It's remarkable how good this little-seen cult film is, especially considering it was filmed in rural Wisconsin. The story centers on a boy living outside Milwaukee who uses his imagination to deal with being an outsider (Sammy Snyders). When his parents leave town, they bring in another babysitter, a college student from the area (Jeannie Elias). He attempts to persuade her that he’s found a hole in the woods inhabited by flesh-eating monsters. The question is whether these creatures are real or simply products of his mind. "The Pit," released in 1981, is an unusual cult film blending elements of growing up, psychological tension, dark humor, and horror. It feels like nothing else out there, although it borrows some ideas from films such as "The Child" (1977) and “Magic” (1978). Later movies like "Gremlins" (1984), "The Gate" (1987), "Blood Harvest" (1987), and particularly "Pin" (1988) owe a debt to it. Made for just $1 million in 1980, the film manages to pull you into the imaginative world of Jamie, the troubled main character, despite its modest production values. You can relate to his imaginary bond with Teddy and his growing feelings for Sandy, as well as his frustration with those who make fun of him. The narrative also keeps you wondering what will happen next. Ian A. Stuart wrote the initial screenplay, but director Lew Lehman made some smart adjustments, such as increasing the boy’s age from 8 or 9 to 12, and adding touches of dark comedy. In addition to Jeannie Elias, the film features Sonja Smits (as a teacher), Laura Hollingsworth (a librarian) and Wendy Schmidt (Christina). The movie has a running time of 1 hour, 36 minutes and was filmed in Wisconsin locations like Beaver Dam and Waupun (for the pit scenes), both north of Milwaukee. The football game sequences were shot further north in Oshkosh. The interior shots of the pit with the wooden structures were completed at a studio in Toronto. GRADE: B+/A-

Source on TMDB