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8
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7 |
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10
= Highest Rating |
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Guest
Review by Lucas
Micromatis |
A
dank, shadowy, seaside castle. Interred relatives.
Psychedelically colored dream/flashback sequences.
Vincent Price. If it's American-International,
it must be a Poe picture!
The
second in the AIP/Roger Corman/Poe series (following
Fall of the House of
Usher), Pit is
one of the best in the series, dolloped with loads
of brooding atmosphere and a pace-quickener of
an ending. The framework is structured similarly
to that of House of Usher.
Francis Barnard (a bombastic John Kerr) arrives
at the castle of Don Nicholas Medina (Price),
whose marriage to Barnard's sister, Elizabeth
(Italian horror queen Barbara Steele, in her first
American fright film), has ended in her apparent
death. But all is not as it seems as the castle
and its occupants are visited by spectral voices,
a mysterious harpsichord playing in the night,
and other shivery incidents. Is Don Medina going
mad? Is it the ghost of Elizabeth come back to
haunt him? What is the secret of the torture chamber
below?
All these questions are wrapped up in a creepy
climax boasting a sharp one-two punch. Vincent
Price is terrific here in a dual role, as Nicholas
Medina and (in flashbacks) his late father, Sebastian.
Though
some critics feel Price slices the ham a bit thick
in Pit, he is quite
sympathetic and believable as the grieving widower
—
the scene in which he breaks down in tears before
Barnard is touching —
while his Sebastian is a cold, thoroughly evil
villain. Kerr tries to take charge of the film
as the overbearing Francis Barnard, all business
as he stomps about the castle raising hell and
demanding answers, but he's no match for Price.
Luana Anders offers earnest support as Nicholas'
suffering sister, Catherine, and Barbara Steele
is effective in her brief moments as Elizabeth,
in spite of being dubbed by another actress.
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MGM's
DVD is the best Pit
has ever looked. The colors are crisp and the sets
look lush and expansive, defying the film's low-budget
origins (some of the sets were recycled from House
of Usher). After years of badly duped LP
tapes, grotesquely pan-and-scanned, it's a wonder
to finally see the film in all its widescreen glory,
especially the climax. (One quibble: the DVD is
not anamorphic.)
MGM
has included the fun trailer, as well as an informative,
though sonorous, commentary from producer/director
Roger Corman. Although offering some interesting
tidbits here and there, Corman remains silent for
long gaps; his House of Usher
commentary is much more involving. Also of interest
is the rare prologue, depicting Catherine Medina
confined to an insane asylum, labeled in the extras
menu as the "original theatrical prologue". In fact,
the prologue was added to the television
print to pad out its running time; as such, it's
full-screen rather than widescreen. Unseen for many
years, it's an extra and unusual bonus (now if MGM
could dig this out, why not the TV promo for its
Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini
Machine disc?) 8/05/01 |
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