Around 1989, Empire Pictures went into bankruptcy and collapsed after many of its assets had been sold off. Thankfully, founder Charles Band was able to bounce back and form a new production company, Full Moon Features. He managed to find success early on with Puppet Master, Meridian: Kiss of the Beast, Shadowzone, and Crash and Burn. Meanwhile, director Stuart Gordon was planning on filming an adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Pit and the Pendulum. He originally conceived of it as a $6 million film starring Peter O’Toole, Billy Dee Williams, and Sherilyn Fenn. Unfortunately, plans for this fell through, but fortunately, Full Moon picked up the project, though for a reduced budget. This lower budget meant some changes, such as filming in Italy and casting Lance Henriksen in place of Peter O’Toole. Finally, in mid-1991, Stuart Gordon’s The Pit and the Pendulum was released.
%
Rating
Synopsis
In 1492 Spain, the Grand Inquisitor Torquemada (Lance Henriksen) sadistically tortures those he believes are heretics, sinners, and witches. During a public execution, Maria (Rona De Ricci) speaks out against it despite her husband Antonio’s (Jonathan Fuller) pleas. Torquemada is immediately smitten with her, but fears it’s witchcraft, so he has her arrested, leaving her husband behind. With his assistants Francisco (Jeffrey Combs), Mendoza (Mark Margolis), and Dr. Huesos (William Morris), Torquemada tortures Maria until she confesses. During this, Torquemada starts lusting over Maria, which he views as sinful, so he subjects himself to torture. While imprisoned, Maria befriends Esmerelda (Frances Bay), a confessed witch who helps her stay strong against the wicked Torquemada. Meanwhile, Antonio tries breaking into the castle to save Maria, but he ends up getting caught and taken prisoner. What horrors await when our heroes must come face to face with The Pit and the Pendulum?
Review
Much like their other earlier films, The Pit and the Pendulum is another excellent entry in Full Moon’s catalog. The use of a real Italian castle adds production value and makes the film look more expensive than it was. As with his earlier films, Stuart Gordon’s direction is on-point, using tons of dynamic lighting and shadows to establish mood. Lance Henriksen gives a phenomenal performance as Torquemada, playing the part with such intensity that you’re genuinely frightened of him. Rona De Ricci, who sadly never appeared in a film after this, does a wonderful job giving an emotional performance. The dynamic between her and Henriksen is the film’s highlight, her pure innocence clashing with his harsh religious nature. There’s a brief appearance by Oliver Reed, who gives a great performance as a Cardinal visiting from The Vatican. Also, Frances Bay is great as Esmerelda, slightly hamming it up.
Jonathan Fuller, though not bad and having decent chemistry with Ricci, comes off a little bland and uninteresting. The biggest problem with the film is that the tone is slightly off at times, flip-flopping between serious and humorous. Ordinarily, Gordon is good at balancing horror with comedy, but here, it doesn’t quite work and it comes off distracting. For instance, Jeffrey Combs, who does a good job, is clearly meant for somewhat comedic relief, albeit slightly dry. William Morris and Stephen Lee definitely add to the comedy, which clashes with the more serious tone going on. Also, the titular “Pit and the Pendulum” doesn’t appear until the last act, and even then it’s not used much. There are some fun swashbuckling action and impressive effects to be had, but the tone clashes hinder the film’s quality. Overall, The Pit and the Pendulum isn’t perfect, but it’s definitely worth a watch.
Buy The Pit and the Pendulum on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3cmZatY
