183 - The Faculty (1998) & Cooties (2014) →

CW: Animal Harm

The Best of 2021 - #7 (Tied) The Faculty

It’s "Elijah Wood Goes to School" Week on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey grow from anti-establishment to pro-teacher between two movies. It's age, man. That stuff just happens over time.

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The Classic Film: The Faculty (1998)
"When Casey Connor, Herrington High School's newspaper photographer, witnesses the murder of a nurse and sees her alive again, [he] decides to investigate the bizarre happenings” (IMDb.com). Kelsey can basically recite this movie from memory, but is it just nostalgia, or does this late-90s, teen horror actually hold up?

The Modern Film: Cooties (2014)
"A mysterious virus hits an isolated elementary school, transforming the kids into a feral swarm of mass savages. An unlikely hero must lead a motley band of teachers in the fight of their lives” (IMDb.com). Cooties has all the hallmarks of a silly horror comedy and it seems content to leave it at that. Not bad but... not good, either?

Audio Sources:
"Cooties" produced by SpectreVision & Glacier Films
"The Faculty" produced by Dimension Films  Los Hooligans Productions
"The Kids Aren't Alright" written by Dexter Holland and performed by The Offspring
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones

170 - Scream 3 (2000) & Scream 4 (2011) →

CW: Sexual Assault

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

It’s a Scream Week on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey finish the last half of the Scream franchise all in one go and also talk too much about Josie & the Pussycats.

The Classic Film: Scream 3 (2000)
"While Sidney and her friends visit the Hollywood set of Stab 3, the third film based on the Woodsboro murders, another Ghostface killer rises to terrorize them” (IMDb.com). Scream 3 isn't as bad as we remembered, but that doesn't mean it's very good. Despite the fact that there are some very lovable characters and moments, it's obvious that no one's heart was in this one.

The Modern Film: Scream 4 (2011)
"Ten years have passed, and Sidney Prescott, who has put herself back together thanks in part to her writing, is visited by the Ghostface Killer” (IMDb.com). Scream managed to get to four entries without having a terrible one, but we still haven't captured the magic of the first again, despite how hard this movie tries.

Audio Sources:
"Is This The End" written by Mark T. Tremonti & Scott A. Stapp and performed by Creed
"Music of the Heart" produced by Craven-Maddalena Films & Miramax
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"Scream 3" produced by Craven-Maddalena Films, et al.
"Scream 4" produced by Dimension Films, et al.
"Tune Up #1" (from Rent -- Original Broadway Cast Recording) written by Jonathan Larson and performed by Anthony Rapp & Adam Pascal
"What If" written by Mark T. Tremonti & Scott A. Stapp and performed by Creed

090 - I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997) & Club Dread (2004) →

It’s Summer Vacation Week on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey party in the sun and make mistakes that will literally haunt them a year from now!

The Classic Film: I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)
“Four young friends bound by a tragic accident are reunited when they find themselves being stalked by a hook-wielding maniac in their small seaside town” (IMDb.com). Acting as a sort of bridge between Scream and the generation of teen slashers that followed, I Know What You Did Last Summer is an incredibly cheesy but still endearing classic of horror's timeline.

The Modern Film: Club Dread (2004)
"When a serial killer interrupts the fun at the swanky Coconut Pete's Coconut Beach Resort--a hedonistic island paradise for swingers--it's up to the club's staff to stop the violence...or at least hide it" (IMDb.com). A highly underrated entry in the comedy/horror sub-genre, Club Dread is a future cult classic that you shouldn't let cruise by.

Get more at podsematary.com! Read our afterthoughts for this episode at https://twitter.com/PodSematary/status/1142896168742993920

Audio Sources:
"Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" produced by De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, et al.
"Club Dread" produced by Broken Lizard Industries, et al.
"I Know What You Did Last Summer" produced by Mandalay Entertainment & Summer Knowledge LLC
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"Summertime" written and performed by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
"Way of the Gun" produced by Artisan Entertainment & Aqaba Productions
"Who Killed Kaitlyn?" (Unsolved Mysteries S05E15) produced by Cosgrove/Meurer Productions

074 - Scream 2 (1997) & Don't Hang Up (2016) →

It's Prank Call Killers Week on Pod Sematary, I guess? Chris and Kelsey tackle two films with killers who antagonize their victims over the phone!

The Classic Film: Scream 2 (1997)
Two years after the first series of murders, as Sydney acclimates to college life, someone donning the Ghostface costume begins a new string of killings. Does this sequel elevate this meta series or is it just more of the same?

The Modern Film: Don't Hang Up (2016)
An evening of some drunken prank calls becomes a nightmare for a pair of teenagers when a mysterious stranger turns their own game against them...with deadly consequences. Don’t watch this one expecting any twists and you may just enjoy it.

Get more at podsematary.com! Read our afterthoughts for this episode at twitter.com/PodSematary/status/1102382382403985408

Audio Sources:
"Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" produced by De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, et al.
"Dine & Dash" (Kroll Show, S01E06) produced by Comedy Central
"Episode #2.6" (Chappelle's Show, S02E06) produced by Marobru Inc.
"Homer and Apu" (The Simpsons, S05E13) produced by Gracie Films & 20th Century Fox Television
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"The Price is Right" produced by Price Productions, et al.
"Red Right Hand" written by Mick Harvey, Nick Cave, and Thomas Wydler and performed by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
"Scary Movie" produced by Dimension Films, et al.
"Scream" produced by Dimension Films & Woods Entertainment
"Scream 2" produced by Dimension Films, et al.
"Scream 3" produced by Dimension Films, et al.

054 - Scream (1996) & The Cabin In The Woods (2012) →

Best of 2017/18 - #4 (Tied) The Cabin in the Woods

It's Horror Tropes Week on Pod Sematary! Chris and Kelsey get meta talking about some of the best examples of self-aware horror films that exist! (To be sure, there are more...)

First up is one we've been talking about since our first episode: 1996's Scream! Wes Craven got a bit meta with 1994's New Nightmare, but that movie only covered the one franchise: Freddy. Then along came Kevin Williamson and the two really got rolling with a film the transformed the whole genre for Generation X (for good or ill). Is this clever classic worth all of the not-so-great imposters?

Then it's on to the film that doesn't just want to observe the tropes but tear the whole genre down and start over: 2012's The Cabin in the Woods! Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard bring their experience and wit to address the big questions. Why do characters act like idiots in horror movies? Why only use that great weapon once? And what happens when the audience doesn't get what they expect?

Plus:
--a trip to Knott's Scary Farm!
--the new Pet Sematary trailer!

Get more at podsematary.com! Read our afterthoughts for this episode at https://twitter.com/PodSematary/status/1051648875990118400

Audio Sources:
"The Cabin in the Woods" produced by Lionsgate, et al.
"Ice" (The X-Files S01E08) produced by Ten Thirteen Productions in association with 20th Century Fox Television
"Jamie Kennedy Ruins E3 - Activision Press Conference 2007" via gamesradararchive @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IifE-EAuSAI
"Like Father, Like Son" produced by Partnership for a Drug-Free America
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"Pet Sematary" (2019) produced by Alphaville Films & Paramount Pictures
"Red Dawn" produced by United Artists & Valkyrie Films
"Red Right Hand" written by Mick Harvey, Nick Cave, and Thomas Wydler and performed by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
"Roll with the Changes" written by Kevin Cronin and performed by REO Speedwagon
"Scream" produced by Dimension Films & Woods Entertainment