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The Pit and the Pendulum

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89% Tomatometer 28 Reviews 75% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Elizabeth Barnard Medina (Barbara Steele) has died in the prime of life, and her brother, Francis (John Kerr), wants to know why. Elizabeth's husband, Nicholas (Vincent Price), and her doctor offer differing explanations, but when Francis learns that Nicholas' mother may have been buried alive, he begins to wonder if his sister met the same fate. And when he comes to believe that Elizabeth's spirit wanders about Nicholas' castle, Francis investigates -- and is stunned by what he finds.
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The Pit and the Pendulum

The Pit and the Pendulum

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Critics Consensus

A chilling visual treat, Pit and the Pendulum unites genre masters Roger Corman and Vincent Price with delightfully dark results.

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Critics Reviews

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Jake Wilson The Age (Australia) 10/30/2020
Roger Corman is legendary as a B-movie producer, but his less-heralded gifts as a director are displayed in this 1961 entry in his series of fantasia on themes from Edgar Allan Poe, staged with an elegance that belies the low budget and lurid content. Go to Full Review Howard Thompson New York Times 03/18/2020
Roger Corman has evoked a genuinely chilling mood of horror. Go to Full Review Keith Phipps The Dissolve 10/22/2013
4/5
Who wants understatement in a film with dungeons and giant blades? Go to Full Review John Ferguson Radio Times Oct 30
4/5
Corman creates a suitably gothic air and works wonders with a limited budget. Go to Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins 07/20/2024
8/10
The scares and ghoulishness here are ahead of their time, with the titular pendulum proving a perfectly nightmarish set piece. Go to Full Review Gayle Sequeira BFI 03/04/2024
The sickening dread this film builds up during a climactic sequence is eventually subverted, but The Pit and the Pendulum still conjures up one last stomach-sinking image to sear into memory before it ends. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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John S 4d A bit of a plodding movie but it's wisely short with wonderful atmosphere (ie: sets and music). Vincent Price gives his all, as per usual. See more Blobbo X @Blobbo Nov 13 Enjoyed by lttle blob friends back in day. See more Tha HunnieDip Brand B Jun 27 This Move kept me on the edge. Every time the Pendulum Swung OMG I was chewing off my nails. This was a great movie, 1961 version, this was 1 of my Old School Faves💖 See more Madoka A Jun 23 Fantastic. Spooky. Funny. Great product! Really good! See more Hector I Jun 1 An adaptation of Poe's novella, the film follows little of the story, which takes place just as the Inquisition is torturing Spain in the 16th century. Here, we follow an English gentleman who comes to Spain to find the reasons for the death of his sister, just married to Nicolas Medina (Vincent Price), whose father was a bloody inquisitor who used a torture chamber. Haunted by the atmosphere, she is said to have died of fright. More than a horror film, this is a thriller in which we constantly wonder whether Nicolas is telling us everything. We don't know if he's haunted by what he saw in his youth, or if he's really inhabited by the spirit of his father. We even doubt ourselves, as the fantastic is always suggested, never obvious. A very good film that will influence the Giallo with its interweaving of mystery/fantasy and thriller, just like the paranoid thrillers in the USA in the 70s. See more alan g @agenser Mar 14 Not Edgar Allen Poe but a completely different plot. Vincent Price is his Over The Top best. See more Read all reviews
The Pit and the Pendulum

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Cast & Crew

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Roger Corman

Director

Vincent Price

Nicholas Medina

John Kerr

Francis Barnard

Barbara Steele

Elizabeth Barnard Medina

Luana Anders

Catherine Medina

Antony Carbone

Doctor Charles Leon

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The Pit and the Pendulum

The Pit and the Pendulum (1961) The Pit and the Pendulum (1961) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Elizabeth Barnard Medina (Barbara Steele) has died in the prime of life, and her brother, Francis (John Kerr), wants to know why. Elizabeth's husband, Nicholas (Vincent Price), and her doctor offer differing explanations, but when Francis learns that Nicholas' mother may have been buried alive, he begins to wonder if his sister met the same fate. And when he comes to believe that Elizabeth's spirit wanders about Nicholas' castle, Francis investigates -- and is stunned by what he finds.
Director
Roger Corman
Producer
Roger Corman
Screenwriter
Richard Matheson
Production Co
Alta Vista Productions
Genre
Horror
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 16, 2008
Runtime
1h 20m
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