231 - Day of the Dead (1985) & Train to Busan (2016) →

It’s Resurrection Week on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey have maybe seen one too many zombie movies, so it's a good thing both of these are pretty great.

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The Classic Film: Day of the Dead (1985)
"Trapped in a missile silo, a small team of scientists, civilians, and trigger-happy soldiers battle desperately to ensure the survival of the human race. However, the tension inside the base is reaching a breaking point, and the zombies are gathering outside” (IMDb.com). The final installment of George A. Romero's original undead trilogy, Day of the Dead is a little slower than the others but a lot more brutal.

The Modern Film: Train to Busan (2016)
"While a zombie virus breaks out in South Korea, passengers struggle to survive on the train from Seoul to Busan” (IMDb.com). Zombie tropes and Korean melodrama are the order of the day, but Train to Busan is still exceptionally made and full of great characters and moments.

Audio Sources:
"Day of the Dead" (1985) produced by United Film Distribution Company & Laurel Entertainment Inc.
"The Door" (Game of Thrones S06E05) produced by Television 360, et al.
"The Langoliers" (1995 TV Mini-Series) produced by Laurel Entertainment Inc., et al.
"M1 A1" written by Damon Albarn & John Harrison and performed by Gorillaz
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"Train to Busan" produced by Next Entertainment World, et al.

164 - Double Feature - The Crazies (1973 & 2010) →

CW: Incest, Rape, Mental Illness

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

It’s a Double Feature on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey will end up either dead or insane! Thanks for the recommendation, Alex!

The Classic Film: The Crazies (1973)
"A biological weapon gone awry is only the start of problems in the little town of Evan's City, Pennsylvania. Bouts of insanity in the populace are leading to murder and rioting until the US Army turns up - and things really start going to hell” (IMDb.com). Feeling like a quintessential low-budget Romero flick, The Crazies is a raw and affecting story of survival.

The Modern Film: The Crazies (2010)
"As a toxin begins to turn the residents of Ogden Marsh, Iowa, into violent psychopaths, sheriff David Dutton tries to make sense of the situation while he, his wife, and two other unaffected townspeople band together in a fight for survival” (IMDb.com). It may be rare, but sometimes a horror remake is actually good. This is the case with The Crazies' 2010 remake, which does something completely different from the original and does it pretty well.

Audio Sources:
"The Crazies" (1973) produced by Pittsburgh Films
"The Crazies" (2010) produced by Overture Films, et al.
"Dawn of the Dead" (1978) produced by Laurel Group & Dawn Associates
"Ghostbusters" (1984) produced by Columbia Pictures, et al.
"The Haunting" (1999) produced by Dreamworks Pictures & Roth-Arnold Productions
"Jurassic Park" produced by Universal Pictures & Amblin Entertainment
"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
"Pulp Fiction" produced by A Band Apart, et al.
"Science Fiction/Double Feature" written by Richard O'Brien & Richard Hartley and performed by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
"Spider-Man" produced by Columbia Pictures, et al.
"Shut Up and Drive" written by Evan Rogers, et al. and performed by Rihanna

140 - Creepshow (1982) & Frailty (2001) →

CW: Suicide

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

It’s Father’s Day on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey find out where their cake is and realize that Tedanson ain't no fool.

The Classic Film: Creepshow (1982)
"An anthology which tells five terrifying tales based on the E.C. horror comic books of the 1950s” (IMDb.com). If you ever read those EC horror comics, there’s a lot to appreciate and enjoy about this anthology from horror masters Stephen King and George A. Romero, but a lot less if you don’t like cockroaches. 

The Modern Film: Frailty (2001)
"A mysterious man arrives at the offices of an FBI agent and recounts his childhood: how his religious fanatic father received visions telling him to destroy people who were in fact ‘demons'” (IMDb.com). Bill Paxton’s directorial debut, Frailty is a sadly overlooked gem of the 2000-era, psycho-spiritual thriller heap.

Audio Sources:
“Christine” produced by Columbia Pictures, et al.
“Creepshow” produced by Creepshow Films Inc., et al.
“Frailty” produced by David Kirschner Productions, 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

128 - Night of the Living Dead (1968) & 28 Weeks Later (2007) →

CW: Rape, Domestic Violence

Best of 2020 - #7 (Tied) Night of the Living Dead

Read our afterthoughts for this episode at https://twitter.com/PodSematary/status/1241493086502629387

It’s another Zombie Week on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey are smarter than you remember and know how to use tools!

The Classic Film: Night of the Living Dead (1968)
"A ragtag group of Pennsylvanians barricade themselves in an old farmhouse to remain safe from a bloodthirsty, flesh-eating breed of monsters who are ravaging the East Coast of the United States” (IMDb.com). This black & white classic has some rough edges, but it's better than you might expect and redefined zombies for generations to come.

