Hitchcoc We will start out by saying that Edgar Allen Poe's story has nothing to do with this movie. All that connects it is the giant killer pendulum. A man comes to a castle to find out what happened to his now dead sister. Vincent Price is in the middle of all this, having been involved in her death, but realizing the there are some weird circumstances. As the story progresses, Price gets more and more weird and unhinged. We are led on a merry chase by the resurfacing Ms. Steele. Of course, the old torture chamber is going to come into play at some point. I need to mention that the final scene of this film has stayed with me for decades. Thank you Roger Corman. I think this may be your crowning moment.

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.

gwnightscream Vincent Price, John Kerr, Barbara Steele, Luana Anders and Antony Carbone star in Roger Corman's 1961 horror film based on Edgar Allan Poe's novel. Kerr plays Francis Barnard, a man who comes to Spain to visit his sister, Elizabeth (Steele). He arrives at the Medina Mansion owned by her husband, Nicholas Medina (Price) and learns she passed months before due to a blood clot. Francis also meets Nicholas' sister, Catherine (Anders) and friend, Charles Leon who is a doctor. Francis also learns of the torture chamber in the Medina house where Nicholas' father, Sebastian (Also played by Price) inflicted pain and suffering. Soon, Nicholas is haunted by a voice sounding like Elizabeth's and suspects she's still alive. This is definitely one of Price's best with a good cast and eerie atmosphere I highly recommend.

tomgillespie2002 Coming second, after The Fall of the House Of Usher (1960), in Roger Corman's six-film series of Edgar Allen Poe adaptations (all but one starring Vincent Price), The Pit and the Pendulum is possibly Corman's greatest film as a director. Shot with a lush, atmospheric mood, Pendulum faces the task of stretching a two-page short story into a credible, 90-minute movie. Working with I Am Legend author Richard Matheson, who helms the script, the film retains the psychological trip of Poe's original, while creating an interesting and ironic plot surrounding a very small group of characters that leads us to Poe's famous pendulum.In 16th century Spain, Francis Barnard (John Kerr) arrives at his brother-in-law's mansion to investigate the unclear and mysterious death of his sister Elizabeth (Black Sunday's (1960) Barbara Steele). Seemingly overcome with grief, Elizabeth's widower Nicholas Medina (Vincent Price) tells Francis that Elizabeth died of heart failure. Francis, however, seems unable to accept this and insists that he stay until he knows the truth. With the arrival of the family physician Doctor Leon (Antony Cabone), Francis slowly unravels the story of the 'heavy atmosphere' of the castle and the torture devices in the chamber, previously owned by Nicholas' father, a notorious torturer in the Spanish Inquisition.Made for just $30,000, the film looks remarkable and the set design is a suitable mixture of the elegant and the grim. The movie noticeably lacks out-and-out scares, and opts for a more thoughtful, psychological approach. You could even go so far as to name the movie a period piece rather than a horror. Although his toes may creep over the ham line occasionally, the film is dominated by the presence of Vincent Price, who delivers a rather hypnotic performance, flicking between creepy, tormented and simply bat-s**t crazy, with relative ease. The only real complaint about the film is the performance of John Kerr, who, although a promising leading man in the 50's, delivers a one-note, forgettable performance, but that is forgivable in a movie so rich in beauty. Corman should be truly proud.www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com