons: It's still littered with most of the problems inherent in Craven's work.

The Bottom Line: A fairly solid horror film that, even though flawed, gets a recommendation.

Review: The overrated director Wes Craven has created what is probably his most tonally disjointed, yet most satisfying picture. The People Under the Stairs is a movie you most likely won’t enjoy due to its dark subject matter. Yet one can’t argue ...

Pros: Funny at times; memorable characters; some good scares; overall very fun.

Cons: A little bit too unsure of itself; cheesy ending.

The Bottom Line: Craven fan's should certainly check this out, as it's incredibly strange, and at times both scary and funny. Other times it fails miserably.

Review: I've always regarded Wes Craven, as many have, as one of the horror greats, notably for his brilliant exploitation efforts Last House on the Left and The Hills Have Eyes and his entries in the Nightmare on Elm Street and ...

Pros: Interesting concept, actually creepy at times, unexpectedly humorous

Cons: A little tedious and ridiculous. (but that's what was funny)

The Bottom Line: I got a bit of a kick out of it, but I'll probably never watch it again.

Review: I'm not much of a fan of horror movies in general and I think the '80s & early '90s provided us with plenty of examples of some of the worst film-making possibly ever. I could count the number of horror movies I've seen on one hand - with a couple of ...

Pros: dark humor, plot twists, genuinely scary moments

Cons: not for the easily offended or politically correct

Review: Normally, I dislike Wes Craven. I find a lot of his films annoyingly formulaic and, well, boring.

Nonetheless, I love People Under the Stairs. The plot revolves around a 13-year-old boy named Fool who agrees to help rob a house to get money...