The first half hour is hilariously funny. The lines are sharp and witty and the action sets the tone for the lunacy that would take place in the second two thirds. Is it great? No, but as far as horror/comedies go, it's superbly written and actually has good acting. The real treat is between the lines or in this case, between the walls.
The entire movie is a social commentary on the Reagan Era and how wealth begot wealth at the expense of the "forgotten" poor. The allegories and metaphors are not difficult to read, but they are hammered home. So much so that the leather clad "man" and the classy on the outside "woman" are perfect caricatures of Ronald & Nancy. So much so, that the man calls her mommy.
Even the actual people under the stair's clothing is representative of the punk, then alternative, then grunge era, known for it's anti-establishment views and look. Craven's boldness in being so blatantly obvious in his disdain for capitalistic America and his use of a black lead (and a child) works wonderfully. What the movie lacks in scares, it more than makes up for in laughs and thoughtful direction.
The entire movie is a social commentary on the Reagan Era and how wealth begot wealth at the expense of the "forgotten" poor. The allegories and metaphors are not difficult to read, but they are hammered home. So much so that the leather clad "man" and the classy on the outside "woman" are perfect caricatures of Ronald & Nancy. So much so, that the man calls her mommy.
Even the actual people under the stair's clothing is representative of the punk, then alternative, then grunge era, known for it's anti-establishment views and look. Craven's boldness in being so blatantly obvious in his disdain for capitalistic America and his use of a black lead (and a child) works wonderfully. What the movie lacks in scares, it more than makes up for in laughs and thoughtful direction.
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