233 - Double Feature - The Stepford Wives (1975 & 2004) →

It’s a Stepford Wives Double Feature on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey make perfect robot versions of each other, but the replacements just run off together.

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The Original: The Stepford Wives (1975)
"Joanna Eberhart has come to the quaint little town of Stepford, Connecticut with her family, but soon discovers there lies a sinister truth in the all too perfect behavior of the female residents” (IMDb.com). Just like Rosemary's Baby, which we love so much, this is yet another Ira Levin story about a woman undone by the selfish machinations of her husband after they move to a new home. Too bad this feminist thriller isn't nearly as effective as that.

The Remake: The Stepford Wives (2004)
"[Joanna Eberhart] has a hard time adjusting to Stepford's manicured environs and the overly accommodating attitude of the area women. Soon Joanna begins to suspect that something is not right, and she tries to uncover Stepford's secret” (RottenTomatoes.com). Just like Little Shop of Horrors, which we love so much, this is yet another over-the-top, satirical, horror remake from Frank Oz. Too bad this comedy isn't nearly as bold as that.

Audio Sources:
"Hercules" (1997) produced by Walt Disney Pictures, et al.
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"The Producers" (2005) produced by Universal Pictures, et al.
"Science Fiction/Double Feature" written by Richard O'Brien & Richard Hartley and performed by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
"The Stepford Wives" (1975) produced by Palomar Pictures International & Fadsin Cinema Associates
"The Stepford Wives" (2004) produced by Paramount Pictures, et al.
"The Truman Show" produced by Paramount Pictures & Scott Rudin Productions

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