''The Spiral Staircase'' is a 2000
television film
A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
remake of the 1946 film ''
The Spiral Staircase'' based on
Ethel Lina White
Ethel Lina White (2 April 1876 – 13 August 1944) was a British crime writer from Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales. She was best known for her novel '' The Wheel Spins'' (1936), on which the Alfred Hitchcock 1938 film '' The Lady Vanishes' ...
's 1933 novel ''Some Must Watch''. The film was directed by
James Head with a
screenplay
''ScreenPlay'' is a television drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993.
Background
After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, fe ...
by Matt Dorff, and stars
Nicollette Sheridan
Nicollette Sheridan (born 21 November 1963) is an English-born American actress. She began her career as a fashion model before landing a role in the short-lived ABC primetime soap opera ''Paper Dolls'' in 1984, as well as starring in the roman ...
,
Judd Nelson
Judd Asher Nelson (born November 28, 1959) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as John Bender in ''The Breakfast Club'', Alec Newbury in ''St. Elmo's Fire'', Joe Hunt in ''Billionaire Boys Club'', Nick Peretti in ''New Jack City ...
,
Alex McArthur
Alex McArthur (born March 6, 1957) is an American actor.
Early life and education
He was born in Telford, Pennsylvania, the son of Bruce, a contractor, and Dolores McArthur. He studied acting at De Anza College and San Jose State University, ...
,
Debbe Dunning
Debra Dunning (born July 11, 1966) is an American actress, model, television host, spokesperson and comedienne. She is best known for playing Heidi on ''Home Improvement'' (1993–1999).
Career
Dunning played Heidi Keppert, the "''Tool Time ...
and
Holland Taylor
Holland Virginia Taylor (born January 14, 1943) is an American actress. She won the 1999 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Judge Roberta Kittleson on ABC's ''The Practice'' (1998–2003). F ...
.
Background
The
Ethel Lina White
Ethel Lina White (2 April 1876 – 13 August 1944) was a British crime writer from Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales. She was best known for her novel '' The Wheel Spins'' (1936), on which the Alfred Hitchcock 1938 film '' The Lady Vanishes' ...
novel ''Some Must Watch'' was first offered on film in 1946 as ''The Spiral Staircase''. This same title was used for a 1962 television adaptation, 1975 British TV-movie remake, and the 2000 made-for-cable feature. The 2000 version updated the original story to re-set from the early 20th century to present day.
[
] Filmed on locations in
Vancouver
Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...
and
Victoria
Victoria most commonly refers to:
* Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia
* Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada
* Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory
* Victoria, Seychelle ...
, Canada, the 2000 version was made for
Fox Family network (now
Freeform), as a remake of three previous films, still based on
Ethel Lina White
Ethel Lina White (2 April 1876 – 13 August 1944) was a British crime writer from Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, Wales. She was best known for her novel '' The Wheel Spins'' (1936), on which the Alfred Hitchcock 1938 film '' The Lady Vanishes' ...
's novel, and using the same title as the previous films of
1946
Events January
* January 6 - The 1946 North Vietnamese parliamentary election, first general election ever in Vietnam is held.
* January 7 – The Allies recognize the Austrian republic with its 1937 borders, and divide the country into f ...
, 1962, and
1975
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe.
Events
January
* January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
.
Synopsis
The film centers around Helen Capel (
Nicollette Sheridan
Nicollette Sheridan (born 21 November 1963) is an English-born American actress. She began her career as a fashion model before landing a role in the short-lived ABC primetime soap opera ''Paper Dolls'' in 1984, as well as starring in the roman ...
), a pathologically mute woman who is being stalked by a vicious killer. Mute since the death of her parents when she was a child, Helen accepts a nursing position on a secluded island in the household of wealthy matriarch Emma Warren (
Holland Taylor
Holland Virginia Taylor (born January 14, 1943) is an American actress. She won the 1999 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Judge Roberta Kittleson on ABC's ''The Practice'' (1998–2003). F ...
). Helen learns that a serial killer is picking off "imperfect" young girls around town, and she fears she is next. A terrible storm hits the island one night and the family and Helen are trapped inside... and they're not alone; the killer is with them in the shadows.
Cast
*
Nicollette Sheridan
Nicollette Sheridan (born 21 November 1963) is an English-born American actress. She began her career as a fashion model before landing a role in the short-lived ABC primetime soap opera ''Paper Dolls'' in 1984, as well as starring in the roman ...
as Helen Capel
*
Judd Nelson
Judd Asher Nelson (born November 28, 1959) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as John Bender in ''The Breakfast Club'', Alec Newbury in ''St. Elmo's Fire'', Joe Hunt in ''Billionaire Boys Club'', Nick Peretti in ''New Jack City ...
as Phillip Warren
*
Debbe Dunning
Debra Dunning (born July 11, 1966) is an American actress, model, television host, spokesperson and comedienne. She is best known for playing Heidi on ''Home Improvement'' (1993–1999).
Career
Dunning played Heidi Keppert, the "''Tool Time ...
as Danielle
*
Holland Taylor
Holland Virginia Taylor (born January 14, 1943) is an American actress. She won the 1999 Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Judge Roberta Kittleson on ABC's ''The Practice'' (1998–2003). F ...
as Emma Warren
* Christina Jastrzembska as Rachel Parsons
* William McDonald as Sheriff Bell
* John Innes as Dr. Porter
*
Margaret Ryan
Margaret Ryan (1944–2019) was a children's writer who lived in St. Andrews, Scotland. She was born and raised in the town of Paisley, Scotland. She went to the University of Glasgow, where she met her husband, John, at a dance. She and John ...
as Mrs. Pritzker
*
Kandyse McClure
Candice McClure (born 22 March 1980), known professionally as Kandyse McClure, is a Canadian actress. She is known for her roles as Anastasia Dualla in the SyFy series ''Battlestar Galactica'' and as Dr. Clementine Chasseur in the Netflix series ...
as Monica
* Charles Payne as Medical Examiner
*
A.J. Cook
Andrea Joy Cook (born July 22, 1978) is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her role as Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer "JJ" Jareau on the CBS crime drama ''Criminal Minds'' (2005–2020, 2022). Cook has also appeared in ''The Virgi ...
as Local Girl
*
Kristina Matisic
Kristina Matisic (born December 26, 1968) is an actor and TV host. She is best known as the host, with Anna Wallner, of '' The Shopping Bags'', '' Anna & Kristina's Grocery Bag'', and '' Anna & Kristina's Beauty Call''.
Matisic was born in Zagr ...
as Newscaster
*
Alex McArthur
Alex McArthur (born March 6, 1957) is an American actor.
Early life and education
He was born in Telford, Pennsylvania, the son of Bruce, a contractor, and Dolores McArthur. He studied acting at De Anza College and San Jose State University, ...
as Steven Warren
* Dolores Drake as Sarah
* David Storch as Bobby Tyler
* Lillian Carlson as Mrs. Winfield
* Brenda Campbell as Elise
* Dallas Thompson as Linda
* Katrina Matthews as Cocktail Waitress
Release
The film debuted in April 2000 in the United States, followed by releases in the United Kingdom in May 2000, France in 2001 as ''Le secret du manoir'', Czech Republic in 2003,Germany in 2004 as ''Stummer Schrei - Und keiner kann dir helfen'', Hungary in 2005 and Sweden in 2007.
Reception
In noting that the original 1946 film was "''a stellar thriller''", Steven Linan of ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...
'' found the 2000 remake to be an ''"inferior remake''".
[
]
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Spiral Staircase (2000 film), The
2000 television films
2000 films
Remakes of American films
American television films
2000s English-language films
Films set in country houses