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I was reading this book just before the film came out. Is that a good idea? Having the source material so fresh in one's mind that when you watch the film adaptation, you sit there nitpicking? I did and I'm not entirely sure if that ruined the experience or not for me. What I do know is that this updated version of Pet Semetary takes a lot of liberties with the source material and ends on a depressingly bleak note. One that I'm sure Stephen King would be proud of.
Louis Creed is a doctor from Boston who uproots his family and moves to a small town in Maine. This is his effort to work less and spend more time with his family. His new house sits on a large piece of property, which extends all the way back through the woods. In those woods lies a cemetery for pets. People from this town have been burying their pets their for decades. When the family cat meets an untimely demise, their new neighbour Jud takes Louis to the "Pet Semetary" without really explaining why. The next day that darn cat is sitting his Louis' garage. Alive and well...or so it seems. He constantly smells, acts irrational and all around seems "off". When a devastating tragedy strikes the family, Louis weighs his options to use the "Pet Semetary" one more time.
King has called his book, the scariest book he's ever written. I think that comes from a parental perspective. This new film has it's moments of creepiness, but the scare factor is unfortunately lacking. I understand the reasoning for changing some of the elements from the book to screen and it works in its favour because if it were the other way around, some people might think it is comical.
The film drops the ball in a few different areas, mainly with the wife's backstory involving her sister and the father-son life relationship between Louis and Jud. It never feels real or even really attempted. Jus is just the nice old man who lives across the street and nothing more. I felt like this loss of this connection between these two men takes away from their characters and we're left with somewhat of a hollow shell. The film could have amped up the blood towards the end, it's there but it doesn't feel shocking enough given the events being depicted on the screen.
I'm all for this new wave of King adaptations, the success of IT is opening new doors. While Pet Semetary doesn't reach levels of horror or terror, it's perfectly serviceable enough for fans of King.
Pet Semetary
I was reading this book just before the film came out. Is that a good idea? Having the source material so fresh in one's mind that when you watch the film adaptation, you sit there nitpicking? I did and I'm not entirely sure if that ruined the experience or not for me. What I do know is that this updated version of Pet Semetary takes a lot of liberties with the source material and ends on a depressingly bleak note. One that I'm sure Stephen King would be proud of.
Louis Creed is a doctor from Boston who uproots his family and moves to a small town in Maine. This is his effort to work less and spend more time with his family. His new house sits on a large piece of property, which extends all the way back through the woods. In those woods lies a cemetery for pets. People from this town have been burying their pets their for decades. When the family cat meets an untimely demise, their new neighbour Jud takes Louis to the "Pet Semetary" without really explaining why. The next day that darn cat is sitting his Louis' garage. Alive and well...or so it seems. He constantly smells, acts irrational and all around seems "off". When a devastating tragedy strikes the family, Louis weighs his options to use the "Pet Semetary" one more time.
King has called his book, the scariest book he's ever written. I think that comes from a parental perspective. This new film has it's moments of creepiness, but the scare factor is unfortunately lacking. I understand the reasoning for changing some of the elements from the book to screen and it works in its favour because if it were the other way around, some people might think it is comical.
The film drops the ball in a few different areas, mainly with the wife's backstory involving her sister and the father-son life relationship between Louis and Jud. It never feels real or even really attempted. Jus is just the nice old man who lives across the street and nothing more. I felt like this loss of this connection between these two men takes away from their characters and we're left with somewhat of a hollow shell. The film could have amped up the blood towards the end, it's there but it doesn't feel shocking enough given the events being depicted on the screen.
I'm all for this new wave of King adaptations, the success of IT is opening new doors. While Pet Semetary doesn't reach levels of horror or terror, it's perfectly serviceable enough for fans of King.