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Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1Audience Rating: Unrated Binding: DVD EAN: 9780792850045 Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD-Video, Letterboxed, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC ISBN: 0792850041 Label: American International Pictures (AIP) Languages: Manufacturer: American International Pictures (AIP) Number Of Items: 1 Publisher: American International Pictures (AIP) Region Code: 1 Release Date: June 05, 2001 Running Time: 80 minutes Studio: American International Pictures (AIP) Theatrical Release Date: August 12, 1961 Editorial Review: Amazon.com: The Fall of the House of Usher's success in 1960 spurred American International Pictures to quickly launch another production based on an Edgar Allan Poe story. While producer-director Roger Corman had hoped to next adapt "The Masque of the Red Death" (which wasn't produced until 1964), Pit and the Pendulum (the onscreen title) became the second in AIP's long-running Poe series. Set in post-Inquisition Spain, the film stars John Kerr as a young Englishman who travels to the seaside castle of his brother-in-law (Vincent Price) to uncover the circumstances behind the death of his sister (a dubbed Barbara Steele). Price is tormented by memories of his mother's premature burial by his inquisitor father (also Price) and fears that this sadistic legacy has contributed to Steele's demise. Furthermore, he believes that Steele was also buried alive--a belief compounded by the mysterious destruction of her room, and the sound of her harpsichord playing in the night... Structured almost identically to Usher, Richard Matheson's script fleshes out the brief original text with a fast-paced and twist-filled plot that never loses sight of the psychological themes of Poe's work. It also provides Price with the richest of his many AIP/Poe roles, a sympathetic, deeply emotional man who is unhinged by the sins of his father. Corman's direction is equally driven and fluid, and features some impressive quasi-psychedelic visuals in the tense climax. Also noteworthy is art director's Daniel Haller's impressive design of the title set piece. MGM's widescreen DVD features commentary by Corman, which focuses primarily on the film's technical aspects. Also included is the original trailer and a prologue (shot by Norma Rae producer Tamara Asseyev) featuring costar Luana Anders, which was added to fill out the film's 1968 television broadcast. --Paul Gaita Average Rating:
 Rating:  - Am I not the spawn of depraved blood?True!--nervous--very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad? Deeper, deeper the pit holds secrets preserved for the wretched and silent of heart The price is steep the steel is all but borrowed Torture, oh the torture so close, so hollow I foamed--I raved--I swore! They make them like this never, oh never nevermore Rating: - GreatGreat experience with this group. Quick response and turn around. Excellent Job! Rating:  - The Pit and the Pendulum Not Satisfying!My opinion on "The Pit and the Pendulum" is not very satisfying. I liked the storyline, but not the way the director expressed it. It was very unthoughtful. The director should have put the story into other people's perspectives. For instance, the director could have made some of the flashback scenes black and white, instead of blue. The torture chamber could have been a bit more gruesome instead of "lolly fairy-land!" The story begins with Elizabeth. As the story goes on, we experience ... Read More Rating: - HOUSE OF USHER 2Success breeds excess, so following HOUSE OF USHER, AIP asked Roger Corman for a follow-up. Some films you CAN'T do sequels to... but this never seems to stop anybody. Now, while USHER and PIT have nothing to do with each other, if one were to, say, watch them back-to-back, based on the many story elements they DO have in common, one might mistake the 2nd film's title for HOUSE OF USHER 2 !!! Both films have the identical opening. A man who's traveled far has trouble getting into a big mansion, ... Read More Rating: - "The shrieking of the mutilated victims became the music of his life."Pit and the Pendulum (1961) was the 2nd of numerous successful Edgar Allan Poe inspired collaborations (the first being 1960's The Fall of the House of Usher) between writer/producer/director Roger Corman (It Conquered the World, Teenage Cave Man, The Little Shop of Horrors), writer Richard Matheson (The Incredible Shrinking Man, House of Usher, Tales of Terror), actor Vincent Price (House on Haunted Hill, The Tingler), and American International Pictures or AIP, for short. Also appearing here along with Price ... Read More |
