User Reviews

Because it's a newer version of a classic horror movie (and it went directly to video), I have been putting off watching Stuart Gordon's take on Edgar Allen Poe's classic story, but after finally catching it; I can honestly say that I don't know why I didn't see it earlier! While the Roger Corman/Vincent Price version of the tale is far better, this update still has a lot in store for the horror fan, most notably it's superb European styled atmosphere, and a fine performance by Lance Henriksen, which may even be the best of his career. While these elements are contributors to the film's success, the main reason why the film works is the story behind it. Of course, it's based (albeit loosely) on Poe's classic tale, so the story is bound to be solid; but it doesn't take all of it's influence from Poe, and so Dennis Paoli can take a lot of credit for the screenplay he wrote for the movie. The idea of 'the pendulum', along with a 'pit' can conjure up many feelings of dread and pain, and this film adequately capitalises on that with it's excellent torture filled finale!

As mentioned, Lance Henriksen gives what is maybe his best performance in this film. He is both powerful and frightening in his role as Torquemada, the head witchfinder of the Spanish Inquisition. When he says "I am the inquisition", it's enough to make your hairs stand on end. Henriksen is a criminally underrated actor and one that certainly deserves more praise...it's just unfortunate that he tends to shine in movies that don't get noticed. Also in the cast is 'Re-Animator' himself, Jeffrey Combs, who shines in a small role as someone in the inquisition. The film isn't wholly serious, and Stuart Gordon has seen fit to add some comic relief to the proceedings, which is OK but I feel that the movie would be better off without any 'relief'. Certain elements from other Poe stories appear, such as a man being bricked in behind a wall, and this film seems to treat it's subject material with respect. The European horror style is a major plus factor in my opinion, and should please fans of movies from the sixties and seventies. On the whole; surprisingly good!

The Roman Catholic Church has begun to turn away from the Inquisition, finding its methods and motives more than just a little bit suspect. But the Grand Inquisitor of Spain (Lance Henriksen) has other plans... he is his own authority, allegedly guided by God Himself. A baker and his wife end up on the wrong side of the law -- his law -- when they protest an execution and she is accused of witchcraft.

Lance Henriksen has a bad habit of appearing in many low budget horror films, so much so that any credibility he gained as Bishop from "Aliens" or Frank Black from "Millenium" is overshadowed by his constant self-degradation. Did we really need so many Pumpkinhead films? But "Pit and the Pendulum" is one of those rare films that is both lower budget and yet still good, today maybe even carrying on well as a timeless classic.

Unlike other Full Moon films, this one has a steady plot and interesting characters -- and a decent cast. Mark Margolis shows up and Jeffrey Combs has a relatively small, but crucial, role to play. (Combs, like Henriksen, has sold out in recent years.... but his very presence makes a film better.) There is excessive -- but not gratuitous -- nudity, bloody torture devices (but not to the point of exploitation like "Saw", just for entertainment). This is a fun film in the vein of, say, the original "Troll" (but not "Troll 2").

Stuart Gordon is best known for "Re-Animator" and "From Beyond", but if there is a third third of his that deserves recognition, this is it. Gordon (and writer Dennis Paoli) found a way to work within the budget of Full Moon and still make things worth watching rather than poor excuses for "movies".

Now out on Blu-ray, the film looks better than ever (as much as it can). There is no audio commentary for some inexplicable reason, but there is a very short making-of featurette. Somehow Tom Towles got his name spelled wrong on the credits (a true disgrace). Blu-ray.com notes that the "transfer isn't masterful, but it's certainly more than capable" and gives the disc 3 of 5 stars. But if the price is right this film is worth getting.

When his wife Maria (Rona De Ricci) is accused of being a witch by Torquemada, the Grand Inquisitor (Lance Henriksen), distraught Antonio attempts a daring rescue mission, breaking into the Inquisition's headquarters. Soon enough, he too finds himself a prisoner, and faces Torquemada's latest torture device: The Pendulum.

I have a lot of time for director Stuart Gordon, but I do feel like he fumbled the ball slightly with The Pit and the Pendulum. When dealing with weighty historical subjects such as witch trials, torture and the Spanish Inquisition, I feel like gritty realism is the best approach; comedy should not be allowed to dilute the horror (unless, of course, you're Monty Python). Gordon, however, imbues his adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe's short story with a degree of levity that is completely at odds with the horrifying topic at hand. At best, it's mildly distracting; at worst, it's bloody silly (the worst example being when baker Antonio is sat on a metal chair over a fire and makes a quip about 'burning his buns').

