The Pit (1981)

This cult classic tell the story Jamie, an autistic boy, who is picked on and unloved, so he tricks people into going out into the woods with him and pushes them into a pit full of monsters. Obviously this movie is awesome and it teaches people about the condition of autism. I've never known anyone diagnosed as autistic, but I've had my suspicions about a few people. Of course we are rooting for the kid, Jamie, in this movie, but he is not exactly an angel. He is a peeping tom, and the techniques he uses to harass the librarian, whom he is attracted too, are certainly elaborate and criminal.


I managed to find both versions of the artwork for this movie.
The pacing in this movie is a little off. We have a good chunk of the film with no killings, and then three scenes in a row of people being pushed into the pit. Fortunately, Jamie is a joy to watch. He wants to help the monsters in the hole, the tra-la-logs, and has discussions with his teddy bear about how to do so. Teddy is not really alive, his voice sounds like an echoing version of Jamie's, but in one inexplicable scene, Teddy turns his head when he is alone in the room.

Towards the end of the movie, Jamie manages to get the tra-la-logs out of the pit, and the movie focuses more on their rampage across the countryside than it does on Jamie's inner conflicts. This is unfortunate, though the tra-la-logs do have a good look.

The imdb fun fact about this movie is that director Lew Lehman's wife refused to let him shoot the nude scenes, except for the one in the lake, because the actress in that scene was his daughter.

The final scene in this movie is awesome, I saw it coming, but I've watched a billion of these movies. You might be in for a shock.


Do think there might be a pit of forgotten prehistoric tra-la-logs in real life? Maybe one near our apartment?

I believe that there may in fact be some prehistoric tra-la-logs on the other side of our bedroom wall. For I have oftentimes come home and witnessed Mishu (my bear) staring at the wall speaking to God knows what. Tra-la-logs perhaps? That may also explain all the missing food in our apartment!

After we saw Jamie talking to his Teddy, were you upset to see me talking to my bear, Mishu?

It was a bit upsetting to see you talk to Mishu more than me, cause he doesn't even truly love like a cub should love. Mishu does sound creepy and I know he caught it all from Teddy. Bad influence. Keep Mishu sweet and innocent!