215 - The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) & Anna and the Apocalypse (2017) →

The Best of 2021 - #2 The Nightmare Before Christmas

It’s Actually Christmas Week on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey make this holiday season musical!

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The Classic Film: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
"Jack Skellington, king of Halloween Town, discovers Christmas Town, but his attempts to bring Christmas to his home causes confusion” (IMDb.com). This is one of the Christmas movies that we watch every year, and we're still excited to talk about it.

The Modern Film: Anna and the Apocalypse (2017)
"A zombie apocalypse threatens the sleepy town of Little Haven—at Christmas—forcing Anna and her friends to fight, slash, and sing their way to survival, facing the undead in a desperate race to reach their loved ones” (IMDb.com). Anna and the Apocalypse is passable insofar as it's one of the few musical comedy horrors in existence, but it's a goldmine of a premise that isn't exploited for its opportunities nearly enough.

Audio Sources:
"Anna and the Apocalypse" produced by Black Camel Pictures, et al.
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"The Nightmare Before Christmas" produced by Touchstone Pictures, et al.
"The Nightmare Before Christmas" (The Movies That Made Us S03E07) produced by The Nacelle Company

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

166 - Silent Night, Deadly Night 2 (1987) & Black Christmas (2019) →

CW: Sexual Assault, Rape, Suicide, Abortion, Gaslighting

It’s our second week of Christmas horror on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey smash the dark-magic patriarchy but spend most of their time talking about last Christmas.

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The Classic Film: Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2 (1987)
"The now-adult Ricky talks to a psychiatrist about how he became a murderer after his brother, Billy, died, which leads back to Mother Superior” (IMDb.com). The purposeful camp in this Christmas horror flick works sometimes, but they should have waited until they actually had a whole movie to film.

The Modern Film: Black Christmas (2019)
"Hawthorne College is quieting down for the holidays. One by one, sorority girls on campus are being killed by an unknown stalker. But the killer is about to discover that this generation's young women aren't willing to become hapless victims as they mount a fight to the finish” (IMDb.com). The road to bad cinema is paved with good intentions and probably the best thing we can say about this second Black Christmas remake is that it had good intentions.

Audio Sources:
"Black Christmas" (2019) produced by Blumhouse Productions, et al.
"Carrie" (1976) produced by Red Bank Films
"Inglorious Basterds" (2009) produced by A Band Apart, et al.
"National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" produced by Warner Bros., et al.
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"Silent Night, Deadly Night" produced by TriStar Pictures & Slayride
"Silent Night, Deadly Night Part 2" produced by Silent Night Releasing Corporation

165 - Tales From The Crypt (1972) & All the Creatures Were Stirring (2018) →

CW: Suicide, Child Molestation, Bullying

It’s Christmas Anthology Week on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey spend their Christmas in a series of spooky vignettes.

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The Classic Film: Tales from the Crypt (1972)
"Five strangers get lost in a crypt and, after meeting the mysterious Crypt Keeper, receive visions of how they will die” (IMDb.com). A charming collection of EC Comics-style stories (including one about an escaped, psychopathic Santa), Tales from the Crypt is pretty much exactly what you'd expect.

The Modern Film: All the Creatures Were Stirring (2018)
"When an awkward date on Christmas Eve leads a couple into a strange theater, they're treated to a bizarre and frightening collection of Christmas stories, featuring a wide ensemble of characters doing their best to avoid the horrors of the holidays” (IMDb.com). Sometimes we watch a movie that's worse for how much promise it shows in an otherwise bad package. This is one of those times.

Audio Sources:
"All the Creatures Were Stirring (2018)" produced by FallBack Plan Productions
"A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One" written by George R. R. Martin and read by Roy Dotrice
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"Santa Teach Me to Dance" written by Doug Lapham and performed by Debbie & The Darnels
"Tales from the Crypt (1972)" produced by Amicus Productions
"Who Shot Mr. Burns? Part One" (The Simpsons S06E25) produced by Gracie Films & 20th Century Fox Television

116 - Jack Frost (1997) & Rare Exports (2010) →

CW: Rape

Best of 2019 - #10 Rare Exports

Read our afterthoughts for this episode at https://twitter.com/PodSematary/status/1208895433818423297

It’s the second week of Christmas on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey give you the gift of some actually pretty good (and one pretty great) Christmas horror movies!

