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 Dead One (1961 film) and British critic Phil Hardy are even more-to-the-point. Warren writes that Mahon's "budgets were among the lowest for theatrical films, and the results reflected this, as well as the haste and lack of care that went into the film's making." Hardy, who refers to Mahon as a "nudie-specialist" and "one of the first sex-movie tycoons," simply calls "The Dead One" "abominably acted, scripted and directed." The Dead One (1961 film) The Dead One, also known as Blood of the Zombie, is a 1961 independent American color horror film written, produced and directed by Barry Mahon. It stars John McKay, Linda