It's not all bad news though: the film open with an inspired scene that effectively illustrates the sheer lunacy of the Inquisition, with the posthumous flogging of a crumbling corpse; Henriksen is wonderfully evil throughout, relishing every bonkers moment; Gordon regular Jeffrey Combs has a memorable supporting role as Torquemada's assistant; Ollie Reed knocks back some booze before being walled up alive; and De Ricci is delicious, the lovely lady baring all for her art. There's also one wonderfully OTT scene that is hard not to enjoy, no matter how daft it is: Esmerelda, a real witch, swallows gunpowder on the way to the stake, exploding when she is set alight, her bones impaling those in the crowd.

I haven't liked Stuart Gordon's output much since his classic one-two punch of 'Re-Animator' and 'From Beyond' back in the 1980s, so I've avoided seeing some of his movies for years. 'The Pit And The Pendulum' is one. I thought it was going to be a turkey, but now that I've finally seen it, I'm pleasantly surprised. While it isn't as great as vintage Gordon, it's far better than 'Castle Freak' or his recent 'Dagon'. The cast really makes this work. Lance Henriksen is excellent as the tortured Inquisitor Torquemada, and Rona De Ricci is very good as Maria the beautiful girl he becomes obsessed with. I don't know why De Ricci didn't go on to a career as she can act and she's very hot. The supporting cast is way above average, with Gordon regulars Jeffrey Combs and Carolyn Purdy-Gordon, 'Dolls' Stephen Lee, Tom Towles ('Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer'), Mark Margolis ('Pi') and even a cameo by Oliver Reed, who let's not forget appeared in 'The Devils' back in the early 70s, a movie which this 'The Pit And The Pendulum' has more in common with than the 60s Roger Corman version starring Vincent Price. I liked this movie a lot more than I expected to. It's underrated and definitely worth checking out, especially for Henriksen's intense performance, one of the best of his career.

The Pit & The Pendulum (1991) is a movie that I recently rewatched on Tubi. The storyline follows a Spanish lord in the 1400s known for declaring women witches and torturing them. When he kidnaps a wife and plans to cut out her tongue and make a special example of her, her husband tries to save his wife and bring down the lord.

This movie is directed by Stuart Gordon (Fortress) and stars Lance Henriksen (Pumpkinhead), Stephen Lee (The Negotiator), Mark Margolis (Scarface), Carolyn Purdy-Gordon (Re-Animator), Jeffrey Combs (The Frightners) and Frances Bay (Happy Gilmore).

This movie did a solid job with sets, attire and props to create the appropriate look and feel. The cast is a whose who of 90s horror. Henriksen is perfect and the supporting cast is a lot of fun. There's some fun conversations in this starting right off the bat with the bread convo opening and continuing until the final scene. There's full nudity in here and some tremendous torture devices. There's a scene using chains ⛓ that's outstanding. The last 15 minutes of this movie is very entertaining.

Overall, this movie is far from perfect but it's definitely worth a viewing. I would score this a 6.5/10 and strongly recommend it.

Director Stuart Gordon updates Edgar Allan Poe's tale to a far more tolerant and demanding audience, 30 years after the Corman/Price classic. Graphic gore and torture, full frontal nudity and very strong language combine with lashings of Gothic horror and plenty of dark humour. Lance Henriksen is superb as the evil Grand Inquisitor, he delivers the standout performance. Sadly Oliver Reed only appears for a few minutes, but he gets to guzzle some wine so I'm sure that he enjoyed his brief time on set! Talking of which, the sets themselves are good. This version is more lavish and far more extreme than the 1961 one and much as I enjoyed it I will always prefer the original classic.

This is a true horror movie , it is immaculately staged , confidently made and full of gory scenes . Gothic horror freely based on Edgar Allan Poe story depicting the brutal events of a monk named Torquemada (Lance Henriksen) , Grand Inquisitor of the Spanish Inquisition. It is the time of the Spanish Inquisition. Maria (Rona De Ricci) lives with her husband ,the town baker Antonio , she not like what is going on during a "Auto De Fe" in which a condemned witch is burnt by the executioner (Benito Stefanelli) . When she speaks out, she is detained , accused of being a witch and imprisoned at a storm-surrounded stronghold inhabited by Torquemada (Lance Henriksen) . In the castle Torquemada has a torture chamber . There are various torture instruments , such as : ¨Iron Maiden¨ and a pendulum . But the sadomasochist Torquemada has plans for he, as he orders to be tortured, and her tongue to be cut out . Her husband (Jonathan Fuller) attempts to find out exactly what happened to her . As he attempts to free her but things go wrong , as he's arrested as well . Until now no one has dared to film this ...... the most diabolical classic of all time! .The Greatest Terror Tale Ever Told! .Edgar Allan Poe's diabolic movie . She was enslaved by evil in a terror haunted castle. Betrayal cuts both ways!