The Classic Film: Jack Frost (1997)
"After an accident [leaves] murderer Jack Frost dead in genetic material, the vengeful killer returns as a murderous snowman to exact his revenge on the man who sent him to be executed” (IMDb.com). Chris & Kelsey went into this one with expectations that matched the low budget of this tongue-in-cheek snowman slasher and were pleasantly surprised to find a level of cleverness peaking just above all of the garbage to make it worth watching. Send the children to bed; this isn’t the Michael Keaton family "classic."

The Modern Film: Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale (2010)
"In the depths of the Korvatunturi mountains, 486 meters deep, lies the closest ever guarded secret of Christmas. The time has come to dig it up. This Christmas everyone will believe in Santa Claus” (rareexportsmovie.com). A well-shot, -acted, and -written Santa film from the land of the midnight sun, Rare Exports was a pleasant surprise in more than just the plot twists. Consider watching the movie before checking out the shorts it was based on.

Audio Sources:
"Die Hard" produced by Twentieth Century Fox, et al.
"Finland" written and performed by Michael Palin
"Jack Frost" (1997) produced by Frost Bite Films Ltd., et al.
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale" produced by Cinet, et al.
"The World is Not Enough" produced by Eon Productions, et al.

115 - Christmas Evil (1980) & A Christmas Horror Story (2015) →

CW: Abortion, Self Harm, Rape

Read our afterthoughts for this episode at https://twitter.com/PodSematary/status/1206343899075072001

It’s the first of two weeks of Christmas on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey prepare for a bad winter this year and are surprised to find two holiday-themed horror flicks that don't suck!

The Classic Film: Christmas Evil (1980)
"A toy factory worker, mentally scarred as a child upon learning Santa Claus is not real, suffers a nervous breakdown after being belittled at work, and embarks on a Yuletide killing spree” (IMDb.com). This holiday favorite of camp icon John Waters is a slow boil but it's a surprisingly unique take on the killer Santa trope. It manages to take itself very seriously and still be fun at the same time.

The Modern Film: A Christmas Horror Story (2015)
"Interwoven stories that take place on Christmas Eve, as told by one festive radio host: A family brings home more than a Christmas tree, a student documentary becomes a living nightmare, a Christmas spirit terrorizes, [and] Santa slays evil” (IMDb.com). While the vignettes never should have been interwoven in the first place and some are not as good as the rest (::cough:: the students ::cough::), a delightful tone and killer ending really redeem this holiday anthology.

Audio Sources:
“Christmas Evil” produced by Edward R. Pressman Productions
"A Christmas Horror Story" produced by Copperheart Entertainment
"National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" produced by Warner Bros. & Hughes Entertainment
"Night of the Sentinels: Part 2" (X-Men: The Animated Series S01E02) produced by Marvel Entertainment, et al.
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"Valzer dei Fiori" composed by Pyotr Tchaikovsky

075 - God Told Me To (1976) & Holidays (2016) →

CW: Suicide, Mass Shooting/Killing, Transphobia, Interphobia, Miscarriage, Rape, Abortion

It's St. Patrick's Day on Pod Sematary! That means Chris & Kelsey are going to once again find some flimsy connection to the Irish holiday!

The Classic Film: God Told Me To (1976)
"A New York detective investigates a series of murders committed by random New Yorkers who claim that 'God told them to.'" This classic, exploitation-style, 70s horror flick certainly goes some places, but will it really give you nightmares... forever?

The Modern Film: Holidays (2016)
"Holidays is an anthology feature film that puts a uniquely dark and original spin on some of the most iconic and beloved holidays of all time by challenging our folklore, traditions, and assumptions." Will the hit-or-miss natures of these vignettes ruin the movie's chances of becoming an all-time anthology classic?

