Bloody Pit of Horror

Kitschy Italian torture horror from the mid-60s

A group of ten people on a photoshoot near Rome spend the night in a castle owned by an eccentric recluse (Mickey Hargitay) who’s fascinated by an infamous executioner who was executed there over 300 years ago.

"Bloody Pit of Horror" (1965) is akin to mid-60’s kitsch like “Village of the Giants” (1965), but with the horror bent of “Horror Hotel” (1960, aka “City of the Dead”) and “Dracula, Prince of Darkness” (1966). Future movies like “The Devil’s Nightmare” (1971) and “Howling V: The Rebirth” (1989) took the template and made better movies, low-budget though they may be.

Don’t get me wrong, “Bloody Pit of Horror” is definitely worth checking out for its over-the-top garish entertainment, but Hargitay hams it up too much, although he looks great for the role. The characters are simply uninteresting, which detracts suspense. Luisa Baratto as the bookish Edith ends up being the most alluring female (riding the bull, lol), along with the dumb blonde. The rest are good-looking, but too thin and forgettable.

The film runs 1 hour, 27 minutes, and was shot at Castello Piccolomini, Balsorano, L'Aquila, Italy, about a 75 minute drive from Rome with interiors done in the city (studio).

GRADE: B-