#pet sematary 2019 review

[hannahwatcheshorror]

PET SEMATARY (2019)

😿Cat Dies (then un-dies)

Nothing like slapping "Stephen King" on a bastardization of his classic book and turning it into an abortion of a movie. It started with such promise and then, was killed, buried, came back to life, and was mercifully ended by the rolling credits. Not a terrible movie but considering what it could have been? Only redeeming factor is that Rachel is much stronger in this movie than her character in the book and that makes it fun to root for her.

⭐⭐

Family gets a spooky cemetery for pets in a mad-lad land deal, and befriend the decidedly creepy old man neighbor (played by the ever versatile John Lithgow) who is pushed by unknown supernatural forces to show Papa Creed the mysterious burial ground behind the Pet Sematary that brings things back to life. And by things, we only mean pets, duh, who would want to bring a person back to life? Don't worry about that for now. (But later be VERY worried about that.)

Cat named Church comes back gross but all is well until the daughter gets ruined by a truck. Everyone is sad but Papa Creed has a brilliant plan, just bring her back to life! He drugs Jud (because Papa Creed cannot fight off that 80 year old stallion) and casually carries a 9 year old a few miles into the woods. She comes back crickling her bones and being very evil and spooky. Baby girl butcher's Jud, then Mama Creed, buries her in the magic cemetery, Mama kills Papa, they both bury him, and the happy little undead family goes back to pick up the 2 year old son from Grammy and Grandpas! Reunited at last. 

When comparing this movie to the book it was like an aspiring writer read the Wikipedia quick summary of Pet Sematary and said, "I can write this just like Big Daddy King did!" But couldn't do that at all and instead just made a bad movie. Not the slow creep the book was. Lacked all the gut wrenching horror of losing a loved one and the undeniable and unreasonable grief that comes with it which could lead any sane person to extreme measures. In the year 2000 Stephen King called Pet Semetary the scariest book he had ever written and it's like they didn't care to express that primal fear at all, the undying love for your kin.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Pet Sematary (2019)

Between the 2019 and 1989 adaptations of Stephen King's Pet Sematary, there's no contest but the newer take still suffers from the flaws present in the original text. If you’re looking for a good horror movie, you’ll be able to overlook them. The movie’s got a lot of atmosphere and is genuinely creepy. In some ways, it even improves upon the original story.

Louis Creed (Jason Clarke) moves into a house near the small town of Ludlow with his wife Rachel (Amy Seimetz), their 8-year-old daughter Ellie (Jeté Laurence) and young son Gauge (Hugo and Lucas Lavoie). Though nothing is outright wrong with their new home, something about the place makes them uneasy. When Ellie’s cat is killed on the road, Louis’ neighbor, Jud (John Lithgow), instructs him to bury the animal past the local “Pet Sematary”, in an ancient burial ground with strange properties.

Writer Jeff Buhler really should’ve taken notes from Christine and ditched the film’s ghost (played by Obssa Ahmed) to give us more time with the family. Although the pull of the ancient burial ground is present throughout, it wouldn’t have hurt to show us a bit more - in the process allowing the developments to breathe. As is, the film is speeding through everything. Considering the 101-minute running time, that’s impressive.

Also impressive are the ways the picture finds to creep you out. There are several eerie dream sequences, all well done. They always begin with that weird dream logic and take a dark turn that makes it clear something’s amiss but not in a way that’s too ominous - at least not to characters who don’t know they’re in a horror movie. Too often, however, the atmosphere is overly done. The creepy kids wearing animal masks for their pet's funeral procession don’t add anything to the story except a sensation of unease and the characters affected by the burial ground are a bit too obviously off. More breathing room between the hints of incoming danger would’ve done the picture a lot of good.

This adaptation is at its best during the second half when Jeté Laurence as Ellie gets a lot more attention. She’s terrific whether she's being sweet or ominous. The scenes of Ellie and Jud are particularly effective, and give the ending a punch. Focussing the conclusion on the way the burial ground affects her - rather than Gage, like in the last adaptation - makes for some surprises even if this isn't your first visit to the cemetery.

Pet Sematary on a dark and appropriately bleak note. It’s moody and creepy. The performances are quite good, particularly the side characters. The dream sequences are effective. Sometimes it tries too hard to scare or is unfortunately shackled to the source material. If you like the original film, this is an improvement. If you like the book, it stays faithful and mixes things up a bit to be unpredictable. Down the line, we will probably get another take that polishes the rough edges and gives us a truly nightmare-inducing rendition of this tale but in the meantime, there’s plenty to like here. (June 5, 2020)

[goryhorroor]

do you have the full list for horror movies condemned by the church? Thank you

so there's kinda seperate lists for it, ones condemned by the Legion of Decency, during the years of

Legion of Decency (before it was stopped in 1978):

Rosemary's Baby (because it depicts satanism)

The Devils

The Wicker Man (promotion of sexuality & violence)

Lemora, A Child's Tale of Supernatural

The Rocky Horror Picture Show (promotion of sexuality)

Carrie

The Omen (because it depicts that idea that there is an antichrist in the book of revelations)

J.D.'s Revenge

Dawn of the Dead

The Exorcist (this one is so-so because it was still banned for its profanity & sexual situation, but it's not like they hated the idea that it promoted the catholic church; no the church did not help the exorcist production)

These modern ones morally offended the Catholic Church (this list is offically complete from starting in 2003-July 2022, since OSC News took them over to do movies reviews)

28 Weeks Later

30 Days Later

The Belko Experiment

Black Swan

Brightburn

The Cabin in the Woods

Candyman (newer one)

Child's Play (remake)

The Collection & The Collector

The Crazies (remake)

Crimson Peak

The Descent

The Devil's Rejects

The Devil Inside

The Evil Dead (remake)

Final Destination 3 & 5

The entire of the Purge movies

Freaky

Friday the 13th (remake)

Friend Request

Fright Night (remake)

The Green Inferno

The Grudge (remake: 2019)

Halloween (remake: 2007) & Halloween II

Halloween (2018) & Halloween Kills

Hell Fest

High Tension

The Hills Have Eyes (remake)

Hostel & Part 2

The Hunt

It Follows

It Chapter 2

Jennifer's Body

Jigsaw (2017)

The Last House on the Left (remake)

Let me In

Ma

Malignant

Midsommar

Mother!

