The Pit and the Pendulum (1961)

Price, Corman and Matheson, Gothic splendour.

Upon hearing of his sister Elizabeth's death, Francis Barnard travels to Spain to find out just exactly how she met her end. Arriving at the Medina castle, he finds the Medina family deeply suspicious characters and the castle itself a foreboding place harnessing a deadly past.

The Pit And The Pendulum is the second film in the series of Edgar Allan Poe adaptations that director Roger Corman tackled, it's also easily one of the best. Part horror, part dreamy thriller, and of course with little dashes of humour within, it all comes together rather well. We open with a beach approach to the Medina castle, a big monolithic structure hulking on a cliff edge - naturally accompanied by a misty shroud - we know from this moment on that unease is about to become our middle name. Once inside the castle it's evident that it is a major player in our story, roaring fireplaces and secret chambers all excellently framed by Corman and his team. A story of madness, deceit and sadistic ancestry then plays out to the full to make The Pit And The Pendulum one of the Poe adaptations leading lights.

Enlisting the brilliant Richard Matheson to flesh out and extend the Poe short story, he's the perfect man to bring about a Gothic classic. Corman again uses Vincent Price as his leading man and he's rewarded with a quite delicious performance from the big man, where camp and burgeoning madness go hand in hand like they were always meant to be a team. The rest of the cast are naturally trailing in the shadow of Price's greatness, but a noteworthy mention must also go to the good work from Barbara Steele as Elizabeth. Floyd Crosby is again on board for cinematography duties, beautifully realising the lush colour and the doom laden feel of the Medina castle. Then there's Corman himself, who puts in some of his best work here, his use of the camera really adding to the burgeoning sense of dread that flows throughout the piece - the high point a stunning POV victim sequence of the pendulum of the title that is just one of the many technical highlights on show. 8/10

Mar 5, 2019

The colorful flashbacks, the beautiful settings, the delicious revenge, and you got Vincent Price as well. Directed by Roger Corman and Matheson doing the screenplay. And of course, let's not forget this is a Poe story.

This is so good especially as the ending comes. Reminds me of <I>House on Haunted Hill (1959)</I> and if you remember that ending then you know what I am talking about.

Definitely worth seeing as it checks off so many like boxes in my book.

Oct 6, 2020

_**Haunted chateau, cobwebs, rats, grisly cadavers, adultery, murder and a torture chamber**_

In 1546, a man from London (John Kerr) visits an ominous castle on the coast of Spain to find out the mysterious events surrounding his sister’s sudden death (Barbara Steele). Vincent Price plays the lord of the manor, Luana Anders his sister and Antony Carbone his doctor.

"The Pit and the Pendulum" (1961) was the second in Roger Corman’s “Poe cycle” of eight movies from 1960-1964, plus other Poe-like flicks, like “The Terror” (1963).

Like practically all of the Poe adoptions of the 60s, including those done by other directors, e.g. the “The Oblong Box” (1969), this film was simply inspired by Edgar Allan Poe and is far from a faithful adaption. Yet it was the most successful at the box office and Richard Matheson did a great job of fleshing out an entertaining story, especially considering the one-dimensional proceedings. What I mean is that the entire story takes place in the forbidding castle, except for a couple coastal shots.

From the 70s to the present horror flicks have resorted to increasing gore to shock audiences while filmmakers in the 60s had to focus more on spooky atmosphere, melodrama and creepy innuendo mixed with ghastly shocks, albeit relatively bloodless. This is a colorful eerie flick for the Fall season (or any season) if you’re in the mood for dark castles, haunted hallways, horrific chambers, cobwebs, Medieval décor, gallantry, sinful secrets and the threat of ghastly death.

Both Luana Anders and Barbara Steele were only 22 during shooting and attractive.

AIP was basically the American version of Hammer in England, so devotees of Hammer horror should eat this up.

The movie runs 1 hour, 20 minutes, and was shot at Raleigh Studios, Hollywood, with the coastal shots done at Palos Verdes, which is about 20 miles south on the seaside.

GRADE: B+/A-

Mar 21, 2022