The Dead Pit

The Dead Pit
dvd cover
Directed by	Brett Leonard
Produced by	Gimel Everett
Written by	Brett Leonard Gimel Everett
Starring	Jeremy Slate Cheryl Lawson Stephen Gregory Foster Danny Gochnauer
Distributed by	Imperial Entertainment (VHS)
Release date(s)	1989
Running time	95 min.
Language	English

The Dead Pit is a 1989 United States horror film. It was co-written and directed by Brett Leonard.

Plot

The Dead Pit opens with Dr. Ramzi (Danny Gochnauer), a deviant who enjoys torturing his patients, being killed and buried in the basement of a mental health facility. Twenty years later, the hospital is running again and Jane Doe (Cheryl Lawson) arrives at the institute. Upon her arrival, a major earthquake rocks the building and unearths the now undead Dr. Ramzi and his legion of zombie patients.

Reaction

The Dead Pit surprised horror fans upon its release, receiving positive reviews in genre magazines such as Fangoria and Slaughterhouse. Drive-In critic Joe Bob Briggs gave the film four stars (his highest rating) and praised lead Cheryl Lawson's screaming ability.

Versions

• The original US VHS release from Imperial Entertainment housed the film in a relief cover that lit up the eyes of the main zombie when a button was pushed. This version was slightly cut to receive an R-rating.
• The US company Code Red DVD released the film on DVD June 17, 2008. Special features include commentaries from Brett Leonard and late actor Jeremy Slate as well as interviews with both and Cheryl Lawson, the original theatrical trailer, and other trailers for upcoming Code Red releases. The version released by Code Red is an unrated director's cut, featuring six additional minutes of footage cut for an R rating.

External links

• The Dead Pit at the Internet Movie Database