My Bloody Valentine (remake)

My Soul to Take

A Nightmare on Elm Street (remake)

One Missed Call (remake)

Pet Sematary (remake)

Piranha 3d

Prometheus

Ready or Not

The Ruins

All Saw movies

Scream (2022) & Scream 4

Shark Night 3D

Silent Hill

Slither

Sorority Row

Spiral

Splice

The Stepfather (remake)

The Strangers: Prey at Night

Studio 666

The Texas Chainsaw 3D

Tusk

Underworld series

Unfriended

We Summon the Darkness

Wolf Creek

X

You're Next

Zombieland 2

[obsessiveviewer]

086 - Khef - The Way Station (The Dark Tower I: The Gunslinger Part 2)

In this episode, Tiny and I continue our journey to The Dark Tower with a discussion of The Gunslinger chapter 2: The Way Station.

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Part 2: The Way Station - 40:05

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    Matt’s Top 19 King Novels

    11/22/63

It

Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower IV)

Pet Sematary

Misery

The Shining

The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower II)

The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower VII)

The Stand

The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower III)

Under the Dome

Billy Summers

Christine

Doctor Sleep

Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower V)

The Dead Zone

The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower I)

Revival

End of Watch

    Matt’s Top 19 King Adaptations

    The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

The Shining (1980)

It (2017)

11.22.63 (2016) - Miniseries

The Mist (2007)

Doctor Sleep (2019)

Misery (1990)

Castle Rock (2018) - Series

Creepshow (1982)

Stand by Me (1986)

Gerald's Game (2017)

Christine (1983)

Pet Sematary (1989)

The Dead Zone (1983)

Cujo (1983)

Carrie (1976)

The Shining (1997) - Miniseries

In the Tall Grass (2019)

Sometimes They Come Back (1991)

    Tiny’s Top 19 King Novels

    The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower VII)

Misery

The Stand

The Shining

The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower II)

The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower I)

Christine

Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower IV)

It

Cujo

The Dead Zone

Mr. Mercedes

Gerald’s Game

Pet Sematary

Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower V)

Salem’s Lot

Under the Dome

11/22/63

The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower III)

    Tiny’s Top 19 King Adaptations

    Doctor Sleep (2019)

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

It (2017)

Christine (1983)

The Shining (1980)

Stand By Me (1986)

The Mist (2007)

Misery (1990)

Creepshow (1982)

The Green Mile (1999)

Apt Pupil (1998)

Geralds Game (2017)

The Outsider (2019) - Miniseries

The Stand (1994)

The Shining (1997) - Miniseries

Lisey’s Story (2021) - Miniseries

1922 (2017)

11/22/63 (2016) - Miniseries

It (1990) - Miniseries

Find more of the show at TowerJunkiesPod.com

[gbhbl]

Horror Movie Review: Pet Sematary: Bloodlines (2023)

Pet Sematary: Bloodlines sees Paramount dragging the corpse of this franchise, burying it in the shallow depths of their personal cursed ground, and gleefully watching as it drunkenly staggers around afterwards. All while expecting it to make a ton of money with its shambolic performance.

In 1989, one of the rare ‘good’ adaptions of a good Stephen King property was released. Called Pet Sematary, the story was simple, telling the tale of a cursed Indian burial ground site that had the power to reanimate the dead. However, they came back changed, and the result for the living was always bad – sometimes dead is better. In 2019, mainstream horror being bereft of fresh ideas, a…

[themovieblogonline]

Pet Sematary: Bloodlines Review: A Grave Disappointment

Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, the much-anticipated prequel to 2019's Pet Sematary, ventures into the territory of horror with the subtlety of a sledgehammer and the finesse of a bulldozer. Directed by Lindsey Anderson Beer in her directorial debut and co-written with Jeff Buhler, the film seems to misunderstand the essence of horror storytelling. Despite its impressive cast, featuring talents like Jackson White, Natalie Alyn Lind, and Henry Thomas, the movie fails to rise above the mediocre, delivering a narrative that feels more like a reanimated corpse than a fresh take on the Pet Sematary universe. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IgQpRyfwbE The premise, set in 1969, promises an intriguing backstory to the events of the previous film. Young Jud Crandall (Jackson White), the central character, discovers a cemetery where the dead can come back to life, setting the stage for a potentially chilling exploration of the dark forces that haunt Ludlow. However, any hopes of a compelling narrative are quickly buried under the weight of lackluster writing and uninspired direction. One of the film's glaring issues lies in its inability to create a sense of tension or dread. The horror elements, which should be the backbone of any film in this genre, are poorly executed. Instead of relying on psychological horror or building an atmosphere of suspense, Pet Sematary: Bloodlines resorts to cheap jump scares and gratuitous gore. The scares are predictable, often telegraphed from miles away, robbing them of any impact they might have had. It's a horror film that seems to have mistaken loud noises and excessive blood for genuine frights, leaving the audience more likely to roll their eyes than clutch their seats in fear. The characters, despite the efforts of the talented cast, are disappointingly one-dimensional. Jud Crandall, portrayed by Jackson White, fails to evoke empathy or curiosity. His journey from an innocent young man to a terrified victim lacks depth, leaving viewers detached from his plight. Even the supporting characters, portrayed by actors like Natalie Alyn Lind and Henry Thomas, are given little substance to work with, making it hard to invest emotionally in their fates. Furthermore, the film's attempts at exploring themes of family, legacy, and the consequences of tampering with the natural order fall flat. The exploration feels shallow, as if the filmmakers merely scratched the surface without delving into the profound and unsettling questions that the source material, penned by the masterful Stephen King, is known for. Instead of thought-provoking contemplation, the audience is left with a series of clichéd tropes and uninspired dialogues that add nothing substantial to the overarching narrative. The visual aspect of the film, while competent, does little to salvage the overall experience. The period setting of 1969 is captured adequately, but the cinematography lacks the visual flair to make it memorable. There is a missed opportunity here to create a visually immersive experience that could have elevated the film beyond its lackluster storytelling. Sadly, Pet Sematary: Bloodlines settles for mediocrity even in its technical aspects, failing to leave a lasting impression on the audience. Pet Sematary: Bloodlines is a lackluster addition to the franchise. Despite the potential offered by its intriguing premise and talented cast, the film falls victim to its uninspired direction, weak writing, and a fundamental misunderstanding of what makes a horror film truly terrifying. It neither honors the legacy of Stephen King's original novel nor adds anything meaningful to the lore of Pet Sematary. For horror enthusiasts seeking genuine chills and a compelling narrative, this film is better left buried in the graveyard of forgettable cinema. Read the full article

[don-lichterman]

Michael Jordan, Tech News & Sunset Daily Movie News, Superman Legacy, Pet Sematary, Bloodlines 2, M3Gan 2.0, Frozen 3 and More New Movie Trailers for upcoming film releases added today!

Sunset Daily

October 5, 2023

Welcome to Sunset Daily Movie News, your go-to source for all the latest updates and insider information on your favorite films and upcoming movie releases! We are thrilled to bring you some exciting news today about several highly anticipated movies that are sure to get your heart racing and leave you on the edge of your seat. New Trailers were added at Sunset Daily today.

For all you superhero fans out there, get ready for the action-packed and highly anticipated Superman Legacy! This movie promises to deliver the excitement and adventure that fans of the genre have been craving for years.

If you’re looking for something a little more terrifying, then you won’t want to miss the bone-chilling follow-up to the 2019 horror hit, Pet Sematary Bloodlines 2. This movie is sure to keep you up at night and leave you with goosebumps for days.

For those who loved the original M3Gan movie, you’ll be thrilled to know that the sequel, M3Gan 2.0, is on its way! This movie promises even more robot action and adventure than the first, and is sure to be a must-see for fans of the sci-fi genre.

Last but not least, we are thrilled to confirm that Frozen 3 is currently in the works! Fans of the beloved animated movie can rest easy knowing that they will soon be reunited with their favorite characters, and can expect the same heartwarming tale of sisterhood and self-discovery that they fell in love with in the first two films.

Also, Michael Jordan is one of the most successful and celebrated basketball stars of all time, SZA Postpones Toronto Concert Last Minute Due to Illness.

Dubai has been ranked first in the Middle East and North Africa region and 15th in the world in a list of the best cities in the world to work in the technology sector, and, in India News, CM Conrad Sangma Launches Meghalaya Grassroots!

Sunset Daily just added the official new movie trailer for Lego Jurassic Park The Unofficial Retelling, Thanksgiving, The Beekeeper and more trailers added daily!

Stay tuned for more news and updates from Sunset Daily Movie News – your one-stop-spot for all the latest movie news and reviews.

Follow us to stay up-to-date and never miss a beat!

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[nightmareonfilmstreet]

[Podcast] PET SEMATARY (2019): Drive Home From the Drive-In Review (Patreon Exclusive)

[Podcast] PET SEMATARY (2019): Drive Home From the Drive-In Review (Patreon Exclusive)

Join us for a Patreon Exclusive Drive Home from the Drive-In Episode of Nightmare on Film Street, where Kim and Jon dissect Pet Sematary (2019) – straight out of the movie theater! How will this Stephen King adaptation measure up? Is it as terrifying as the 1989 film? Does Church the Cat get enough screen time? Listen now to find out!

LISTEN NOW ON PATREON

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[g0thallie]

Watched Pet Sematary and actually really enjoyed it. The original 1989 film still has the bar raised though and will always be the Pet Sematary for me, while the new one felt more of a stand alone film that has a different take (some changes I felt were unnecessary but one twist I thought was pretty cool). If you're a fan of the original film and novel then I still suggest giving the new film a watch.

[lizzybgood]

Well, I'm glad I only paid $1.75 to see Pet Semetary from Redbox. I always had a problem with the name for the book and movie seeing nothing happened AT the Pet Semetary. Everything happens at the other burial site.

Well, the little girl did a great job, she was sufficiently scary.

[jessisreadingblog-blog]

Pet Sematary (1989) - movie review

This week I finished re-reading “Pet Sematary” and right afterwards I re-watched the 1989 movie.

The book review is already up and, as promised, here’s the movie review!

Please be aware that this review is FULL of spoilers for both the book and the movie – you’ve been warned 😉

 Main differences between the book and the movie

After the Creeds’ arrival in Ludlow´, Gage gets stung by a bee in the book, which leads to the introduction of Jud, who pulls out the bee sting. The movie is a bit more dramatic and foreshadowing. While Ellie has her little accident with the tire swing, everyone is focused on her and Gage walks to the road and almost gets hit by a truck but is saved by Jud. This is not a bad change at all. However, what I found a little weird is Rachel’s reaction. Yes, she’s relieved and thanks Jud, but if this had been my kid, I would have been a lot shakier afterwards, especially after being on the edge already after the long drive and Ellie falling off the swing … Considering how Rachel usually reacts to the potential of someone dying, this came across as a little weird. 

Norma, Jud’s wife, is not in the movie. Instead they kill off Missy Dandridge, who’s a completely different character than the kind lady who watches the kids sometimes and is very much alive in the end of the book. In the movie she doesn’t die of a heart attack, like Norma, but, believing she has cancer, she hangs herself.  That’s an acceptable change, too. In the movie they only have so much time, so it’s ok to leave out Norma’s storyline, although I’m sure that no one really cares about Missy’s death as I cared about Norma’s death in the book. She’s not really likeable, which is a pity. They could have made her just a little nicer, interact with the kids once or twice, to make people actually care before killing her.

It’s not dark when Jud finds Church dead and it’s still day when they head for the Micmac burial ground. I first thought this was a bad idea – it’s much less creepy – but I guess it was done because it made the next time, when Louis brings Gage there, more effective. I still don’t really like it, this scene had much more potential. For me Louis’ two walks to the burial ground were by far the creepiest scenes in the book. The wild, hysterical laugh of the Wendigo never fails to make me shudder, no matter how often I read this book. In the movie there are just some weird sounds that could probably really be birds.

Speaking of the Wendigo: There’s no Wendigo in the movie! In fact, there’s no background story to the burial ground at all. We only know that “the ground went sour”, for whatever reason.  I would have liked the background story and the menacing presence of the Wendigo.

The cairns on the burial ground don’t look like someone dug himself out as they are described in the book.

When Church comes back, he’s more aggressive than in the book. I have no idea why Louis lets this thing anywhere near his kids. At the same time, he isn’t at all clumsier or dumber like he is in the book, but it’s difficult to have a cat act like that so I get it.  

The same goes for Spot, Jud’s dog. When Jud tells Louis about him in the book, he says that Spot always remained a good dog. When he came back from the dead and scared Jud’s mother it was just by standing there and cornering her, by accident or on purpose.

In the movie he growls at her – and again, I have no idea why they kept that thing until he died of old age. And if the dog was so aggressive, why in the world would Jud tell Louis to bury his cat there, knowing there are two small children in the household? Even the dark power of the burial ground couldn’t convince me that that’s a good idea.  

The story about Timmy Baterman, the young man who died in WWII was brought back to life by his father when Jud was still a young man, is far creepier in the book. In the movie he’s just this savage, dumbed down version of a human, kind of like a zombie. He even chews on a little girl’s leg! By the way: I’m so confused about that! Did he dig it out of a grave or did he kill the girl to get it? And if it’s the latter – why doesn’t Jud mention that he didn’t just walk creepily back and forth in their town, scaring housewives, but also stole and ate little girls? Anyway, in the book he’s malicious and knows the darkest secrets about everyone, playing mind games with Jud and his friends, and Jud uses the word “demon” to describe him.  

Timmy’s end is also very different. In the movie the men from the town set the house on fire with Timmy and his father in it. Bill, the father, tries to get himself and Timmy out, but Timmy drags them both into the flames, which makes it seem like he himself prefers death.  In the book it’s Bill himself who kills Timmy, sets the house with both of them in on fire and then shoots himself. That solution is far better. The book tries to give the girl-eating, housewife-scaring zombie thing without the demon vibe a tragic touch. Of course that tragic touch is also there in the book but the demon, or whatever it is in Timmy’s body, doesn’t commit suicide.

After Gage’s death, the movie version of Louis goes to the cemetery by bright daylight and stores his grave robbery equipment there. Isn’t that a bit risky? The place must have great power indeed to back up so much stupidity.

In the book Louis only sees Pascow once after his death, namely in his “dream” from which he wakes up with dirty feet (in the book he reacts to that far more strongly, which I missed a bit in the movie). Later, after Gage’s death, only Ellie sees him in her dreams. In the movie Rachel feels his presence, too, as he’s trying to make her go home and get there more quickly, so she’s potentially able to help Louis. Not the best idea from the beyond as it turns out, and in the end it makes Ellie an orphan, but nobody’s perfect, not even the helpful spirits.  

When Gage comes back, he’s different in the movie than he is in the book. Thankfully, he’s not like the movie version of Timmy Baterman but the mind games are fare more harmless, which is again due to the age of the young actor and understandable.

In the book, a moment before his death, Gage is himself once more, calling out to Louis with the word “Daddy”, which literally made me cry. In the movie he walks away from Louis, looking like a sulking kid (which isn’t bad either) and says “Not fair”, and before he dies, he growls again, showing that he’s not at all himself. For me that’s not nearly as intense but it doesn’t ruin anything.

When Louis carries Rachel away from Jud’s house and towards the woods, he again encounters Pascow, who tries to talk sense into him one last time. In the book it’s Louis’ colleague and friend who finds him, but he doesn’t play any role in the movie, so it makes sense that he doesn’t show up there.

What I liked

The actors are great, especially Jud. He’s exactly like I always picture him reading the book. Gage and Ellie are adorable, which makes Gage’s death and Ellie’s mourning and fear for her father even more intense. Dale Midkiff (Louis) may not be the best actor int he world but he’s not as bad as some say.

The music is perfect and positively creepy. The movie relies mostly on atmosphere and slow build-up.

Zelda! Everything about her is perfect and so scary! Fun fact: She’s played by a man because they couldn’t find a woman who was skinny enough and could still be scary.

The scene of Church coming back is great, with the remains of the plastic bag, in which he was buried, still in his whiskers, just like in the book, and him indeed looking more menacing at Louis than before his death.  

I loved the Stephen King cameo – he’s playing the priest at Missy’s funeral.

At Missy’s funeral Ellie is wearing the marine blue dress she wore at Norma’s in the book; that’s just one of the nice little details they adapted from the book – there are many more.

I very much like how Pascow keeps interfering. He replaces Rachel’s inner struggle in Chicago and on her way home which we wouldn’t be able to see otherwise in the movie.

