The Pit and the Pendulum (1961 film) Tomb of Ligeia". Film critic Tim Lucas and writer Ernesto Gastaldi have both noted the film's strong influence on numerous subsequent Italian thrillers, from Mario Bava's "The Whip and the Body" (1963) to Dario Argento's " Deep Red " (1975). Stephen King has described one of "Pit"'s major shock sequences as being among the most important moments in the post-1960 horror film. In sixteenth century Spain, Englishman Francis Barnard (John Kerr) visits the castle of his brother-in-law Nicholas Medina (Vincent Price) to investigate the mysterious death of his sister Elizabeth (Barbara Steele). Nicholas and his younger sister Catherine (Luana Anders)
The Innocents (1961 film) Festival. "The Innocents" is regarded as a classic psychological horror film. With the British cinematic re-release of "The Innocents" as part of the BFI's Gothic Season in December 2013, the film has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from contemporary critics. "The Innocents" holds a 96% "fresh" rating on the internet review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes from a sample of 47 reviews. Its consensus reads, "Creepily atmospheric, "The Innocents" is a stylishly crafted, chilling British ghost tale with Deborah Kerr at her finest". Peter Bradshaw, film critic for "The Guardian", gave the film five out of five stars in December 2013, praising it