Wes Craven, the director of A Nightmare On Elm Street and Scream, takes you on a terrifying journey inside the most demented house on the street. Trapped inside a fortified home owned by a mysterious couple, a young boy is suddenly thrust into a nightmare.
The boy quickly learns the true nature of the house’s homicidal inhabitants and the secret creatures hidden deep within the house.
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Video Quality
Scream Factory presents The People Under The Stairs with a tremendous 2160p transfer in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio sourced from a new 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative with Dolby Vision/HDR. The film was previously released by Scream Factory on Blu-Ray eight years ago from a dated master. That release was passable at the time, but this new presentation simply blows it away in nearly every respect. Even if you are not yet 4K UHD capable, this new release comes with a new Blu-Ray sourced from the same 4K scan which also bests the previous Blu-Ray.
One of the most wondrous aspects of the 4K UHD disc is the application of Dolby Vision/HDR for finessed and precise color output that will knock longtime fans sideways with its depth and nuance. The film largely takes place in a spacious dark house and at night for the latter half of the narrative, and it is in this aspect that the transfer shows its worth. The black levels are outstanding with nothing in the way of crush or banding present. Audiences can now see so much more shadow detail with figures properly defined instead of blending into the murky background.
The beginning of the film does take place during the day, and there is a world of nuance to be found during these stretches in the open air. Highlights are solid as a rock with no evidence of blooming in the brilliant luminance. Lighting is an essential part of establishing the mood of this film and this disc handles every slight environmental change with ease. The new presentation features some colors in the production design and effects such as the green of the foliage or the deep red blood that coats the entryway which pops off the screen with a vibrant intensity.
The texture on display in the grotesque makeup, the outfits and within the production design are jaw-dropping. The special effects present with miraculous clarity that makes the work all the more visceral. While this transfer has been refreshed, there are still some fleeting specks that pop up which do not distract from the image. This presentation is true to the original look of the film with the added resolution making elements seem more immediate and natural. The level of detail and clarity is stunning with an excellent amount of natural film grain intact. The grain resolves very well with nothing ever feeling clumpy even within the dingy environments. There does not appear to be any jarring digital anomalies such as compression artifacts or any other such nuisances. This presentation is a top-tier effort from the team at Scream Factory.
Audio Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray disc comes with a DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track and a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track, both of which serve up exactly what you want. From the very opening moments with the characters speaking off screen, these tracks provide a nuanced soundscape that perfectly captures the artistic intent with a fidelity that is accurately maintained. Environmental sounds such as reports from the television and the scurrying in between the walls are rendered well alongside everything else.
The score from Don Peake has never sounded richer and is used perfectly to establish the tone of the story. There is never a moment where it threatens to overwhelm competing sounds, and it maintains a firm balance so that dialogue comes through crisp and clear. There does not seem to be any obvious instances of age-related wear and tear. Scream Factory has delivered exactly what fans hope for in an ultimate presentation. English SDH subtitles are provided for those who want them.
Special Features
Disc One (4K UHD)
- Audio Commentary 1: Director Wes Craven delivers a very informative and amiable commentary track moderated by Michael Felsher from Red Shirt Pictures in which he discusses his initial ideas for the film, where he was at this point in his career, some of the themes he wanted to tackle, the process of casting the ensemble, the look of the film, the diversity of the crew and more.
- Audio Commentary #2: Actors Brandon Adams, A.J. Langer, Sean Whalen and Yan Birch offer a much less exciting commentary track prone to extended periods of dead air, but there are some intriguing anecdotes sprinkled in to keep this from being a complete waste of time. This one really needed a moderator to keep things moving.
- Audio Commentary #3: Actor Brandon Adams delivers a pretty decent commentary track moderated by film critic Calum Waddell which finds the actor revealing a lot more about what it was like to be a child actor, his experiences on the set and more.
- Fear, Freud & Class Welfare – An Interview with Director Wes Craven: A 25-minute archival interview from the previous Arrow Video release with the director in which he discusses the inspiration for the film, what different rooms in the house mean to him, the perniciousness of secrets, his struggles with the script, how this compares to his other work and more.
- Behind Closed Doors – An Interview with Actress A.J. Langer: A 14-minute archival interview from the previous Arrow Video release with the actress in which she discusses her memories of Wes Craven, her relationship with horror films, the psychology of the film, her experiences during the production and more.
- Silent But Deadly – An Interview with Actor Sean Whalen: A 14-minute archival interview from the previous Arrow Video release with the actor in which he discusses the audition process for this film, his relationship with Wes Craven and his fellow performers, the legacy of the film and his character and more.
- Underneath The Floorboards – An Interview with Filmmaker Jeffrey Reddick: A nine-minute archival interview from the previous Arrow Video release with the filmmaker behind the Final Destination series in which he discusses his evolving relationship with the movie, the themes of the film, how Wes Craven subverts certain conventions, how the film was marketed incorrectly and more.
- Theatrical Trailer: The minute-and-a-half trailer is provided here.
Disc Two (Blu-Ray – Theatrical Cut)
- Audio Commentary #1: Director Wes Craven
- Audio Commentary #2: Actors Brandon Adams, A.J. Langer, Sean Whalen and Yan Birch
- Audio Commentary #3: Actor Brandon Adams
- House Mother – Interview with Wendy Robie: A nearly 20-minute interview with the actress in which she discusses her involvement and character in the film, the audition process, getting a role for her Twin Peaks co-star Everett McGill, memories of working with Wes Craven, experiences during production and more.
- What Lies Beneath – The Effects of The People Under The Stairs: A 15-minute piece with the KNB special effects team including Howard Berger, Robert Kurtzman, and Greg Nicotero, who discuss creating the look of the characters, working with Craven, how they achieved certain effects, working on a smaller budget and more. There is some cool archival footage spliced in throughout.
- House of Horrors – Interview with Director of Photography Sandi Sissel: A 16-minute interview with the cinematographer in which she discusses her background, how she got involved with Wes Craven, dipping her toe into horror, the look of the feature, how they achieved certain angles and more.
- Settling The Score – Interview with Don Peake: A ten-minute interview with the composer in which he discusses his background, working with Wes Craven, creating the atmosphere of The People Under The Stairs, his relationship to the film and more.
- Behind The Scenes Footage: A seven-minute archival glimpse at some of the gory makeup effects from the set.
- Theatrical Trailer
- TV Spots: A minute-and-a-half worth of TV Spots are included here.
- Vintage Making Of Featurette: A four-minute vintage piece which features narration discussing the basic plot along with some very brief interviews with the cast and creative team.
- Original Storyboards: A seven-minute collection of early storyboards are provided.
- Still Gallery: A collection of promotional material and stills from the film are provided here.
Final Thoughts
The People Under The Stairs is not the absolute best movie from Wes Craven, but that is mostly due to the man being a master of horror. This is certainly a movie that is underrated within his career, as it offers up both some chilling imagery along with some pitch black comedy with a dash of social commentary. The greatest strength of the movie is that it never fails to be a fun ride, and the memorable performances scattered throughout only aid in this. There are a few brief stretches that could be tightened up just a bit, but overall this film just works. Scream Factory has provided the film with a 4K UHD Blu-Ray release that boasts a 5-star A/V presentation and an assortment of special features from both the previous Scream Factory release as well as the Arrow Video release from overseas. Even if you already own this one on Blu-Ray, this is a can’t-miss presentation. Highly Recommended
The People Under The Stairs (Collector’s Edition) will be available to purchase on 4K UHD + Blu-Ray Combo Pack on May 30, 2023.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Scream Factory has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.