It's such a shame that a master actor like Lance Henriksen is wasted on so many terrible horror movies. This is one of the worst Gordon/Paoli movies I've seen, and the contrast between Henriksen's sweeping, luminous performance and the film's stupidity is mind-boggling. The fantastic Oliver Reed also stumbles into a small role. Like other "adaptations" of The Pit and the Pendulum, this has nothing to do with Poe save for the Inquisition setting and the Pit/Pendulum set piece.

Captures the demented obsession of Poe's writing fairly well. Henriksen is terrific and it's fun to see Oliver Reed in a hammy cameo appearance. One of Gordon's best.

50.500

Henriksen is wound up very tight, Combs is underutilized (as usual) but Rona De Ricci is who really shines in this. Its black sense of humor feels a little more Charles Band than Stuart Gordon but is pretty good none the less. One of the better screen plays and cast but its flat production cheats it. Still an overlook effort by Gordon. Recommended.

Best Full Moon production yet

Probably the best film Full Moon Entertainment ever made. Surprisingly classy affair, budget be damned.

While it doesn't reach _Re-Animator_'s heights, this _Pit_ -- bolstered by supporting thesps Reed, Combs, and Towles -- is the most creative Poe-inspired fear flick to turn up since Roger Corman's _Masque of the Red Death_.