PET SEMATARY (Paramount, 1989) D: Mary Lambert, w/ Dale Midkiff, Fred Gwynne. Rating: NNNN DVD package: NNNN Rating: NNNN
A strong story makes Pet Sematary as scary today as it was 33 years ago, and the HD upgrade it’s been given for its Blu-ray debut adds a bit of atmosphere, particularly in the opening sequence.
A city family – mom, dad and two small children – moves to the country and discovers the titular burial ground, beyond which lies a hidden cemetery where what’s buried comes back to life, but not in a good way.
The family’s various relationships to deat
h form the core of the human story, and director Mary Lambert gives it the attention it deserves without letting the pace flag. Dale Midkiff and Denise Crosby turn in solid performances as the parents, but Fred Gwynne steals the show as the old-timer across the road.
In one of the generally strong making-of docs, Stephen King, who scripted from his own novel, goes into detail on the story’s autobiographical origins.
EXTRAS Director commentary, three making-of docs. English, French, Spanish, Portuguese audio and subtitles.
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