(2001)

a review
by Helen R. Chavez

The Shaft (aka 'Down') never really had much of a chance from the start, given its history. Costing (for a 'B' movie) about $15 million dollars, it had the great misfortune to be due for release just as the terrible tragedy of 9-11 occurred, and without ever seeing the light of day the film was doomed.

The reason?

Well, Dick Maas' film is about a skyscraper in New York. That in itself is enough to make its success iffy, to say the least, but when that skyscraper - in this case called the Millennium Building - suffers a series of tragedies, all involving the building's elevator in which people drop to their deaths, get decapitated and generally become victims of what initially appears to be rather vindictive and personal terrorist attacks, the film's failure is almost guaranteed.

Include the fact that Maas' direction is shudderingly bland and the film itself really isn't very good, and you have an instant flop on your hands.

And that in itself is a bit of a shame, because - bad timing aside - it should have been a whole lot better. Crisply shot, with some really atmospheric New York/New Jersey scenes, it doesn't look bad at all. Add a reasonable plot and a real corker of a cast, and it should have been a pretty decent film.

James Marshall has come a long way since his Twin Peaks days, and turns in a thoroughly charming and natural performance as a bewildered elevator repair man who begins to realise that there is something weird lurking in the elevator shafts.


Ably assisted by 2004 Oscar-nominee Naomi Watts as a roving reporter whose newshound instincts tell her she is on to a humdinger of a story, the pair of them go after the truth like a pair possessed.

Eric Thal as Marshall's doomed partner is quite frankly not up to scratch, but when we get to the rest of the cast, we get a hint of what the film could have been under the direction of someone less heavy-handed and more inspired than Dick Maas.

A trio of the film industry's finest veteran actors come into play, and are effectively wasted on the spot despite fine performances.

Dan Hedaya as the dogged detective trying to make sense of the deaths is - as always - a joy to watch, but the great Canadian actor Michael Ironside is totally wasted as the stock Mad Scientist. Ironside, even when he's being vulnerable, charming and sweet-natured, has a wide rictus of a smile of such intensity that any terrorist worth the label would fling himself at the nearest policeman and surrender gladly, especially once subjected to the look that Ironside has perfected in his long years in the business. But in Down he just appears to be a sad excuse of a Mad Scientist, weepy, desperate and not very convincing. I wanted him to be the truly creepy and chilling Mad Scientist that Ironside would play so magnificently.

Ron Perlman completes the trio as the boss of the elevator company that installed and maintains the elevator in the Millenium Building, and, as expected, turns in his usual well-observed and utterly believable performance.

Mitchell is a tough, uncompromising man who seems to have built up his business from small beginnings with nothing more than a couple of wrenches and an old truck. But now he's a businessman with a reputation to uphold and he does not take kindly to his employee (Marshall) blabbing - albeit off record - to the press, the comments finding their way into the newspapers via Watt's tenacious reporter who will do anything for a story.

Aggressive, tenacious, yet able to switch on a smooth, reassuring manner when faced with a nervous populace and inquisitive reporters, Mitchell is a man who can whup ass and smile while he's doing it.

Yet there is more to him than meets the eye, especially when it becomes obvious that he has some sort of professional relationship with Ironside that in the end goes badly wrong. And it's here that you see a different side of Mitchell - a man mortified by what he's done, a man who realises that his decisions and involvement with Ironside's machinations have cost lives.

Still, in the end, the decent performances can't even begin to save a film that has about as much grace as a drunken elephant. It lurches along under Maas' direction (He wrote the script too, so really there was no hope), and a film billed as a 'horror' movie is about as frightening as my Aunt Millie's hairnet. Still, there are one or two chilling moments, and there is one scene where the elevator does something quite nasty to a security guard. Oh, and there is an absolutely cracking skateboarding sequence that will at least make you smile. But then, you're not supposed to smile at horror movies, are you?

See it if you want to watch Ron 'do his thing', and enjoy his neat - but nowhere near long enough - performance, but otherwise don't expect much.

Down (The Shaft) is glossy to look at, has some nice set pieces and some pretty views of the Big Apple, but that's about it, folks.


Screen captures by Pat Paone.
"The Shaft" DVD courtesy of Helen Chavez.