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The Pit

post #1 of 24
6/20/08 at 10:38am
Thread Starter 
Has this one ever been talked about on here? If so I missed it. Equal parts weird and hilarious account of a creepy kid who finds a pit which houses some troll-like creatures. Kid ends up “feeding” the trolls various jerks from around town who have wronged him.

First saw this before my nuts dropped and it left a real impression on me. Picked up the DVD dirt cheap recently. There’s an ocean of absurdity on display in this flick but it sure is a hoot. Not much blood until about the last 20 minutes, but that makes it all the more unsettling when we finally see the trolls feasting.

Delightful final shot as well.
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post #2 of 24
6/20/08 at 2:30pm
Thread Starter 
Anyone? I need my thoughts on this cooky film validated.
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post #3 of 24
6/20/08 at 2:33pm
Seen it or most of it. Don't remember a damn thing.
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post #4 of 24
6/20/08 at 2:55pm
Netflixed. The NF disc is a double feature with something called "Hellgate," which is apparently a film about some teens who happen across a town with a horrible secret. My guess is the secret is that they don't have a Walgreens (yet).
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post #5 of 24
6/20/08 at 3:03pm
Thread Starter 
That's the disc I got. I think it's messed up though because at least my copy starts with a scene from the film out of place before the credits begin. So if yours starts with kids at a Halloween party just skip ahead until you see credits. Won't ruin the film but it bugged me.

I read the synopsis for HELLGATE but I don't think I'll watch it because it stars Horshack from "Welcome Back Kotter." If it was with Epstein I might have given it a try, but not Horshack. No way.

Anyway, enjoy THE PIT. It has boobies.
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post #6 of 24
6/20/08 at 3:19pm
I've never actually seen this, but there's a good write up of it here (BEWARE OF SPOILERS), and pretty decent interview with the film's writer hosted at the same site.

EDITED: Sorry guys...forgot that the review at Badmovies.org gave away pretty much the entire plot. Apologies to those who were spoiled.
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post #7 of 24
6/20/08 at 3:26pm
Thread Starter 
That write-up is too hard on the flick (and spoils too much of it). It's too goofy to be considered slow. It's definitely low-budget but I don't know if I'd want a big budget film about some trolls who live in a hole in the ground and the psychotic kid who tends to their needs.
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post #8 of 24
6/20/08 at 3:33pm
Yeah, that review totally ruined the film.

Sill, I'm hoping to roll this up into a The Gate/Botched/The Pit triple feature for next week. If only Stephen Dorff were in The Pit, I'd be able to call it a Dorff trilogy, but Pit still fits in there, if only thematically.
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post #9 of 24
6/20/08 at 3:38pm
About two months ago an acquaintance of mine asked if I was familiar with this film. I've never seen it, but I'm glad you reminded me, I'll likely go over to Amazon or wherever and order it now.
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post #10 of 24
6/20/08 at 3:43pm
Thread Starter 
Amazon has some used copies pretty cheap but it's too pricey brand new there. If you get it as part of the deepdiscount sale (ends Sunday!) it can be had for like $4.50 from them.
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post #11 of 24
6/20/08 at 3:47pm
I'll do that.
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post #12 of 24
6/21/08 at 5:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moltisanti View Post
Anyone? I need my thoughts on this cooky film validated.

I think I remember renting this back in the early 80's. Is it the one with the creatures with the glowing eyes called "Trala-logs" or something like that? And does the kid dump some mean bitch in a wheelchair into the pit? I also seem to remember the kid having a crush on a hot teacher, I think. If so, I've seen it.

I remember it being surprisingly competent for a flick I'd never heard of. It had a few creepy moments. Don't remember the end though.

This was rented along with such 80's classics as MUTANT (which sucked, C.H.U.D. (which didn't), and NIGHTMARES.

