PET SEMATARY

US, 1989, 103 minutes, Colour.
Dale Midkiff. Fred Gwynne, Denise Crosby.
Directed by Mary Lambert.

Pet Sematary has been adapted from his novel by Stephen King. Director is Mary Lambert, director of many music videos for Madonna as well as of the film Siesta.

Once again, the setting is New England, a very nice family in a very nice house in a seemingly very nice town. However, there are semi-trailers on the highway, a pet cemetery, an Indian burial ground - and many questions about. the nature of death, life after death, resuscitation.

The film is pessimistic in its outlook, especially in its ending. King himself has a brief appearance as a clergyman saying a blessing at a funeral. It is standard King material.

1. Impact of the horror story, nightmare, what if... ?

2. The work of Stephen King, his novels and films, imagination, possibilities of horror, fear, death? His screenplay? His cameo role?

3. Maine, the town, the highway the path to the cemetery, the visualising of the pet cemetery, the cliffs, the Indian burial ground and its geometric designs? The blend of the ordinary and the eerie? The transformation of the ordinary?- School and accidents, picnics and deaths? The musical score?

4. The horror, suggestion, effects, gore? Editing and pace?

5. The introduction to the nice family, their nice new house? The doctor, his attractive use, the children Questions of death and afterlife? Disaster for the American family?

6. The opening and the ominous suggestions, the tyre swing falling, the trucks on the road, the road itself, Judd saving Gage from the truck, the look at the path, the pet cemetery and Judd's tour of the cemetery and explanations?

7. The more ominous developments? The boy killed, at school, dead, his becoming a ghost, his wounded head, appearances? The father's dreams, in the cemetery, forbidding, his waking with the dirt on his Ret? Judd and the death of the cat, his plan, the trip from the pet cemetery to the Indian burial ground, Louis falling, the difficulties? The ritual? The cat's return, glinting eyes, scratching, smelling, hostile?

8. Louis as father, doctor, place in the family, his explanations of death for his children, swearing and giving guarantees (all failures ultimately)? Judd, friendliness, the beers? Talk with Ellie about death? The treatment of the cat? Reaction to Missy and her work around the house? The clash with Rachel, reconciliation? First day at work, the accident? The ghost, his dreams? The family away, the burying of the cat, its return? The effect on him and his reaction to the family?

9. The picnic, flying the kite, the children, Gage enjoying it, on the road and death? The family grief, the burial, the father-in-law and his going berserk and attacking? Louis sending the family away? Ellie's ominous dreams, Louis obsessed, the audience sharing the obsession, his going to dig up the boy, finding him? The return, the horror of Gage as a monstrous child, the killing of the cat, the killing of Judd? The build-up to the confrontation with Gage?

10. Rachel at her parents', her being a good mother, her memories of her sister and the dreadful illness, as a child, her sister blaming her?

11. Ellie, her interest in death, the cat, premonitions, swearing for guarantees of survival? The irony that she survives?

12. Judd, old and friendly, telling the stories of his past, the visualising and flashbacks, the story of his pet, the burial? The tour of the pet cemetery? Taking Louis to the Indian burial ground, the cat's death and resuscitation? The picnic, blaming himself for Gage's death? The phone call from Rachel? Gage coming into the house and the gruesome killing?

13. The ghost, trying to be kind, powerless to help further? Missy, her work around the house, complaints about her illness, wanting to get married? Her blunt language for Ellen? Her hanging herself? The funeral? Questions of life and death? Heaven or not?

14. The build-up to the disaster, in the house, Judd, the cat, Rachel Louis taking the injections and killing the cat, killing Gage?

15. His grief in finding Rachel, burying her, his theory that he should have buried Gage more quickly, his burying her in the burial ground, her return, the knife and the vicious killing of him?

16. Nightmare, horror, death - no waking up?