232 - Little Shop of Horrors (1986) & The Happening (2008) →

CW: Domestic Abuse

It’s Earth Day on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey give off good vibes and talk in a very positive manner about plants—but are sure not to feed them!

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The Classic Film: Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
"A nerdy florist finds his chance for success and romance with the help of a giant man-eating plant who demands to be fed” (IMDb.com). Little Shop of Horrors is wonderful and joyous and great and shut up if you don't like it.

The Modern Film: The Happening (2008)
"A science teacher, his wife, and a young girl struggle to survive a plague that causes those infected to commit suicide” (IMDb.com). The Happening is famously maligned as confirmation that M. Night Shyamalan's promising star had faded. You could argue that the wooden acting and silly-but-melodramatic premise are an intentional homage to 50s B-movies, but if that's the case, Shyamalan didn't go hard enough.

Audio Sources:
"An American Tail" produced by Don Bluth Productions, et al.
"Anne Hathaway/The Killers" (Saturday Night Live S34E04) produced by Broadway Video, et al.
"The Happening" (2008) produced by Twentieth Century Fox, et al.
"The Homecoming Queen's Got a Gun" written by Julie Brown, et al., and performed by Julie Brown
"Little Shop of Horrors" (1986) produced by The Geffen Company
"Nightmare on Mother Brain's Street" (Captain N: The Game Master S01E09) produced by Saban Productions
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"Martin" (1992 TV Series) produced by You Go Boy! Productions & HBO Independent Productions
"Take My Breath Away" written by Giorgio Moroder & Tom Whitlock and performed by Berlin

221 - Ghostbusters II (1989) & Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021) →

CW: Sexual Assault, Addiction

It’s Ghostbusters Week again on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey wrap up the franchise (for now) and get into serious conversations about the function of the proton pack.

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The Classic Film: Ghostbusters II (1989)
"The discovery of a massive river of ectoplasm and a resurgence of spectral activity allows the staff of Ghostbusters to revive the business” (IMDb.com). Ghostbusters II is often maligned for being too kid-friendly and lacking the edge of the original, but it stacks up surprisingly well even if it isn't quite as good. If you think the Ghostbusters franchise isn't for kids, you're fooling yourself.

The Modern Film: Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021)
"When a single mom and her two kids arrive in a small town, they begin to discover their connection to the original Ghostbusters and the secret legacy their grandfather left behind” (IMDb.com). Afterlife is actually a pretty good movie (if a little too long) and honors the franchise and Harold Ramis well. So what do you do when it's not a very good Ghostbusters movie?

Audio Sources:
"Ghostbusters" (1984) produced by Columbia Pictures, et al.
"Ghostbusters" (1986 TV Series) produced by Filmation Associates & Tribune Broadcasting Company
"Ghostbusters" (2016) produced by Columbia Pictures, et al.
"Ghostbusters II" produced by Columbia Pictures
"Ghostbusters: Afterlife" produced by Columbia Pictures, et al.
"Here We Go (Let's Rock & Roll)" written by Robert Clivillés & Freedom Williams and performed by C+C Music Factory
"Higher and Higher" written by Gary Jackson, et al., and performed by Jackie Wilson
"Higher and Higher" written by Gary Jackson, et al., and performed by Howard Huntsberry
"Magic" written and performed by Mick Smiley
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"Social Psychology" (Community S01E04) produced by Harmonius Claptrap, et al.

210 - Double Feature - Ghostbusters (1984 & 2016) →

CW: Suicide, Sexual Harassment

The Best of 2021 - #4 Ghostbusters (1984)

It’s a Ghostbusters Double Feature on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey find out what it is to be roasted in the depths of the Sloar this day, I can tell you!

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The Original: Ghostbusters (1984)
"Three parapsychologists forced out of their university funding set up shop as a unique ghost removal service in New York City, attracting frightened yet skeptical customers” (IMDb.com). Barring a minor amount of gags that didn't age very gracefully, this horror-comedy classic is exactly as genius as the current zeitgeist would imply.

The Remake: Ghostbusters (2016)
"Following a ghost invasion of Manhattan, paranormal enthusiasts Erin Gilbert and Abby Yates, nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann, and subway worker Patty Tolan band together to stop the otherworldly threat” (IMDb.com). Recasting the classic with women didn't ruin this movie. It not being very good did.

Audio Sources:
"Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" produced by Morgan Creek Entertainment
"Ghostbusters" (1984) produced by Columbia Pictures, et al.
"Ghostbusters" (2016) produced by Columbia Pictures, et al.
"Ghostbusters" (The Movies that Made Us S01E03) produced by Netflix
"Janine, You've Changed" (The Real Ghostbusters S06E01) produced by DIC Entertainment
"Lonesome Ghosts" (1937) produced by Walt Disney Productions
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones