Pet Sematary (sometimes referred to as Stephen King's Pet Sematary) is a 1989 horror film adaptation of the Stephen King novel of the same name. Directed by Mary Lambert, the film stars Dale Midkiff as Louis Creed, Denise Crosby as Rachel Creed, Blaze Berdahl as Ellie Creed, Miko Hughes as Gage Creed, and Fred Gwynne as Jud Crandall.
This film was the first adaptation of a Stephen King novel to include his name in its title. Stephen King wrote the screenplay himself, having become frustrated with how his novels were represented in film adaptations, and appears briefly in the film as a minister at a funeral.
Synopsis:
The plot revolves around the corporeal reanimation of deceased pets and humans in an abandoned Mi'kmaq burial ground outside the town of Ludlow, Maine. The Creed family moves into a new home and befriends their new neighbor, Jud Crandall, who tells them about a pet cemetery and the burial grounds nearby.
* Tom Savini turned down a chance to direct this film.
* George A. Romero was the first choice to direct this film but was unavailable, due to a scheduling conflict. By this point he had already done several storyboard treatments and scouted locations for the film. When asked later what he would have done different in regards to the adaptation, he commented "I would have done it BETTER."
*Romero was also considered to direct three other King films: Salem's Lot (1979 TV mini-series), The Stand (TV miniseries) and It (1990 film). He would however direct King related films Creepshow and The Dark Half (film) which coincidentally took place in the same fictional town as Pet Sematary: Ludlow, Maine. He would also contribute a script based on King's short story "Cat From Hell" to the 1990 anthologhy horror film Tales from the Darkside: The Movie. King and Romero are good friends and King has dedicated his novels Christine and Cell (novel) to him.
* Bruce Campbell from the Evil Dead Trilogy fame was the first choice to play Dr. Louis Creed.
* Christina Ricci tried out for the role of Ellie Creed but lost out to Blaze Berdahl and her twin sister Beau.
* Stephen King demanded that the film be shot on location in his home state of Maine, where the novel takes place.
* The author of the novel and the screenwriter, Stephen King, makes a cameo appearance as the priest, saying mass/last rites at Missy Dandridge's funeral in the film.
* Seven cats (British Shorthair) were used to play the cat Winston Churchill/Church.
* The character of Zelda was played by a man, Andrew Hubatsek, after they had a hard time finding a woman who looked emaciated enough for the role.
* Elliot Goldenthal's opening theme has often been compared to the theme for The Amityville Horror (1979 film), particularly in how it utilizes a choir of children. The theme from that particular film was used in an early trailer for the film.
* Test audiences felt that the film's climax was too ambiguous and unsatisfying, so the studio asked Lambert to make it more graphic. Lambert did exactly this, but a shot of a three inch pincer-bug emerging from Rachael's ear was deemed too extreme.
* The Ramones were mentioned several times in the novel and recorded an original song for the end credits. Their song "Sheena Is a Punk Rocker" is also featured as a truck leaves a mill en route to a fatal encounter with young Gage.
* This film was #32 on Bravo's 100 Scariest Movie Moments.
* If you look closely on the truck Rachel gets a ride in, the stand has the number 666
The Ramones were an American rock band often regarded as the first punk rock group.
After forming in Forest Hills, Queens, New York in 1974, they performed and played 2,263 concerts,[2] touring virtually non-stop for 22 years. In 1996, after a tour with the Lollapalooza music festival, the band went on a brief club tour and then disbanded. Three of the band's four founding members—Joey Ramone, Johnny Ramone and Dee Dee Ramone— died within eight years of the break up.
The Ramones never achieved much commercial success during their years of recording and performing. Their only album to reach certified gold status in the U.S. was their compilation album Ramones Mania. Appreciation of the band has grown since the 1980s, and they now regularly appear on "all-time greatest" lists, such as Rolling Stone's list of Immortals: 100 Greatest Artists of All Time, VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock, and Mojo's 100 Greatest Albums. In 2002, the Ramones were voted the second greatest rock and roll band ever in Spin Magazine, trailing only The Beatles (Hey, people make mistakes, right?).
On March 2, 2002, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The RAMONES Tribute Band - CRETINS SNIFFING GLUE: Jamie Ramone, Märty Ramone, Marty Ramone & Kaido Ramone - perform "Pet Semetary" by the punk rock legends The RAMONES at Joey's Birthday Party at Rock and Roll Klubi in Tartu, Estonia.
Author: graffjamie
Keywords: Pet Sematary Semetary Cemetery Cemetary The Ramones Stephen King Steven James Jamie Graff Graffjamie creed punk rock ska
Added: May 22, 2007
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