Colibel Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

Chirphymium It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Invaderbank The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Shawn Watson Uber-cheap filmmaker Roger Corman found an affinity with Edgar Allen Poe in the early 60s and drummed out this pleasingly Gothic horror, which has actually turned out to be one of this best efforts. Shot in anamorphic Panavision with some lovely matte paintings and composites the film looks more technically sophisticated than his usual fare.Vincent Price plays the sorrowful Spanish nobility mourning the loss of this beautiful wife with gloomy melodrama while the co-actors add to the morbidity with equally glum performances. The castle sets are a bit stiff but have enough atmosphere to make them seem authentic. The nature of the story has a "Saw" feel to it and is most certainly an inspiration in some regards.At a brisk 81 minutes (and, knowing Corman, probably shot in 81 minutes also) there's no chance of it being boring or overwrought. I even found some of it to be quite innovative, including a clever moment I can see was reused in William Malone's 1999 version of House on Haunted Hill.Not exactly a breathtaking classic horror but it will entertain you if you are stuck for something appropriate on a dark and stormy night.

lonchaney20 The AIP Poe films are always a pleasure, especially when Roger Corman and Vincent Price are involved. This one, The Pit and the Pendulum, entered production after House of Usher (1960) found unexpected success at the box office. This film is thus more grandiose than its predecessor in both visual scope and action, with Vincent Price turning in a particularly stunning and larger than life performance as both Nicholas Medina and his Spanish inquisitor father. What struck me on my last viewing, and my first with another person, was how subversive the film is by the standards of then-mainstream horror. These Poe films were generally marketed towards a youth audience, yet they contained very mature themes: sadism/torture, infidelity, family dysfunction, and childhood trauma. Likewise, Price's grotesque performance in the climax of the film confidently straddles the line between camp and chilling lunacy; his frenzied, almost orgasmic monologue, in which he describes the hellish nature of the titular torture device to its victim, was sure to freak out more than a few kids in the audience. The film may not have been as soul-scarring as the infamous double feature of The Awful Dr. Orlof (1962) and The Horrible Dr. Hichcock (1962), but I'm sure it led to many sleepless nights, and more than a few uncomfortable talks with parents and their children. All that aside, Richard Matheson's script cleverly expands on Poe's original story, introducing both a Gaslight-style plot (or perhaps House on Haunted Hill is a more appropriate reference?) and plenty of Poe motifs, such as premature burial and men haunted by the deaths of beautiful women. Corman's direction is stylish and assured; Floyd Crosby's cinematography is as impeccable as ever; and the Les Baxter score is a strong combination of melodramatic strings, brash scare chords, and dissonant soundscapes. Its reputation as a classic is well deserved. I daresay I like it even more today than I did as a Vincent Price-worshiping child.

skybrick736 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.

Prichards12345 Pit and The Pendulum is an iconic example of what film-makers can do on a relatively low budget. Director Roger Corman's second Poe adaption (he made 8 in all - although 1 was actually based on Lovecraft) is arguably the best of the whole bunch. Edgy, cunningly developed (there are 4 major twists in the plot alone, as well as some minor ones), well photographed and brilliantly directed, Pit builds up to its shocks carefully (these days they'd just throw blood at the screen) and the final sequence is a master-class in how to create cinematic suspense.All this, of course, comes from a story by Poe that runs less than 17 pages - I checked my Penguin edition! What perhaps often escapes viewers, is that the additions to the plot provided by writer Richard Matheson are basically taken from the French 1955 movie Les Diaboliques, which also has a great twist ending (the same twist, in fact!) Yet this movie has 3 more. Twist 1 - Elizabeth Medina really has been buried alive, making her doctor, who stakes his reputation that she wasn't, a bit crap! Twist 2. Aha, Elizabeth is not dead after all, but in league with the dastardly doctor and gunning for her hubby!. Twist 3. Nicholas, supposedly driven hopelessly insane, takes on the persona of his evil inquisitor father( or is he possessed?). Twist 4. Well, it's the final shot of the movie and I'll leave you to discover it for yourself.This is a film that is still frightening today, and of course, where would horror films be without Vincent Price? In truth this isn't one of his best showings, he's over the top in some scenes; but that moment, when Nicholas' comatose expression suddenly takes on an evil smile, is one of the most chilling moments in all movies, and confirms what a great actor Price really was.Pit is a great movie, one I never get tired of watching. It was preceded by House Of Usher and followed by The Premature Burial, Tales Of Terror, The Raven, The Haunted Palace, The Masque of The Red Death, and Tomb Of Ligeia.