208 - Child's Play 3 (1991) & Annabelle: Creation (2017) →

CW: Death of a child

It’s Haunted Doll Week on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey dive back into their two "favorite" franchises with one possessed doll that lost its edge and another that still isn't possessed at all.

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The Classic Film: Child's Play 3 (1991)
"Chucky returns for revenge against Andy, the young boy who defeated him and now a teenager living in a military academy” (IMDb.com). Sorry, Jack—Chucky's back... in a dull and unnecessary sequel that didn't even scare Kelsey, who is notoriously terrified of the murderous doll.

The Modern Film: Annabelle: Creation (2017)
"Twelve years after the tragic death of their little girl, a doll-maker and his wife welcome a nun and several girls from a shuttered orphanage into their home, where they become the target of the dollmaker's possessed creation, Annabelle” (IMDb.com). This is one of those rare cases where the sequel is better than the original, but that's not saying much. Unfortunately, while an upgrade for the franchise, this entry in the expansive and fluctuating Conjuring Universe is NOT more than the sum of its pretty compelling parts. Just remember: ♫It's just a doll♫

Audio Sources:
"Annabelle: Creation" produced by New Line Cinema, et al.
"Buzz Buzz Buzz" written by Bobby Day (as Robert Byrd) & John G. Dolphin and performed by The Hollywood Flames
"Child's Play 3" produced by Universal Pictures
"The Conjuring" produced by New Line Cinema, et al.
"Jesus Christ Superstar" (1973) produced by Universal Pictures
"Lonesome Ghosts" (1937) produced by Walt Disney Productions
"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
"You Are My Sunshine" written by Jimmie Davis and performed by Charles McDonald

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.