Bizarre picture set in 1492 Toledo, Spain , an entertaining as well as thrilling terror film produced by Empire Pictures/Full Moon Entertainment from Albert Band/Charles Band with a monumental team of horror . It results to be a remake to The Pit and the Pendulum (1961) produced by American International , James H. Nicholson-Samuel Z. Arkoff , directed by Roger Corman with Vincent Price , Barbara Steele , John Kerr . In 1991 Stuart Gordon made a new adaptation , as he directed the remake and more graphic version . Twisted and surprising script from Stuart Gordon himself , which he co-wrote with long-time writing partner Dennis Paoli .A stylish and grim film with eye-popping images and slick direction , confidently realized , plenty of creepy moments , but really masochist and gory . The picture packs usual Stuart Gordon's striking scenarios including lugubrious castle , shrieks come from gloomy coffins , and vague shapes move behind the dismal mansions gone to the bad . Nice cast with special mention for Lance Henriksen chewing the scenario on a loopy screenplay . Along with other notorious secondaries such as : Mark Margolis as a torturer , Jeffrey Combs as a priest and Oliver Reed as Cardinal , among others.

It displays frightening and rousing musical score by Richard Band. As well as colorful and evocative cinematography by Adolfo Bartoli. The motion picture was professionally directed by Stuart Gordon , being stylishly realized , though it's hindered by excessive truculent scenes and various disagreeable situations . Stuart Gordon joined with Brian Yuzna and Charles Band's Empire Pictures to create the company's first major hit, Re-Animator (1985), based on the story by H. P. Lovecraft, which won a Critics' Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Gordon then helmed another Lovecraft adaptation Re-Sonator (From Beyond) (1986) and tackled the murderous Dolls (1986) followed by Robot Jox (1989). Other works include The Fortress (1992), and the screenplay for The Dentist (1996) and Body Snatchers (1993). In 2001, Gordon returned to the H. P. Lovecraft territory with Dagon (2001), and in 2003, directed King of the Ants (2003) about a housepainter-turned-hit man, and brought the David Mamet play Edmond (2005) to the screen. He contributed to the horror anthology series Masters of Horror (2005) with the episode Masters of Horror: Dreams in the Witch-House (2005), based on a short story by H. P. Lovecraft. He returned to the series in 2007 with the episode Masters of Horror: The Black Cat (2007), based on Edgar Allan Poe's story. And in 2008, he directed a Terror film Eater (2008). Rating : 6/10 , acceptable and passable.

With Stuart Gordon's 'Re-Animator' and 'From Beyond' among my all-time favourite horror films, I was excited about 'The Pit and the Pendulum' - especially also seeing screen legends Lance Henriksen and Jeffrey Combs together in the same film.

Set in 1492 Spain, the film plays like a Romeo and Juliet, to a certain extent. During the execution of a woman branded a heretic, a baker's wife, Maria, is accused of being a witch, and captured. The baker, Antonio, then does everything in his power to save her, knowing she would be tortured by the Church.

The Church should be ashamed for what they did during Medieval times! The ignorance and cruelty of the Church "in the Name of God" made me sick, and an unpleasant watch as a result. There were way too much torture for my liking, and I despised the hypocrites serving in the Church - the so-called righteous people. Yeah right... let me rather not go there...

The film felt all too much like it was going in circles, and I ultimately became bored. 'The Pit and the Pendulum' is also disgusting on so many levels (some intentional; some unintentional) that this is a film I'm conveniently going to forget I ever saw.

Would watch it again? No, definitely not.

I really enjoyed watching this movie and I wish to recommend to as many people as possible. But maybe biased because I'm a huge fan of director Stuart Gordon. I have yet to see a movie of his that doesn't fully lives up to my expectations. From Re-Animator over Dolls to Castle Freak...they all belong to my favorite horror movies. And I do believe Gordon belongs to the most talented directors in the genre because he can handle all sort of horror topics. His debut - the brilliant Re-Animator - was a comedy splatter movie while The Pit and the Pendulum doesn't contain that much violence or gore. This movie contains an intelligent and even educational story and it has great settings and costumes of the 14th century.

