The Pit and the Pendulum

source: The Pit and the Pendulum

Watching this again after many years and with such a wonderfully clear print is a revelation. The story is slight but well told with stunning cinematography and a most impressive set, cleverly lit with colour tints, inspired perhaps by Mario Brava. Vincent Price has the time of his life, as impressive in close up as in medium. If he overdoes the old acting bit we love him for it because he does it so well. Certainly he makes most of the rest of the cast look a little wooden and we long for the arrival of Barbara Steele. Of course the wait is worth while but perhaps we could have had some flash backs early on in the film when we are gradually being let into the true horror of the situation. This is a very good solid Corman production, helped by decent script from Matheson but much reliant on the aforementioned, Price and Steele.

Even though it's not strictly faithful to Poe's original short story, The Pit and the Pendulum is still an effective and eerie adaptation. Vincent Price plays his part well, and the supporting cast is strong, too. This movie is able to create a suspenseful sense of fear and dread that you don't get from many horror films today. Well done, Roger Corman.

Three legendary figures, one in writing, and one in film-making, and one in acting are responsible for bringing The Pit and the Pendulum to life. It's Edgar Allen Poe's story about a brother struggling to come to terms about how his sister's untimely death happened. He goes to the mansion of Nicholas Medina, played by the magnificent Vincent Price, to look for answers. The Pit and the Pendulum for a 60's movie is attention getting by how powerful and mystique the actors and actresses characters are, and the brilliant story and script that intertwines very nicely. Roger Corman direction was astounding as well, making me realize why he's so acclaimed by his film-making peers. The Pit and the Pendulum is a nice little horror flick that I watched with no expectations and had no regrets spending the time and money to watch it.

I just recently "discovered" the "Pit and the Pendulum" after a friend recommended it. I watched the video on a dark and windy night and I was absolutely chilled! It was wonderfully atmospheric, beautifully filmed, and the suspense kept mounting right up until the climatic end. > Vincent Price was terrific, bringing such sympathy to this role. I think any other actor would have easily been over the top, but Price keeps it in check. John Kerr was properly aggressive as the over wrought brother and the other actors were just as impressive. This type of movie making just confirms to me that you don't need a shameless amount of blood and guts to be terrified. I know I'm going to have a grand old time checking out Price's other movies!

One of the many horror flicks that entertained America's moviegoers in the early '60s, "Pit and the Pendulum" has all that anyone could ask for. In the story, young Francis Barnard (John Kerr) goes to an evil-looking castle on the Spanish coast to investigate the death of his sister Elizabeth (Barbara Steele). Her husband Nicholas Medina (Vincent Price), the son of an inquisitor, has been driven insane by her death. But some questions remain: did she really die? And what's really the deal with Nicholas? Of course, the movie's real star ends up being the pendulum. Razor-sharp and menacing as can be, it is one mean mother. Overall, what's particularly neat about this movie is the fact that for a long time, it seems like there's nothing to see...and then they catch you. Everyone likes a Vincent Price movie, but I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who might easily die of fright. It's that good!

"The Pit and the Pendulum" is the second of Roger Corman's Edgar Allan Poe's adaptations with a screenplay by Richard Matheson.Vincent Price's performance is an obvious highlight of the film.Legendary horror actresses Luana Anders("Dementia 13")and Barbara Steele("Shivers","Silent Scream","Black Sunday")co-star in this extremely atmospheric chiller.To sum up,"The Pit and the Pendulum" is one of Roger Corman's finest offerings-it's creepy,unsettling and extremely entertaining.A masterpiece that easily gets 10 out of 10!

We will start out by saying that Edgar Allen Poe's story has nothing to do with this movie. All that connects it is the giant killer pendulum. A man comes to a castle to find out what happened to his now dead sister. Vincent Price is in the middle of all this, having been involved in her death, but realizing the there are some weird circumstances. As the story progresses, Price gets more and more weird and unhinged. We are led on a merry chase by the resurfacing Ms. Steele. Of course, the old torture chamber is going to come into play at some point. I need to mention that the final scene of this film has stayed with me for decades. Thank you Roger Corman. I think this may be your crowning moment.