Pet Sematary Two

Pet Sematary Two

Theatrical Release Poster
Directed by Mary Lambert
Produced by Ralph Singleton
Written by Richard Outten
Starring
Music by Mark Governor
Cinematography Russell Carpenter
Edited by Tom Finan
Distributed by Paramount Pictures
Release dates
  • August 28, 1992 (1992-08-28)
Running time
 100 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $8 million
Box office $17.1 million[1]

Pet Sematary Two is a 1992 horror film directed by Mary Lambert. The screenplay was written by Richard Outten. It is the sequel to the 1989 film Pet Sematary. The film stars Edward Furlong, Anthony Edwards and Clancy Brown.

Plot

Following the accidental death of his mother Renee during production of her latest film, thirteen-year-old Jeff Matthews and his veterinarian-father Chase move to the Maine town of Ludlow. Jeff learns about the Creed family, and about the cursed Indian burial ground. His friend Drew's dog, Zowie, is fatally shot by Gus Gilbert - Drew's stepfather, who also happens to be the town sheriff - for chasing Gus's pet rabbits. It doesn't help that Gus was in love with Renee 20 years ago; ever since she turned him down to marry Chase, Gus has been venting his ire on everything and everybody around him.

Jeff and Drew bury Zowie at the Indian cemetery, in order to bring the dog back to life. It works, with some side effects: Zowie is uncharacteristically fierce; the dog's eyes have an unnatural glow to them, even in daylight. Gus grounds Drew for skipping school to bury Zowie (because Gus demanded that he do so). Chase treats Zowie for his gunshot wound, which refuses to heal; even more bizarre is the fact that Zowie has no heartbeat. Chase sends a sample of Zowie's blood to a lab. It turns out that Zowie's cells have completely deteriorated and are no different from those of a dead canine.

Jeff goes to the pet cemetery on Halloween for a night of horror stories, notably about the Creed murders. The still-grounded Drew goes along on his mom's orders; she wants to get even with Gus for repeatedly and unfavorably comparing her to Renee. Gus comes to the cemetery looking for Drew. He beats up his stepson after chasing off all the other kids save Jeff, who is swatted away like a fly when he tries to stop Gus's bullying. Gus rips up a gravemarker and is about to hit Drew with it when Zowie appears and fatally mauls Gus...whom both boys subsequently bury at the Indian cemetery. Gus returns to life; he now moves stiffly and rarely speaks, but does treat his wife and stepson better. Gus becomes increasingly crude and sadistic, sexually assaulting Drew's mother and brutally skinning his pet rabbits for supper.

Zowie breaks out of the veterinary clinic and kills three cats, before entering Chase's home and attacking him. Chase's arm is injured. A day later, Jeff encounters school bully Clyde Parker - who is about to sever Jeff's nose using the wheel-spokes of his own motorcycle when Gus shows up. He sends Jeff home, then murders Clyde as Drew looks on.

Gus traps Drew inside their house with the savage Zowie. Drew escapes through a window just as his mother arrives home. Gus's police car chases them down the highway; he finally kills them both, by forcing their car into a collision with a truck. Gus drags Clyde's body off to the cursed burial ground: "I'm takin' you up the hill, Clyde, buddy. That's the way the Indians did it."

That night, Jeff decides to reanimate his mother by using the Indian burial ground`s power. Gus exhumes her corpse, and brings it to Jeff at the burial ground. When Chase hears that his wife's grave has been robbed by Gus, he rushes to the Gilbert house. There he is attacked by Zowie...and then by Gus, wielding an electric drill. Chase shoots and kills them both.

Upon coming back to life, Renee stabs and kills Marjorie Hargrove - the Matthews' housekeeper. Jeff confronts his undead mother in the attic and they embrace. Chase arrives home and urges Jeff to get away from Renee, who says she wants to spend quality time with her husband. An undead Clyde arrives and tries to kill Jeff...first with an ax, and then with an ice-skate. Renee locks Chase and both boys in the house, which she then sets on fire.

Jeff kills Clyde with a severed insulated cable, then breaks down the attic door to reach his father. Renee wants Jeff to stay and join her in death, saying she loves him, but Jeff drags his father out of the house as Renee is destroyed by the flames. Her last words are, "Dead is better!"

Jeff and Chase leave Ludlow for Los Angeles.

Cast

Release

The film debuted at number three.[2] Paramount Home Video released it on VHS in April 1993,[3] and on DVD in September 2001.[4]

Reception

Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, reports that 26% of 19 surveyed critics gave the film a positive review; the average rating was 3.8/10.[5] Stephen Holden of The New York Times wrote that the film "is much better at special effects than at creating characters or telling a coherent story".[6] Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "Not nearly as scary as the 1989 original, it nonetheless expresses and attempts to resolve in bold mythological terms the anxieties of being 13."[7] Variety wrote, "Pet Sematary Two is about 50% better than its predecessor, which is to say it's not very good at all."[8] Richard Harrington of The Washington Post likened it to "an elongated Tales from the Crypt" episode and criticized the script as a rehash of the original.[9] Jay Carr of The Boston Globe called it "better entertainment than the first Pet Sematary" but more of a remake than a sequel.[10] Patrick Naugle of DVD Verdict wrote, "Everything about Pet Sematary Two stinks like the dead."[11]

References

  1. ↑ "Pet Sematary II". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 2015-02-08.
  2. ↑ "Weekend Box Office : 'Honeymoon' Is Unforgiving". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-06-03.
  3. ↑ Hunt, Dennis (1993-04-23). "Gay Theme Not Lost in 'Cranes' Marketing". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2015-02-08.
  4. ↑ "What's Happening This Week". Locus. 2001-09-24. Retrieved 2015-02-08.
  5. ↑ "Pet Sematary Two (1992)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2015-02-08.
  6. ↑ "Review/Film; Freudian Horror and a Dead Dog". The New York Times. Retrieved 2012-06-03.
  7. ↑ "MOVIE REVIEW : 'Pet Sematary II' Rife With Teen Trauma". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-06-03.
  8. ↑ "Review: 'Pet Sematary Two'". Variety. 1992. Retrieved 2015-02-08.
  9. ↑ Harrington, Richard (1992-08-31). "'Pet Sematary Two' (R)". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2015-02-08.
  10. ↑ Carr, Jay (1992-08-28). "`Pet Sematary Two': This sequel buries the original". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2015-02-08 – via Highbeam Research. (subscription required (help)).
  11. ↑ Naugle, Patrick (2001-09-25). "Pet Sematary Two". DVD Verdict. Retrieved 2015-02-08.
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