The second time Louis goes up to the burial ground is well done, with the blue fog and the noises and all. At least up to a certain point which is mentioned in the “What I didn’t like” section.

Gage killing Jud is well-done, even if it’s different from the book.

Except for Pascow following and helping her, Rachel’s way home is faithful to the book. Even the way she meets Gage and her untimely demise is quite faithful, with her first seeing Zelda and all. BUT if a small kid runs towards you with a scalpel openly in hand, no matter if he came back from the dead or not, the first think I would do is take the scalpel out of his hand. In the books he makes the effort of hiding it behind his back. Still, it’s a very good scene.

Gage calling Louis at home, making him realise that he killed Jud and Rachel.

Louis killing Church again is also well-done, and so is Louis killing Gage – this bone chilling little boy’s cry when Louis sticks the needle in his throat is so hard to bear. Just one thing (and I’m really nit-picking now, which is why this is not going to the “What I didn’t like” section): Why is Louis wearing medical gloves when he kills Church? Aren’t we beyond the point of caring about things like that? Also: He doesn’t wear gloves when he kills Gage.

Louis bringing Rachel to the burial ground and waiting for her and her coming back. It’s mostly well done.  

What I didn’t like

This is a minor complaint, but the scenes with Pascow can become a little cheesy at times. At the end of Louis’ “dream” he didn’t have to float away, they could have just zoomed in on Louis and let him wake up. The last scene with Pascow and Rachel was even worse. You know, when she gets out of the truck and he just closes the door and decides to stick with the trucker (why can he do that and most of all – why doesn’t anyone notice?).

Why are there stupid-looking kids standing around in Rachel’s house when she runs down the stairs after Zelda’s death? Can anyone explain that to me? I never understood that. I mean, she was alone with her sister when she died, she says that to Louis, in the book and in the movie. I don’t know about you but creepy neighbourhood kids have no way of entering my home without permission.

Another thing involving Pascow: Before he dies, he says that the soil in a man’s heart is stonier; later Jud repeats that sentence and when Louis is shocked about that we see a flashback to Pascow to remind us that he said it before. I don’t like it when a movie takes me for a fool, I’m perfectly capable of making the connection myself and don’t need cheap tricks like two-second-flashback for that, thank you very much.

When Louis climbs up to the burial ground with Gage in his arms, a jump-scare-face suddenly rushes towards him out of nowhere. Why would the face of a regular guy rush towards him? Is that Jud? Even with the screenshot I’m not sure but I’m starting to think it’s Jud (which never occurred to me in during the scene because it’s so fast). But it doesn’t matter because that would make even less sense. In the book the Wendigo comes so close to him and it’s such a scary scene and yes, he does see a face, but that of a spirit, demon or whatever, not that of a face coming out of nowhere just to make us jump and to look stupid. If they left out the Wendigo, they could have left out that s***, too.

The Gage puppet/doll/whatever this thing is! I get that you can’t make a little child act in scenes like the ones in towards the end, but the puppet thing is just so ridiculous! It always makes me think of Chucky and this is when I can’t take it seriously anymore and everything that might be creepy about a scene is completely ruined. And how did Chucky … I mean Gage … get Rachel’s corpse to the attic to drop it in front of Louis? He might be undead, but he’s still tiny!

Louis waiting for Rachel. Yes, I know, this is in the “What I liked” section, too, but it deserves to be in both. I mean – Louis is setting the alarm clock and right when it rings, Rachel comes back. Really? Has he become such an expert in raising the dead that he knows the exact time they will reappear? He didn’t even see when exactly Church and Gage came back.

Also, his hands are perfectly intact. Like in the book, he brings Rachel to the burial ground without any shovel or whatever to help him dig, so he does it with his bare hands. In the books his hands are ruined, which makes sense, in the movie they’re perfectly fine, which doesn’t make sense. Otherwise, the scene is good!  I didn’t even notice the thing with his hands before I read the novel, by then I had seen the movie twice.  

Is it a faithful adaptation?

Yes, definitely.

Even in very first scene, while the camera slowly moves through the pet cemetery, there’s a voice-over of some of the kids who buried their pets there, reading the inscriptions on the grave markers, which are exactly the same as the ones in the book.

A lot of the dialogue is the same as in the book, word by word.

The story, despite a few changes of which some where necessary because it is a different medium, is mainly the same.

The main characters are very true to their book counterparts, there are so many small details you will notice that are exactly the same in the book.

Is it a good movie?

I think it is. It has a creepy atmosphere, does not rely entirely on jump scares, as so many modern horror movies do, and the soundtrack is perfect! It has its flaws, some scenes have not aged well, but it’s still a very good, atmospheric horror movie and a mostly faithful adaptation to the source material.

The new movie

I am so hyped! Yes, I know the movie won’t be as faithful to the novel as the first one but we already have a faithful adaptation and in some scenes (GAGE PUPPET!) it didn’t work out.

I don’t want the kid to be replaced with a puppet or CGI effects – so it’s such a good thing that Ellie is the one who dies and comes back because the actress playing her will be old enough to do so convincingly. Gage is a good choice for the book and Ellie is a good choice for the movie.

There will be other changes so that even long-term fans like me will be surprised here and there. I will tell you what I think about these changes when I actually saw the movie because right now the only big change we know about for sure is that Rachel will be at home when Ellie comes back, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, the whole to Chicago and back again journey does take a lot of time.

What I also like is that the actress playing Zelda will be younger. In the first movie she’s an adult or almost an adult, in the book she’s only two years older than Rachel, which makes her 10 and therefore the whole story is even more terrifying and tragic. I can’t wait to see how that turns out!

I’m also so happy that the Wendigo will be addressed and I’m really looking forward to see how exactly that will be done.

Long story short: I can’t wait for the movie to come out and I’m not mad about the changes so far!

