Pet Sematary (1989)

Director:

Mary Lambert

Writers (WGA):

Stephen King (novel)
Stephen King (screenplay)

Release Date:

21 April 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

Sometimes dead is better.

Plot:

Behind a young family's home in Maine is a terrible secret that holds the power of life after death. When tragedy strikes, the threat of that power soon becomes undeniable.

Plot Keywords:

Cat | Pet | Cemetery | Neighbor | Woods

Awards:

1 win & 5 nominations

Cast

Dale Midkiff	...	Louis Creed
Fred Gwynne	...	Jud Crandall
Denise Crosby	...	Rachel Creed
Brad Greenquist	...	Victor Pascow
Michael Lombard	...	Irwin Goldman
Miko Hughes	...	Gage Creed
Blaze Berdahl	...	Ellie Creed
Susan Blommaert	...	Missy Dandridge
Mara Clark	...	Marcy Charlton
Kavi Raz	...	Steve Masterton
Mary Louise Wilson	...	Dory Goldman
Andrew Hubatsek	...	Zelda
Liz Davies	...	Girl at Infirmary
Kara Dalke	...	Candystriper
Matthew August Ferrell	...	Jud as a Child
Lisa Stathoplos	...	Jud's Mother
Stephen King	...	Minister
Elizabeth Ureneck	...	Rachel as a Child
Chuck Courtney	...	Bill Baterman
Peter Stader	...	Timmy Baterman
Richard Collier	...	Young Jud
Chuck Shaw	...	Cop
Dorothy McCabe	...	Seatmate #1
Mary R. Hughes	...	Seatmate #2
Eleanor Grace Courtemanche	...	Logan Airport Gate Agent
Donnie Greene	...	Orinco Driver
Lila Duffy	...	Budget Clerk
John David Moore	...	Hitchhike Driver
Beau Berdahl	...	Ellie Creed II
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Kira Willoughby	...	Mother at Logan Airport (uncredited)

Directed by
Mary Lambert

Writing credits (WGA)
Stephen King		(novel)
Stephen King		(screenplay)

Produced by
Mitchell Galin	....	co-producer
Richard P. Rubinstein	....	producer
Ralph S. Singleton	....	associate producer
Tim Zinnemann	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Elliot Goldenthal

Cinematography by
Peter Stein		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Daniel P. Hanley		(as Daniel Hanley)
Mike Hill		(as Michael Hill)

Casting by
Pamela Basker
Fern Champion

Production Design by
Michael Z. Hanan

Art Direction by
Dins W.W. Danielsen

Set Decoration by
Kathe Klopp

Costume Design by
Marlene Stewart		(as M. Stewart)

Makeup Department
David LeRoy Anderson	....	special makeup effects artist (as Dave Anderson)
Lance Anderson	....	special makeup designer
John Blake	....	makeup effects assistant

Production Management
Barbara Rosing Hoke	....	unit production manager (as Barbara A. Rosing)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Phillip Christon	....	first assistant director
Joan Cunningham	....	second second assistant director
Suzanne Haasis	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Michael Biggie	....	painter
Jo Brown	....	head scenic
Kelly Deco	....	scenic paint foreman
Richard Bryan Douglas	....	carpenter
Ellen Freund	....	property master
Steve A. Hagberg	....	construction coordinator
Carlene Hirsch	....	lead greensman
Jennifer Law-Stump	....	scenic artist: Cinnabar
Stephanie Pilk	....	assistant set decorator
Ron Woods	....	props
Mark Zuelzke	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
Blake R. Cornett	....	first assistant sound editor
Greg Curda	....	foley mixer
Ken Dufva	....	foley artist
Michael Herbick	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gregg Landaker	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jane Lang	....	sound editor (as Jane C. Lang)
Steve Maslow	....	sound re-recording mixer
Patrushkha Mierzwa	....	boom operator
Hamilton Sterling	....	sound editor
Mark Ulano	....	production sound mixer
Donald C. Rogers	....	technical director of sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Bob Ahmanson	....	special effects technician
Peter Chesney	....	mechanical effects coordinator (as Peter M. Chesney)
Stephen M. Chesney	....	special effects technician
Tom Chesney	....	special effects technician
Scott Coulter	....	lab technician
Robin L. D'Arcy	....	image coordinator (as Robin D'Arcy)
Jeffrey S. Farley	....	lab technician (as Jeff Farley)
Adam Jones	....	lab technician
Dean W. Miller	....	special effects technician (as Dean Miller)
Kevin Swigert	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Betzy Bromberg	....	opticals: Fantasy II Film Effects
David Emerson	....	opticals: Fantasy II Film Effects
John Huneck	....	camera operator: Fantasy II Film Effects
Leslie Huntley	....	production supervisor: Fantasy II Film Effects
Ken Marschall	....	matte artist: Fantasy II Film Effects
Heather Pumphrey	....	production assistant: Fantasy II Film Effects
Gene Warren Jr.	....	effects supervisor: Fantasy II Film Effects
Christopher Warren	....	assistant: Fantasy II Film Effects
Jon Warren	....	production assistant: Fantasy II Film Effects

Stunts
Laura Dash	....	stunts
Donna Garrett	....	stunts
Bob Herron	....	stunts
John Robotham	....	stunts
Ben Scott	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Herb Ault	....	first company grip
Suzanne Cobb	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Robert Dracup	....	chief lighting technician (as Robert P. Dracup)
Giles Dunning	....	second assistant photographer
Leigh Feitelberg	....	camera assistant
Mark Gambino	....	second company grip
Rusty Geller	....	steadicam operator
David A. Harp	....	first assistant photographer (as David Harp)
Ken Hudson	....	camera assistant
Patrushkha Mierzwa	....	boom operator
Bill Pierson	....	dolly grip
John A. Small	....	second assistant photographer (as John Small)
Abigayle Tarsches	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Lindsay Chag	....	casting associate
Kira Willoughby	....	extras casting assistant

