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The Pit and the Pendulum | Year: 1961 Classification: Horror Directed: - Roger Corman Actors/Actresses: - Vincent Price - Barbara Steele Roger Corman Classic Following 1960's smash hit "Fall of the House of Usher", American International Pictures signed director Roger Corman to a larger budget for another Edgar Allan Poe opus; starring, once again, the great Vincent Price. The result was a classic, psychedelic thriller that became the prototype for a hundred horror movies to come. Released in 1961 "The Pit and the Pendulum" stars Price as Nicholas Medina, the 16th century son of a notorious Spanish Inquisition torturer. His descent into madness is played out against multi-colored flashbacks and lush gothic castle settings. Co-starring is the exotic English actress Barbara Steele, fresh from her Italian triumph, "Black Sunday". "The Pit" improves on "House of Usher" in nearly every respect. Daniel Haller's production design and Oscar-winner Floyd Crosby's color cinematography make the film look and feel lavish. Outdoor scenes were shot off Palos Verdes, Cal., and indoor sound-stage filming was completed in 15 days. This new MGM DVD is Letterbox Widescreen at 2.35:1 aspect, with a brisk commentary by Director Corman. You get a trailer, and a special epilogue never shown in theaters before. At 90 minutes, "The Pit and the Pendulum" is every horror movie fan's dream: Corman, Poe, and Price, at the height of their monstrous careers. Boo! Sins of the Father The best of Roger Corman's AIP Edgar Allen Poe flicks, and a superior horror film. Vincent Price is a Spanish nobleman haunted by the sins of his Inquisitor father. While a small boy, Price accidentally witnessed his sadistic sire murder his uncle and wall-up his mother alive, believing them to have committed adultery together. His greatest fear, since that day, has been that his evil father's genes will somehow evidence themselves in him. Now an adult, the gentle Price discovers he has accidentally buried loving wife Barbara Steele while still alive, and is near suicidal with grief. But his suffering has only begun. His wife's spirit seems to be coming after him - or is it something worse? Vincent Price and Barbara Steele never turned in better performances. Before the story is done, each of them get to play both victim and vengeful ghost - which can't be explained without ruining the sinisterly splendid plot, penned by veteran horror screenwriter Richard Matheson. The imagery is hauntingly grotesque, the atmosphere and mood often unbearably intense. Price has a mad scene that is simply unforgettable. The movie gets off to a slow start, but once it kicks into high gear, it grabs you by the vitals and won't let go. Young hero John Kerr is a bit wooden, but performs capably enough to further the frightening plot. The always wonderful Luana Anders plays Price's sister, who gets to narrate the tale - with stylishly done flashbacks - of her and Price's evil progenitor. The sets are gorgeous. The soundtrack is especially effective, a combination of low, lengthy bass notes and frenetic, atonal percussion. This is Gothic and psychological horror at its finest. The ending is chilling, and will haunt your nightmares for a long time to come. Vincent's Finest Hour? I Think It Might Be! "Pit And The Pendulum" is definitely one of those "watch it late at night with the lights out during a thunderstorm" kind of motion pictures. All the elements are present here to elicit the appropriate "scary movie" emotions from the viewer -- Shock, terror, suspense, fright, uneasiness, and fear. (And maybe a few others as well.) The setting of this 1961 film couldn't have been better presented on screen if they had tried. And Vincent Price, who was 50 years of age when the film was first released, gives a lively performance as "Don Nicholas Medina", a man who is slowly but surely going out of his mind. The climactic scene in the "Pit" is simply astonishing. One of the best scenes in any horror film ever made! This MGM DVD contains a Widescreen version of this color film (2.35:1 ratio). And, although not an Anamorphic (enhanced for 16x9 TV sets) disc, this DVD still offers up better-than-average video quality. The audio is Dolby Digital Mono (English and French tracks). Plus: this cover art is exceptional. A few bonus items are on the disc, including a fun audio commentary by Director Roger Corman. The Original Theatrical Trailer and an "Original Theatrical Prologue" are also included here. Before his death on October 25, 1993 (at age 82), Vincent Price appeared in 127 feature films (plus hundreds and hundreds of TV shows and radio plays) --- with "Pit And The Pendulum" being one of his very best, in my view. If you like scary, atmospheric motion pictures, you have no choice but to be entranced when watching this DVD of "Pit And The Pendulum". Buy The Pit And The Pendulum at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on The Pit And The Pendulum Search with the Priority Search Engine on The Pit And The Pendulum This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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