BLOODY PIT OF HORROR (1965)
Director: Max Hunter (Massimo Pupillo)
Something Weird Video/Image Entertainment

Seeking a gothic setting for a photo shoot, a group composed of a publisher, a writer, a secretary, some photographers, and four gorgeous models come across an eerie medieval castle. Believing it to be uninhabited, they break in, only to be turned away by the owner, Travis Anderson (Mickey Hargitay). When Anderson (staring through a peephole) recognizes the secretary (Louise Barrett) as his former fiancée, he quickly changes his mind and lets the crew stay the night for their shoot.

We soon realize that Anderson is a nutty actor who thinks he's the reincarnation of Crimson Executioner, a sadistic cad who was put to death in the castle's Iron Maiden centuries ago. The muscular Hargitay sports a red hood, Lone Ranger Mask, and revealing tights as he spends the duration of the running time torturing women, screaming ridiculously dubbed jabber, and raving about his macho appearance.

BLOODY PIT OF HORROR is Italian-produced enjoyable yarn, despite the familiar plot of wandering travelers staying at a mysterious castle (with a well-equipped torture chamber) and then getting knocked off one at a time. Hargitay's over the top and intimidating performance makes up for the cardboard hero that is Italian horror regular Walter Brandi, who sleepwalks through the film. Making it all worthwhile is the beautiful cinematography, a number of stimulating torture devices (a wheel of razor sharp swords that devour a couple of girls' braziers, a giant web with a big ugly spider, etc.), and the expected scantily clad women parading around.

Something Weird Video and Image have done a great job with this special edition. The print is taken from the 74 minute domestic version (released by Pacemaker Pictures) and is attractively letterboxed at 1.85:1 with stunning Eastman color, but the mono sound is a bit hissy. Deleted scenes from the longer version titled "A Tale of Torture" are included as a supplement. These scenes are culled from a faded and worn print (making us notice how good the DVD print looks), and are mainly comprised of a few extra minutes of fluff that was removed to appropriate the film for double feature screenings.

The very informative liner notes are penned by director Frank Henenlotter (BASKET CASE, FRANKENHOOKER), who was a champion of BLOODY PIT since the start. Henenlotter caught this film on a double bill with Barbara Steele's TERROR-CREATURES FROM THE GRAVE in its original U.S. run, and then later when re-released with the freaky Japanese curio GOKE, BODY SNATCHER FROM HELL. Those were the days!

Other extras include the well-worn trailer, an excerpt from the Mondo comedy PRIMITIVE LOVE with Hargitay and then-wife Jayne Mansfield, a weird short subject called "Cover Girl Slaughter," and Horrorama radio spot rarities accompanied by great exploitation pressbooks and photos. (George R. Reis)

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