Episode XXVI: Stuart Gordon’s The Pit and The Pendulum – Sept 10th, 2013

The Razor Edge of Death….

Welcome back to another Horror 101 podcast. We’re back from Fan Expo. We’ll cover how it went and who we met. After listening to writer/director David Schmoeller tell us that he’s a big fan of anything Stuart Gordon we felt it was time to unlock the Full Moon Entertainment vault with another Charles Band produced film, The Pit and the Pendulum. We’ll compare this 1991 version with the Roger Corman/Vincent Price 1961 film. We’ll explore the original Edgar Allan Poe short story and introduce you to Lance Henriksen at his diabolical best. From the moment The Pit and the Pendulum opens with an exhumation of a corpse to be put on trial for witchcraft you know you’re in for a great Stuart Gordon flick also starring Jeffrey Combs, Tom Towles and Frances Bay. Join us for another Horror 101 podcast and fall in love with the macabre work of one of Full Moon’s greatest pictures.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS:

1:00 Welcome back….we’re back from Fan Expo with big smiles and empty pockets.

4:25 The history of Edgar Allan Poe’s Pit and the Pendulum

7:10 Stuart Gordon + Jeffrey Combs = GOLD 8:50 Exhuming the corpse…

11:30 Lance Henriksen at his best…

13:00 Nood surprises us!!

14:00 The late, great Oliver Reed and his cameo…

15:00 Esmerelda….the witch that goes BOOM!

18:00 LOOK UP!!

20:19 Discussing the film…

22:05 The wonderful music of Richard Band…

22:53 The legacy of Full Moon Entertainment…

28:20 Conclusion….thanks for listening!!

The Pit and The Pendulum (1991)

Directed by: Stuart Gordon
Written by: Edgar Allan Poe (story), Dennis Paoli

Starring:

Lance Henriksen as Torquemada
Jeffrey Combs as Francisco
Mark Margolis as Mendoza
Carolyn Purdy-Gordon as Contessa D’Alba Molina
Rona De Ricci as Maria
Tom Towles as Don Carlos
Frances Bay as Esmeralda
Stephen Lee as Gomez
Jonathan Fuller as Antonio

Original Music by Richard Band

All video, pictures and audio used from The Pit and the Pendulum is copyright © 1991 by Empire Pictures and Full Moon Entertainment. All media used for educational and review purposes. No reproductions please.