Pet Sematary: The Original

• Directed by Mary Lambert
• April 21, 1989
• Based on the 1983 book Pet Sematary by Stephen King

A grieving father discovers a burial ground near his home with the power to raise the dead. What could go wrong?

There was a point in film when it appeared that an adaptation of some Steven King story or idea was hitting the screen with obscene regularity. I remember they felt so frequent that late-night comedians had jokes about their frequency. Into this came Pet Sematary which was a cut above the film versions of many of his stories though not entirely perfect.

Having said that the movie itself is a highlight of horror from the time. While there is plenty of gore at its core it tries to be about grief and guilt which is a little bit more than what you get normally in horror-especially from the late 80s. It isn’t defeating the monster or simply surviving the supernatural threat. It’s about things we all face.

While horror of the time started strong in the 70s and into the early part of the 80s, by the end of the decade in my opinion it was certainly struggling. Creators were afraid to do much of what they had done before, but on the same token didn’t know how to proceed in a different direction. While there were bright spots such as this, often we got were toothless schlockfests that didn’t try to be silly or funny or scary or deep or anything. They went through the motions and just ticked off boxes.

The story focuses on a family that moves to the town of Ludlow, Maine where their lives intersect with the supernatural properties of an old Indian burial ground. Things go from bad to worse when the husband Louis (Dale Midkiff) buries his dead son there because it worked out so well with the family cat. How did he learn about this chunk of dirty that was ‘sour’? His kindly neighbor Jud Crandall (Fred Gwynne). He is the plot device that gets the ball rolling.

As has often been said while Jud warns Louis not to go to there he also says, “Let me show you this neat trick I can do with your dead cat.” You show somebody an area that has the ability to resurrect they might think about using it. You can chalk it up to evil magic influencing him but the whys of the decision are poorly explained given Jud knows exactly how bad it can get from personal experience.

Louis by the time his son Gage (Miko Hughes) is buried there is a firm believer in all supernatural so the warnings from Victor Pascow (Brad Greenquist)-my favorite character in the film-should have been impactful. Victor starts out as a nameless individual that Louis attempts to save at his medical practice. Again these are things that might make most people rethink overcoming death through poorly understood means. Louis’s thinking/reasoning on his final try with the ground is better handled but REALLY dumb given the firsthand experience he has at that point.

These do no real damage to your enjoyment of the film. Mary Lambert gives this an atmosphere which helps. There is a weird and unsettling feel shortly after the story starts largely with music and just the presence of Fred Gwynne. His voice giving exposition just makes it all creepy. Whodda thunk Herman Munster could be creepy?

The actions are largely driven by grief and guilt. These are people that rather than confront the harsher elements of life are seeking ways to avoid them. Jud learned his lesson the hard way. Louis’s wife Rachel (Denise Crosby) is still dealing with guilt connected to her dead sister Zelda (Andrew Hubatsek). As a doctor you would think Louis is able to handle death but clearly he is the worst equipped of all.

Perhaps the most disturbing element was the Zelda element. She appears largely in flashbacks though there’s a vision of her in the present. What they did with her always creeped me out. An absolute triumph of directing and editing as well as make up effects. She was all twisted and distorted.

The original Pet Sematery is a highlight of 80s horror. While not perfect it is a great movie nonetheless. If you haven’t watched this, you should certainly give it a look!