The Pit and the Pendulum (1990 film)

Infobox Film
name = The Pit and the Pendulum


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director = Stuart Gordon
producer = Albert Band
Charles Band
writer = Dennis Paoli
narrator =
starring = Lance Henriksen
Rona De Ricci
Jonathan Fuller
Francis Bay
music =
cinematography = Adolfo Bartoli
editing =
distributor = Full Moon Features
released = 1991
runtime = 96 minutes
country = flagicon|USA
language = English
budget =
gross =
preceded_by =
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website =
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imdb_id =

"The Pit and the Pendulum" is a 1991 horror film directed by Stuart Gordon and based on the short story by Edgar Allan Poe. [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0100369/ The Pit and the Pendulum (1991) (V) ] ]

Plot

Set in Spain, 1492, Grand Inquisitor Torquemada leads a bloody reign of terror, torturing and killing in the name of religion. Upset with the way the Church is practicing torture, Maria speaks out during a public burning and whipping of a title-stripped family. Maria's own beauty leads Torquemada into temptation and brutal atonement. Confused over his desires, he accuses Maria of being a witch and to be tortured until confession. Imprisoned, Maria is befriended by Esmerelda, a confessed witch. Together they struggle to save themselves from the sinister Torquemada.

Outside the castle walls, Maria's husband Antonio breaks into the castle to rescue his innocent wife. After a failed escape, Antonio is imprisoned for his actions and Torquemada decides to test his new machine of pain on him; The Pit and the Pendulum.

Cast

*Lance Henriksen - Torquemada
*Stephen Lee - Gomez
*William J. Norris - Dr. Huesos
*Mark Margolis - Mendoza
*Carolyn Purdy-Gordon - Contessa D'Alba Molina
*Barbara Bocci - Contessa's Son
*Benito Stefanelli - Executioner
*Jeffrey Combs - Francisco
*Tom Towles - Don Carlos
*Rona De Ricci - Maria
*Jonathan Fuller - Antonio
*Oliver Reed - Cardinal
*Larry Dolgin - Sergeant of the Guards
*Frances Bay - Esmeralda
*Fabio Carfora - Beggar

Trivia

* Director Stuart Gordon had intended to film this for some time with Peter O'Toole in the role of Torquemada but the original production was canceled.

* The film also goes by the name "The Inquisitor".

* The film is an amalgamation of several Edgar Allan Poe tales, including "The Pit and the Pendulum" and "The Cask of Amontillado." The film also appropriates the anecdote of "The Sword of Damocles", re-assigning it to Torquemada.

* The film was released in R-Rated and Unrated versions. The R-Rated version was for rental chains featured trims on the violence and full frontal nudity.

* The Region 2 DVD features a scene missing of one of Torquemada's generals being sliced in half by the pendulum.

ee also

* "The Pit and the Pendulum" - the original Poe story
* "The Pit and the Pendulum" - 1961 film starring Vincent Price and directed by Roger Corman

References

External links

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