[hannahwatcheshorror]

CUJO (1983)

😿DOG DIES (duh), 💁‍♀️Strong Female Lead

The dog actor who played Cujo was phenomenal and I totally believed in his whole good boy gone bad (with rabies) routine. Much like the book, the movie is all about sitting and waiting which is a little boring to watch at times. This is a classic film about a classic King book so worth a watch but then I’d tell you the book is worth a read first (though be warned the content is rougher than the movie). It was nice to see the characters come to life and our strong female lead take care of her son and the dog.

⭐⭐⭐.5

Trigger Warning Sexual Abuse, Spinning Camera, Child Seizure, Mild Child Death

(SPOILERS FOR THE BOOK as well which ends differently from the movie if that matters to you (it matters to me))

I said to myself after a few drinks, I said, “Fuck it, let’s watch CUJO, lets watch this baby die, fuck this baby.” but really I am so sad for this child. I just came from an outdoor movie party where we were supposed to watch a spooky Halloween movie but instead we watched SING because a bunch of children were there and they wanted to watch SING, okay? So, yeah, I like kids and appreciate that they get their way even when I, an adult, want to watch a spooky movie during my favorite holiday month. BUT I don’t know when and where King decided that Tad was toast and I JUST WANNA TALK TO HIM ABOUT IT, OKAY? (No I will not put my knife down) 

ANYWAY. We barely get to meet Cujo before the rabies. The movie starts with him chasing a rabbit into the bat den and getting bitten. Sad! Tragic! For many reasons! I mean, that is also how the book basically starts but still! I am sad! (This isn’t a “comparing the movie to the book” review just like MISERY but still, I can’t help myself) Rabies is a wild sickness of brain rot and Cujo was/is a loyal dog but the disease is stronger than any dog or man will ever be. Poor bub. This is a cautionary tale. Please vaccinate your pets!

They did a really good job making a friendly dog look scary, the attacks are really alarming and feel like the animal is vicious even though if you really look you can catch the actor dog wagging his tail (dog actors will often do that when they are proud they are doing a good job, which is just precious). But this is a welcome turn of events because Church from PET SEMATARY 2019 just looked dirty and that didn’t make for a scary cat, just bad grooming (which can be scary), and while Cujo is certainly dirty, the watery eyes and overall energy he brings gives him the rabid touch that is so terrifying for this film in particular.

Cujo turns rabid by the time his boy and the mother are out of town and Cuj disposes of the father and his shady friend before our main characters Donna and Tad are unfortunate enough to roll their broken down car into the purebreds path. This is one of the more brutal Stephen King stories because of the waiting, the inaction, which is the best choice, but it is so painful. I can only compare it to GERALD’S GAME but even then she had plans going constantly, here it is just the brutality of the Maine Sun on their car.

Donna tries to leave once and gets wrecked by the dog, in front of Tad, which is horrifying for him to see, and of course then she is having the issue of contracting rabies probably, but no time for that because it is still time to SURVIVE this ordeal. All the while the husband is off trying to clean up an ad campaign disaster which is a big deal for him but absolutely not a big deal when you are literally fighting for your life. AND THE FACT THAT THE COP DOESN’T call in that there is blood on the doors of Donna’s vehicle right away is such a stupid move. I hate it and cannot believe it and missed it in the book but see it clearly in the movie and it is so obvious and STUPID. Also the movie randomly brings up the plot of the Camber family but never does anything with it which is a real shame, it is like they ran out of time with their own film. 

Okay. I have watched the end and now we have gone RADICALLY off book. And I gotta say. I don’t know how to feel. I am glad that there was a happy ending, but in that same breath it isn’t what the original story had in mind so I don’t really like the change. The movie literally ended on a freeze frame of the family all together, hell, Donna even found the gun and used it on Cujo, which was certainly not part of the book. It was actually specifically mentioned in the book that she didn’t know the location of the dropped service weapon that would have aided her so heavily but AGAIN, this is not a direct comparison, just bringing up some things of note.

This story was intended to be a tragedy, a cautionary tale of how so many bad choices can lead to something so terrible, but instead this movie ends with a miracle. I’m not sure that it works as well that way. Before it had this horrible weight to it and now the film ends on this light happy note and you go on with your day, when the book ended I was shell-shocked. Maybe the ending doesn’t need to be upsetting but it should be powerful and I think they undercut themselves by changing a Stephen King ending.

[adamwatchesmovies]

Crawl (2019)

There are A LOT of shark movies so it’s nice to see things mixed up a bit. By swapping out the finned predators with alligators, Crawl brings some freshness to this survival horror creature-feature.

As everyone barricades their houses and packs their bags to escape an incoming hurricane, Haley (Kaya Scodelario) attempts to get a hold of her father, Dave (Barry Pepper). When she finds him, he’s just barely conscious enough to warn her of the large alligator hiding in the basement they’re now trapped in.

Movies like this one are fun. Every time the camera pans around, you make a mental checklist of any tools on the ground, any door that might be forced open, and any aspect of the surroundings you (or the heroes) might take advantage of. Ah, but if only it were as easy as finding the one thing required to escape! Just when father and daughter have stabilized their situation, you notice how much the water’s risen. With every second, the aquatic reptiles gain more of an advantage. You constantly have to re-evaluate the options.

To ensure you’re invested in the story beyond the obvious “they’re people and you wouldn’t want to see anyone eaten by alligators”, there’s a nice subplot detailing the pain Haley feels over her parents’ divorce - a falling out she blames on the time Dave spent training her to be a star swimmer. Considering we’ll be spending most of the movie exclusively with them - there are a couple of people who show up here and there but they’re not nearly as adept at dodging reptile bits as these two are - it’s a nice touch.

