Thanks for checking out our Forgotten Fridays feature. This is a feature to review some older films that maybe you have forgotten about or maybe never got around to seeing that we just want to share. They may not be old, maybe not forgotten, but they are not new. Just fun to share.
This month I am going to focus on scary movies in favour of Halloween.
Today’s review is Pet Semetary
THE GENERAL IDEA
The Creeds have just moved to a new house in the countryside. Their house is perfect, except for two things: the semi-trailers that roar past on the narrow road, and the mysterious cemetary in the woods behind the house. When the family cat dies they bury it in the Pet Semetary and discover its magical properties to bring the animal back to life. But when their young son falls victim to the dangerous highway, in a fit of grief they opt to bury him in the Pet Semetary hoping to return their son to them. It works, but is it their sweet child or a demon from hell?
THE GOOD
The premise is simple, as most Stephen King stories are. But it is the execution of the roles by each of the actors that makes the story so frieghtening. The child actor who played Gage was absolutely brilliant. He was just as sweet as a button and the type of perfect child every family hopes for. But when he returns from the dead he is an evil possessed boy who cusses and murders. Seriously terrifying to see this child act out those parts.
But its more than just a demon child on the rampage. There is an emotional struggle of the parents, how it strains their relationship, how they deal with their murderous child on the rampage. All played out brilliantly
THE BAD
I am certain that boy who played Gage needed therapy after this. Seriously. The stuff they made him do shouldn’t be shown to children, let alone making an actor play out those parts. That he didn’t end up in a mental ward is beyond me. But the part that disturbs me most is how deeply this movie impacted me. This was one that gave me nightmares, even as an adult. If you are sensitive to this sort of thing, you might want to give it a pass.
OVERALL
So while you inevitably plan a movie night with scary movies closer to Halloween, you might want to grab this one!
I am going to introduce a new rating system for my Forgotten Fridays picks.
Since all of these Forgotten Friday reviews are going to be what I would already give a high rating to, I had a Tv, Rent or Buy scale going on, but it would seem that an overwhelming majority of my picks get a BUY rating.
So with every Forgotten Friday you see from now on, you get to rate your anticipation for yourself!
TV – If you are at least a little curious, catch it if it comes on TV.
Rent – If it is something you have heard of and forgotten, or just remember enjoying this as much as I did once upon a time, go rent it.
Buy – But if you are like me, and you agree with my review you should go buy it. If its featured here, I already have.
NEVER REALLY UNDERSTOOD WHY THIS IS CONSIDERED ONE OF KINGS SCARIEST… I THOUGHT IT WAS ONLY O.K. AND I SAW IT IN THE THEATRE ON IT’S FIRST RUN…AND WAS A YOUNG TEEN AT THE TIME.. I LIKED THE SNL VERSION BETTER. STEPHEN KING LOST ME AFTER “CRISTINE” EVERY MOVIE SINCE HAS A T.V. QUALITY TO IT…
Love the movie.
Creepiest cinematic cat ever and the Achilles tendon slice still freaks me out. Its only the last scene where the movie falls apart.
That and the ‘ghost’ are never properly explained.
Fred Gwynne is awesome.
One thing that isn’t obvious enough in the movie (it is in the book though) is how much the burial ground itself is a character.
It’s like the house in the shining. The ground is influencing all of the events.
You guys should do a Forgotten Friday review for Carrie. That’s a great horror film.
I used to love this movie. Then I watched it again and every single little solitary thing about this film is done wrong. Completely. I’m not saying you can’t like this movie, but the acting (is that’s what you call it) looks improvised or like a high school play. This movie is just all kinds of horrible.
Love this movie. But the whole thing with the wife’s horrible memories seemed out of place; almost random. That part was scary, but it just stuck out and didn’t really contribute. Other than that, I’d say this is a perfect classic horror film.
i love fred gwynn.
hes so great.
Definitely Buy. It’s a classic, even had a sequel but not as good as the first (shitty Terminator 2 kid screwed it up). Too bad they didn’t play that Ramones song during the movie.
“I dont want to be buried in a pet sematary. I don’t want to live my life again”
Ramones
Haha, good old Edward Furlong. Only other movie outside of Terminator that I really liked him in was American History X. Did you know he actually played the lead in one of the horrible Crow sequels? Seamed like he had so much potential in Terminator 2 back in the day.
This is definitely one of the best adaptations of King’s books.
It was one of the first adaptations that was scripted by King.
Oh really?! I didn’t know that. I actually don’t own this on DVD and it’s been ages since I’ve seen it. That’s cool. Didn’t he also write the adaptation for Maximum Overdrive?
Yes, and he directed Maximum Overdrive. While he has kept on adapting his works for both big and small screen (and occasionally writing new things)…note that he never directed again.
I can’t tell if Rodney liked this movie or not. How is it that a horror film can be “bad” if it sticks with you and gives you the willies?! (“But the part that disturbs me most is how deeply this movie impacted me. This was one that gave me nightmares,”)
I wouldn’t call that in the ‘bad’ category. If a horror film gets scary, suspenseful or at least creepy, it has done the job.
I was going to call you out on the spelling of the title, but someone else already did so. It is that intentional misspelling for the King book and the film. (It is also explained as to why in both book and film at that)
But I have bigger fish to fry.
Not ONE mention…of Brad Greenquist. Sure, you skim over and write “But it is the execution of the roles by each of the actors that makes the story so frightening… ” yet you only single out Miko Hughes, and not by name.
Greenquist played ghost guide Victor Pascow- a character who turned out to be so iconic for the film that they put the actor’s character on the poster!
Also the late Fred Gwynne as Jud Crandall…not a mention. the “execution of the roles” thing doesn’t really cut it, Rodney. Of the strongest points in the film, you at last have to mention both Greenquist and Gwynne.
But since you single out Miko Hughes (not by name) and wonder of his sanity, remember the show Roswell? You might be on to something :)
It all depends on your intention when seeing a horror film. Some people go just to get creeped out, but they do so with the knowledge that when the movie is over, then so is the terror.
This one stuck with me for weeks giving me bad dreams in my over active imagination.
I put that part in the bad section purely as a warning that this is one of THOSE effective horror films, and if you tend to stay away from those, you won’t like this one.
So yes, both a good and bad thing.
Ohh the locations and directing is bloody brilliant. This movie has so many scary parts to it that not even if you wrap all the horror movies in the past 5 years do you get the scares this film does.
im sorry but everytime i watch the fight between the boy and the father at the end i laugh uncontrollably. “no fair”…..fall over. lmao
Yeah, I remember that kid scared the hell out of me when I first saw it. Exceptional acting.
Word on that, damn kid was so creepy! Had to sleep with one eye open that night! lol
Excellent horror film indeed.
Gage, Church, Pascal, how nuts Louis went towards the end, this whole movie is creepy.
Dude – it’s Pet Sematary, an intentional misspelling.
And Zelda is the creepiest thing I’ve ever seen on film. There. I said it.