O Poço e o Pêndulo

This movie has everything that a growing boy (and girl) needs: Jeffrey Combs as a hilariously anachronistic inquisitor, Lance Henriksen as a wonderfully creepy grand inquisitor, nudity, bloodshed, and an exploding witch.

As far as horror movies go, it is not especially frightening. It does fairly well as a suspense thriller. But its main strength lies in its cast, the art direction, and the behind the scenes footage.

Even if you happen to be expecting a straight Edgar Allen Poe adaptation, this movie won't disappoint. Even though it has a pit and a bladed pendulum, the similarities are few and far between. The ending IS kind of weird, but as they say, getting there is half the fun. Well worth renting or buying. (3.7 out of 5)

I haven't liked Stuart Gordon's output much since his classic one-two punch of 'Re-Animator' and 'From Beyond' back in the 1980s, so I've avoided seeing some of his movies for years. 'The Pit And The Pendulum' is one. I thought it was going to be a turkey, but now that I've finally seen it, I'm pleasantly surprised. While it isn't as great as vintage Gordon, it's far better than 'Castle Freak' or his recent 'Dagon'. The cast really makes this work. Lance Henriksen is excellent as the tortured Inquisitor Torquemada, and Rona De Ricci is very good as Maria the beautiful girl he becomes obsessed with. I don't know why De Ricci didn't go on to a career as she can act and she's very hot. The supporting cast is way above average, with Gordon regulars Jeffrey Combs and Carolyn Purdy-Gordon, 'Dolls' Stephen Lee, Tom Towles ('Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer'), Mark Margolis ('Pi') and even a cameo by Oliver Reed, who let's not forget appeared in 'The Devils' back in the early 70s, a movie which this 'The Pit And The Pendulum' has more in common with than the 60s Roger Corman version starring Vincent Price. I liked this movie a lot more than I expected to. It's underrated and definitely worth checking out, especially for Henriksen's intense performance, one of the best of his career.

When his wife Maria (Rona De Ricci) is accused of being a witch by Torquemada, the Grand Inquisitor (Lance Henriksen), distraught Antonio attempts a daring rescue mission, breaking into the Inquisition's headquarters. Soon enough, he too finds himself a prisoner, and faces Torquemada's latest torture device: The Pendulum.

I have a lot of time for director Stuart Gordon, but I do feel like he fumbled the ball slightly with The Pit and the Pendulum. When dealing with weighty historical subjects such as witch trials, torture and the Spanish Inquisition, I feel like gritty realism is the best approach; comedy should not be allowed to dilute the horror (unless, of course, you're Monty Python). Gordon, however, imbues his adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe's short story with a degree of levity that is completely at odds with the horrifying topic at hand. At best, it's mildly distracting; at worst, it's bloody silly (the worst example being when baker Antonio is sat on a metal chair over a fire and makes a quip about 'burning his buns').

It's not all bad news though: the film open with an inspired scene that effectively illustrates the sheer lunacy of the Inquisition, with the posthumous flogging of a crumbling corpse; Henriksen is wonderfully evil throughout, relishing every bonkers moment; Gordon regular Jeffrey Combs has a memorable supporting role as Torquemada's assistant; Ollie Reed knocks back some booze before being walled up alive; and De Ricci is delicious, the lovely lady baring all for her art. There's also one wonderfully OTT scene that is hard not to enjoy, no matter how daft it is: Esmerelda, a real witch, swallows gunpowder on the way to the stake, exploding when she is set alight, her bones impaling those in the crowd.

Before viewing this film one should note that the director, Mr. Gordon, believes in taking his films far beyond the lines of common decency.This film is fantastic, but a little much...then again, Gordon's motto is "More is More," The Brilliant (and very hot,) Lance Henderson is amazing as Torquemada, the sado-masochistic inquisitor... I suggest that you watch his hands, every gesture is perfectly placed. Lance is a truly great Method actor, and he has every aspect of that evil man down... He alone would have made this one of my favorite films , but every performance was near-perfect. (the only bad acting I can recall was committed by a guard who has one line in the first seven minutes of the film) and the script is great.. The Young actress who portrays Maria is so truly beautiful, and her performance is captivating. (She's also naked for much of the film, so that's good for the dudes) She's hot, she acts, it's good. Her Name is Rona De Ricci and she hasn't done anything else, which is sad... The first time I watched this film I was convinced that this was a film to be watched alone, as it takes you far beyond the boundaries of comfort, and I just thought it would be weird to watch with anyone else (Parents would be the worst possible people to watch this one with...) But some of my friends spent the night before last with me for a HORROR-FEST and the film went over really well... It pretty much covers every aspect of the horror genre, blood for the gore hounds, ultra dark humor, the list goes on, but I think You get the idea. In conclusion, This is a great film, thought it isn't Citizen Cain, and it's not one for the weak, the wounded.

The Roman Catholic Church has begun to turn away from the Inquisition, finding its methods and motives more than just a little bit suspect. But the Grand Inquisitor of Spain (Lance Henriksen) has other plans... he is his own authority, allegedly guided by God Himself. A baker and his wife end up on the wrong side of the law -- his law -- when they protest an execution and she is accused of witchcraft.

Lance Henriksen has a bad habit of appearing in many low budget horror films, so much so that any credibility he gained as Bishop from "Aliens" or Frank Black from "Millenium" is overshadowed by his constant self-degradation. Did we really need so many Pumpkinhead films? But "Pit and the Pendulum" is one of those rare films that is both lower budget and yet still good, today maybe even carrying on well as a timeless classic.

Unlike other Full Moon films, this one has a steady plot and interesting characters -- and a decent cast. Mark Margolis shows up and Jeffrey Combs has a relatively small, but crucial, role to play. (Combs, like Henriksen, has sold out in recent years.... but his very presence makes a film better.) There is excessive -- but not gratuitous -- nudity, bloody torture devices (but not to the point of exploitation like "Saw", just for entertainment). This is a fun film in the vein of, say, the original "Troll" (but not "Troll 2").

Stuart Gordon is best known for "Re-Animator" and "From Beyond", but if there is a third third of his that deserves recognition, this is it. Gordon (and writer Dennis Paoli) found a way to work within the budget of Full Moon and still make things worth watching rather than poor excuses for "movies".

Now out on Blu-ray, the film looks better than ever (as much as it can). There is no audio commentary for some inexplicable reason, but there is a very short making-of featurette. Somehow Tom Towles got his name spelled wrong on the credits (a true disgrace). Blu-ray.com notes that the "transfer isn't masterful, but it's certainly more than capable" and gives the disc 3 of 5 stars. But if the price is right this film is worth getting.