My one major criticism concerns the injuries sustained by Haley and her dad. It’s almost like a slasher movie where each limb is a person. As she edges her way through the mud as quietly as possible, you worry about her feet. When she has a hand outstretched forward to hold a flashlight, you wonder if teeth will suddenly gobble up her other arm. When teeth do penetrate flesh it’s delightfully yuck! But the injuries are too easily shaken off and it robs the film of some of its tension.

Crawl has some nice moments that’ll make you jump. The beasties being able to move through both water and land makes for a nice variety of danger-filled moments and the natural perils which accompany a hurricane make for a credible scenario that keeps you wondering “what’s next?”. You'll enjoy yourself, but I recommend you get out as soon as it ends. This is the second horror movie this year (the first being Pet Sematary) which ends on a high note and then gives you tonal whiplash by blasting a song which totally does not fit what you just saw as the credits start scrolling. Catchy tune though. (Theatrical version on the big screen, July 13, 2019)

[howsermax]

Thoughts on Pet Sematary (2019)

So I saw Pet Sematary in theaters a few days back, and I’ve gotta say, I was deeply, deeply disappointed. While I love the 1989 film about as much as I love the book, with the screenplay for the film being one of the only good screenplays written by King himself, it was admittedly in dire need of an upgrade. From Louis Creed’s hilarious line delivery, to the obvious switching to a Chucky-style doll during certain scenes with Gage, to the cinematography, the problems with the 1989 version of the flick were only in execution. The story could have been kept entirely the same (with a more ambiguous, book accurate ending), and it could have been an amazing remake. But instead, we got a very disappointing film.

First, I’ll go over what I liked. The cinematography, while gray, was still pretty creative at times in terms of camera movement. All the actors do a pretty good job for the most part, however, Ellie only does a good job after she dies. The practical effects were all pretty amazing, even though Ellie could have used a little more rot. The score is also pretty memorable and interesting. Surprisingly, the movie makes a few changes to the source material I actually really welcome. For example, the Zelda storyline is changed up in a way where it makes more sense why Rachel’s feeling of disgust towards Zelda added to her guilt by making Zelda’s death directly involve Rachel’s reluctance to interact with her. The Zelda flashbacks also have very creative transitions. However, those are all the praises I can really sing for this movie.

The writing is the most noticeable flaw with this movie. The characters never once talk like real people, they simplify story concepts way too often (for example, Rachel’s feelings of guilt in the first place are barely explored), and the movie brings up it’s themes of coping with death and loss in the most amazingly ham-fisted and basic ways possible. After Ellie asks about what will happen when Church dies, Rachel and Louis share a conversation IN PRIVATE about whether or not they believe in the afterlife. The movie quite literally decides it’s going to directly tell the audience that the character who is a surgeon doesn’t believe in the afterlife. Keep in mind, this isn’t really written into any other aspects of his character. I really don’t think these writers passed Screenwriting 101.

But on the other hand, the movie also has a recurring tendency to forget to write about the themes of the story altogether. For example, Pascow is criminally underused in this movie. You may remember in the original movie, Pascow was extremely important, as he spent his screen time trying to stop Louis from trying to cross the barrier between life and death, so Louis can learn to accept death. However, Remake Pascow is the most vague, boring, cookie-cutter horror movie ghost you can imagine, complete with never explaining what he means, and not influencing the events around him. Pascow also doesn’t appear at all during the ending. The writers genuinely don’t understand the importance he serves to the themes of the story. But his underuse is the least of this movie’s problems.

Now, I don’t have a problem with just the concept of changing things from book/old movie to movie. It’s necessary at times, and this remake has some welcome changes up it’s sleeve. However, this movie is almost entirely full of unnecessary changes that make the movie worse in one way or another. The first one I want to talk about is the decision to have Ellie be killed on the road rather than Gage. This is something that was explicitly revealed in the trailer to anyone who remembers the original story, and what’s worse? They extensively spoke about this major plot point in the film industry press surrounding the movie before release. I get that the trailer thing is a topic for a separate nerd tirade, but I can’t describe how stupid it was of these producers to talk about such a big change pre-release. Even though it’s a remake, it’s kind of alienating to movie-goers who don’t know the classic Pet Sematary story somehow. The filmmakers extensively spoke about how they made the change so that the resurrected child could be bigger and more threatening, though I think they were too weak to give us the true depressing movie we came here to watch. Because I guess movie audiences are somehow more emotional than they were 30 years ago? Comparing this attitude to how they actually put the scene together, it looks more like they were trying to pull an ol’ switcharoo on the people who know the story. Which begs the question: WHY ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT IT IN PLACES WHERE POTENTIAL MOVIE VIEWERS CAN SEE IT??

Another huge issue I have with this movie is how fucking seriously it takes itself. The original had a very light sheen of comedy to it, think something similar to An American Werewolf in London. This is extremely prevalent in the scenes involving Pascow, where he casually stands around the afterlife, contrasting against everything and everyone as a walking corpse that nobody can see. The remake genuinely lacks all intentional comedy, which makes it really really hard to actually remember the experience, or care about it. It also ends up making certain parts of the movie unintentionally funny. For example, during the scene where Louis does his internet research on the Pet Sematary, he finds a fucking newspaper clipping about a literal fucking bison being implied to have been buried in and resurrected by the Pet Sematary. I subsequently chuckled out loud in the theater, as my mind was crossed with the mental image of a grieving child lugging an entire bison to the Pet Sematary, and struggling to find a place to bury it in the already cramped cemetery.

The editing and scene pacing is legitimately the most stereotypical modern horror film schlock ever put to screen. Firstly, jumpscares are all over this film, and it’s not a look. From the Orinco trucks, to Zelda in the dumbwaiter, to Church, everything in the film is given a loud THUD effect to accompany it, and I was supplied with many Silent Hill: Revelation 3D pop-tart jumpscare flashbacks through it’s run-time. The placement of the THUDs at times felt like watching one of my Spooky Guys episodes. Again, back to Pascow being utterly useless in the story, he instead spends this film being relegated to “look at me, I’m vague and say 3 spooky sentences I repeat over and over and I’m in a modern horror film and that’s my whole character I’m scary I say stuff about ghosts and death”.

