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The Shaft

Original title: Down
  • 20012001
  • RR
  • 1h 51m
IMDb RATING
4.6/10
4.6K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
13,613
138
The Shaft (2001)
ActionHorrorMystery
When the elevators in New York's 102-story Millennium Building start to malfunction, mechanic Mark Newman is sent to find the cause. After a series of gruesome and deadly "accidents" occur, ... Read allWhen the elevators in New York's 102-story Millennium Building start to malfunction, mechanic Mark Newman is sent to find the cause. After a series of gruesome and deadly "accidents" occur, Mark joins forces with spunky reporter Jennifer.When the elevators in New York's 102-story Millennium Building start to malfunction, mechanic Mark Newman is sent to find the cause. After a series of gruesome and deadly "accidents" occur, Mark joins forces with spunky reporter Jennifer.
IMDb RATING
4.6/10
4.6K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
13,613
138
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Dick Maas
    • Writer
      • Dick Maas
    • Stars
      • James Marshall
      • Naomi Watts
      • Eric Thal
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Dick Maas
    • Writer
      • Dick Maas
    • Stars
      • James Marshall
      • Naomi Watts
      • Eric Thal
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 81User reviews
    • 41Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • Videos1

    The Shaft
    Trailer 1:49
    The Shaft

    Photos33

    Naomi Watts in The Shaft (2001)
    The Shaft (2001)
    James Marshall and Naomi Watts in The Shaft (2001)
    James Marshall and Eric Thal in The Shaft (2001)
    James Marshall in The Shaft (2001)
    James Marshall in The Shaft (2001)
    The Shaft (2001)
    The Shaft (2001)
    The Shaft (2001)
    The Shaft (2001)
    Naomi Watts in The Shaft (2001)
    The Shaft (2001)

    Top cast

    Edit
    James Marshall
    James Marshall
    • Mark Newman
    Naomi Watts
    Naomi Watts
    • Jennifer Evans
    Eric Thal
    Eric Thal
    • Jeffrey
    Michael Ironside
    Michael Ironside
    • Gunter Steinberg
    Edward Herrmann
    Edward Herrmann
    • Milligan
    Dan Hedaya
    Dan Hedaya
    • Lt. McBain
    Ron Perlman
    Ron Perlman
    • Mitchell
    Kathryn Meisle
    Kathryn Meisle
    • Mildred
    Martin McDougall
    Martin McDougall
    • Security Guard Andy
    John Cariani
    John Cariani
    • Security Guard Gary
    David Gwillim
    David Gwillim
    • Blind Man (Mr Faith)
    Peter Banks
    Peter Banks
    • Maintenance Chief
    William Vanderpuye
    • Murphy
    • (as Will Vanderpuye)
    Wilke Durand
    • Kowalski's Wife
    Todd Boyce
    Todd Boyce
    • ESU Captain
    William Roberts
    William Roberts
    • Special Agent in Charge
    Greg Shore
    • Chip
    Hanneke Riemer
    • Nanny from Hell (Ilsa)
    • Director
      • Dick Maas
    • Writer
      • Dick Maas
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      A wide theatrical release in the United States was ultimately canceled due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Although entirely coincidental, the film makes several references to terrorism in NYC, getting as specific as mentioning plane hjackings and Osama Bin Laden destroying the World Trade Center.
    • Quotes

      Mitchell: We live in a vertical world. If you can't trust the elevators, what the fuck *can* you trust?

    • Connections
      Featured in The Cine-Masochist: THE LIFT (2021)
    • Soundtracks
      She's Not There
      Written by Rod Argent

      Performed by The Zombies

      Courtesy of Columbia Records

      By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

    User reviews81

    Review
    Top review
    Satirical horror film and a good example of a decent American remake
    Released in the US as The Shaft, this is Dick Maas remake of his own striking debut. 1983's The Lift was a blackly comic chiller about a skyscraper's lift that begins to take the lives of its occupants. This beefed up version keeps the original premise intact, right down to the odd bio-mechanical explanation, but takes place in New York City, pre- 9/11. Beginning with an extravagant pan through the Manhattan skyline and onto the observation deck of the CG rendered Millennium Building, Maas's film looks ever bit as stylish as its $15 million budget would suggest. Given its blockbuster production values its easy to take this absurd movie at face value, but those familiar with the original may recognise that Maas is actually attempting deadpan parody. Slickly directed in widescreen frame, Marc Felperlaan's cinematography complements both the city (which was used only for exterior shots) and the gorgeous art deco production design of the building itself. James Marshall, as the rugged young hero, has something of Christian Slater, Mark Whalberg or Josh Hartnett about him, while his love interest is none other than Naomi Watts, who shortly after became a star in another US-set remake of a foreign classic. In this and that other film she plays a reporter investigating an absurd concept, here a killer lift, there killer videotapes. They are supported by respectable cast of character actors Michael Ironside, Edward Herrman, Ron Perlman and Dan Hedaya. Kicking off the scene with the sounds of Aerosmith's Love in an Elevator, an extravagant race takes place between two incredibly skilled risk takers through New York traffic and into the basement parking garage of the Millennium Building. One of the skaters is then sucked into the lift, in an unexplained supernatural moment, only to be thrown out from the top floor. Bold, inventive and darkly humorous, this brief sequence, which has no dialogue or featured performers present, displays Maas' talent with his rehashed material to the greatest effect. This film was, unfortunately, somewhat prophetic and is laced with unintended irony as a result. Released over two years after the destructive assault on the World Trade Centre, it's not difficult to see why. The very first shot shows us those twin towers, which will forever provoke gasps of remembrance in whatever film they appear, and soon we are in a similar building where horrifying acts are occurring. This seems at first a rather tenuous reason to delay a release, but then the moment arrives when the narrative enlists comments from the fictional President, in which he expresses fear of the occurrences as a terrorist act. This remake is something of a cross between its inspirational text and the likes of high-rise horror's Poltergeist 3 (Gary Sherman, 1988) and The Tower (Richard Kletter, 1993), and is certainly superior in the execution of its novel concept than either The Mangler (Tobe Hooper, 1994) or sequels. The only thing that really lets this film down is the bad language. The F-word is used gratuitously and repeatedly throughout.
    helpful•13
    2
    • filmnut1
    • Aug 29, 2011

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 11, 2001 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • Netherlands
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Down
    • Filming locations
      • First Floor Film Factory, Almere, Flevoland, Netherlands
    • Production companies
      • First Floor Features
      • Algemene Vereniging Radio Omroep (AVRO)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $15,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross worldwide
      • $535,658
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 51 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital EX
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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