Valerie on the Stairs (2006)

the audience applauded

Excellent but underrated film

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Everyone is a critic on this site, which is probably an ironic first line for me to start this review with. But if you've found this title, then you're probably into horror, and you're probably willing to approach this film different than other people.This film is good. The acting is great for horror, good for any other genre. The technical aspects are not so cheesy that it alienates the viewers, and the plot is wonderful. The characters and the story make for a great time watching this film. Compared to the rest of the series, this film stands out as one of the best. It's an even more enjoyable watch because the characters are self-aware of their situation, and if you're a writer yourself or just enjoy the process of the creation of art, then you'll chuckle at a lot of the quick exchanges between the characters.I think that everything in this film is really well done. The violence, the makeup, the characters, the sex, all of it is appropriate and poignant. If you're into horror, this is a definite must see. If you're not into horror, then this is a film that is a good hour of entertainment. Either way, this film is good and certainly does not deserve any slams that it has been given.

I've seen a handful of the "Masters of Horror" offerings and this sits at the bottom, beat only by Mic Garris' other entry "Chocolate". Valierie on the Stairs starts promisingly enough with an unpublished writer moving into a creepy apartment set up to provide writers of his lack of success a place to live and work. Strange things immediately begin to happen as the protagonist continuously encounters the apparent ghost of a beautiful women (more and more intimately each encounter). The other residents of the building are acting strange towards the author and it's clear that they are in on some of this. Tony Todd starts to show up in conjuncture with this woman as a big demon who always drags her away. It's a pretty messy and boring film. The atmosphere's good but it doesn't carry the film as huge leaps in plot are made as unexplained revelations by the writer. What could've been an interesting examination of the darker side of the writing process becomes a dull drag, even at 60 minutes. It's too bad, Clive Barker wrote the short on which this is based, the normally captivating Tony Todd gets lost under layers of decent demon make-up and the gore effects feel added on (as it does with many an entry in this series). I suppose one redeeming quality is the appearance of Christopher Llyod whom, despite his over-the-topness, is always fun to see. Yet again, Masters of Horror disappoints.

Not a very good entry in the Second Season of the Masters of horror season.I am a huge Clive Barker fan but really don't see his creative imagination at work in this drivel of a story about a unemployed & unpublished writer staying in a hotel that is for a group of writers to live in until their published. He starts to see some naked girl named Valerie who is pulled away each time by a demonic being(played by Tony "Candyman"Todd).Turns out their characters that were written by 3 of the tenants & the Beast doesn't want to be written away or written that he is killed as he loves owning Valerie & doesn't want things to change. And is the main character guy really himself or is he a character from the story? Just not your usual awesome Clive Barker work. What? Out of all of his amazing stories this was what they picked? This reeks of Mick Garris's work & only his.Maybe Clive just produced & Mick thought more people would be interested if he added Clive's name to the project as this is supposed to be Masters of Horror. It has a few good gore scenes but that doesn't redeem this piece of crap. If they don't better this horror anthology series,I personally don't see it coming back for a 3rd season. And that sucks as cable can do so much that network TV can't. * out of *****

Rob Hadisey (Tyron Leitso) is an unsuccessful writer who moves into a hotel full of them. No rent--but once you get something published you're out (???). He finds out the previous tenant of his room committed suicide. Then he starts hearing knocks on his door and seeing a beautiful woman named Valerie (Clare Grant) pleading for his help. Can you see where this is going? Utterly predictable and boring entry in the "Masters of Horror" series. I knew what was going to happen every step of the way. It all leads up to a real silly ending.There is some nice production design (the hotel looks suitably creepy) and there is some good acting by Leitso, Grant, Jonathan Witton and Christopher Lloyd (chewing the scenery). Also nice to see Tony Todd again. Still, an atmospheric setting, a few nice gory murders and some good acting can't help a story that is so predictable. Another negative point is throwing in totally unnecessary nude scenes for Grant. They could have been done with her clothed. Very poor entry. Not recommended.