Tag: Horror

I went in to ‘Pet Sematary’ thinking, ‘Why?’ Why does Hollywood insist on the remakes? I enjoyed the original film. Can’t we just leave it alone? I went into the new movie thinking this couldn’t touch it, let alone top it. It was as simple as that. I even defiantly crossed my arms. However, after such feelings of reluctance and misgivings, I’m happy to report that I was fairly impressed. I’m embarrassed about my skepticism. The film’s new directing team of Kevin Kölsch, Dennis Widmyer did a remarkable job of creating for their audience a sense of tension and unease which has everyone immediately on edge. You are not sitting back to relax until it’s time to stand up and leave the theatre. What the filmmakers do here is grant you access into the lives of Louis (Clarke) and his family, knowing full well you’ll get to know them, care for them and fall for them… especially their adorable children. You’ll fear for what they’re about to go through. This is used marvelously. If you’re as reluctant as I was, another reason to drop your concerns over ‘Pet Sematary’ is that the script doesn’t exactly follow the original writing or the first film. The application of a few new angles improves it in ways that are tangible.

When the film starts, we see the family car covered with bloody handprints. A sort of whiff of what’s to come for this sweet, unsuspecting family as they settle into their new home after moving from Boston to Maine is in the air. The implication of that handprint is significant in setting up for you that someone is in serious trouble. In all seriousness, this gets spooky! There are plenty of ‘jump scares’ so hide your eyes! Be prepared. 

What I also relished in was the comical manner with which they told their narrative, how they made this family more approachable and relatable, especially facing the most hair-raising moments is delicious. You can tell that Kölsch and Widmyer had a lot of fun with making this.

The family cat, Church, gets hit by a car and dies. With the help of their friendly neighbor Jud (Lithgow), Louis is able to resurrect the cat for his beloved daughter Ellie, played expertly by the young Jeté Laurence, who Jud has also grown very fond of. Where they bury the loveable kitty is on the other side of the pet sematary, so spelled because it’s where children in the area bury their pets when they pass on. Jud knows from experience why they shouldn’t be doing this but has confidence this time that it’ll work out fine. Best laid plans and all. By this time, Louis and his wife, Rachel (Seimetz) have started having distressing visions but they increase after this and the film intensifies.

The cinematography gloriously sets the tone that keeps you engaged, and I can’t say enough about the inventive editing. If you didn’t see the original, you won’t miss a big change in the plot which was an essential twist for the directors to make this their own. As you get more familiar with the family, there’s also a storyline involving Rachel’s sister. This is excellent because this is where the movie begins to address death. It’s dealt with harmoniously, even though Louis and Rachel differ on life after death. Where all of this leads is horrific and unsettling… terrifying. If you’re a fan of horror, this was respectably creepy and spine-chilling. If you’re a fan of Stephen King, you won’t be disappointed.

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Thank you Blumhouse for helping to bring this back! This movie is terrifyingly fantastic. It has a rock solid, substantial, concrete script and it’s, I’d have to say, exactly what any horror fan, especially if they liked this franchise, is looking for. I wasn’t sure about it at first, thinking to myself, ‘Here we go again,’ as I rolled my eyes. I couldn’t have been more wrong to doubt it. The only way anyone coming out of the theatre after watching this could say that it was just ‘so-so’ or ‘meh’ either has a grudge against films of this type or they were asleep.

Not only is the story grotesquely imaginative and holds your attention the entire time but, pleasantly, I found that Danny McBride had a hand in writing it and you can feel his influence everywhere. I think his being involved made all the difference in the world. When there was some much-needed comic relief, he gave us plenty. It’s not that the comedy takes over or anything, this is a true horror film, but when it does come it fits the characters and the moment. Another thing I was appreciative of was the score. To get it right, I believed John Carpenter had to do it and it was good to see I wasn’t disappointed there.

If you’re reading this, I won’t give a lot away because you’d be rather mad at me for ruining the surprises for you. However, I do have to reveal a few things about the story. You know how the original ‘Halloween’ started, right? If not, see it before you see this when possible. In the first film, Michael, as a little boy, stabs his sister to death with a butcher knife. She had just had sex with her boyfriend and that act seemed to have upset his fragile nature. They sent him away to a mental institution after that. Then we advance to fifteen years later where it’s 1978 and Michael has turned twenty-one. He escapes the institution he’s being held in and returns to his hometown of Haddonfield. He’s on the hunt to kill again. He focuses his attention on trying to get to Laurie Strode (Curtis) but with the help of Michael’s physician at the institution, Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence), she manages to survive his efforts to end her life. There were several films that followed but forget those. This is the direct sequel to the first film as if all the others never happened and it works beautifully.

We meet Laurie again when she’s much older and she’s living like a hermit. To avoid another bloodbath, she built a fortress, complete with panic room, around her house and around her emotions. She’s disconnected to protect herself. Michael may not have killed her body, but he killed her spirit. It was riveting to peer into how she lives yet somewhat heartbreaking to see that she has lost the ability to get close to anyone. This is obviously due to the fact that she was so traumatized and is still afraid Michael could be around every corner. She has to be prepared at all time and is she ever!

Laurie taught her daughter Karen (Greer) to defend herself, too, and how to use weapons.  Karen now holds that against her. Having to tell your mother to stop being afraid of the ‘Boogie Man’ has been difficult for Karen to overcome. Now a mother herself, she wants her daughter Allyson (Matichak), to live the normal childhood she was denied so they, for the most part, keep their distance from Laurie.

By the time Michael gets to Haddonfield, he has already slaughtered a few people and wants to continue. The cinematographer does a magnificent job of putting you on edge by giving you shadow and reflection before you see the monster in action. There are several very creative shots you don’t usually find in horror. You’ll love Michael’s prey, I mean the characters, especially young Julian (Nantambu). He’s a very wise child, with a potty mouth, who knows more about the world than the babysitter who’s watching him gives him credit for. His scene relaxes you for a moment but not for long.

Look, the film doesn’t try to be something it’s not. It’s just trying to entertain people who love the genre and it does. There are times when the audience laughs, yells at the screen and jumps at the brutality of the quality kills Michael often proudly displayed. There are several I haven’t quite gotten over yet! Now, doesn’t that sound like something worth watching? If you remember, I mentioned to you that there are surprises. Oh, you’re going to love those. After watching, I’m sure you’ll agree that the first ‘Halloween’ was a classic and that this one WILL BE, TOO.