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This month's selection is …..PIT AND THE PENDULUM ( 1961 )...IN SCOPE !
In the sixteenth century, Francis Barnard travels to Spain to clarify the strange circumstances of his sister's death after she had married the son of a cruel Spanish Inquisitor.
Francis Barnard goes to Spain, when he hears his sister Elizabeth has died. Her husband Nicholas Medina, the son of the brutal torturer of the Spanish Inquisition, tells him she has died of a blood disease, but Francis finds this hard to believe. After some investigating he finds out that it was extreme fear that was fatal to his sister and that she may have been buried alive! Strange things then start to happen in the Medina castle.
Three legendary figures, one in writing, and one in film-making, and one in acting are responsible for bringing The Pit and the Pendulum to life. It's Edgar Allen Poe's story about a brother struggling to come to terms about how his sister's untimely death happened. He goes to the mansion of Nicholas Medina, played by the magnificent Vincent Price, to look for answers. The Pit and the Pendulum for a 60's movie is attention getting by how powerful and mystique the actors and actresses characters are, and the brilliant story and script that intertwines very nicely. Roger Corman direction was astounding as well, making me realize why he's so acclaimed by his film-making peers. The Pit and the Pendulum is a nice little horror flick that I watched with no expectations and had no regrets spending the time and money to watch it.
FUN FACTS :
Francis Barnard goes to Spain, when he hears his sister Elizabeth has died. Her husband Nicholas Medina, the son of the brutal torturer of the Spanish Inquisition, tells him she has died of a blood disease, but Francis finds this hard to believe. After some investigating he finds out that it was extreme fear that was fatal to his sister and that she may have been buried alive! Strange things then start to happen in the Medina castle.
Three legendary figures, one in writing, and one in film-making, and one in acting are responsible for bringing The Pit and the Pendulum to life. It's Edgar Allen Poe's story about a brother struggling to come to terms about how his sister's untimely death happened. He goes to the mansion of Nicholas Medina, played by the magnificent Vincent Price, to look for answers. The Pit and the Pendulum for a 60's movie is attention getting by how powerful and mystique the actors and actresses characters are, and the brilliant story and script that intertwines very nicely. Roger Corman direction was astounding as well, making me realize why he's so acclaimed by his film-making peers. The Pit and the Pendulum is a nice little horror flick that I watched with no expectations and had no regrets spending the time and money to watch it.
FUN FACTS :
To increase the pendulum's sense of deadly menace, director Roger Corman
took out every other frame during the editing stage making the blade appear to move twice as fast.
Actor John Kerr
was worried about being strapped down to the table with the pendulum above him for the movie's climax. In order to demonstrate that it was perfectly safe, director Roger Corman
stood in for Kerr while the scene was being set up.
But here is one thing in the film that always got me :
The film never had an original prologue. It was added when the film was sold to TV and a further few minutes were required to pad out the running time. Only Luana Anders
from the original cast was available so an extra scene of her in a madhouse was filmed and tacked on to the beginning. This scene does not really tie in with the rest of the film. it is on the blu-ray of Vincent Price films , Vol.1 .
In Spain was released at first in Barcelona (14 June/1963) and later in Madrid (15 July/1963) and other provinces. Also -in 2001- the film was a re-release in Madrid (Pequeño Cine Estudio) for 14 days, only in subtitled version. The film was 3 dubbed versions: in 1963 for cinemas, in 1983 for VHS and TV premiere (1989) and in 1995 for his second video edition.
Passed by the British Board of Film Censors on 13 September 1961 with an "X" certificate. Premiered in the West End at the London Pavilion on 24 November 1961 and ran four weeks. The general release commenced on 14 January 1962.
In Spain was released at first in Barcelona (14 June/1963) and later in Madrid (15 July/1963) and other provinces. Also -in 2001- the film was a re-release in Madrid (Pequeño Cine Estudio) for 14 days, only in subtitled version. The film was 3 dubbed versions: in 1963 for cinemas, in 1983 for VHS and TV premiere (1989) and in 1995 for his second video edition.
Passed by the British Board of Film Censors on 13 September 1961 with an "X" certificate. Premiered in the West End at the London Pavilion on 24 November 1961 and ran four weeks. The general release commenced on 14 January 1962.
But here is one thing in the film that always got me :
When Elizabeth is trapped and gagged in the Iron Maiden, her hands are obviously free. Why then does she not remove her gag and cry out to Maximillian and the others to rescue her?
None of the torture instruments that appear in the movie where used by the Inquisition and many of them even didn't existed during the time the story is set. One of the most clear examples is the Iron Maiden that was invented during the 18th century.
None of the torture instruments that appear in the movie where used by the Inquisition and many of them even didn't existed during the time the story is set. One of the most clear examples is the Iron Maiden that was invented during the 18th century.
This is one my favorite film of all time. I have seen it 100 times ( 1st time as a 7 year old - very impressed ! ) and always find a detail or two at each screening that is imaginative and inspiring. My print is in scope ; See it if you can in wide screen. You will appreciate it more. Especially when the pendulum swings !!!
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