Get more at podsematary.com! Read our afterthoughts for this episode at twitter.com/PodSematary/status/1104211421850562561

Audio Sources:
"The Alternate Side" (Seinfeld S03E11) produced by Shapiro/West Productions & Castle Rock Entertainment 
"Atlanta" from Nice Try, The Devil written and performed by Pete Holmes 
"Beetlejuice" produced by The Geffen Company
"Clue" produced by Paramount Pictures, et al
"Dracula Untold" produced by Universal Pictures, et al.
"Fright Night" produced by Columbia Pictures Corporation, et al.
"God Told Me To" produced by Big Hit Productions & New World Pictures
"Holidays" produced by XYZ Films, et al.
"The Itchy & Scratchy & Poochie Show" (The Simpsons S08E14) produced by Gracie Films & 20th Century Fox Television
"Jingle All the Way" produced by 1492 Pictures & Twentieth Century Fox
"The Neverending Story" produced by Constantin Film, et al.
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"POWER" written and produced by Kanye West, et al.
"Smuckers Ad (1975)" via Chuck D's All-New Classic TV Clubhouse @ www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGAUcoBjDhU
"Split" produced by Universal Pictures, et al.
"We're the Millers" produced by New Line Cinema, et al.

064 - Gremlins (1984) & Krampus (2015) →

CW: Suicide, Misgendering

The holiday season continues on Pod Sematary, as Chris and Kelsey tackle one of the biggest Christmas horror movies of all time and another that has the potential to become a classic!

First up is the legendary Gremlins from 1984! This franchise scared Kelsey for years as a child, but she's grown to love it since. Is it the mix of true terror and nonsensical silliness that has given this horror movie the staying power of other Christmas staples?

Then it's on to 2015's Krampus! The silliness of this one seems more at odds with its otherwise self-serious tone than in Gremlins. But will you agree with Chris that its incredible practical effects and character design from Weta Workshop go a long way to making up for any of its shortcomings?

Get more at podsematary.com! Read our afterthoughts for this episode at https://twitter.com/PodSematary/status/1077074050000646149

Audio Sources:
"Beetlejuice" produced by The Geffen Company
"Billy Madison" produced by Universal Pictures & Robert Simonds Productions
"Gremlins" produced by Warner Bros. & Amblin Entertainment
“Krampus” produced by Legendary Entertainment & Universal Pictures
"The Making of Gremlins" produced by Nice Guy Productions
"Spaceballs" produced by Brooksfilms & MGM

063 - Silent Night, Deadly Night (1984) & Santa's Slay (2005)

CW: Sexual assault, attempted rape, child abuse

The Christmas Season begins this week on Pod Sematary when Chris & Kelsey talk about homicidal Santas!

First up is the controversial 1984 classic: Silent Night, Deadly Night! When a young boy witnesses his parents murdered by a maniac in a Santa costume, Billy is scarred for life. But will playing Santa at the toy store where he works finally push him over the edge? Yes. Yes, it will. Punish!

Then it's on to 2005's Santa's Slay! Professional wrestler Goldberg plays a demon named Santa, cursed to bring joy to children all over the world. But when the curse expires, Nicholas needs to find a way to stop Santa's Dag of Mord! Does a movie get more points if it knows exactly what it is?

Get more at podsematary.com!

Audio Sources:
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"Santa's Slay" produced by Media 8 Entertainment, et al.
"Silent Night, Deadly Night" produced by TriStar Pictures & Slayride
"The Stinkers of 1984" (At the Movies S03, E19) hosted by Gene Siskel & Roger Ebert

012 - Silent Night, Bloody Night (1972) & Dismembering Christmas (2015) →

Content Warning: Rape/Incest

Our last week of Christmas movies has arrived, and boy is it a doozy! Both 1972's Silent Night, Bloody Night and 2015 indie slasher Dismembering Christmas are absolutely bonkers and we have a lot to say about them. So strap in for what is almost certainly our giggliest episode yet!