The Pit and the Pendulum is an adaptation of the famous short story by Edgar Allen Poe. The master of low budget - Roger Corman - already used this story once to make a great horror classic starring Vincent Price. Stuart Gordon's movie isn't really a remake of that one. They just used the same plot. Pit and the Pendulum takes place during the Spanish Inquisition. Lance Henriksen plays one of the best roles of his entire career as Torquemada. He decides whether "witches" are guilty or not and when they'll be burned for the eyes of God. A young girl, Maria ( played by Ronna De Ricci who never did anything else in her career )who resists against his way of working is being arrested. Torquemada wants to accuse her of witchery but he's fascinated by her looks and her body. Meanwhile, Maria's husband entered the castle and he wants to free his wife.

The atmosphere and the settings impress the most in this movie. The ancient castle and the torture chambers are really intriguing. The costumes are terrific as well. There isn't too much gore and violence to detect in this movie ( especially not compared to previous Gordon movies ) but they're are a few very explicit scenes that show true horror. But it's always shot with a lot of style and class. Even though Lance Henriksen is getting all the attention in this movie, there are a a few other great performances in this movie. I'd like to bring forward Jeffrey Combs...my favorite B-movie actor and frequently cast by Stuart Gordon. His role is pretty limited but very well acted.

The Pit and Pendulum is warmly recommended to fans of atmospheric horror and historical stories. One to watch !!

You know real ones and not fake ones, other accuse of taking place against them. Also a lot of sexual power repressed and therefor trying to find a catalyst for all that anxiety and pain (and pressure) this causes. Lance Henriksen is as intense as one can be (which make the outtakes on the disc even funnier). And his target (one of them, but the main one) is quite the good looking woman. The way she is treated is quite something. There is some underlying social commentary and you can read some things into the movie - they are subtle to a degree and some may have liked them explored even more ... but not here. The movie concentrates on what it is trying to tell us.

Therefor the story does work, there is blood, horror and nudity to satisfy anyones need. Or offend those easily ... offended and who are squeamish. You can't please everyone - that's just the way it is. And while there are quite a few movies that have the Pit and Pendulum in their story, this is quite a decent effort to say the least. Not to mention a really great cast

Torquemada and he Spanish Inquisition. Okay.

We have here a story of a baker and his wife who have the bad fortune to be noticed by the Torquster. But, the baker? It seems a little odd that he'd be impervious to the pain of torture (the fire chair scene), not to mention being capable of taking on a whole host of guards in true Batman style.

On a slightly different topic, how come the witches turned out to be actual witches with the power of telepathic communication?

For a history-based horror movie, it's got a lot of modern nuance, know what I mean.

OK, sorry, I couldn't resist. Though this is a pretty grim movie at times, I can't hear the phrase "Spanish Inquisition" without going through the Monty Python routine. Once the movie starts, however, I am always so engrossed I forget about the sketch.

This movie had me hooked from the first scene the first time I saw it, but it has that rare quality of actually getting better with every viewing. As many have said, this is without a doubt Full Moon's all-time best. I'm a diehard Stuart Gordon fan, and if it wasn't for Re-Animator, I might say it was Gordon's best, too. By the way, the first scene is very grisly and cold-blooded, and you *know* it's gonna be a great movie when that happens even before the opening credits.

I'm really saddened that this movie didn't get more of a chance for wide release. I remember it being in the theater for maybe one week and then going to video, and the only reason I even knew it existed was from reading Fangoria. Look at the cast- while they aren't all considered "A-list", they are favs among horror and cult fans- Lance Henriksen (Millennium, Aliens) Tom Towles (Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer), Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator, From Beyond), Frances Bay (Blue Velvet), Oliver Reed... I think the other strike it has against it is that people see the title (maybe that's why it was changed in some versions, including the R-rated DVD that I rented, to The Inquisitor) and figure it's a travesty to even try to remake. Some friends wouldn't even give the movie a chance (to the point where they didn't even want to look at the box, they were so scornful) until I had to beg them to watch it- they thanked me after the first few scenes.

Don't get me wrong, the original is wonderful, and Vincent Price is, well, Vincent Price and in a class by himself. However, this movie has very little in common with Corman's other than the title, the fact that both movies are based on Poe's work, and that there's a scene towards the end where some unlucky b*stard tries to get free before the pendulum slices him in half. The similarities end there, however, and I don't think it's fair or accurate to call it a remake.

This version is actually set back in Spain during 1492, the REAL inquisition. Lance Henriksen, who can make his voice sound so quietly evil that Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter sounds harmless by comparison, stars as Torquemada. With the assistance of his underlings, he wants to rid the world of witchcraft and heresy, figuring the best way to do this is to torture and kill what seems like 99% of the population (historically, he was said to be responsible of over 100,000 executions). During one ugly public display involving Gordon's wife Carolyn Purdy-Gordon -other than Re-animator, she always seems to come to a horrible end in his movies) the young baker Antonio and his lovely wife Maria make the mistake of trying to intervene, so they assume she's a witch and toss her in the dungeon. In her cell, she's befriended by kindly Esmeralda. In one of the most clever twists, her cellmate turns out to be the one out of the tens of thousands accused who actually IS a witch. Maria's husband tries to save her and of course is immediately arrested as well. Unfortunately for Maria, ole Torq is horrified to find himself secretly attracted to her (he's a monk, and as Henriksen explains in the feauturette, has 'probably never gotten any in his life') and doesn't know how to deal with it. At first it seems like Maria might be able to use this to her advantage, but since Torq is so psychotically religious that he thinks any human emotions are the work of Satan, things just get more complicated and intense from there.

There are several references other than the Pendulum to Poe's work -clever ones, that fit in with the plot and are not just tossed in for the hell of it. Someone is walled up, even quoting the notorious line "For the love of God!" "Yes...for the love of God" is the grim reply. A cask of wine is revealed to be Amontillado. There's also subtle references to "The Premature Burial" and probably more I missed.

One of the elements that is actually kind of amusing in a horrible way is that you have absolutely NO chance against the evil forces in this movie, to the point where it is ludicrous. You're reasonably attractive? You're obviously trying to tempt men and must be a witch. You're ugly? That's also a sign of being a witch. You look normal? You're a witch disguised as a normal person! You try to fight back when they tear your clothes off to 'examine' you? You're not co-operating, you're a witch! You give up and co-operate? You're an evil whore! You have a mole or freckle anywhere on your body? That's the mark of the devil and you're a witch. Oh, you don't have any? Someone will pinch you and make a mark. Oh, the mark is starting to fade? You're using your evil powers to make it fade! You're just completely screwed no matter what. Also, if they haven't tortured you yet and you confess first to get it over with? Sorry, no such luck! You might just be trying to avoid torture, so confession doesn't officially count until you've been tortured for days-that is, if you don't die under torture ("Not another one!" a torturer complains in exasperation at one point).

The cast is amazing. There's not even near enough room to list all the great acting in this movie. Standouts are Henriksen, who not only portrays total evil all too convincingly but the inner struggle against his lust for Maria VS his 'holy duty'. Oliver Reed has less than 10 minutes of screen time as a heavy-drinking Cardinal who comes to visit Torquemada and try to get him to ease up on the mass killing a little, but trust me, you'll remember his scene long after the movie is over. Jeffrey Combs, as the scribe with the prince Valiant haircut and huge horn-rimmed Harry Potter glasses who seems to be the only one involved who is "just doing his job" and not getting off on it like all of Torquemada's other flunkies, steals every scene he's in. A less talented actor would have been forgettable in what could have been a boring part, but he makes the most of every second of his screen time. He also gets the some of the best and funniest lines ("How can they confess if they DON'T HAVE TONGUES??"), including the best in the movie along with the actress playing Esmeralda. She's wonderful, and one of the best and most memorable scenes of this, or any horror movie for that matter, involves her show-stopping revenge when she's burned at the stake. As she's being dragged up, Comb's character actually tells her apologetically: "I'm sorry that you weren't properly able to confess. There just wasn't enough time to torture you". Esmeralda: "Thanks anyway".

Not only am I running out of room to rave about how much I loved this movie, but I don't want to talk it up so much that I ruin it. Just watch, enjoy, and get the bejeezus scared out of you. Make sure you are not going to be interrupted for 90 minutes, because it is so riveting you do NOT want to have to turn it off even for a minute. Watch, and prepare to be impressed. Caution: this is NOT a movie for kids, or easily upset adults. The movie pulls NO punches in the graphic portrayal of extremely nasty tortures and executions. The movie is scary and disturbing enough; I try not to dwell to long on the fact that it is based on historical events. In the words of a character during a climactic moment that you won't forget for a long time..."Welcome to Hell!"

