The People Under the Stairs (1991)

Director:

Wes Craven

Writer (WGA):

Wes Craven (written by)

Release Date:

1 November 1991 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

In every neighbourhood there is one house that adults whisper about and children cross the street to avoid. Now Wes Craven, creator of "A Nightmare on Elm Street" takes you inside...

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

House | Landlord | Ghetto | Birthday | Cellar

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Brandon Quintin Adams	...	Fool (as Brandon Adams)
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
Jeremy Roberts	...	Spenser
Conni Marie Brazelton	...	Mary
Joshua Cox	...	Young Cop
John Hostetter	...	Veteran Cop
John Mahon	...	Police Sergeant
Teresa Velarde	...	Social Worker
George R. Parker	...	Attic Cop
Yan Birch	...	Stairmaster
Wayne Daniels	...	Stairperson 1
Michael Kopelow	...	Stairperson 2
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nic Cramer	...	Person Under the Stairs (uncredited)
Jon Kinney	...	Drug Addict #1 (uncredited)
Danny Kopel	...	Drive-by Biker (uncredited)
David Robinson	...	Person Under the Stairs (uncredited)

Directed by
Wes Craven

Writing credits (WGA)
Wes Craven		(written by)

Produced by
Stuart M. Besser	....	producer
Dixie J. Capp	....	co-producer (as Dixie Capp)
Wes Craven	....	executive producer
Peter Foster	....	associate producer
Shep Gordon	....	executive producer
Marianne Maddalena	....	producer

Original Music by
Don Peake

Cinematography by
Sandi Sissel

Film Editing by
James Coblentz

Casting by
Eileen Mack Knight

Production Design by
Bryan Jones

Art Direction by
Steven Lloyd Shroyer

Set Decoration by
Molly Flanegin

Costume Design by
Ileane Meltzer

Makeup Department
Jerry Baker	....	special makeup effects assistant
Howard Berger	....	special makeup effects supervisor
Michelle Bühler	....	makeup artist
Denise Dellavalle	....	assistant makeup artist
Earl Ellis	....	key special makeup effects technician
Robert Kurtzman	....	special makeup effects supervisor
Rick Lalonde	....	special makeup effects assistant
Mark Maitre	....	key special makeup effects technician
Gregory Nicotero	....	special makeup effects supervisor
Barbara Olvera	....	hair stylist
David P. Barton	....	dental prosthetics (uncredited)
Wayne Toth	....	special makeup effects artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Stuart M. Besser	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Peter Chesney	....	second unit director
Rosemary C. Cremona	....	second assistant director
Melanie L. Knox	....	second second assistant director
Nicholas Mastandrea	....	assistant director (as Nick Mastrandrea)

Art Department
Will Blount	....	property master
Chester A. Hewett III	....	stand-by effects carpenter
Fernando Lau	....	construction foreman
Philip Mayor	....	storyboard artist
Lisa Thompson	....	assistant set decorator
Ernst van de Bovenkamp	....	set constructor
Helen Wilson	....	draper

