The Pit and the Pendulum (1991 film)

The Pit and the Pendulum
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Stuart Gordon
Produced by	Albert Band; Charles Band; Michael Catalano;
Written by	Dennis Paoli
Based on	The Pit and the Pendulum and The Cask of Amontillado; by Edgar Allan Poe
Starring	Lance Henriksen; Rona De Ricci; Jonathan Fuller; Jeffrey Combs; Tom Towles; Stephen Lee; William J. Norris; Frances Bay; Oliver Reed;
Music by	Richard Band
Cinematography	Adolfo Bartoli
Edited by	Andy Horvitch
Distributed by	Full Moon Features; Echo Bridge Home Entertainment (2011 DVD);
Release date	June 27, 1991;
Running time	97 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$2,000,000 (estimated)
Box office	$3,331 (USA)

The Pit and the Pendulum (released on DVD in the United States as The Inquisitor) is a 1991 American horror film directed by Stuart Gordon and based on the 1842 short story by Edgar Allan Poe. The film is an amalgamation of the aforementioned story with Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado", and it also appropriates the anecdote of "The Sword of Damocles", reassigning it to the character of Torquemada.

Plot summary

In 1492 Spain, Grand Inquisitor Torquemada leads a bloody reign of terror. Opposed to the use of torture by the Church, Maria speaks out during the public execution of a disenfranchised noble family. Torquemada is tempted by Maria's beauty, and atones through self-torture. Confused by these new desires, he accuses Maria of witchcraft and orders that she be tortured until she confesses. During Maria's interrogation, Torquemada cannot stop himself from staring at her naked body; he orders that she be imprisoned. Maria is befriended by fellow prisoner Esmerelda, a confessed witch. Together they struggle to save themselves from the sinister Torquemada. Maria's husband Antonio breaks into the castle to rescue his innocent wife. He fails and is imprisoned for his actions. Torquemada decides to test a new torture device, the Pit and the Pendulum, on Antonio.

Cast

Lance Henriksen as Torquemada
Rona De Ricci as Maria
Jonathan Fuller as Antonio
Frances Bay as Esmeralda
Mark Margolis as Mendoza
Jeffrey Combs as Francisco
Stephen Lee as Gomez
Tom Towles as Don Carlos
William J. Norris as Dr. Huesos
Carolyn Purdy-Gordon as Contessa D'Alba Molina
Oliver Reed as Cardinal
Benito Stefanelli as Executioner
Geoffrey Copleston as Butcher

Release

The film was given quick runs at many film festivals until its home video release in the summer of 1991. In 2000, Full Moon Features released a DVD of the film, which has now been discontinued for copyright reasons. Since then it has been released on DVD as part of the "Stuart Gordon Boxset", which also includes Castle Freak, Deathbed, and a bonus disc. The film was re-released on DVD on 2 August 2011 by Echo Bridge Home Entertainment. The film was released on Blu-ray on April 30, 2013 by Full Moon and on August 12, 2013 by 88 Films in the U.K.

Critical reception

The Pit and the Pendulum has received a mixed reception from critics, and currently holds a 56% 'rotten' rating on movie review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes based on eight reviews.[1]

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References

"The Pit and the Pendulum - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 6 August 2012.

External links

The Pit and the Pendulum on IMDb

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[1] "The Pit and the Pendulum - Rotten Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 6 August 2012.