FRIDAY NIGHT FRIGHTS: PET SEMATARY TWO (1992) “Back By Popular Demand.”

I’ve got a serious soft spot for the original Pet Sematary and can clearly remember counting down the days until the end of August when it would finally premiere on HBO back in 1989 (this also ended up being the night before I’d start the 4th grade). There was something about it that I was completely drawn to from the second it started. The simple yet beautifully atmospheric score along with the gorgeous Maine location that it was shot in. The somber performances, not to mention the dread of the story itself. Every element added together really created an impeccable tone, making it one of those movies that I throw on every now and then simply enjoying a sense of “being there.”

I couldn’t get enough of it, I wanted more and 3 years later, was about to experience that whole “be careful what you wish for” thing.

Upon first seeing this teaser poster for the sequel inside of a comic book back in early ‘92 I was losing my mind in excitement to say the least. Mary Lambert was returning to the director’s chair and hot off the heels of Terminator 2, Edward Furlong’s badass haircut was cast in the starring role. I love this ad. The silhouette of the kids with their bicycles, surrounded by graves, what appeared to be an undead dog this time instead of a cat, the fact that 2 was spelled out (TWO). It all just felt so right. And it all meant that when it finally came down to watch it my expectations were cranked up to an unreasonable level, making disappointment inevitable.

It certainly has its moments here and there but overall this one just doesn’t capture the same mood as the first. I mean, I’m totally fine with a sequel that introduces an entirely new cast of characters. Especially in this instance when just about everyone in the original didn’t live to see the end credits (and just about any movie taking place during Halloween can get a lotta mileage out of me but even that can only go so far).

Goldenthal’s music was replaced with some instantly dated pop-rock soundtrack, the gore was taken to a near cartoonish level, sex scenes brought with them a seemingly unintended awkwardness, and even the Micmac burial ground that had apparently been around for hundreds of years all of a sudden had a makeover. Ok. So I wrote it off, telling myself that this movie doesn’t exist and I’ll always have the first to rewatch over and over again. Not even the (incredibly lazy) references made to the original in a poor attempt to link the two could convince me that a sequel was ever made. But a couple years back when Scream Factory released it on blu ray, I of course bought a copy and gave it another shot for the first time since being prepubescent and holy shit, yeah it’s still terrible but way more fun than I remember.

I’ve got to give most of the credit here to Clancy Brown’s scene stealing performance as the jackass local sheriff who *spoiler alert* returns from the dead as an even bigger shithead than he was while alive. He really hams it up in the best possible way and is clearly having a ton of infectious fun. Then there’s the always reliable Anthony Edwards who never seems to look down on the material he’s working with. I mean I’m assuming he read the script, he must be fully aware that this is a terrible movie but the dude plays it totally straight. He brings a lot of credibility to this train wreck.

But time and emotional distance from that initial viewing makes it clear that this movie never intended to be a continuation of the first, not only in terms of the narrative but also mood and atmosphere, which is really what I wanted more than anything back then. It’s doing it’s own thing and does have a certain style to it that I can now appreciate on it’s own terms, even if I still think that the end result is a massive missed opportunity.

At least they got Furlong’s hair right.

You are able to stream Pet Sematary Two by renting or purchasing on Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, and Vudu.