We’re trying something a little new this week with a review of the Wes Craven Collection from Australian Boutique Label ViaVision. Covering three less well-known Craven films The People Under the Stairs, The Serpent and the Rainbow and Deadly Blessings.
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Summary:
Deadly Blessing: When a former member of a religious cult dies in a mysterious accident, his wife Martha (Maren Jensen), who now lives alone and close to the cult’s church, begins to fear for her life and the lives of her visiting friends (Susan Buckner, Sharon Stone). Strange and deadly events begin to happen… Could she be the target of the evil cult and its fanatical leader Isaiah (Ernest Borgnine)?
Serpent and the Rainbow: Wes Craven directs this terrifying story of one man’s nightmarish journey into the eerie and deadly world of voodoo. A Harvard anthropologist (Bill Pullman) is sent to Haiti to retrieve a strange powder that is said to have the power to bring human beings back from the dead. In his quest to find the miracle drug, the cynical scientist enters the rarely seen netherworld of walking zombies, blood rites and ancient curses. Based on the true life experiences of Wade Davis and filmed on location in Haiti, it’s a frightening excursion into black magic and the supernatural.
The People Under the Stairs: In every neighbourhood, there is one house that adults whisper about, and children cross the street to avoid. Now, director Wes Craven takes you inside The People Under The Stairs. Trapped within a fortified home owned by a mysterious couple, a young boy is suddenly thrust into a nightmare he can’t escape. The boy quickly learns the true nature of the house’s homicidal inhabitants and the secret creatures hidden under the stairs.
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THE SHADOWS: Farron Sutton, Vincent Foley, Lescarberry, Aaron Kesller, Wes Allen, Thon Lorenz, David Hughes, Nancy Peponis, Lexander, Ernie Mehaffey, Allan Liska, Michael John Simmons, Laura Hertzman, Bugaboo, Nayla + Steve Caruso, John L., Kristin Hitron, Doug Sparks, Matthew Wolforth, Maurice Terenzio, Hal Remorse, TheZodMaker, Paul Keating, Johnny Compton, Adi Wood, Andreas Buckley, Todd Y., Rick Walz, Jihoon Suk, Kristiyan Butev, Dragonfyree, Bob Hedges, E. P. Haury, Spooky Robot, Mark Osborn, Travis Stephenson, Ossie Nelson, Mark Welsh, Kali, Michael Clark, Lightning Round, Ian Lewis, Jonathan Harrison, Darren Le Noble, Melanie Atherton Allen, Gappasaurus, james Steadman, Joe Porter, Scott Nesmith, Normand Richardson, Richard Sadler, scoopmoose, John Hepp, Michael Schmidt, Chantelle Corey, Jim Rockford, Joe Niedbala, Joseph Hines, Nils Muninsheim, Stephen Crane, Anthony Strocks, Dave Church, Sikander, Jasmine Zantara, goddessoftransitory, Tony Belmonte, Rachemus, Chris Weakley, steve scibelli, Raven House Mystery, Michael and Heather Bailes, Colleen Crouch, Dan D Doty, ChaosOverlordZ, Joseph Dougherty, Chris Hewson,
Written and presented by Robin Bailes @robinbailes
Directed and Edited by Graham Trelfer
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I like Deadly Friend as one of his lesser works but the basketball scene works for me and makes the whole movie worthwhile.
Oh wow! 3 lesser known but fantastic Wes films. I remember watching Deadly Blessings as a child and liking it but not getting some of it. Looked for it for years and finally found it in a video store and loved it now that I understood it more. People Under the Stairs is a fun horror romp (one of my faves), and Serpent and the Rainbow scared the hell out of me. I really need to revisit that one.
Ah man I loved People Under the Stairs. Only seen it once but it's burned into my brain!
Bruce Campbell called combining horror and slapstick"Splatstick." Seems pretty apropos. lol
The people under the stairs and the serpent and the rainbow are terrific films. I actually prefer them, in some ways, to his nightmare on elm street films. The people under the stairs is just batshit crazy. Deadly blessings was kind of boring and the ending just made no sense.
I still have to go with LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT and THE HILLS HAVE EYES. Both telling us the nearer horror gets to reality, the frighting it becomes.
Saw Serpent & the Rainbow at the theater. I had not seen anything else like it back then. The concept has an "it could really happen" vibe, which is pretty terrifying, if one goes down the rabbit hole. It's certainly a standout film in my collection, and I try to watch it every once in a while to see how it holds up. That iron spike never disappoints – if you know then you know.
I kindof like it too when I finally saw it. Not brilliant but entertaining anyway….
I need to revisit some of these older films that I wasn't wild about as a youth. They're probably masterpieces now compared to today's fodder.
I love THE SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW! It's probably my favorite Wes Craven film. I even had Brad Fiedel's percussion-heavy soundtrack on LP back in the day!
I've never heard of Deadly Blessing, with Borgnine I will have to check that out.
And I suppose it's just coincidence that you happen to do your first physical media review less than a month after we did ours…
“Physical Media Reviews “???? How have I missed these?
I recall both People Under the Stairs and Serpent and the Rainbow as being quite good and quite individual. Haven't seen Deadly Blessings, but I'm both an Ernest Borgnine and a Sharon Stone fan, so I may give it a go. Hope you will do more disc media reviews in future!