The Pit and the Pendulum from 1991 is based on the story with the same name and The Cask of Amontillado - both stories written by maestro Edgar Allan Poe. I admit, it is not as good as the Roger Corman version from 1961 (e.g. no Vincent Price here) but what you get is witchcraft, the Inquisition, and some decent torture scenes and a fine cinematography - so the question is, what else do you need to put The Pit and the Pendulum on your screen!?

Lance Henriksen, Jeffrey Combs and the beautiful, yet totally unknown (what ever happened to her?) Rona De Ricci (showing some nice full frontal nudies in this film) in a re-telling of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Pit And The Pendulum" with a cameo by Oliver Reed. Directed by Stuart Gordon... What more can I say? That alone already pretty much makes this movie un-flunkable. On a 'Full Moon' scale it certainly ranks up there amongst their better efforts from back in the days they still had comfortable budgets to produce their typical brand of horror entertainment. Even worth an 8/10, if you ask me... And since I've seen one or two Full Moon flickies already, you actually *can* ask me.

(1991) The Pit And The Pendulum HORROR

Low budget horror film from "Full Moon", which is another revision of a story written by Edgar Allen Poe centering on extremist radical priest who calls himself "Torquemada" played by Lance Henrickson sentencing and executing innocent accusers of practicing witchcraft allowing it to go to his head motivating him to abusing this power to the extreme.

The reason I liked this film is because it took some liberties that is not 100% faithful regarding the Allan Edgar Poe classic we are accustomed in seeing, such as the version starring Vincent Price. This is the fourth of six movies director Stuart Gordon directed Jeffrey Combs.

The Spanish Inquisition is in full force, with Lance Henriksen as the Grand Inquisitor. Feeding upon the fear and madness of crowds, an unhinged Henriksen sets forth a nice assortment of tortures, including the title pendulum blade. Jeffrey Combs is one of Henriksen's henchmen, and Rona De Ricci plays an accused witch. The castle sets are interesting, and the acting acceptable, but that's about it for positives. Negatives would include a story that is totally unbelievable, with a mild mannered baker transforming into a super hero, the inclusion of completely inappropriate and weak humor, plus a story that really is nothing more than an excuse to get Rona De Ricci naked, or burn another witch. - MERK

This movie was not what I expected. I expected more suspence and alot more acting in order to keep me interested in the film. This movie takes place in the early 14th century when the Spanish Inquisition was at it's peak. A bald headed man that plays the part of a priest tries citizens of all kinds of wrongdoing against the Bible when he himself is not so innocent. He falls in love with a bakers wife and makes sure in his own way that she does not tell anyone of his true identity. His associates follow along with with him as they try to gain power and fame themselves using public exicutions and torture. This movie is slow and at times boring. The actors are no name actors played by people who can't act. Other than the brief special appearance by Oliver Reed who for the small role that he played as Cardinal he could have done a better job of speaking the fake Spanish accent. There are better versions of this film..... watch Vincent Price's version before you get bored with this one.

I'd simply be lying if I said I didn't have high expectations for this. I absolutely loved Roger Corman's 1961 film starring Vincent Price and Barbara Steele, an outstanding classic that continues to make a huge impression. Not all of Stuart Gordon's works are equal, but he's been the mastermind behind some terrific genre classics. The cast is no joke, not least with noteworthy names involved like Lance Henriksen, Jeffrey Combs, and Mark Margolis. I think it's hard to go wrong with Edgar Allan Poe - and hey, only belatedly did I realize that this was a Full Moon production, but for all the low-grade schlock the Band family has churned out at one time or another, some of the features they're associated with are genuinely great. All this is to say that I had high hopes for Gordon's 1991 flick 'The pit and the pendulum' when I sat to watch. Very plainly, I'm taken by surprise, because this is definitely not what I was expecting - and I couldn't be more delighted!