Any extras on the DVD, Molti?
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post #13 of 24
6/21/08 at 5:11am
Quadruple post. Mods, please delete.
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post #14 of 24
6/21/08 at 5:12am
Quadruple post. Mods, please delete.
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post #15 of 24
6/21/08 at 5:12am
Quadruple post. Mods, please delete.
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post #16 of 24
6/21/08 at 1:47pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kreeper View Post
Any extras on the DVD, Molti?
Nah, it's just a standard double-feature disc. THE PIT on one side and HELLGATE on the other. Wish they had a feature about what happened to the kid from THE PIT. That boy wasn't right.
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post #17 of 24
6/21/08 at 10:48pm
You've done us a great service, here, Molt. This sounds like something I'd dig. "Tra la logs" rings a vague bell (if this is indeed ythe film featuring them), but I can't recall if this is something I saw or not. If it is, I can't remember it. But I'll add it to the queue, I think.

PS: You're too hard on Horschak. He's no Freddy "Boom Boom" Washington, but still. . .
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post #18 of 24
7/6/08 at 8:54pm
That was interesting.

You know, I can see The Pit as being on par with or better than a lot of other '80s CHUD staples, like Inseminoid, XTRO, or Humanoids from the Deep. The children are merciless in this film. It's light on gore (save for a brief third act sequence), and spends precious little time with the trolls and far too much time dicking around with the kid and his therapist, but it's still a weird little gem.

EDIT: Trivia from IMDB:
  • The original screenplay differed greatly from the final draft. According to screenwriter Ian Stuart, besides being a much darker more serious movie; the "trogs" were supposed to be entirely in the mind of the "Jamie" character. These changes were supposedly made by director Lew Lehman.
  • The director's wife refused to let him shoot the nude scenes, so the screenwriter shot them instead. The only shot involving nudity that the director was allowed to film was the "skinny dipping" scene and only because the actress was his daughter.
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post #19 of 24
7/6/08 at 9:04pm
Thread Starter 
The strangest nude scene has to be the one involving the prank on the librarian.
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post #20 of 24
7/6/08 at 9:40pm
It sounds like the screenwriter's original vision would have made for a more straightforward (and forgettable) film. That scene, as well as the feasting scene, the ballerina dumping scene, and the talking teddy bear take the movie into another dimension.
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post #21 of 24
7/7/08 at 2:33am
Netflix'ed!

I just watched Bava's DEMONS, so I'm in the mood for some 80s monster munchin'...
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post #22 of 24
7/7/08 at 3:10am
After all the talk in this thread, I'm going to have to give this flick a look.
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post #23 of 24
7/9/08 at 5:00am
Just watched tonight. This piece of 80s cheese is MST3K gold. Nearly at POD PEOPLE or TROLL 2 levels.

SPOILERS POSSIBLY:
  • I love how everything in the flick has ominous music behind it (dinner with the folks, a phone conversation, etc), EXCEPT when Jamie does the truly dastardly stuff. The dumping people into the pit montage gets a light-hearted waltzy tune.
  • How did all the victims (besides the blind old lady) NOT see that giant gaping dark pit they happen to fall into in the middle of the daytime ???
  • I love that despite having the feedings telegraphed by the opening flash-forward I really had no idea where the movie was going most of the time. Such random bizarre choices.
  • All the pervy stuff made me giggle.
  • Wish I had watched this with a group.
  • So WTF was up with the possessed Teddy bear (as it's clear it's not in Jamie's head) and the babysitter ghost?

Thanks for directing me to this, Molt. I can't believe I've never seen this or heard of it, as it's right up my alley. Deserves it's own group of faithful cult fans.

EDIT: The "Things I Learned From This Movie" and "Stuff To Watch For" in that link above made me chuckle remembering those details.
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post #24 of 24
7/10/08 at 3:17am
i remember this duo disc. i watched both movies and the pit was ok had some weird crap in it that made no sense. like the talking teddy bear. where did he come from and what was his purpose and the kid is like what 12 and he loves the naked ladies. don't blame him there lol.


hellgate was bad. one cool scene was they had this crystal that either killed people or brought life back. and they pointed to a stuffed turtle and boom zombie turtle lol. dead scenes were kinda dumb too.
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