- The Pit and the Pendulum (1990 film)
Infobox Film
name = The Pit and the Pendulum
image_size =
caption =
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 =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id ="The Pit and the Pendulum" is a 1991 horror film directed by
Stuart Gordon and based on the short story byEdgar 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 - BeggarTrivia
* 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 ofDamocles ", re-assigning it toTorquemada .* 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 starringVincent Price and directed byRoger Corman References
External links
*
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