Sound Department
Rick Bozeat	....	sound editor
Paul B. Clay	....	supervising sound editor
Rich Coleman	....	sound recordist
Roberta Doheny	....	sound re-recording mixer
Walter Gorey	....	boom operator
Susan Kurtz	....	sound editor
Susan Kurtz	....	sound effects editor
Greg W. Lowe	....	adr recordist
Diane Marshall	....	foley artist (as Diana Marshall)
Ernesto Mas	....	adr editor
Peter Reale	....	supervising re-recording mixer
Carin Rogers	....	sound editor
Karin Roulo	....	foley mixer
Jeffrey L. Sandler	....	sound editor
Tanya Sharp David	....	adr mixer
Steve F.B. Smith	....	stereo sound consultant: Dolby
Pat Somerset	....	adr editor
Don Summer	....	sound mixer
Mike Szakmeister	....	sound editor
Jerry Trent	....	foley artist
Howard Wilmarth	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Peter Chesney	....	special effects supervisor
Robert Clark	....	mechanical dog effects
Mark Goldberg	....	dog effects crew
Mark Goodell	....	dog effects crew
Camilla Henneman	....	dog effects crew
Kent Jones	....	dog effects crew
Rikelle Kerr	....	dog effects crew
Jim McLoughlin	....	dog effects crew (as Jim McLaughlin)
Dean W. Miller	....	key effects coordinator (as Dean Miller)
Kate Steinberg	....	special effects projects coordinator
Sandra Stewart	....	effects technician (as Sandy Stewart)
J.D. Streett	....	effects technician
Tom Chesney	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Stunts
Linda Arvidson	....	stunts
John Branagan	....	stunts
Anthony Cecere	....	stunt coordinator
Anthony Cecere	....	stunts
Dane Farwell	....	stunts
Sandra Lee Gimpel	....	stunts
Marian Green	....	stunts
Jeff Habberstad	....	stunts
Melvin Jones	....	stunts
Kelsee King-Devoreaux	....	stunt double
Kelsee King-Devoreaux	....	stunts
Kent W. Luttrell	....	stunts
Eric Mansker	....	stunts
Paula Marie Moody	....	stunts
Beth Nufer	....	stunts
William R. Perry	....	stunts
Lori Lynn Ross	....	stunts
Dan Rycerz	....	stunts
Lynn Salvatori	....	stunts
Birgit K. Schier	....	stunts
Lee Waddell	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Douglas L. Adam Jr.	....	assistant camera
Dana Altomare	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Huston Beaumont	....	rigging gaffer
George Billinger III	....	camera operator
Joe Celeste	....	key grip
George M. Chappell	....	gaffer: second unit
Ted Chu	....	Steadicam assistant
Craig Cockerill	....	second assistant camera
Tony Cutrono	....	director of photography: second unit
Jeffrey De La Rosa	....	lighting technician
Ronnie Dennis	....	first assistant camera
Lex DuPont	....	Steadicam assistant
Linda Field	....	grip
Jerry Gorman	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Chris Hayes	....	additional camera operator
Dan Kneece	....	Steadicam operator
Jules Labarthe	....	gaffer: second unit
Jerry L. Mandley	....	electrician
Jeff Mart	....	Steadicam operator
Bruce McCleery	....	gaffer
Ned Nedrow	....	rigging grip
Terry Pfrang	....	first assistant camera
Felix Rivera	....	gaffer: second unit
Brian Robertson	....	best boy grip
Dave Robey	....	best boy electric
Brenda Ryan	....	camera loader
Wendi Van Dyke	....	second assistant camera: second unit
Carol Westwood	....	still photographer
Gary A. Williams	....	grip
Jamie Young	....	dolly grip

Casting Department
Andria Mack	....	casting assistant
Rick Montgomery	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tim Wegman	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Sondra Davis	....	first assistant editor
Brian Leon	....	telecine colorist
Tim O'Neil	....	second assistant editor
David Orr	....	color timer
William Pine	....	color timer (as Bill Pine)
Angela Robinson	....	second assistant editor
Yvonne Valdez	....	post-production coordinator
Tom Walls	....	additional editor

Music Department
Dick Bernstein	....	music editor
Laurie Higgins Tobias	....	supervising music editor
Graeme Revell	....	composer: additional music

