Pets are great because they are always there for you unconditionally. Well, at least if you feed them regularly. They never ask for anything more than the toss of a stick, a clean litter box, or some tender loving care. One of the things that I hold most dear to my heart have been the many great memories that I have of all my pets. This page will be dedicated to their loving memory ((to our dogs: Barney, Sport, Patches, Uppie (no kidding!!!), to our cat Smokey and our rabbit Sugar)) and to the memories of all the great pets who have touched all our hearts over the years. Right now, I have two great black cats (how appropriate for a horror connoisseur such as myself): Ash (named after Bruce Campbell's character in the "Evil Dead" Trilogy) and Sam (named after one of my favorite director Sam Raimi).  Sure that can't talk horror with you, but they still can enjoy it. (HA HA!!)

Well, enough of that sentimental bull...let's talk about "Stephen King's Pet Sematary". Along with "The Shining" this is one of my favorite adaptations of a Stephen King novel. (All King fans: Please read my "Shining" page before bombarding me with emails say that "The Shining" isn't a true adaptation of Stephen King's novel.) The success of "Pet Sematary" for me lies in the following examination.

The brutal imagery of the story blow my mind. The death of little Gage is one of the most heart-wrenching acts that I have ever witnessed on screen. If that were to ever happen to any of my nieces or nephews...I don't know what I would do. But the imagery put it in proper prospective. The question that follows is "Should one try to cheat death and if so what is the price"?

The question of "cheating death" is a perplexing one, but to many this question is very serious. Some say that true life begins with entrance into "the Kingdom of God" and that might just be it. So why consider bringing someone back? Others, such as myself, have struggled long and hard with the questions..."what's next?" "Is there a hereafter?" "Why let go of what you love?" But if we were faced with the death of a loved one, wouldn't we cherish the opportunity to cheat fate? Well in "Pet Sematary", Louis Creed had that chance and the outcome was quite frightening.  The effectiveness of "Pet Sematary" doesn't lie so much in the images on the screen (although they do help to propel the story), but rather in the challenging question it asks of all of us: "Would you do the same thing that Louis did?" I know I would and that is scary. What are your thoughts...email me.

As always please e-mail me if you have anything you can add to this page, or if you have any comments, criticisms or suggestion.

It is a special day for the Creed family. Louis, his lovely wife Rachel, their daughter Ellie, and toddler Gage (Miko Hughes) have left behind the hustle and bustle of the big city for a little country living. But there seems to be a few things their realtor forgot to tell them about their new digs. First, it seems that the road that runs by their new house is like the "Indianapolis Speedway" for truckers. Second, there's a little overgrown path in their backyard  leads to a makeshift "Pet Sematary". It serves as the final resting-place for many of the pets claimed by this "highway to hell".  Third...well, I'll get to that later.

Louis, a new doctor at the local college, receives the dying words from an accident victim. Later that evening, Louis is visited by this ghostly apparition who warns "the barrier was not meant to be crossed." It was only a nightmare, right.....or was it???

While Louis' wife and kids are away, Ellie's cat "Church" falls victim to this deadly road. As Louis and his neighbor, Jud, (Fred Gwynne) head out to bury "Church" in the "Pet Sematary", Jud decides to take Louis beyond the barrier (of brush) up into an ancient Micmac Indian burial ground. Here they lay "Church" to rest.

Well as time passes, sure enough "Church" shows back up, a little worse for wear, but alive and seemingly well. Louis believes he must have buried him alive. He reeks of an unbelievable stench that won’t go away, (couldn’t be the smell of death now, could it?) and his isn't quite the cat we've all come to love. He rushes over to Jud places where he finds out that "dead don't stay dead" when buried up there. Their conversion quickly ends with the question "Has anyone ever buried a person up there?" Jud replies with a fearful and rather unconvincing NOOOOOOOOO!!!! Can we say foreshadowing?

One day, as the family is enjoying a picnic, the unthinkable happens. Little Gage wanders out onto the "killer highway" and Crash! Boom! Bam! It isn't pretty, but the editing is so well done that it brings home the horror of the scene without the gore. (Sorry Gorehounds...but there is some really nice gore throughout the film) Blaming himself for Gage's death, Louis decides to make things right. If it worked for "Church" it's gotta work for Gage. But Louis seemed to have forgot that "Church" was soured by his resurrection. The consequences of Gage’s revival are quite devastating. The imagery is quite frightening as Gage lays waste to any and all that get in his way. First there was Jud, than Mommy, and now he wants to play with his Daddy. Does the old saying go "You reap what you sow" or is it "what you sow will rip you apart"? Rent the film!!!!