|
Pet Sematary
1989/Color/103 Min./Paramount Pictures/Rated R
Director..........Mary Lambert (Pet Sematary II)
Screenplay........Steven King
Music.............Elliot Goldenthal
Producer..........Richard P. Rubinstein
Executive Producer.....
Theme song "Pet Sematary" performed by the Ramones?
Dramatis Personae
Judd Crandall..Fred Gwynn (The Munsters)
Rachel Creed...Denise Crosby
Victor Pascow..Brad Greenquist
Irwin Goldman..Michael Lombard
Gage Creed.....Miko Hughes
Ellie Creed....Blaze Berdahl
Doctor Lewis Creed, his wife Rachel, daughter and toddler son Gage move to an idyllic setting in Maine where the thrills begin immediately. Their new neighbor, Judd Crandall (Herman Munster), takes the family down the path behind their house to show them the pet sematary which raises the daughter's concerns about her cat. No problem. If it dies, just bury it in the pet Sematary! Something about the pet sematary brings those buried there back to life, only they're not quite the same. Trouble is, folks just can't resist the temptation of bringing back loved ones. When the cat is inevitably run over by one of Maine's truly horrifying logging trucks, the parade od disfunctional deceased family members begins. The problem then becomes, how to get rid of them again?
The father in law's relationship with the doctor is a fine example of the freudian world of denial this family moves in. His disdain for his daughter's wife and prophecy that the union is doomed mirrors the bizarre ambivalence the doctor has for his own son.
The pace is perfect, the forshadowing is tight, the direction superb. The lines of snappy dialog stay in your head like a nightmare. When the dead college student Paskow tells the Doctor, "The soil of a man's heart is stonier." the fun begins. Stonier than what? What does that mean? Remember, "the ground beyond is sour and each buries his own." You'll see! Sometimes dead is better. Should you rent this movie? Christ on his throne, yes! Watch for the Hitchcock style cameo by Stephen King as the priest at Missie's funeral.
* No nudity * No Sexual Situations * Some Strong Language *
* Blood * Violent *
|