Wes Craven (on the set of Scream 2)
It’s 20 days until the official launch of the Forgotten Flix site!
I’ve decided to wait and post all full-length reviews and retrospectives starting on October 31. In the meantime, I’m posting short segments every Monday and Friday called “Forgotten Flix recommends…” where I’ll recommend a “forgotten” flick of a specific director, actor, or special effects artist. All recommended movies should be available through Netflix, Blockbuster, or your local mom and pop video store (if you can, sniff… still… sniff… find one… sniff…).
And since we’re in October, I’m going to be as predictable as a late-80s slasher film and recommend the movies of people whose primary work is in the horror genre.
Today, we’re focusing on the work of…
… Director Wes Craven
I’ve always been a big Wes Craven fan. I remember seeing A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) when I was hanging out with my friend, Richard. I was eleven and we also watched the original Night of the Living Dead that same week. These were defining moments for me as a film fan and helped shape what I love about the horror genre.
Here’s a Craven movie I think is in need of some remembering:
People Under the Stairs (1991)
The People Under the Stairs (1991): Truly an underappreciated classic of the horror genre! Fool (Brandon Adams) and Leroy (Ving Rhames) break into the house of Man (Everett McGill) and Woman (Wendy Robie), who own the slum where Fool lives. Inside this house of horrors, Fool learns the meaning of terror and what it means to be a hero. This is a dark fairy tale that even Jung would approve of. Craven often brings his background in Philosophy (he used to be a college professor) to his films, filling them with social commentary that’s fun to analyze and debate. The People Under the Stairs has it all: class warfare, race relations, gun-toting S&M gimps, a tongueless boy named Roach (Sean Whalen), and crazed, cannibalistic humans who live, well, under the stairs (although it’s more in the basement, which I guess technically qualifies). Definitely one of Craven’s best flicks. It’s also one of my personal faves.
Next up… I’ll be recommending a forgotten flick of scream queen great Jill Schoelen!
Until next time, remember, a flick is only forgotten if you’re not talking about it!