217 - The Worst of 2021 →

2021 was yet another dumpster fire and Chris and Kelsey are saying goodbye by paying tribute to the worst movies they watched last year! Plus, our personal Bottom 10 lists and the 10 movies that divided us the most!

To listen to these episodes and check out their individual source credits, click the links below:

10: https://bit.ly/3FVKFcs 
9: https://bit.ly/3JBNFNB 
8: https://bit.ly/3qPybgt 
7: https://bit.ly/3zppPQA 
6: https://bit.ly/3sVpPpV 
5: https://bit.ly/3JBNFNB 
4: https://bit.ly/3JycSbL 
3: https://bit.ly/3JycSbL 
2: https://bit.ly/32XWCQz 
1: https://bit.ly/3HDPk3v 

Additional Audio Sources:
"Keke Palmer Takes a Lie Detector Test | Vanity Fair" via Vanity Fair @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBwAAAOa9Kk
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones

214 - To All a Goodnight (1980) & Gingerdead Man (2005) →

CW: Rape

The Worst of 2021 - #5 Gingerdead Man; #9 To All a Goodnight

It’s our first Christmas Horror Week of 2021 here on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey sorta just meander from kill to kill with no real focus or driving force.

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The Classic Film: To All a Goodnight (1980)
"A group of teenagers at a party find themselves being stalked by a maniacal killer in a Santa Claus costume” (IMDb.com). Despite the fact that this movie came out first (just barely), it still manages to feel like it has ripped off tropes from better movies (Prom Night, Terror Train, Friday the 13th, etc.). That's probably because To All a Goodnight is pretty lifeless and uninspired.

The Modern Film: The Gingerdead Man (2005)
"An evil yet adorable Gingerbread man comes to life with the soul of a convicted killer—this real-life cookie monster wreaks havoc on the girl who sent the killer to the electric chair” (IMDb.com). Subtracting the intro, establishing shots, and the credits, this movie runs less than 60 minutes and it still feels too long. It's okay for a movie to be silly, but it should be clever, too.

Audio Sources:
"Army of Darkness" produced by Dino De Laurentiis Company, et al.
"Clue" produced by Paramount Pictures, et al
"The Gingerdead Man" produced by Full Moon Entertainment, et al.
"Hocus Pocus" produced by Walt Disney Pictures & Touchwood Pacific Partners 1
"Motherboy XXX" (Arrested Development S2E13) produced by The Hurwitz Company, et al.
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"Scary Movie" produced by Dimension Films, et al.
"Scream" produced by Dimension Films & Woods Entertainment
"Spider-Man" produced by Columbia Pictures
"To All a Goodnight" produced by Four Features Partners

213 - Amityville II (1982) & Amityville Playhouse (2015) →

CW: Rape, incest

The Worst of 2021 - #1 Amityville Playhouse

It’s Amityville Week on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey botch an exorcism and inherit a theater!

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The Classic Film: Amityville II: The Possession (1982)
"A dysfunctional family moves into a new house, which proves to be satanic, resulting in the demonic possession of their teenage son” (IMDb.com). The Amityville series hasn't quite gone bonkers yet, but this second entry is weird in uncomfortable ways. It's fairly interesting in its execution, but you couldn't say it's great.

The Modern Film: Amityville Playhouse (2015)
"A teenager and her friends become trapped in a haunted theater with a disturbing connection to Amityville's secret past” (IMDb.com). I'm sure we're tempting fate here, but there's certainly no way the franchise can get any worse than this, the 12th entry.

Audio Sources:
"Amityville II: The Possession" produced by Dino De Laurentiis Company, et al.
"The Amityville Horror" (2005) produced by Platinum Dunes, et al.
"Amityville Playhouse" produced by Scrapfilms
"April Fools" (2007) produced by Links Entertainment & Pa Pa Productions
"I Can't Believe You've Done This" via PWee28 @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKbU8B-QVZk
"Kung Pow: Enter the Fist" produced by Twentieth Century Fox, et al.
"The Nightman Cometh" (It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia S04E13) produced by Sunny Television Productions, et al.
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"Pulp Fiction" produced by A Band Apart, et al.
"Rocky" produced by Chartoff-Winkler Productions
"So Good" written by LaTavia Roberson, et al., and performed by Destiny's Child
"The Wiz" (1978) produced by Universal Pictures & Motown Productions

196 - Wishmaster 2 (1999) & Wishmaster 3 (2001) →

CW: Homophobia, Rape, Suicide

The Worst of 2021 - #3 Wishmaster 3; #4 Wishmaster 2

It’s Wishmaster Week on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey wish they were wrapping up this franchise, but it turns out there's even more after this!

