This Day in Horror History: Stuart Gordon’s THE PIT AND THE PENDULUM Was Released in 1991
We were all shocked when Stuart Gordon passed away earlier this year on March 24th at the age of 72. The filmmaker is an icon of horror, and his 1991 adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s The Pit and the Pendulum (released on this day in 1991) is tragically underrated.
Starring fellow horror icon Lance Henricksen, Gordon’s The Pit in the Pendulum is a delirious, psychosexual fever dream set during the Spanish Inquisition. If you’ve never experienced this stunning sleeper for yourself, check out the trailer and synopsis below.
Synopsis:
Mad monk Torquemada (Lance Henriksen) wants a baker’s (Jonathan Fuller) wife (Rona De Ricci) in his torture chamber for the Spanish Inquisition.
Trivia:
The Pope of the Catholic Church during the majority of the Spanish Inquisition was Pope Innocent VIII, who had originally appointed Torquemada as the Grand Inquisitor of Spain in 1487. Unlike the film, which portrays the Pope as disapproving of Torquemada’s actions, Innocent VIII fully supported the endeavor. (Source)
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. Sherilyn Fenn and Billy Dee Williams were originally slated to star as well. (Source)
Are you a fan of Stuart Gordon and/or 1991’s The Pit and the Pendulum? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! You can also carry on the convo with me personally on Twitter @josh_millican.
Categorized:News This Day in Horror
