184 - A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988) & Before I Wake (2016) →

CW: Death of a child

It’s a Dream Week on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey get a cool gearing-up montage and cool new dream powers!

Read our afterthoughts for this episode here!

The Classic Film: A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master (1988)
"Freddy Krueger returns once again to terrorize the dreams of the remaining Dream Warriors, as well as those of a young woman who may be able to defeat him for good” (IMDb.com). The Nightmare franchise starts to take a turn for the worse in this installment, but it's still not bad yet... surprisingly.

The Modern Film: Before I Wake (2016)
"A couple adopt an orphaned child whose dreams - and nightmares - manifest physically as he sleeps” (IMDb.com). Since this is a Mike Flanagan joint, you know that there is at least a minimum threshold of quality here, but the squandered potential, muddled metaphors, and theme that's about as subtle as a slap in the face make this easily the worst of his outings we've seen so far.

Audio Sources:
"Are You Ready for Freddy?" written by Patrick Klein, et al., & performed by The Fat Boys
"Before I Wake (2016)" produced by Intrepid Pictures, et al.
"Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" produced by De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, et al.
"I Want Your (Hands On Me)" written by Sinéad O'Connor, et al., & performed by Sinéad O'Connor
"Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy" produced by 1428 Films & Panic Productions
"A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master" produced by New Line Cinema, et al.
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones

104 - The Fog (1980) & The Mist (2007) →

CW: Suicide

Read our afterthoughts for this episode at https://twitter.com/PodSematary/status/1178074557611003904

It’s Condensation Week on Pod Sematary! Chris & Kelsey discover something in the fog and probably confuse Carpenter and King classics! Thanks to listener Anthony for the recommendation!

The Classic Film: The Fog (1980)
"An unearthly fog rolls into a small coastal town exactly 100 years after a ship mysteriously sank in its waters” (IMDb.com). Following up on their first film together (Halloween), John Carpenter and Debra Hill team up again to make another great horror movie in a completely different style. This time, an ensemble cast have to find their own way through the fog to stop… vengeful leper pirates? Wait, that can’t be right...

The Modern Film: The Mist (2007)
"A freak storm unleashes species of bloodthirsty creatures on a small town, where a small band of citizens hole up in a supermarket and fight for their lives” (IMDb.com). This Stephen King adaptation (directed by Frank Darabont, probably the most successful King adaptor) not only has one of the most notorious endings in horror cinema history, but also incredible creature designs and gruesomely impactful gore. Are those enough to get over the cliched characters, wonky CGI, and muddled themes? Chris and Kelsey disagree.

Get more at podsematary.com!

Audio Sources:
"The Cat and the Claw Part II" (Batman: The Animated Series S01E08) produced by Warner Bros. Animation
“The Exorcist” produced by Warner Bros. & Hoya Productions
“The Fog” (1980) produced by Debra Hill Productions, et al.
“Halloween” (1978) produced by Compass International Pictures
“The Mist” produced by Dimension Films, et al.
“Move Bitch” written by J. Smith, et al. and performed by Ludacris feat. Mystikal & I-20
"Pet Sematary" written by Dee Dee Ramone & Daniel Rey and performed by The Ramones
"Soul and Mind" performed by E's Jammy Jams
"The Stand" produced by Greengrass Productions & Laurel Entertainment Inc."Tales from the Mist: Inside 'The Fog'" produced by Automat Pictures
"The Thing" (1982) produced by Universal Pictures & Turman-Foster Company
"WNEW FM Opening 5 - 2 - 77” performed by Alison Steele