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The Classic Film: Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies (1999)
"The evil Djinn is awakened once more and must collect 1,001 souls to begin the Apocalypse” (IMDb.com). Unlike the original Wishmaster, which was a lot of fun, this sequel seems like it's trying to actively avoid every opportunity for the coolest kills.

The Modern Film: Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell (2001)
"The evil Djinn is back at again, this time wreaking havoc on the students of Illinois' Baxter University” (IMDb.com). The one saving grace of Wishmaster 2 was that Andrew Divoff was at least still in it. He is not in part 3.

Audio Sources:
"Bitch" (Key and Peele S01E01) produced by Monkeypaw Productions, et al.
"Drag Queens and Goth People" (from The Top Part) written and performed by John Mulaney
"Let's Go to the Hop" (Family Guys S02E14) produced by Fuzzy Door Productions, et al.
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies" produced by Artisan Entertainment
"Wishmaster 3: Beyond the Gates of Hell" produced by Artisan Entertainment, et al.

192 - Independence Day (1996) & I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer (2006) →

CW: Suicide

The Worst of 2021 - #2 I’ll Always Know What Your Did Last Summer

It’s the 4th of July on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey kick the tires and light the fires because today is our independence day!

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The Classic Film: Independence Day (1996)
"The aliens are coming and their goal is to invade and destroy Earth. Fighting superior technology, mankind's best weapon is the will to survive” (IMDb.com). Okay, we may be pushing the definition of horror with this one, but it still counts! How can we NOT cover the quintessential 4th of July movie?

The Modern Film: I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer (2006)
"A group of teenagers in Colorado find themselves being stalked and killed one by one by a mysterious figure with a hook, exactly one year after they covered up a friend's accidental death” (IMDb.com). In a very surprising turn from the first two entries in the trilogy, a normally okay franchise decided to end everything with one of the worst horror movies we've seen on the show. Just appallingly bad.

Audio Sources:
"Disturbia" written by Brian Kennedy, et al., and performed by Rihanna
"I'll Always Know What You Did Last Summer" produced by Destination Films, et al.
"Independence Day" (1996) produced by Twentieth Century Fox & Centropolis Entertainment
"It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)" written by Michael Stipe, et al., and performed by R.E.M.
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"Reunited" written by Dino Fekaris & Freddie Perren and performed by Peaches & Herb

180 - Bless the Child (2000) & Rottentail (2018) →

CW: Suicide, Rape, Animal Harm, Ableism

The Worst of 2021 - #10 Bless the Child

It’s Easter Week on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey watch two horror movies set during Easter to get into the holiday spirit and they're both... pretty bad.

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The Classic Film: Bless the Child (2000)
"Cody, a little girl abandoned by her mother and raised by her aunt, a nurse, is kidnapped. The girl's guardian, aided by an F.B.I. agent, learns that Cody has supernatural abilities, and the abductees are a Satanic cult willing to do anything to gain them” (IMDb.com). Bless the Child WISHES it could be End of Days, and that's saying something.

The Modern Film: Rottentail (2018)
"Peter Cotton, a scientist that works on rabbits and infertility, learns that the military wishes to use his work to create superhuman soldiers. Cotton is bitten by an experimental mutant rabbit and changes into the evil Rottentail” (IMDb.com). Rottentail is dumb and gross and the filmmakers know that, but that's not why it's bad. It can be fun in the way that Troma movies are fun, but it just isn't as good as some of the heavy hitters in that style.

Audio Sources:
"Are You Insane Like Me" written by Needlz, Davey Suicide, Monoxide, & Jamie Madrox and performed by Twiztid
"Bless the Child" produced by Paramount Pictures, et al.
"Eraser" produced by Kopelson Entertainment & Warner Bros.
"God Bless the Child" written by Billie Holiday & Arthur Herzog Jr. and performed by Billie Holiday
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"Rottentail" produced by Blue Orchid Entertainment, et al.

