204 - Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983) & Coraline (2009) →

CW: Harm to Children

The Best of 2021 - #10 Coraline

It’s Wholesome Horror Week on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey ride the carousel backward and enjoy absolutely terrific horror movies made for kids to kick off October! This time, both movies are about evil entities posing as things kids tend to love in order to feed on their souls.

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The Classic Film: Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)
"In a small American town, a diabolical circus and its demonic proprietor prey on the townsfolk” (IMDb.com). Ray Bradbury's script adaptation of his own novel is yet another 80s film that Disney seems content to forget about, but impeccable writing and a great performance by Jonathan Pryce make this movie a must-watch during the Halloween season.

The Modern Film: Coraline (2009)
"An adventurous 11-year-old girl finds another world that is a strangely idealized version of her frustrating home, but it has sinister secrets” (IMDb.com). Full disclosure: We are a Gaiman-loving household. But beyond the story, Coraline is a beautiful and disquieting stop-motion feat and possibly Laika's best.

Audio Sources:
"Coraline" produced by Laika Entertainment, et al.
"Get Out" produced by Monkeypaw Productions, et al.
"Ghost" (1990) produced by Paramount Pictures & Howard W. Koch Productions
"I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That)" written by Jim Steinman and performed by Meatloaf
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"Something Wicked This Way Comes" produced by Walt Disney Productions & Bryna Productions
"The Trial of Jack McCall" (Deadwood S01E5) produced by HBO, et al.

158 - Hocus Pocus (1993) & ParaNorman (2012) →

CW: Homophobia

Best of 2020 - #7 (Tied) Hocus Pocus

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

It’s Family Friendly Week on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey light the black flame candle, talk to ghosts, and fix all of society's problems!

The Classic Film: Hocus Pocus (1993)
"A curious youngster moves to Salem, where he struggles to fit in before awakening a trio of diabolical witches that were executed in the 17th century” (IMDb.com). Hocus Pocus is a cult classic and for a reason. Put a little Halloween joy in your life and watch with us.

The Modern Film: ParaNorman (2012)
"A misunderstood boy takes on ghosts, zombies, and grown-ups to save his town from a centuries-old curse” (IMDb.com). Don't be like seemingly everyone in 2012 and sleep on this beautifully-animated family horror movie with a heart.

Audio Sources:
"Are You Afraid of the Dark?" produced by Nickelodeon Network, et al.
"Awakening: Part 1" (Gargoyles S01E01) produced by Disney Television Animation
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (1992) produced by Twentieth Century Fox, et al.
"Chapter Six: The Spy" (Stranger Things S02E06) produced by Netflix Studios, et al.
"Hocus Pocus" produced by Walt Disney Pictures & Touchwood Pacific Partners 1
"Judge Reinhold/10,000 Maniacs" (Saturday Night Live S13E13) produced by Broadway Video & NBC Productions
"The Mask" produced by Dark Horse Entertainment & New Line Cinema
"ParaNorman" produced by Focus Features & Laika Entertainment
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"Stainmaster Carpet Mommy's Little Sweetheart TV Commercial HD" via FM1156 @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvs_qGnBn1M

105 - The Secret Of NIMH (1982) & Spirited Away (2001) →

CW: Depression, Suicide

Best of 2019 - #1 (Tied) Spirited Away; #5 The Secret of NIMH

Read our afterthoughts for this episode at https://twitter.com/PodSematary/status/1179130908894318593

It’s a change of pace on this episode of Pod Sematary with Horrifying Family Animation Week! Chris & Kelsey talk about two animated masterpieces that, while not explicitly horror films, still manage to unsettle or terrify children and adults alike. Please accept the thin pretense for a nice feel-good break from the norm. Thanks to listener Jeffrey for recommending The Secret of NIMH!

The Classic Film: The Secret of NIMH (1982)
"To save her ill son, a field mouse must seek the aid of a colony of rats, with whom she has a deeper link than she ever suspected” (IMDb.com). Chris's favorite animated film marks maybe the last time Disney's dominance of the cartoon market was called into question. Don Bluth's first(!) feature after leaving what he considered to be a floundering Disney in the 80s, The Secret of NIMH doesn't shy away from plunging audiences into the depths of darkness and despair to help them appreciate the light.

The Modern Film: Spirited Away (2001)
"During her family's move to the suburbs, a sullen 10-year-old girl wanders into a world ruled by gods, witches, and spirits, and where humans are changed into beasts” (IMDb.com). Calling Hayao Miyazaki "the Walt Disney of Japan" doesn't give the animation auteur enough credit for the unique wonder and majesty he brings the world with his films. With Spirited Away, perhaps his best ever (although Kelsey prefers Totoro), Miyazaki thrusts the audience into a frighteningly mystical world of spirits and demons that never ceases to amaze.

Audio Sources:
"The NeverEnding Story" produced by Constantin Film, et al.
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
“The Secret of NIMH” produced by Don Bluth Productions, et al.
"The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue" produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Animation, et al.
"Secrets Behind the Secret" produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.
"Shut Up and Talk: Don Bluth and Gary Goldman" produced by Channel Awesome
"Spirited Away” produced by Studio Ghibli, et al.