The Lift (1983)

A lift technician finds himself drawn into a web of mystery and peril as he investigates the perplexing deadly accidents occurring in the elevators of a new office building.

Director:

Dick Maas

Writer:

Dick Maas

Stars:

Huub Stapel, Willeke van Ammelrooy, Josine van Dalsum

2 wins.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Huub Stapel	...	Felix Adelaar
Willeke van Ammelrooy	...	Mieke de Beer
Josine van Dalsum	...	Saskia Adelaar
Liz Snoyink	...	Vrouw in Lift (as Liz Snoijink)
Wiske Sterringa	...	Vrouw in Lift
Huib Broos	...	Man in Lift
Pieter Lutz	...	Man in Lift
Johan Hobo	...	Ober
Dick Scheffer	...	Gérant
Matthias Maat	...	Ober
Ger van Groningen	...	Ober
Jan Anne Drenth	...	Nachtportier
Emma Onrust	...	Dochtertje
Sydney Kuyer	...	Zoontje
Cor Witschge	...	Dagportier

Storyline

A lift begins displaying some erratic behavior, like trapping some party goers and nearly suffocating them, and decapitating a security guard. Felix, the technician from the lift company, can't find anything wrong with the circuitry. When he and a nosy reporter begin asking questions of the lift company's electronics partner (Rising Sun Electronics) his boss puts him on a leave of absence. A subsequent visit to a professor leads them to believe that some evil experiments are being conducted with MICROCHIPS.

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Plot Keywords:

decapitated by an elevator | artificial intelligence | severed head | topless female nudity | falling down an elevator shaft | 

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Taglines:

Take the Stairs, Take the Stairs. For God's Sake, Take the Stairs!!!

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

The blind man's family name is Vink. This is an inside joke because the Dutch translation for blind tick is 'blinde vink'.

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Goofs

(at around 1h 30 mins) In the end scene, when Kroon get's the cable around his neck, he dies with his left hand stuck between his neck, chin and the cable. However, in the last shot he hangs in the opening with both arms hanging down his body.

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Quotes

Head Waiter: These damn machines will be the death of us all some day!

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Connections

Featured in Allemaal film: De gouden jaren (2007)

User Reviews

good horror movie

An elevator seems to have a mind of its own, and it is deathly. The director builds a solid horror movie on people's fear of elevators. This is clearly a B-horror movie, but as such it is good. There are various truly shocking scenes.

The story line is very simple. The main character is an elevator-repairman and he must repair an elevator that caused an accident. What he finds out is truly bizarre and unbelievable, but scary nonetheless.

One of the best dutch made horror movies (but frankly, I don't know many other dutch horror movies).

Details

Country:

Netherlands

Language:

Dutch

Release Date:

4 July 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Lift

Filming Locations:

Almere, Flevoland, Netherlands

Box Office

Budget:

EUR350,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

First Floor Features, Sigma Film Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1