178 - Leprechaun 3 (1995) & Wake Wood (2009) →

CW: Sexual Assault, Animal Attack and Animal Death

The Worst of 2021 - #6 Leprechaun 3

It’s St Patrick's Week on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey make horror movie wishes that end up in monkey's paw results with an Irish twist (For example, Chris wanted to watch Wishmaster again and got Leprechaun 3 instead).

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The Classic Film: Leprechaun 3 (1995)
"An evil leprechaun finds himself in Las Vegas, where he proceeds to cause mischief by killing people, granting twisted wishes, and infecting a young man with his green blood” (IMDb.com). The Leprechaun franchise certainly isn't getting better and seems to have hit levels of absurdity that better franchises took a couple more entries to reach.

The Modern Film: Wake Wood (2009)
"The parents of a girl who was killed by a savage dog are granted the opportunity to spend three days with their deceased daughter” (IMDb.com). Wake Wood is another one of those movies that we could take or leave, but its promise just makes each of our quibbles all the more frustrating.

Audio Sources:
"The Brave Little Toaster" produced by Hyperion Pictures & The Kushner-Locke Company
"Breaking the Fourth Wall" (WandaVision S01E07) produced by Marvel Studios
"Fix Up, Look Sharp" written by Dylan Kwabena Mills, et al., and performed by Dizzee Rascal
"Leprechaun 3" produced by Blue Rider Pictures
"Pawn Shop" written by Bradley Nowell, et al., and performed by Sublime
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"Wake Wood" produced by Hammer Films, et al.

176 - Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000) & Blair Witch (2016) →

CW: Mental Illness, Miscarriage

The Worst of 2021 - #7 Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2

It’s Blair Witch Week on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey spend a night (or five) in the Black Hills Forest and stumble across some DV tapes with Blair Witch movies on them.

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The Classic Film: Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (2000)
"A group of tourists arrives in Burkittsville, Maryland after seeing The Blair Witch Project to explore the mythology and phenomenon, only to come face to face with their own neuroses and possibly the witch herself” (IMDb.com). Producers capitalize on the next new thing, The Blair Witch Project, by immediately making a sequel that has none of the elements that made the original popular. Imagine how that turned out.

The Modern Film: Blair Witch (2016)
"After discovering a video showing what he believes to be his vanished sister Heather, James and a group of friends head to the forest believed to be inhabited by the Blair Witch” (IMDb.com). See, this is how you make a Blair Witch sequel. It ain't superb, but it's certainly not sacrilege.

Audio Sources:
"Anything Could Happen" written by Ellie Goulding & Jim Eliot and performed by Ellie Goulding
"Blair Witch" (2016) produced by Lionsgate, et al.
"Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2" produced by Artisan Entertainment & Haxan Films
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones

174 - Cut (2000) & Fear, Inc. (2016) →

The Worst of 2021 - #8 Cut

It’s Meta Comedy Week on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey hire a service to show these movies to us, but will we regret it in the end? It's also a recommendation week, so a big thank you to Chickapedia & Peter!

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The Classic Film: Cut (2000)
"A group of film students attempt to finish a horror movie that stopped production years earlier when the director was killed. [Aware] that every attempt to complete the pic coincided with the murders of those involved, the students return to the original location in an isolated part of the country. When filming begins, so do the killings” (IMDb.com). In the beginning, Cut feels like a tolerable if not terribly exciting indie horror, but we gradually became less and less enamored with its few charms.

The Modern Film: Fear, Inc. (2016)
"Fear, Inc. follows a company of degenerates who can be hired for a premium to bring your greatest fears to life. But when horror junkie Joe Foster's customized scare seemingly begins, he and his friends must decide if this company is there to scare them or make them pawns in their own sick game” (IMDb.com). Fear, Inc. is sharp and humorous but is the end result a death by a thousand cuts?

Audio Sources:
"American Idol" (Unknown Episode) produced by Fremantle, et al.
"Cobra" produced by Cannon Group, et al.
"Cut" (2000) produced by Mushroom Pictures, et al.
"Fear, Inc." produced by Lone Suspect, et al.
"Office Space" produced by Twentieth Century Fox, et al.
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"The Rains of Castamere" written by Ramin Djawadi & George R. R. Martin and performed by Sigur Rós