Surprisingly good cult flick shot in rural Wisconsin
In a town northwest of Milwaukee an outcast boy uses his imagination to cope (Sammy Snyders). When his parents go out of town they hire the umpteenth caregiver, a young woman from the local college (Jeannie Elias). The kid tries to convince her of a pit he’s discovered in the woods where meat-eating beasts dwell. Are these creatures real or simply his imagination?
"The Pit" (1981) is an obscure cult flick that meshes coming-of-age, psychological drama, black comedy and horror. It’s quite original with no predecessor, although it has bits of “The Child” (1977) and “Magic” (1978). It would influence future flicks like “Gremlins” (1984), “The Gate” (1987), “Blood Harvest” (1987) and, especially, “Pin” (1988).
The film only cost $1 million in 1980 yet, despite the limited production values, it delivers the goods as it successfully brings the viewer into the creative world of Jamie, the harassed protagonist. You understand his imaginary relationship with Teddy and his developing feelings for Sandy, as well as his angst toward his persecutors. Moreover, the story keeps you guessing about where it’s going.
The original script was written by Ian A. Stuart, but director Lew Lehman made some wise changes, like making the boy 12 years-old, rather than 8-9, not to mention adding bits of black humor.
Besides the lovely Jeannie Elias, the female cast includes Sonja Smits (teacher), Laura Hollingsworth (librarian) and Wendy Schmidt (Christina).
The film runs 1 hour, 36 minutes, and was shot in Wisconsin at Beaver Dam (town) and Waupun to the north (pit scenes), with the football scenes done in Oshkosh, further north. All of these areas are located northwest of Milwaukee, an hour or two away by car. Meanwhile the interiors of the pit with the tra-la-logs were done in the studio in Toronto.
GRADE: B+/A-