Editorial Department
Barry Dresner	....	additional editor
Donald Freeman	....	final colorist (uncredited)

Music Department
Phil Bulla	....	score recordist
Charles Martin Inouye	....	music editor
Joel Iwataki	....	music scoring mixer

Transportation Department
A. Welch Lambeth	....	transportation coordinator
William O'Brien	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Steve Alterman	....	adr loop group
Terrence Beasor	....	adr loop group
Jonathan Brandis	....	adr loop group
Cathy Cavadini	....	adr loop group
Judi M. Durand	....	adr loop group (as Judi Durand)
Deborah Fallender	....	adr loop group
David J. Greenberg	....	runner: set department (as David Greenberg)
Barbara Harris	....	adr loop group (as Barbara Iley)
David Blake Hartley	....	location manager
Parker Jacobs	....	adr loop group
Harvey Jason	....	adr loop group
Stacy Keach Sr.	....	adr loop group
Jesse Long	....	script supervisor
David McCharen	....	adr loop group
Brian McMillan	....	head animal trainer
Ryan McWhorter	....	adr loop group
Mary Linda Phillips	....	adr loop group (as Linda Phillips)
Nurit Prag	....	production assistant
Jan Rabson	....	adr loop group
David Randolph	....	adr loop group (as David J. Randolph)
Gary Schwartz	....	adr loop group
LaGloria Scott	....	adr loop group
Penina Segall	....	adr loop group
Neal Thompson	....	title designer
Stacy Heather Tolkin	....	adr loop group
Susan Towner	....	production accountant
Ione Turner	....	adr loop group
Jeanine Wilson	....	accountant
Lynnanne Zager	....	adr loop group

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (presents)
• Laurel Productions (uncredited)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1989) (USA) (theatrical)
• United Pictures Finland (1989) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Esselte Video (1990) (Finland) (video)
• Paramount Pictures (1989) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan)
• Paramount Home Video (1993) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan)
• Paramount Pictures (1996) (USA) (VHS) (pan and scan)
• United International Pictures (UIP) (1990) (France) (theatrical)
• CIC Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• Esselte CIC Video (19??) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2002) (Canada) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2006) (Canada) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)

Other Companies

• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack

Also Known As:

"Pet Cemetery" - USA (orthographically correct title)
"Stephen King's Pet Sematary" - Philippines (English title) (poster title)

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo (Dolby Stereo)

Certification:

Australia:M | Finland:K-18 (1989) (cut) | France:-12 | Norway:18 | South Korea:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Malaysia:(Banned) | Netherlands:16 | Iceland:16 | Germany:(Banned) (original rating) | Canada:18A | Finland:K-16 (1993) (video version) (uncut) | Italy:VM18 | Ireland:18 | Spain:18 | Portugal:M/16 | Argentina:18 | Chile:18 | Australia:MA15+ (2012) (re-rating) | Singapore:M18

Filming Locations:

Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The story was inspired to Stephen King by actual events that occurred while he was living in Orington, Maine with his family. King recalled that while living there his daughter's cat was killed in the highway. Much of Ellie Creed's emotional outburst was taken directly from King's own grief-stricken daughter. King also remembered that once his youngest son had nearly ran into the road while a truck was speeding down it, much like Gage does in film. The character of Judd Crandall was based on the elderly neighbor that lived across the road from King. Also there was an actual pet cemetery in the woods behind the King house, which became the basis for the one in the novel.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Gage ran out in front of a tanker truck that was displaying a "Dangerous" placard. On a tanker the placard would be the type product being hauled (i.e. "Flammable", "Corrosive" etc). The "Dangerous placard is reserved for mixed hazardous materials. You don't mix on a tanker.

Quotes:

Jud Crandall:It's that damn road!

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in Madhouse (1990)

Soundtrack:

Sheena Is A Punk Rocker

Truly mesmerizing, and scary at times...

I am a big fan of Stephen King's work, and this film has made me an even greater fan of King. Pet Sematary is about the Creed family. They have just moved into a new house, and they seem happy. But there is a pet cemetery behind their house. The Creed's new neighbor Jud (played by Fred Gwyne) explains the burial ground behind the pet cemetery. That burial ground is pure evil. Jud tells Louis Creed that when you bury a human being (or any kind of pet) up in the burial ground, they would come back to life. The only problem, is that when they come back, they are NOT the same person, they're evil. Soon after Jud explains everything about the Pet Sematary, everything starts to go to hell. I wont explain anymore because I don't want to give away some of the main parts in the film. The acting that Pet Sematary had was pretty good, but needed a little bit of work. The story was one of the main parts of this movie, mainly because it was so original and gripping. This film features lots of make-up effects that make the movie way more eerie, and frightening. One of the most basic reasons why this movie sent chills up my back, was in fact the make-up effects. There is one character in this film that is truly freaky. That character is "Zelda." This particular character pops up in the film about three times to be precise. Zelda is Rachel Creed's sister who passed away years before, but Rachel is still haunted by her. The first time Zelda appears in the movie isn't generally scary because she isn't talking or anything, but the second time is the worst, and to be honest, the second time scares the living **** out of me. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this movie, it is almost perfect. Pet Sematary delivers great scares, some pretty good acting, first rate plot, and mesmerizing make-up. This is truly one of most favorite horror films of all time. 10 out of 10.