Now here’s the big one. The ending. The ending is genuinely the worst thing about the entire film. Here’s a basic summary from what I remember. So Louis buries his dead daughter and waits for her to come back as his family tries to contact him, while Gage is troubled by visions of Pascow (who does nothing of note through the whole story). Ellie comes back and catches on to the fact that she died, but Louis denies that and gives her a bath. Jud goes over and suspects that Louis has brought Ellie back from the grave, and Ellie gets mad about it and kills Jud. Rachel and Gage arrive back at the house after Louis stops returning their calls, and Rachel is greeted by an undead Ellie. Ellie thinks that Rachel doesn’t want her around anymore, and tries to kill her, Gage, and Louis. Rachel manages to allow Gage and Louis to escape, but she’s impaled and buried by Ellie. Louis puts Gage in the car and tells him to not open the door for anyone, not even Ellie. Louis faces off with Ellie in the Pet Sematary, before being killed by the now resurrected Rachel. Rachel and Ellie resurrect Louis, and for some reason unlike Ellie, Louis and Rachel are big dumb traditional zombies. At daybreak, they approach the car with a can of gasoline, having burned down Jud’s house. However, instead, they decide to unlock the car for Gage. I have a lot to say about this.

First off, this ending is fucking weak compared to the original ending. In the original film, the process of Louis killing Gage with the lethal injection is so indescribably heart-breaking. It’s actually a high point for the actor’s performance, and he definitely sells the sheer emotion of the scene. The remake’s ending definitely suffers from how frequently it fails to actually capture the emotion of the original story and film. With that, let’s just say, this movie is the prime example of why horror movies with dead protagonists fail so often. If you aren’t both careful and skilled, killing your protagonist can result in your protagonist’s character arc not being fulfilled or completed. The original Pet Sematary story has a very strong and compelling character arc for Louis. In the final scenes of the original film, after Louis has begrudgingly put down Church and Gage, and has burned Jud’s house down, he carries Rachel’s corpse with him. Pascow tries to get him to no longer try and cross the barrier between life and death, and that he needs to let go of those he loves. He needs to learn to cope with death, and understand that dead is better. Louis, however, doesn’t listen, and finds a reason to think it’ll be different this time: because she just died. Pascow realizes that Louis has failed to learn his lesson, and shouts an admittely hilarious “NOOOOOOO” as he fades away. Louis waits in his home after burying Rachel, and as she walks in, now decayed and deformed, Louis makes out with the walking corpse, before being killed by her. What works here is Louis has completed his character arc. Granted the character arc consists of failing to learn his lesson, but it’s a powerful arc no less. It drives home how much the movie is truly about being as grateful for death as we are for life, and how a life spent yearning for those who’ve passed to return is a life spent suffering. While the more ambiguous book ending is more favorable, the 1989 film version still drives home this theme extremely well.

Overall, very bad movie. Don’t waste your money on this. Save your money for Endgame, that looks good. Or if you’re a King fan, wait for It: Part 2. Just... please no more ‘80s jokes guys, it isn’t funny anymore.

[obsessiveviewer]

090 - Special Ep - Interview with King on Screen Producer Sebastien B. Cruz

In this special episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Sebastien Cruz, producer for the new Stephen King documentary, King on Screen!

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  Show Start – 00:40

Interview - 04:30

Closing the Ep - 1:18:32

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    Episodes by Category

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Palaver – General discussions about Stephen King and/or The Dark Tower series

Khef – Reviews and discussions of books and comics in The Dark Tower series

Novel Reviews – Reviews of Stephen King (and related) novels

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    Matt’s Top 19 King Novels

    11/22/63

It

Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower IV)

Pet Sematary

Misery

The Shining

The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower II)

The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower VII)

The Stand

The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower III)

Under the Dome

Billy Summers

Christine

Doctor Sleep

Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower V)

The Dead Zone

The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower I)

Revival

End of Watch

    Matt’s Top 19 King Adaptations

    The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

The Shining (1980)

It (2017)

11.22.63 (2016) - Miniseries

The Mist (2007)

Doctor Sleep (2019)

Misery (1990)

Castle Rock (2018) - Series

Creepshow (1982)

Stand by Me (1986)

Gerald's Game (2017)

Christine (1983)

Pet Sematary (1989)

The Dead Zone (1983)

Cujo (1983)

Carrie (1976)

The Shining (1997) - Miniseries

In the Tall Grass (2019)

Sometimes They Come Back (1991)

    Tiny’s Top 19 King Novels

    The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower VII)

Misery

The Stand

The Shining

The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower II)

The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower I)

Christine

Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower IV)

It

Cujo

The Dead Zone

Mr. Mercedes

Gerald’s Game

Pet Sematary

Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower V)

Salem’s Lot

Under the Dome

11/22/63

The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower III)

    Tiny’s Top 19 King Adaptations

    Doctor Sleep (2019)

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

It (2017)

Christine (1983)

The Shining (1980)

Stand By Me (1986)

The Mist (2007)

Misery (1990)

Creepshow (1982)

The Green Mile (1999)

Apt Pupil (1998)

Geralds Game (2017)

The Outsider (2019) - Miniseries

The Stand (1994)

The Shining (1997) - Miniseries

Lisey’s Story (2021) - Miniseries

1922 (2017)

11/22/63 (2016) - Miniseries

It (1990) - Miniseries

Find more of the show at TowerJunkiesPod.com

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Pet Sematary (2019) summed up in four words,

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