Transportation Department
Jimmy Jones	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Joi Andreoli	....	script supervisor
Henri Bollinger	....	unit publicist
Kathie Broyles	....	title designer
James Dew	....	animal trainer
Fabio Golombek	....	set production assistant
Sarah James	....	production coordinator
Van Johnson	....	stand-in
Sean Lemar	....	stand-in
Roxanne 'Rocky' Meyers	....	stand-in: A.J. Langer
Julie Mondin	....	stand-in
Jeffrey A. Okun	....	title designer
Tom Prince	....	production executive
David Riggons	....	stand-in
Angelo Rivers	....	animal trainer
Roger Schumacher	....	head animal trainer
Judson Schwartz	....	location manager (as Judson Neil Schwartz)
Crystal Weaver	....	production assistant
Wanda Welch	....	stand-in
Sharon 'Mae' West	....	script supervisor
Richard Wicklund	....	studio teacher
Michael Haro	....	additional production assistant (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Alive Films
• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• United International Pictures (UIP) (1992) (Finland) (theatrical)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1992) (France) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (Argentina) (video)
• CIC Video (1993) (Finland) (VHS)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Nelonen (2003) (Finland) (TV)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2010) (Australia) (DVD)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (Argentina)
• Universal Home Video (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2002) (Finland) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures

Special Effects

• Image Engineering (special effects)
• Roark Productions (mechanical dog effects)
• K.N.B. Effects Group (special make-up effects) (as KNB)

Other Companies

• Birds & Animals Unlimited  animals provided by
• Design Setters  set construction
• Howard Anderson Company, The  opticals (as Howard Anderson)
• In Frame Inc.  negative cutting
• Inter Video  video playback services
• L.A. Loopsters  loop group
• Make Believe Productions Inc.  fiberglass molds
• Mobile Star Catering  catering
• Offbeat Systems  scoring synchronization
• The Casting Group  extras casting
• Transamerica Insurance Group  insurance
• Universal Studios Sound Facilities  re-recorded at (as Universal Studios Sound Department)
• Wayne's Leatherack  leather outfit

Also Known As:

"Wes Craven's The People Under the Stairs" -
"La gente detrás de las paredes" - Argentina, Mexico
"Люди под лестницей" - Russia
"As Criaturas Atrás das Paredes" - Brazil
"Das Haus der Vergessenen" - Germany
"De mensen onder de trap" - Netherlands (informal literal title)
"El sótano del miedo" - Spain
"Källarfolket" - Finland (Swedish title)
"Kellariväkeä" - Finland
"La casa nera" - Italy
"Le sous-sol de la peur" - France
"Oi anthropoi kato apo tis skales" - Greece (transliterated ISO-LATIN-1 title)
"Ondskans hus" - Sweden
"Os Prisioneiros da Cave" - Portugal
"Rædslernes hus" - Denmark (imdb display title)
"Rémségek háza" - Hungary
"W mroku pod schodami" - Poland (imdb display title)

MPAA:

Rated R for terror/violence

Runtime:

102 min | Germany:99 min (cut version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | South Korea:18 | Finland:K-16 (cut) (1993) | Portugal:M/18 | Italy:VM14 | UK:15 (video re-rating) (2002) | UK:18 (original rating) | UK:18 (video rating) (1992) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Chile:14 | Finland:K-18 (uncut) (1992) (2002) | Germany:16 (cut) | Germany:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:R (certificate #31396) | Norway:18 (video premiere) (1992) (uncut) | Norway:(Banned) (1991-2003) (cinema release)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Alive Films

Trivia:

Although Alice was a 12 year old girl, actress A.J. Langer was almost 17 when she played the character in this movie.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Fool turns on the lighter and goes to the cellar, he finds a TV and pushes it to the side. In that moment you can see a Band Aid on his right thumb. In the next scene and throughout the rest of the movie, the Band Aid is gone.

Quotes:

Fool:That X-ray lady's back, she's out back right now by the van. She's got a man with her the size of Detroit.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Pulp Fiction (1994)

Soundtrack:

LULLABY FOR A LITTLE TREE

very stylish

fast paced fun and very stylish little horror flick is very well acted and is kinda creepy in spots i really liked the settings in this one and the dialog is intelligent and it is always interesting and quite stunning at times oh and ya get to see Ving Rhames that is always a pleasure there is lots of blood and a creepy looking basement with lots of weird images and other great delights the direction is awesome tons of stylish shots and it has a great happy ending the movie is at times horrifying and with Wes Craven directing that makes it even better so all in all a great little film that i highly highly recommend i give this movie a ***1/2 out of 5