De Lift (1983)

Country of Origin: Netherlands
Year of Production: 1983
Running Times: 95mins/99 mins
Length:
Format:
Colour Format: Eastmancolor
Ratio: 1.66:1
Sound: mono

CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: First Floor Features/Sigma Film Productions
Produced by: Matthijs van Heijningen
Production Manager: Jos van der Linden

SCRIPT
Script: Dick Maas
Script Consultants: Jurriën Rood, Chiem van Houweninge

DIRECTION
Directed by: Dick Maas
Assistant Directors: Myrna van Gilst, André Sjouerman
Script Girl: Puck de Leeuw

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Marc Felperlaan
Assistant Camera: Erwin Steen
Clapper Loader: Jan Wich
Lighting Technician: Cor Roodhart
Lighting Assistant: Franc van Zutphen
Grip: René Stouthamer
Laboratory: Cineco

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Hans van Dongen

MUSIC
Music: Dick Maas

SOUND
Sound Recordist: Bert Koops, Georges Bossaers
Second Sound: Bert Koops
Sound Re-recordists: Georges Bossaers, Ad Roest
Sound Editor: Maurits Guepin
Sound Effects: Hans-Walter Kramski

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Costume Designer: Jany Hubar
Wardrobe: Yvonne de Boer
Make-up: Nancy Baudoux

SPECIAL MAKE UP EFFECTS
Special Make Up Effects Artist: Robert Stouthamer

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Leo Cahn, René Stouthamer

VISUAL EFFECTS
Titles and Opticals: Optical Arthouse

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Art Director: Harry Ammerlaan
Set Decorators: René Habes, Matthijs van Heijningen Jr, Jan van den Berg, Hans Voors
Props: Tom Zwaan

MISCELLANEOUS
Production Accountant: Guurtje Buddenberg
Production Secretary: Helen Blok
General Assistant: Eric Wobma
Production Driver: Eric Wobma
Shoot Advisor: Andre Sjouerman
Caterer: Mariëlle Sprong
Production Services and Facilities: Eastman Color

LOCATIONS
Locations: Almere, Flevoland, Netherlands; Amstelveen, Noord-Holland, Netherlands; Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands; Bussum, Noord-Holland, Netherlands; Cinetone Studio's, Duivendrecht, Noord-Holland, Netherlands; Den Haag, Netherlands; Hilversum, Noord-Holland, Netherlands; Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands; Zaandam, Zaanstad, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
Studio: Cinetone Studios

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Special Thanks: Gaby Tjoe

CASTING
Casting Advisor: Hans Kemna

CAST
Huub Stapel (Felix Adelaar)
Willeke van Ammelrooy (Mieke de Beer)
Josine van Dalsum (Saskia Adelaar)
Liz Snoyink, Wiske Sterringa (women in lift)
Huib Broos, Pieter Lutz (men in lift)
Paul Gieske (caretaker)
Dick Scheffer (Head Waiter)
Johan Hobo, Matthias Maat, Ger van Groningen (waiters)
Jan Anne Drenth (night porter)
Emma Onrust (Karin)
Sydney Kuyer (Berty)
Cor Witschge (day porter)
Piet Römer (Ravensteijn)
Serge-Henri Valcke (psychiatrist)
Onno Molenkamp (blind man)
Manfred de Graaf (real estate agent)
Agnes Schuch
Gerard Thoolen (guard #1)
Siem Vroom (police inspector)
Aat Ceelen (detective)
Kees Prins (guard #2)
Arnica Elsendoorn (sister-in-law)
Guus Hoes (brother-in-law)
Ab Abspoel (Jongbloed)
Hans Dagelet (Spiekerman)
Isabelle Brok (girl by lift)
Carola Gijsbers van Wijk (mistress)
Theo Pont (male nurse)
Ad Noyons (Breuker)
Coby Timp (receptionist)
Hans Veerman (Rising Sun researcher)
Peer Mascini (Professor)
Michiel Kerbosch (Van Rooijen)
Luk van Mello (cleaner manager)

PLOT SUMMARY

Lift technician Felix is sent to investigate a series of mysterious death and near misses that have occurred in one particular elevator. His investigations lead him to the Rising Sun Electronics corporation which seems to have been experimenting with new and unpredictable micro-electronic circuits.

AVAILABILITY

France
Theatrical Distributors: Warner-Columbia Film (1984)

Netherlands
Theatrical Distributors: Arcade Pictures (1983)
Video Distributors: Arcade Movie Company
DVD Distributors: Dice DVD

USA
Theatrical Distributors: Island Alive (1985)
Video Distributors: Media Home Entertainment
Laserdisc Distributors: Image Entertainment

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

Argentina
Rating: 16

Finland
Rating: K-16

France
Rating: -12

Germany
Rating: 16

Iceland
Rating: 16

Italy
Rating: VM14

Netherlands
Rating: 16

Norway
Rating: 16 (1984)

Sweden
Rating: 15

USA
Rating: R

West Germany
Rating: 18

AWARDS

1983
Nederlands Film Festival, Netherlands
Golden Calf: Beste Regie (Dick Maas) - winner

1984
Avoriaz Fantastic Film Festival, France
Grand Prize (Dick Maas) - winner

TIMELINE

1983
January
24: Netherlands - filming begins

February
27: Netherlands - filming ends

May
11: Netherlands - theatrical release

November
25: West Germany - theatrical release

1984
February
22: France - theatrical release

March
9: Norway, Sweden - theatrical release

April
13: Finland - theatrical release
25: Philippines - theatrical release

1985
July
4: USA - theatrical release

POSTER TAGS

Take the stairs, take the stairs. For God's sake, take the stairs!!!

Le scale... le scale... per amor di dio usate le scale

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

L'ascenseur - French title
El ascensor - Argentinean/Spanish title
L'ascensore - Italian title
Fahrstuhl des Grauens - West German title
Goin' Up
Hissen - Swedish title
Hissi - Finnish title
The Lift - English language title

LINKS

REMAKE
Down (2001)

SEE ALSO
Amsterdamned (1988)

REFERENCES

MAGAZINES

Première March 1984 p.16 (France)
review (by Stella Molitor)

Playboy vol.32 (July 1985) p.21 (USA)
illustrated review (by Bruce Williamson)

KEYWORDS

axes, decapitations, dolls, elevators, journalists, lightning

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009