The Pit and the Pendulum

Part of the special series NACHTBLENDE

Nachtblende: TRIBUTE TO THE KING OF CULT

‘Now I'm not saying I want a torture basement, but if I did, I'd totally want this torture basement.’ EmperorCupcake on Letterboxd

Roger Corman is best known for his Edgar Allan Poe films, one of which is THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM with Vincent Price and Barbara Steele. A picture-perfect gothic tale about the intergenerational transmission of experiences of violence, which thrives not only on the fantastic sets but also on the excessive facial expressions of a psychologically shaken Vincent Price.

The malignant atmosphere of this castle... it destroyed her! The death of Elizabeth (Barbara Steele) leads her brother Francis (John Kerr) to the historic estate of Medina (Vincent Price). His goal is to find out the cause of his sister's death. Easier said than done! At first it is said that she died of a rare blood disease, then that fear drove her to her death. But fear of what?