238 - Jacob's Ladder (1990) & Overlord (2018) →

CW: PTSD, Rape

It’s Memorial Day on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey honor our nation's fallen military personnel by watching two movies with very different vibes all about military experimentation on human bodies. Don't worry—it's not all a downer.

Read our afterthoughts for this episode HERE!

The Classic Film: Jacob's Ladder (1990)
"Mourning his dead child, a haunted Vietnam War veteran attempts to uncover his past while suffering from a severe case of dissociation. To do so, he must decipher reality and life from his own dreams, delusions, and perceptions of death” (IMDb.com). Jacob's Ladder is some important and heavy stuff, but that doesn't give it a free pass that its message and its context are almost completely divorced from one another, leading to a dilution of both.

The Modern Film: Overlord (2018)
"A small group of American soldiers finds horror behind enemy lines on the eve of D-Day” (IMDb.com). Overlord isn't much of a thinker, but it's consistently exciting and engaging for its entire runtime.

Audio Sources:
"Jacob's Ladder" (1990) produced by Carolco Pictures
"Overlord" (2018) produced by Bad Robot & Paramount Pictures

189 - Motel Hell (1980) & Identity (2003) →

CW: Suicide, Sexual Assault, Domestic Abuse

It’s Motel Week on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey smoke some long pig and and get rained in at motel with a bunch of weirdos.

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The Classic Film: Motel Hell (1980)
"A seemingly friendly farmer and his sister kidnap unsuspecting travelers and bury them alive, using them to create the "special meat" they are famous for” (IMDb.com). Motel Hell is certainly weird, comedic horror, but perhaps it's not weird or comedic enough.

The Modern Film: Identity (2003)
"Stranded at a desolate Nevada motel during a nasty rainstorm, ten strangers become acquainted with each other when they realize that they're being killed off one by one” (IMDb.com). Whether or not you enjoy Identity will be a 50/50 crapshoot, just like the ratio of hosts that have no patience for its bullshit.

Audio Sources:
"Anything Could Happen" written by Ellie Goulding & Jim Eliot and performed by Ellie Goulding
"I Know What You Did Last Summer" produced by Mandalay Entertainment, et al.
"Identity" (2003) produced by Columbia Pictures & Konrad Pictures
"Motel Hell" produced by Camp Hill
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones