Customer Reviews

The Pit and the Pendulum

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Loose, yet violent and bloody rendering of Edgar Allan Poe's classic is actually well made and better than I expected.

Lance Henriksen is Grand Inquisitor Torquemada who tortures and kills in the name of religion. A young, innocent couple runs afoul of his evil doings and must then struggle to free themselves from his torture chamber before they, too, are put to death.

The late Oliver Reed, who I still remember from Hammer's "Curse of the Werewolf", has a brief walk on as the Cardinal. A good change of pace for Gordon, whose previous efforts include "Re-Animator", "From Beyond", and "Castle Freak". Aside from Henriksen's usual strong delivery, Rona De Ricci and Jeffrey Combs are two other standouts worth mentioning. By far one of the best releases Full Moon has put out. You shouldn't be disappointed.

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 really wish that this movie got 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.

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'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 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!"

As a kid I first watched this movie on cinemax staying up past my bedtime. I watched this movie and it stuck in my head for a very long time. I looked for this movie everywhere and couldn't find it. I wanted to see this movie now that I was in my 30's wondering if it would still be great. There are some movies I enjoyed as a child and watched them again as an adult and wonder what that heck was I thinking. I finally found the movie on Amazon.com and had to pay over $30 dollars. I was really hoping now that I hope the movie would live up to my childhood. I was amazed at how unique this movie is. There are very few movies made like this that I was satisfied that I had watched it over again. I don't like to go into detail describing scenes because I don't want to ruin any surprises in the movie. I hate when I read a review and they pretty much tell you the whole movie. Why would I watch the movie after being told everything about it in great detail. This is your typical 80's type horror movie with plenty of gore, nudity, torture, gothic scenes, and a great villan. This is a lost gem that will stay lost due to the fact that they no longer distribute this film. I'm glad I got my copy and can enjoy this movie for many years to come.
This is a full moon picture and is to me one of there best films. The acting is great compared to other low budget films. Oliver reed is awsome as the cardinal. Reed plays the perfect bad guy and he almost seems to be perfect for this part. I had never heard of Rona De Ricci who plays Maria in the film but she does a great job and is very beautiful. I don't think she ever made another movie in the U.S. because I never seen her in another movie. Stuart Gordon also did a terrific job directing this film. It has the perfect blend of action, romance, torture, nudity, and dark humor. I would highly recommend someone to take the time to enjoy this film. If you love 80's horror movies this is for you. I will continue to enjoy this movie for many years to come.

This film was originally entitled The Inquisitor. Lance Henriksen shines as the villain and is propped up by a superb supporting cast including genre fave Jeffrey Combs. However, it is the late Oliver Reed in an ironic cameo as an alcoholic cardinal of the church who steals the spotlight. Rona de Ricci holds her own against the veterans, and everything falls in place under the watchful eye of director Gordon. The DVD itself, has some neat extras including a brief behind the scenes documentary which gives you some insight as to how much clout Lance Henriksen really wields as a veteran B-movie star. I strongly recommend this film, and I'm glad to see the company is mining it's best efforts for DVD release.

Lance Henriksen's performance as Torquemada gives me chills; I don't think I've ever seen a better study in repression and power. Yeah, this film seems fairly dopey on first viewing, but I think it works. The gore is pretty over the top, which actually plays off the quirky humor.

Oliver Reed puts in a weirdly funny performance as a visiting Cardinal, confirming my early suspicions that he would mature into a really interesting actor. The rest of the cast rises (or falls) to the occasion. Take a look. Not for the squeamish!

Quite possibly the best Full Moon film in it's catalogue, The Pit & The Pendulum is a great tale of lovers caught up in the Spanish Inquisition who are unjustly convicted by the evil Inquisitor (Lance Henriksen). Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator, Castle Freak, Progeny) directs. The film is loosely based on the Edgar Allan Poe story and takes place during the horrors of the Spanish Inquisition.

Maria (Rona De Ricci) is a beautiful baker's wife who catches the eye of the Inquisitor himself. The Inquisitor (Lance Henriksen of Aliens fame) is an evil manipulator who falls for Maria. The stars cast in this film do an amazing job. Henriksen is terrific as the evil Inquisitor, and also a little tragic. Rona De Ricci plays the beautiful Maria perfectly, innocent, naive, and angelic - I couldn't get enough of her on the screen. It's too bad I haven't seen her in anything else since this film. The rest of the cast is composed of a great mishmash of talent like Jeffrey Combs and Oliver Reed! Amazing horrors, great actors, some tongue in cheek comedy, and the sexy Rona De Ricci make this film a classic!

Stuart Gordon hasn't let me down yet. I am flabbergasted at how well he can make a film with tight budget constraints. I always look forward to his films. If you wish to be introduced to Full Moon through any film they have ever made, this is the one. This is the film that started me on my path to watching virtually every Full Moon film out there!

Currently only available on VHS although if you search hard enough you may find an average quality DVD which is currently out of print now. Both are probably the same quality (VHS to DVD).

Quite possibly the best Full Moon film in it's catalogue, The Pit & The Pendulum is a great tale of lovers caught up in the Spanish Inquisition who are unjustly convicted by the evil Inquistor (Lance Henriksen).

The stars cast in this film do an amazing job. Henriksen is terrific as the evil Inquisitor, and also a little tragic. Rona De Ricci plays the beautiful Maria perfectly. Innocent, naive, and angelic -I couldn't get enough of her on the screen. It's too bad I haven't seen her in anything else since this film.

The rest of the cast is composed of a great mishmash of talent like Jeffrey Combs and Oliver Reed!

Stuart Gordon hasn't let me down yet. I am flabbergasted at how well he can make a film with tight budget constraints. I always look forward to his films.

If you watch this movie..then watch five other Full Moon movies..you will definitely see the difference. (Especially is one of the other 5 happen to be Totem or Killjoy). This movie has a macabre beauty, that, though sometimes it seems over acted, is brilliant. The acting is never dull or slow. The script is marvelous. The torture scenes are just exquisite. I really enjoyed this movie. I am ordering the DVD soon. Stuart Gordon must really rub charles band the right way. It seem he gets a very decent budget to make his movies for full moon.

This film was originally a mid-budget project set to star Peter O'Toole and some other bigger name actors (who's names escape me now). That deal collapsed and the movie almost didn't get made. Director Stuart Gordon (ReAnimator, From Beyond, Castle Freak) was fortunately able to keep the project alive, although with a low budget and differnt cast (The only actor remaining from the original cast is Jeffrey Combs).
I saw this film several times upon it's release in 1991, and loved it. I always remembered it and wanted to buy a copy on video, but it was out of print for many years. It did appear on DVD a few years ago but it was only available as part of the Stuart Gordon box set and could not be found as an individual release. Now, finally, somebody has put it out on DVD. It's widescreen and the picture quality isn't bad. I wish they'd have used the original cover art, though. It was a cool poster. I can't figure out why a lot of companies don't use the original movie artwork on the dvd release. But that's a small complaint. The film itself is just as good as I remember. It has stood the test of time and doesn't feel dated at all. In fact I think I appreciate it more now than back in the day.
The movie takes place in Spain during the Inquisition and tells the story of the Grand Inquisitor, Torquemada, superbly portrayed by Lance Henriksen in one of his most intense performances. He and his cohorts spend their days torturing heretics, blasphemers, and witches; to death most of the time. Until he comes into possession of a beautiful young baker's wife, who happens to be pious, pure, a true christian (as opposed to the monsters of the Inquisition). He falls in love with her, but cannot deal with these feelings. Chaos and upheaval ensue. She is an accused witch and he is torn between saving her and letting the torturers have her.
Stuart Gordon manages to put every penny of his small budget on the screen. It looks great, with castle sets, dungeons, decent costumes, etc. The torture scenes are well done and nasty enough. Good FX work.
Mainly the two things that stand out for me are the really strong script and the intense, creepy, almost Nosferatu-like performance of Lance Henriksen. If you're a fan of Gordon films, E. A. Poe, Jeffrey Combs, or Henriksen, I say don't pass this one up. Recommended.

This movie may have been foiled by its own inspiration. The premise could have had nothing in common with the Poe story aside from a single torture device and, in fact, that's exactly how it plays out. The first two-thirds or so of the film could be called an R-rated fairy-tale version of the Spanish Inquisition--and it's an effective one. The scenes between the inquisitor and Maria, in particular, are powerful and well played. As just about every other reviewer has stated, though, the end of the movie is a dud; and it ends, by necessity, with the pit and the pendulum. If that concept had been dropped and the end of the film developed of its own accord as the first part was, it may very well have been an excellent movie through to the end. Nevertheless, it's worth a Halloween weekend watch if you're looking for something a little more grounded in history than, say, Freddy Krueger.