The Modern Film: 28 Weeks Later (2007)
"Six months after the rage virus was inflicted on the population of Great Britain, the US Army helps to secure a small area of London for the survivors to repopulate and start again. But not everything goes according to plan” (IMDb.com). This sequel which included none of the creatives or actors from the original isn't half bad, but it fails to live up to the kinetic energy and fear of the original.

Audio Sources:
"28 Weeks Later" produced by Fox Atomic, et al.
"A Land Without Magic" (Once Upon a Time, S01E22) produced by Kitsis/Horowitz & ABC Studios
"Clue" produced by Paramount Pictures, et al
"Dec 8, 1987" (ABC News) produced by ABC News
"Halloween" produced by Compass International Pictures, et al.
"Night of the Living Dead" (1968) produced Image Ten
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"That Time Disney Remade Beauty and the Beast" via Lindsay Ellis @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpUx9DnQUkA

110 - Martin (1977) & May (2002) →

CW: Rape, suicide, cutting, violence involving animals

It’s Broken Romantics Week on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey relate to some very awkward weirdos in two films about introverts with murderous fetishes.

The Classic Film: Martin (1977)
"A young man, who believes himself to be a vampire, goes to live with his elderly and hostile cousin in a small Pennsylvania town where he tries to redeem his blood-craving urges” (IMDb.com). This under-remembered Romero classic throws out almost every vampire trope to show humanity's cursed desires in the hot light of day.

The Modern Film: May (2002)
"A socially awkward veterinary assistant with a lazy eye and obsession with perfection descends into depravity after developing a crush on a boy with perfect hands” (IMDb.com). A surprisingly fun, little-known horror flick (thanks for the recommendation, Benny!), May surprised us with its wahjah, relatable humor, and charming killer protagonist.

Audio Sources:
"Make It With You" written by David Gates and performed by Bread
“Martin” (Film) produced by Laurel Entertainment Inc.
"Martin" (Song) written by Marc Almond & Dave Ball and performed by Soft Cell
“May” produced by 2 Loop Films & A Loopy Production LLC
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones

047 - The Dark Half (1993) & Secret Window (2004) →

Content Warning: Suicide

It's all pseudonymous folderol this week on Pod Sematary! Both movies are Stephen King adaptations about writers who are so tormented by their demons that... well, it's Stephen King, ya know? Don't get us wrong -- we love Stephen King, but is he just using us as his therapy at this point?

First up is 1993's The Dark Half starring Timothy Hutton and Timothy Hutton. Thad Beaumont buries his alter ego to avoid controversy, but George Stark just doesn't want to stay buried. Ask Mama if she believes it, but it would really make no difference to us either way.

Then it's on to 2004's Secret Window starring Johnny Depp and... Timothy Hutton again! Mort Rainey never used a pseudonym himself, but that won't stop John Shooter from taking credit for one of his stories -- and demanding that Mort fix the ending. The ending of this movie, on the other hand, doesn't do much to impress. Chris will argue that the movie is underrated, but by how much?

But stick around for some spoiler-talk about Castle Rock's 6th and 7th episodes, "Filter" and "The Queen". "The Queen" may be one of the best episodes of television this year, but why does Kelsey still feel let down?

Get more at podsematary.com!

Audio Sources:
"Chico and the Man" performed by José Feliciano
"The Dark Half" produced by Orion Pictures and George A. Romero Productions
"The Dark Half (Stephen King) - PC Game Review - Pushing Up Roses" via Pushing Up Roses @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apGURCNUqUA
"Got Your Money" written by Chad Hugo, Russell Jones, & Pharrell Williams and performed by Ol' Dirty Bastard
"Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" produced by Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Pictures
"Jurassic Park" produced by Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment
"Once in a Lifetime" written by David Byrne, et al. and performed by The Talking Heads
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"A Picture is Worth 1,000 Bucks" (Family Guy S02E11) produced by Fuzzy Door Productions, et al.
"Secret Window" produced by Columbia Pictures Corporation, et al.
"Whoopi Goldberg" (Muppets Tonight S01E09) produced by Jim Henson Products and The Jim Henson Company (via Laser Time @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCY0aeUx-Ns)

025 - Double Feature - Dawn Of The Dead (1978 & 2004) →

Oh, man, it's a big 'un. This week on Pod Sematary, Chris and Kelsey get down with the sickness in a zombie double feature: Dawn of the Dead! First is George Romero's 1978 follow-up to the seminal Night of the Living Dead. Is the sequel better than the original? Are you Alien or Aliens? Godfather or Godfather Part II? Then it's on to the surprisingly okay debut of cinema pariah Zack Snyder in the 2004 remake. It certainly isn't awful and is only a little more than an hour and a half long, so there's that.