Points of comparison come to mind, yet they are few, and I don't think there could ever be any mistaking this for anything else, or vice versa. The picture balances on a bizarre, extraordinary needlepoint of being many things all at once, with many aspects in conflict with one another. It does take ideas from Poe, but then twists them into a mishmash conglomeration of something very new. It's a period piece, replete with sets and costume design of terrific visual detail, but from dialogue and accents (or rather, the lack thereof) to scene writing, acting, and direction, the approach here is generally one of cheeky modern bluntness, and indifference to nuance or more esoteric detail. On the one hand this unquestionably falls into the category of "horror" in light of the violence and cruelties visited upon characters, the blood and gore, the fantastical elements, and above all the horrendously bleak darkness of the Inquisition, the absolute authority of the church, and the total absence of reason in the face of superstition and dogma. On the other hand, there are sidelong strains of comedy all throughout - not just levity sprinkled throughout, and seen in the ridiculousness of some plot points, and not just the wry gallows humor of people making light of awful circumstances, but even more so a wholesale absurdity of the (historically based) scenario, at times pointedly recalling Monty Python. And yet with the latter especially in mind, this is an instance where the comedy and the horror walk hand in hand: the horror of the goings-on, rooted in real-life history, is so wholly beyond comprehension as to be absurd, and freely gives way to humor; the very idea of finding humor in such tremendously horrible events lends itself to a sense of horror; the bolstered horror cycles back to the absurdity of it all - and so on, ad infinitum, in a spiral.

I don't know how much of these flavors can be attributed to writer Dennis Paoli, how much to producers Albert and Charles Band and Michael Catalano, and how much to director Gordon. Whichever the case may be, 'The pit and the pendulum' also balances on a needlepoint of seeming utterly ingenious in all that it does, and waffling and incohesive. Sometimes I can't tell if this is completely brilliant, or a godawful mess, and I don't know if the verdict is easier to determine or more difficult for the fact that the tone may flip to and fro within the same scene. Based on the strength of all the craftsmanship, and the recognizable and esteemed names involved in addition to the Bands, I'm inclined to think the movie is one of those comparatively rare examples of a Full Moon flick that is firing on all cylinders and is consequently an exemplar of excellence in all regards. Then again, maybe I'm just too generous when it comes to watching movies. Is there even any right or wrong answer here?

It's a hodgepodge in every regard. Yet it's expertly constructed, including marvelous effects and stunts, genuinely fantastic cinematography, flavorful original music (from yet another Band, Richard) - and, when they're not deliberately overacting, earnestly wonderful acting from the cast. For all the good things he has done, Henriksen has participated in no few titles that were just clunkers, but here he embraces the madness of the Grand Inquisitor with a panache that's at once tortured, conflicted, malicious, and devious, and he's obviously loving every minute of it. Rona De Ricci, starring as Maria, seemingly has few credits to her name, her she gives a wholehearted performance here that definitively outshines all those around her, and frankly many others in any other number of films. And, why, unlikely cinematic icon Frances Bay manages to steal the show even from De Ricci with each scene in which she appears. There's so very much going on in this, in every way, including even winking references to other pictures, and somehow the wild conglomeration is stupendously fun, clever, well-made, and even altogether smart. What is going on here?!

I had high expectations, and it turns out that they were solidly met, but in a manner that I never could have anticipated. For all the oddness of what this is and represents, I can most certainly understand that this won't appeal to all comers. For those who are open to all the wide, weird flavors that cinema has to offer, however, the result is honestly nothing less than exceptional. Think well on what it is one looks for in their viewing experiences, but if you're open to the strangest of kaleidoscopic cornucopias, 'The pit and the pendulum' is a rich, striking, outrageous modern classic that deserves much more recognition!

A very effective re-working of Poe's story, mostly due to Henriksen's excellent performance. This guy was scary! I did however find the comic relief a little too over-abundant, bringing down the serious tone of the film. But in the end, thanks to good performances, a strong script, an inspired score and some excellent torture sequences (it's all about the tongue!) Gordon's Pit and the Pendulum is a winner.

This movie has everything that a growing boy (and girl) needs: Jeffrey Combs as a hilariously anachronistic inquisitor, Lance Henriksen as a wonderfully creepy grand inquisitor, nudity, bloodshed, and an exploding witch.

As far as horror movies go, it is not especially frightening. It does fairly well as a suspense thriller. But its main strength lies in its cast, the art direction, and the behind the scenes footage.

Even if you happen to be expecting a straight Edgar Allen Poe adaptation, this movie won't disappoint. Even though it has a pit and a bladed pendulum, the similarities are few and far between. The ending IS kind of weird, but as they say, getting there is half the fun. Well worth renting or buying. (3.7 out of 5)