The Lift

The Lift (De Lift) (1983)

Runtime: 98 minutes

Directed by: The greatly named Dick Maas

Starring: Huub Stapel, Willeke Van Ammelrooy, Josine Van Dalsum, Johan Hobo, Paul Gieske

From: First Floor Features/Sigma Film Productions

Apparently all European horror films from the 70's and 80's included a blind person: 

I went with this Dutch film due to the hilarious premise of a sentient evil elevator killing people; I mean, talk about a solid gold premise. The movie does not rise about being “fine” but I am fine with that as at least I was entertained.

Felix Adelaar works at a lift company as a technician who has to fix broken elevators. He suspects that something is seriously wrong with the titular lift that has killed or attempted to kill several people in bizarre ways. Despite the evidence, no one believes him; as it's the early 80's, the cause of it is a newfangled thing (for the time) which required a scene to try and explain. Of course, what caused the problem is utter poppycock but that's part of the film's charm, how dated it is by 2019 standards.

I am not saying that this is dated in a bad way; I mean, it has a great early 80's look to it (including the design of the lift) and there is quite the early 80's electronic score from the director, Dick Maas-what a name. In a line that literally made me laugh out loud, Felix's friend talks to him about a hot date that he has tonight and well, the girl allegedly does some “female grooming habits” that are common now but not so much in 1983... and this friend is eager to discover if this rumor is true. To be honest, some of the male characters in The Lift would be in trouble if they were around in the Me Too era. Felix's wife thinks that he is a cad who is cheating on her, but of course it's a misunderstanding.

The movie does not take itself too serious so there is humor of the intentional variety also. The ending being on the abrupt side is a valid carp, but otherwise I'll say this was a fine effort which has some violent deaths; I know some thought that this was dull and that is also a valid opinion to have. For me, I was amused by this wacky film where an elevator repairman who rolls his own cigarettes is our hero.