The Pit (film)
| The Pit / Teddy | |
|---|---|
 Poster |
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| Directed by | Lew Lehman |
| Produced by | Bennet Fode/John F. Bassett (executive producer) |
| Written by | Ian A. Stuart |
| Starring | Sammy Snyders |
| Music by | Victor Davies |
| Cinematography | Manfred Guthe |
| Editing by | Rik Morden |
| Distributed by | Amulet Pictures/Ambassador Film Distributors/New World Pictures/Embassy Home Entertainment |
| Release date(s) | October 23 1981 |
| Running time | 92-97 min |
| Country |  Canada |
| Language | English |
The Pit is a 1981 horror film starring Sammy Snyders. Although it is a Canadian production, it was actually filmed in Wisconsin.
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[edit] Plot
Jamie Benjamin is a misfit 12 year old boy, hated by both his classmates and the adults who live in his small town. His only friend is a stuffed bear named Teddy, whom he regularly holds conversations with. On the cusp of puberty, Jamie develops an unhealthy obsession with girls. So when his parents go away on a business trip and leave the attractive psychology student Sandy O’Reilly to babysit him, he falls completely in love with her.
In the forest, Jamie has found a pit full of mysterious creatures, which he calls “Tra-la-logs”. Although he decides to take care of them by feeding them raw meat, he soon runs out of money. Teddy suggests feeding the people who tormented him to the Tra-la-logs, and Jamie takes his advice. After he runs out of people, he takes Sandy to the pit, where she accidentally falls in and is eaten by the monsters. Heartbroken and angry, Jamie lowers a rope into the pit, and the Tra-la-logs escape. After rampaging through the town, they are shot by the local militia and buried in the pit. In order to avoid panic, the killings are blamed on “wild dogs”. Jamie, now completely unstable, meets a girl who has a similar life. But she has a secret. Another pit in the woods.
[edit] Production
Ian A. Stuart’s original screenplay was considerably different than the final film. In his screenplay, Jamie was 8 or 9 years old, and the Tra-la-logs were figments of his imagination. When Lew Lehman signed on to direct, he made Jamie older, the monsters real, and added more humor to the original script. Stuart has expressed dissatisfaction with the final result.[1]
[edit] Reception
The film was shot in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, and released in theatres in 1981. Due to its unusual premise and Sammy Snyders' effective performance, it has retained a small cult following.
[edit] Novelization
Teddy by John Gault is a novelization of the film published in 1980.[2] It appears to be adhere closer to Ian A. Stuart's original screenplay than the finished film, containing more character development and a far darker tone.
[edit] Cast
- Sammy Snyders as Jamie Benjamin
- Jeannie Elias as Sandy O'Reilly
- Sonja Smits as Mrs. Lynde
- Laura Hollingsworth as Marg Livingstone
- John Auten as Library Janitor
- Laura Press as Mrs. Benjamin
- Paul Grisham as Freddy
- Wendy Schmidt as Christina
[edit] References
- ^ "Interview with Ian Stuart". http://www.badmovies.org/interviews/ianstuart/. Retrieved 2009-11-30.
- ^ Gault, John (1980). Teddy. New York: Bantam. ISBN 0770415989.
[edit] External links
- The Pit at the Internet Movie Database
- The Pit / Teddy at AllRovi
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