Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		5.0
Overall		4.5

The Pit Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf October 10, 2016

It’s hard to believe that 1981’s “The Pit” came from Canada. It plays like an alien creation sent from Mars to disrupt the human experience long enough to complete a global invasion. It’s not an incredibly graphic picture, keeping violence fairly limited for a horror selection, but it’s just odd enough to knock the wind out of viewers. It’s an original take on psychological erosion, only the madman presented here is a 12-year-old boy, giving the effort an extra coating of ickiness as it surveys a child engaging in murder and sexual predator-style behavior. And yet, director Lew Lehman keeps the movie somewhat approachable, giving in to its strange energy, which works to soften its exploitation interests. “The Pit” isn’t scary, but it requires a post-screening shower to fully shed its grand emphasis on uncomfortable topics, doing a fine job prying into an adolescent mind on the verge of complete psychosis. The traditional warning to impart would be to not watch the film alone. The more honest advice would be to not watch it with people who might judge you.

Jamie (Sammy Snyders) is a 12-year-old kid with profound behavioral issues, struggling with life after his family moves to a new town, unable to make friends. His best pal is Teddy, a stuffed bear he treats as an advisor, and his daily adventures take him into the deep woods, where he manages a pit filled with bloodthirsty troglodytes. Jamie is troubled, but when his parents decide to leave him behind as they take a trip, he’s left in the care of Sandy (Jeannie Elias), who takes a special interest in the boy’s tendency to isolate himself. Expecting routine abandonment issues, Sandy is exposed to Jamie’s adolescent fixation on sex and romance, trying to manage his curiosity and mischief. However, the boy isn’t easily contained, and once Jamie realizes that the troglodytes are actually meat-eaters, his temperament changes from frustration to malice, targeting enemies for monster feedings in the pit.

“The Pit” shows its cards early with an ill-advised flash-forward to Jamie’s eventual violence, leading two bullies away from a birthday party to the edge of the pit, promising riches to get them within shoving range. The story is stronger without the immediate reveal, but Lehman recovers nicely, working with screenwriter Ian Stuart to generate an unusual psychological profile for the juvenile, who has the appearance of a cutesy kid with an awful bowl haircut, but harbors twisted desires within, sharing his feelings with Teddy, who acts as a cheerleader for the boy’s oncoming insanity. Stuart makes a strong play for behavioral authenticity in “The Pit,” hiding illness behind natural instincts to learn more about the opposite sex, following Jamie as he shares lustful interest in local librarian Mrs. Livingstone (Laura Hollingsworth) and eventually Sandy, manipulating bedtime routine to catch her in a nightshirt and watching her sleep with an exposed nipple. There’s also some leering in the shower, but Sandy doesn’t quit, grasping the rising hormonal need within Jamie, which collides messily with his antisocial ways, often making him a target for bullying by the neighborhood kids.

“The Pit” has interesting ideas to share about the journey of adolescence, but it’s also a monster movie, visiting the titular location, which is filled with small-ish black creatures that initially reject Jamie’s mealtime offering of chocolate bars. They want blood, and the boy is ready to give it to them, graduating from perversion to theft to fund his butcher shop habit, lifting cash out of Sandy’s purse, which, weirdly, is really the act that pushes the caretaker’s buttons the most. Alas, it’s hard to feed a family of five, requiring more plentiful dinner options in town bullies and jerks. The second half of “The Pit” highlights Jamie’s deceptive ways, leading those who’ve wronged him into the pit for a slow death, instilling a sense of demented pride in the boy, who becomes awfully good at murder. Jamie has other hobbies as well, including a kidnapping prank meant to separate Livingstone from her clothes, and he isn’t particularly fond of Sandy’s football hero boyfriend, feeling jealousy as his temporary guardian is sexually devoured by another. Considering the feature is about ghoulish creatures that feast on human flesh, it’s impressive that the most intriguing sections of the story involve only Jamie and his skewed view of the world.

The Pit Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation brings out the brightness of "The Pit" and its functional cinematography. It's not a visually striking picture, but the essentials are handled satisfactorily, finding color tastefully refreshed, with secure primaries and an emphasis on period clothing and greenery. Skintones are also pleasing. Detail is generally communicative, handling fibrous costuming and panicked close-ups. Monster textures are also preserved, spotlighting the limits of the budget. Source isn't sparkling, with blacks milky during some sequences, and pixelation periodically appears. Scratches and speckling are also detected.

The Pit Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix captures the strange moods of "The Pit," leading with louder scoring cues that help the feature find its footing as it swings from comedy to horror. Instrumentation is pleasing, and music doesn't steamroll over performances. Dialogue exchanges are distinct due to extensive looping, but emotional beats and suspenseful encounters are sustained to satisfaction. Sound effects are thick but effective. A minor amount of hiss is detected.

The Pit Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features film historians Paul Corupe and Jason Pichonsky.

• Interview (16:06, HD) with star Sammy Snyders discusses the young actor's entrance into the film business, having built comfort with performing through his passion for dance. Snyders credits his time on the television show "Huckleberry Finn and His Friends" as proper training for acting, eventually securing the lead role in "The Pit," which he describes as a happy shoot. Snyders discusses long work days and schooling, and a commitment to character, handed room to develop Jamie's fragile mental state by director Lew Lehman. Snyders seems happy about his moviemaking experience, and he takes the film's cult legacy seriously.

• Interview (7:21, HD) with Jeannie Elias isn't an in-depth investigation of "The Pit," but the actress does share her early excitement for the part, which remains her only starring role. Elias offers memories of the shoot in Wisconsin, where the locals were absolutely tickled to have a film crew in town. She also shares her career achievements in voiceover, with hopes to transition to screenwriting and producing.

• Interview (12:31, HD) with screenwriter Ian Stuart is a must-see conversation about "The Pit." Stern, borderline humorless, Stuart has strong opinions about the final edit of the picture, which essentially destroyed the subtext he worked hard to create, trading psychological shadings for B-movie horror highlights, including the alteration of the ending, changing the tone for the entire feature. Stuart is candid, revealing how he had to shoot nude scenes because Lehman's wife wouldn't allow him to do so, and his explanation of the material's origins is fascinating.

• Interview (7:34, HD) with Victor Davies is a short overview of the composer's early years, where he managed to get Lehman's attention and secure a gig on "The Pit," commencing a friendship with the helmer. Davies also explains his low-tech approach to timing and his quest to beef up the sound of the orchestra, delighting the producer.

• A Theatrical Trailer isn't included.

The Pit Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Pit" achieves a level of unease few films are able to match, and it does do without much style or editorial muscle, with bits and pieces of the story missing from the overall narrative flow. Perhaps it's Jamie's age that's so unnerving, with Snyders giving a Disney Channel-esque performance to emphasize the boy's deceptive innocence. It's a trashy tale, but never mean-spirited, and the juvenile aspect of the nightmare is diluted in the final act, which becomes a manhunt story that gives the troglodytes more to do than just growl inside a hole in the ground. "The Pit" has psychological depth in spurts, and it's entertaining when it isn't creeping out the room. While it feels incomplete, "The Pit" is undeniably effective, managing troubling behaviors and hostility with a sharp B-movie edge.