190 - Stepfather II (1989) & Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013) →

CW: Transphobia, Child Abuse, Gaslighting

It’s Father's Day on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey learn the soundtrack to Cats and move houses for you AGAIN! Plus, our spoiler-free thoughts on The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It!

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The Classic Film: Stepfather II: Make Room for Daddy (1989)
"After escaping the insane asylum in which he was incarcerated, Jerry Blake (Terry O'Quinn) impersonates a marriage counselor and manages to win over a patient (Meg Foster) and her young son (Jonathan Brandis)” (IMDb.com). Stepfather II is a low-effort and less-thrilling re-hash of the plot beats of the original. You know what? Just watch the original.

The Modern Film: Insidious: Chapter 2 (2013)
"The Lamberts believe that they have defeated the spirits that have haunted their family, but they soon discover that evil is not beaten so easily” (IMDb.com). In stark contrast to Stepfather, this follow-up complements the original in a way that few horror sequels do. Watch 'em both together!

Audio Sources:
"Hellraiser" (1987) produced by New World Pictures, et al.
"Insidious: Chapter 2" produced by Blumhouse Productions, et al.
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"Stepfather II: Make Room for Daddy" produced by Incorporated Television Company, et al.
"What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" (1962) produced by The Associates & Aldrich Company

144 - What Lies Beneath (2000) & Insidious (2010) →

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

It’s Haunted People Week on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey really evaluate the health of their marriage compared to these two shining examples of matrimony.

The Classic Film: What Lies Beneath (2000)
"The wife of a university research scientist believes that her lakeside Vermont home is haunted by a ghost - or that she is losing her mind” (IMDb.com). A simple, but surprisingly underrated ghost story, What Lies Beneath could have used a little more time and effort, but is still pretty entertaining. The only question is: is the ghost real?

The Modern Film: Insidious (2010)
"A family looks to prevent evil spirits from trapping their comatose child in a realm called The Further” (IMDb.com). Insidious sparked a change in the horror landscape, one that brought both perfection of craft and boring imitation for the next ten years.

Audio Sources:
“The Fugitive” produced by Warner Bros. & Kopelson Entertainment
"Hot Pockets" (from "Beyond the Pale") written and performed by Jim Gaffigan
“Insidious” produced by FilmDistrict, et al.
"The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” produced by New Line Cinema, et al.
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
“Street Fighter” (1994) produced by Capcom Entertainment & Edward R. Pressman Productions
“What Lies Beneath” produced by DreamWorks, et al.

108 - Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982) & The Nun (2018) →

Read our afterthoughts for this episode at https://twitter.com/PodSematary/status/1188231833567272961

CW: Suicide

It’s Halloween again on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey do... well, basically what they do all year anyway! But this is the time of year that they cover the Halloween franchise and that means it's Silver Shamrock Time!

The Classic Film: Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
"An apparent murder-suicide in a hospital emergency room leads to an investigation by the on-call doctor, which reveals a plot by an insane toymaker to kill as many people as possible during Halloween through an ancient Celtic ritual involving a stolen boulder from Stonehenge and Halloween masks” (IMDb.com). If that sounds absolutely ridiculous, it is. If it doesn't sound like Michael Myers is in this movie, he isn't. Season of the Witch is a divisive entry in the hallowed franchise and our opinion could go either way...

The Modern Film: The Nun (2018)
"When a young nun at a cloistered abbey in Romania takes her own life, a priest with a haunted past and a novitiate on the threshold of her final vows are sent by the Vatican to investigate... Risking not only their lives but their faith and their very souls, they confront a malevolent force in the form of the same demonic nun that first terrorized audiences in 'The Conjuring 2'” (Warner Bros.). This darkest chapter in the Conjuring universe has gotten a good deal of flack from critics and horror fans alike, but honestly, it still has a lot going for it.

Audio Sources:
"Careless Whisper" written by George Michael & Andrew Ridgeley and performed by George Michael
"Ghostbusters" produced by Columbia Pictures, et al.
"Halloween III: Season of the Witch" produced by Dino De Laurentiis Company & Universal Pictures
"Hercules" produced by Walt Disney Pictures, et al.
"The Little Mermaid" produced by Walt Disney Pictures, et al.
"The Nun" produced by New Line Cinema, et al.
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi" produced by Lucasfilm

107 - House II: The Second Story (1987) & The Conjuring 2 (2016) →

Worst of 2019 - #5 House II: The Second Story

Read our afterthoughts for this episode at https://twitter.com/PodSematary/status/1185625529208188928

It’s a Sequel Week on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey check out two follow-ups to films we've enjoyed on the show already!

The Classic Film: House II: The Second Story (1987)
"The new owner of a sinister house gets involved with reanimated corpses and demons searching for an ancient Aztec skull with magic powers” (IMDb.com). The first House movie was an unexpected treat for us, but it seems like The Second Story, with its nonsense “and then” plot and shallow child-pandering, has no idea what made the original actually good.

The Modern Film: The Conjuring 2 (2016)
"Ed and Lorraine Warren travel to North London to help a single mother raising 4 children alone in a house plagued by a supernatural spirit” (IMDb.com). In the past, we’ve been vocal supporters of Wan’s Insidious (1 & 2) and Conjuring movies, but is there a point where assuming success poisons what is otherwise a quality flick?

Audio Sources:
"Aladdin" (1992) produced by Walt Disney Pictures, et al.
“The Conjuring 2” produced by New Line Cinema, et al.
“House II: The Second Story” produced by New World Pictures & Sean S. Cunningham Films
"Inspector Gadget" (1982) produced by DIC Entertainment, et al.
"It" (1990) produced by Warner Bros. Television, et al.
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated" (2010) produced by Warner Bros. Animation
"The Transformers" (1984) produced by Hasbro, et al.

004 - The Witches (1990) & The Conjuring (2013) →

Witches are the topic of the day in this episode of Pod Sematary. Chris & Kelsey chat about 1990's The Witches (definitely about witches) and 2013's The Conjuring (ok, it's a stretch). Don't forget to rate, review, subscribe, and tell EVERYONE about Pod Sematary!