Deadly Blessing did nothing for me; aside from the dream sequence with the spider, which really is effective, and the ending, which is just godawful, I can't recall a single memorable instance from the film. The Serpent and the Rainbow is my second favourite Craven film after the original ANOES; love that Brad Fiedel score, and yeah, Zakes Mokae plays an effective villain. I don't rate The People Under the Stairs quite as highly, but it's still quite fun; as a Twin Peaks fan, it certainly doesn't hurt seeing Wendy Robie and Everett McGill play another dysfunctional couple.
Wes Craven's New Nightmare, the only other movie that made Freddy nightmarish again and always a blast watching Robert Englund.
It's going to take a while before my friends and I are acknowledged as masters of horror as we prepare to make our first film. But we think we'll be off and running with our first release "Mice vs Rats, Winner Take All".
You just described the People Under the Stairs in a way I've been searching for the past few decades, and compared it well to another film I love (no spoilers for those who go right to the comment section!).
Serpent and the Rainbow is an excellent film to freak out a trusting Girl friend who "loves 80s movies", People under the Stairs is a bizarre film really different from other movie of that time. I didn't see Deadly Blessings but a puritanical Ernest Borgnine, and a nubile Sharon Stone I am intrigued.
Never saw Deadly Blessing. The People Under the Stairs is insane but fun. The Serpent and the Rainbow is terrifying! I'd pick up this set.
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Had the pleasure of seeing both Serpent and People on there original run on the big screen Deadly Blessing was a great VHS in the day, a Roadshow release in Australia. Great review as all ways. Yes I own the set but as all ways thank you for sharing you thoughts!
People Under the Stairs is such a weird trip. I enjoyed it but verisimilitude was completely lacking in that house. It had enough creep to be scary but not so much as to actually be frightening. The abusive adults were the most disturbing element. The Serpent and the Rainbow was stylish and enjoyable. Certainly a more things in heaven and earth sort of terror.
I haven't seen either in years and now I have the urge to see them again.
I like this new series of reviews
I can't help but be amused at how Ernest Borgnine is essentially playing the opposite of his other famous horror role, in The Devil's Rain
Used to have Serpent taped off the TV on VHS, sometimes my parents would let me watch it with them and it was scary as hell to me. Grew up and watched it several years ago, able to understand it much better and appreciate that it is a damn good film. People is one I haven't seen but I do know Jordan Peele is supposedly remaking it. Never heard of Deadly Blessing before now.
I don't think it's his best movie, but I do have a real soft spot for Scream, particularly because it was the first Rated R movie I snuck in to see when I was 12, which I think also makes it the first horror movie I ever saw on the big screen.
I love the Ronny & Nancy parody characters in "People Under the Stairs". I can't remember exactly why I wanted to see it; I'm not a Craven fan but I do respect his work. I vaguely remember seeing "Serpent and the Rainbow", and i mostly remember the hallucinatory scenes, but I don't recall the sex scene that was the scandal of at that time. Thanks, Robin – I'm going to look up those films and watch them again!
I think that's the most dapper look I've seen on Mr. Gough!
Sincere horror and wacky slapstick…nah, I don't think "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein quite fulfills those requirements, eh?
I love Dark Corners Reviews and l love Robin,the host-he brings just the right combination of intelligence,sarcasm and appreciation for filmmaking modalities.I always look forward to new Dark Corners videos.
My favorite Wes Craven "films" are actually television episodes. Specifically, his frequently forgotten contributions to the 1980s Twilight Zone revival. "Shatterday" (Bruce Willis being replaced by himself), "Word Play" (a salesman watch language change until he can't understand a word) and "The Road Less Traveled" (Vietnam draft dodger sees what would have happened if he HAD gone)…they stand up to any of his actual films.
Serpent is still cut in the UK is the Ozzy disc uncut? Im not too bothered as its animal cruelty that I don't even miss watching, its nothing obvious like in some cuts but I'm sure people would like to know
Good lord how stunningly beautiful was Sharon Stone in DB
Would love to see more Blu ray reviews!
It's been a long time since I've seen The Serpent and the Rainbow but I remember liking it up until the end. The supernatural element was unsatisfying. I much preferred a more grounded horror and implied supernatural explanation. In my head, I compare it to The Believers, which was creepy all the way to the end.
The People Under the Stairs is one of my all-time favourite horror films.
People Under the Stairs was one of those Films that worked… but your not sure why!
I love "People Under the Stairs" and "Serpent and the Rainbow". These very different movies are great for different reasons, I see "PUtS" as a post-modern fairytale told as an urban legend. It has it's roots in reality, where Craven saw a story of kids kept in the house (as We still see today). "SatR" scared the crud out of Me when I was like 20, I'd heard "based on a true story", plus the 'reality' of advancements in medicine based on some of the "zombie" power recipes.
Bill Pullman nailed that role if you ask me.
I haven't seen the other, but I'm interested now. Mr. Borgnine was old school professional actor. He committed to roles. He brings dignity to otherwise laughable scripts.
The people under the stairs is amazing. Love it! Should watch it again soon.