The Bloody Pit of Horror Review

6.5/10

The 1960's were quite the time for B-Movies in the horror genre. They were cheesy, fun, and often hysterical. "Bloody Pit of Horror" is no exception to this, because it is about as corny as you can get. Along with this though, you do get a really morbid film that I enjoyed in a sense.

The film starts out in the 17th century, with the execution of a man in red. It is heard that he had been a sadistic person, and he was killed in a spiked tomb. His body is meant to stay in this tomb, and before he died, he said that he would one day get revenge. The scene is cool, but the costumes are near laughable.  The criminal's cloak makes him look like a character in that old arcade game "Rolling Thunder." 

The movie then skips to the 1960's, and a group of people are looking for somewhere to take model photographs. They find a castle that they believe to be empty.  As they walk around, they find out that the building is in fact inhabited. At first, the owner tries to immediately kick out the posse, but he then changes his mind and let's them stay the night. They begin to work on their modeling in he lairs of this castle, and seem to be having the time of their lives.  What they don't know is what lies in the walls of this building, and the fact that crazy things are about to happen to them.

This film is a typical Italian B-Movie of the time for many reasons. There is terrible voice overdubs for the characters, a lack of plot, a trippy soundtrack, beautiful women in bikinis, and a lot of laughs.  It is in no way a well made film, but instead of being crappy, it's more of a "so bad it's good" movie.  It's so funny to see these people actually taking themselves seriously, regardless of the fact that they're in one of the most absurd movies ever made. 

Much to my surprise(not really), the man in red came back.  Even though the film jumped three  hundred years, "The Crimson Executioner" is supposedly still alive, and looking better than ever.  I nearly cried laughing when I saw him, because he looks even more hilarious shirtless. It's almost like a cross between Aquaman and a professional wrestler.  He can't possibly be scary because of this, but he's still an enjoyable villain. 

Regardless of the cheesy surface of the film, it still stands to be one of the most sadistic films of its era. There is burning in ovens, lava poured on bodies, etc.  The torture was way ahead of its time, and it is one of the few parts of the movie that makes it stand out from others. There is also some decent gore for a 60's film, and while it is tame now, it must've been shocking during its original release. 

The last quarter of the film is quite a climax, as the main character Rick is trying to save everyone from the killer.  There is some big fighting, and it is kind of exciting. The actual ending was quite predictable though, with a happy realization that two of the people got to live. 

Overall, I enjoyed this film for its awesome cheesiness.  This isn't going to be something for everyone, because not a lot of people actually enjoy these low quality movies. I felt that the movie was really sick and twisted, yet hilarious at the same time. If you like B-movies, then check this out, but if not, definitely skip it because it will disappoint you greatly.