The Spiral Staircase (2000) (TV)

Director:

James Head

Writers (WGA):

Ethel Lina White (novel)
Mel Dinelli (1946 screenplay)

Release Date:

2 April 2000 (USA)

Genre:

Family | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

People are trapped in a house with a killer. |

Plot Keywords:

Secret Passage | Remake | Serial Killer | Storm | Island

Cast

Nicollette Sheridan	...	Helen Capel
Judd Nelson	...	Phillip Warren
Alex McArthur	...	Steven Warren
Debbe Dunning	...	Danielle
Holland Taylor	...	Emma Warren
Christina Jastrzembska	...	Rachel Parsons
Dolores Drake	...	Sarah
David Storch	...	Bobby Tyler
William McDonald	...	Sheriff Bell
John Innes	...	Dr. Porter
Margaret Ryan	...	Mrs. Pritzker
Lillian Carlson	...	Mrs. Winfield
Brenda Campbell	...	Elise
Kandyse McClure	...	Monica (as Candice McClure)
Dallas Thompson	...	Linda

Also Known As:

Le secret du manoir (Canada: French title)

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Company:

Fox Family Channel

Movie Connections:

Version of The Spiral Staircase (1945)

Average at best

I didn't really care for this mystery-thriller at all... it barely has anything that gives the viewer a good reason to watch it. The ending scene has a little intensity, but it is badly filmed, as is the rest of the film, so the small amount of intensity there is, is lost in bad cuts and lousy camera work. Apart from the ending, the only feasible reason to see it is the mystery and the humor. The film does have a decent amount of humor, but humor can only make up for so much bad acting, boring plot, and dull film. The mystery is OK, it did have me guessing until the very end, but it just seems like a lazy attempt at making a "family" slasher film, by having someone die on a regular basis. Unfortunately, the family part shines through far more than the slasher does, so all of the kills, and I do mean *all* of them, are off-screen and barely detailed at all, to keep it safe for the kids, too. What in the world were they thinking? Why would kids watch this, why would the family sit down and watch this? There are plenty of other, better family oriented films out there, why ruin what little potential this one had as an teenage/adult film. Had this been R-rated, it would have been much more interesting. I know that this is a remake, and that there are two films made earlier with virtually the same plot as this, so, if you're reading this, and you can't figure out which one of the three to choose, take my advice: take the second movie, from '75, or, better yet, take the original, from '46. I haven't seen either but I can almost guarantee that they are better than this. I can't really imagine them being much worse, actually. I recommend this only to huge fans of mystery-thrillers, as it is definitely *not* among the best in the genre. At best, it's average, but maybe that's enough for big fans. 5/10