Pit and the Pendulum

An Englishman travels to the castle of Don Nicholas Medina, the son of a notorious Spanish Inquisitor, to investigate the mysterious death of his sister who was married to Medina. During his investigation, he encounters tale upon tale as to the happenings surrounding her death and the history of the castle, until the actual sinister truth is revealed. Roger Corman's adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe's "Pit and the Pendulum" is a sumptuous, wonderfully set film featuring a humorously diabolical performance from Vincent Price as Don Nicholas. I liked the way the film unfolded with "yes, but did you know" and "why besides myself, you are the only person to know this" revelations, and the climax in the titular torture chamber is absolutely phenomenal. "Pit and the Pendulum" is a horror film that is funny, beautiful, and scary all at once.