Le Puits et le Pendule

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.

Because it's a newer version of a classic horror movie (and it went directly to video), I have been putting off watching Stuart Gordon's take on Edgar Allen Poe's classic story, but after finally catching it; I can honestly say that I don't know why I didn't see it earlier! While the Roger Corman/Vincent Price version of the tale is far better, this update still has a lot in store for the horror fan, most notably it's superb European styled atmosphere, and a fine performance by Lance Henriksen, which may even be the best of his career. While these elements are contributors to the film's success, the main reason why the film works is the story behind it. Of course, it's based (albeit loosely) on Poe's classic tale, so the story is bound to be solid; but it doesn't take all of it's influence from Poe, and so Dennis Paoli can take a lot of credit for the screenplay he wrote for the movie. The idea of 'the pendulum', along with a 'pit' can conjure up many feelings of dread and pain, and this film adequately capitalises on that with it's excellent torture filled finale!

As mentioned, Lance Henriksen gives what is maybe his best performance in this film. He is both powerful and frightening in his role as Torquemada, the head witchfinder of the Spanish Inquisition. When he says "I am the inquisition", it's enough to make your hairs stand on end. Henriksen is a criminally underrated actor and one that certainly deserves more praise...it's just unfortunate that he tends to shine in movies that don't get noticed. Also in the cast is 'Re-Animator' himself, Jeffrey Combs, who shines in a small role as someone in the inquisition. The film isn't wholly serious, and Stuart Gordon has seen fit to add some comic relief to the proceedings, which is OK but I feel that the movie would be better off without any 'relief'. Certain elements from other Poe stories appear, such as a man being bricked in behind a wall, and this film seems to treat it's subject material with respect. The European horror style is a major plus factor in my opinion, and should please fans of movies from the sixties and seventies. On the whole; surprisingly good!

The Pit & The Pendulum (1991) is a movie that I recently rewatched on Tubi. The storyline follows a Spanish lord in the 1400s known for declaring women witches and torturing them. When he kidnaps a wife and plans to cut out her tongue and make a special example of her, her husband tries to save his wife and bring down the lord.

This movie is directed by Stuart Gordon (Fortress) and stars Lance Henriksen (Pumpkinhead), Stephen Lee (The Negotiator), Mark Margolis (Scarface), Carolyn Purdy-Gordon (Re-Animator), Jeffrey Combs (The Frightners) and Frances Bay (Happy Gilmore).

This movie did a solid job with sets, attire and props to create the appropriate look and feel. The cast is a whose who of 90s horror. Henriksen is perfect and the supporting cast is a lot of fun. There's some fun conversations in this starting right off the bat with the bread convo opening and continuing until the final scene. There's full nudity in here and some tremendous torture devices. There's a scene using chains ⛓ that's outstanding. The last 15 minutes of this movie is very entertaining.

Overall, this movie is far from perfect but it's definitely worth a viewing. I would score this a 6.5/10 and strongly recommend it.

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)

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.