Indie Scene: ‘The Pit and the Pendulum’ Stop-Motion Short
“The Pit and the Pendulum” is the classic short story by Edgar Allan Poe first published in 1842. The story works so well because it gives off a great feel of reality and emphasizes sensory details, something that is hard to capture on screen (even more so than in words). It’s been adapted to film a few times, most notably in 1961 by Roger Corman with Vincent Price in the lead role. The latest reworking, under the banner Ray Harryhausen Presents The Pit and the Pendulum, mixes things up a bit because it was created using stop-motion animation.
The film was directed by Marc Lougee off of a script adapted by first timer Matt Taylor. Clocking in at a mere seven minutes, the film is a quick watch. While a full length film based solely on a piece of about 6,000 words obviously wouldn’t work, the very brief running time feels a bit rushed. Watching the films as the quick scenes passed by I noticed a lack of suspense. This is a story that has kept readers on the edge of their seats for over 150 years, and to see the sequences rushed through at this pace is a bit disappointing, although thankfully it stays faithful. While you can only do so much with the source material, especially while using this method of animation, I think a couple minutes added to the film could have helped.
If I wasn’t already familiar with the story I would have been a bit confused. The narrator (Peter Cugno), the only speaking part in the film, explains the situation but doesn’t go into real detail, whereas Poe’s story is quite descriptive. For the uninitiated, the bulk of fable is about a prisoner of the Spanish Inquisition who is strapped to table as a bladed pendulum slowly swings closer to his chest. After escaping he must cross a large pit while the walls close in on him.
All things considered, this is still a nice retelling of the classic story with good animation from Mike Weiss and Ryan Fairley. There is also a great score provided by Philip Stanger that really added to the film. There are even some recognizable names attached to the film. It was executive produced by Ray Harryhausen (a well known and respected person in stop-motion community) and Fred Fuchs (Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein). Additionally, there are a few digital effects mixed in in courtesy of Switch VFX (Land of the Dead, Saw III and IV).
The Pit and the Pendulum is not perfect, but it’s still plenty enjoyable. It’s no surprise that it’s already won some awards at festivals. Any fan of stop-motion will undoubtedly enjoy this for what it is: a brief, well-made retelling of a classic story with solid animation. Those who may be disinterested at the fact that it’s animated in such a way should look no further than King Kong, The Nightmare Before Christmas, or Army of Darkness as examples of what this method can accomplish. I hope these Canadians keep at it. I would love to see them create some original material in the future.
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I dont think Ive ever even seen a full stop motion animated movie but I just watched the trailer and it seemed kind of cool. Will this be coming out on dvd??
I saw it at Dark Carnival Film Fest in my town, it was ok
[...] Harryhausen’s ‘The Pit and the Pendulum’ DVD The Pit and the Pendulum, a stop motion short executive produced by Ray Harryhausen, will be available for purchase online this Monday, August 25th. Those attending the Festival of Fear this weekend in Toronto will be able to purchase it early right from director Marc Lougee. You can read our review of the indie Edgar Allan Poe adaptation here. [...]