The People Under the Stairs (1991) has a very special place in my heart as it was one of the first horror movies I ever watched in my childhood. When I try to go back and remember my first time watching it I cannot help but feel happy and sad, well, not really sad, more like nostalgic. I wish I had the courage to type the words of the image I see in my mind about that special afternoon, but I hate to admit that that moment was simply too precious and too personal to be shared with the public, it would cheapen it and I cannot allow that.
What I can say is this, this movie was a catalyst for my natural inclination towards liking and enjoying horror. This movie made me feel for some of the characters which, as it happened to be, looked different but to me it did not mean that they were bad, they were just different. Sure, they were portrayed as the scary ones, hidden in the dark basement and inside the walls, ready to attack should you get close to them, but my child brain saw them as victims, imprisoned and desperate to get help. My empathetic eye saw people in need and it did not matter that they looked different, their mutilated faces and disheveled appearance did not scare me, it only made me want to protect them and take care of them. The people under the stairs—as they were called—were just people to me.
Watching the movie as a child was captivating as two of the main characters, Fool and Alice, were kids like I was and it felt great seeing someone who looked like me having those exciting adventures, and it was equally fascinating getting to see them go from one extreme to the other; for Fool, going from almost being evicted to being rich, and for Alice, going from being kidnapped (unbeknownst to her) and physically and emotionally abused (sexually too?) to being awaken to the realization she was free and allowed to fight back. Fool became a hero and Alice became a survivor.
Now, re-watching the movie in my 30’s is a different experience and I am here to talk about it. So, what I would like to do now is give you my top 5 Yes to YAZ! list of my favorite characters as seeing thru my very own adult eyes –let’s begin!
**SPOILERS AHEAD**
05. FOOL – Poindexter aka Dexter aka Fool was such a trooper from the beginning. At just thirteen years old he took it upon himself to get the money his family needed in order to not get evicted, you see, he felt like he was the Man of the house since his mother was very sick with cancer and his big sister was taking care of her babies; life was tough and unfair but all he knew was that he needed to get cash to pay the greedy landlord within the next 24 hours. Granted, he chose the one illegal option he saw feasible at such a short notice and decided to be part of a home robbery scheme and, since nothing good ever came from doing something bad, he and his “mentors” ended up being unwilling prisoners for the homeowners who—surprise!—were the landlords themselves. Fool was brave and compassionate at every occasion. This kid did his best and I admired him for it.
04. THE “MOM” – This lady was something else, a total Karen, yikes. She first gave me a suspicious vibe, like she was hiding something, and lo and behold, she was! Not much can be said about her other than she stole multiple kids to keep them for herself but once they acted up she mutilated them and discarded them and unto the next she went, oh, and she was playing house with her brother, double yikes. Here comes the kicker though, the reason why I liked her character was because she was not perfect, she was so fucked up and got to see her deteriorate as the movie progressed… what can I say, I love a good trainwreck.
03. THE “SIBLINGS” – These guys were the best! Sure, they were scary looking as I mentioned above, but the poor guys were just victims. I still feel bad for them, and I still want to help them.
02. THE “DAD” – Real talk? Now that I get to re-watch this movie with my adult eyes I cannot pretend to not notice how attractive the dad is. Wait, what was that? He isn’t and it’s just me and my disgusting and depraved taste in men? What!? Are you telling me that a tall and trim man whose hobby is dressing in a BDSM suit while practicing shooting indoors is not hot? Girl, what can I say, he makes me feel some type of way.
01. ALICE – And finally, Alice! This girl breaks my heart and then puts it back every time I watch the movie. The way I see it, her determination for survival is masked by weakness and, yes, she may look afraid and even paralyzed by fear but she knows that playing the subjugation game is her best option to guarantee another day above ground, after all, what could a tiny human do against a crazy mother and a dangerous dad? (Survivable choices, anyone?) Alice lives day by day and that is commendable under those circumstances but once Fool crosses paths with her she is given the boost she needs to get the hell out of there, both physically and psychologically. I love the scene when she finds out she was stolen and passed as the couple’s daughter, oh man, her face and voice went from lost little girl to badass bitch in a second. I LOVE THAT SCENE!
Before I close this post and say goodbye to you, I would like to quickly mention one last character –the one and only, Roach! He was an overall sweet boy who became such an iconic figure in our horror community and for that, my dear horror friend, I say Thank you to Wes Craven for having given us the gift we didn’t know we needed.
In Love and Fear,
-Marath
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