The first cinematic adaptation of Stephen King‘s works came in 1976 with Carrie, but that telekinetic terror was just the beginning of one of the most iconic cinematic runs of any author. Arguably it was the ’80s that offered up the most memorable titles, as we were given adaptations of some of his best stories from some truly iconic directors. Stanley Kubrick kicked off the decade with The Shining, while John Carpenter delivered Christine, followed by David Cronenberg’s The Dead Zone.
King also partnered with Night of the Living Dead filmmaker George A. Romero for the original anthology movie Creepshow, while a partnership with Rob Reiner for the movie Stand By Me proved that King was a master storyteller even outside the horror genre. King was such a force in the ’80s, he even got the chance to adapt one of his own stories himself, resulting in Maximum Overdrive. Admittedly, as proven by this being King’s only directing credit as it sits at 14% positive reviews, maybe it’s for the best that he let others adapt his work.
To close out the decade, Mary Lambert adapted King’s Pet Sematary for a now-iconic movie. Whether it be the undead versions of a seemingly harmless cat or a confused toddler or the bed-ridden Zelda, Lambert’s adaptation has offered numerous striking images that continue to haunt us. As announced this week, Paramount Home Media Distribution is releasing an all-new 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray SteelBook that will be hitting shelves Oct. 6.
The movie is officially described, “After moving to an idyllic home in the countryside, life seems perfect for the Creed family…but not for long. Louis and Rachel Creed and their two young children settle in to a house that sits next door to a pet cemetery – built on an ancient Indian burial ground. Their mysterious new neighbor, Jud Crandall (Fred Gwynne), hides the cemetery’s darkest secret…until a family tragedy brings the secret to life. Now, an unthinkable evil is about to be resurrected. From Stephen King, the Master of the Macabre, comes a journey that leads to hell and back. Though not everyone survives the trip. For the Creeds, home is where the horror is.”
Special features on the set are as follows:
DISC 1 – 4K ULTRA HD FEATURE FILM
- Fear and Remembrance: A look back at this classic with the cast and crew of 2019’s Pet Sematary
- Revisitation – Interview with Mary Lambert: Director Mary Lambert shares memories of the movie
- Behind-the-Scenes Image Galleries — Including Storyboards
- Commentary by Director Mary Lambert
DISC 2 – BLU-RAY FEATURE FILM + SPECIAL FEATURES
- Stephen King Territory
- The Characters
- Filming the Horror
Pet Sematary remains one of King’s more underrated adaptations. In 1992, Pet Sematary Two was an original story that followed the events of another accidental burial in the ground that could bring the dead back to life. 30 years after the original movie, 2019 delivered a new adaptation of the book that made slight deviations from the source material yet failed to leave much of an impact on audiences or critics. In 2023, the prequel Pet Sematary: Bloodlines landed on Paramount+ and, much like the 2019 movie, failed to excite audiences.
Like the characters in the story say, sometimes dead is better, and maybe the concept should stay exactly where it is. The new Pet Sematary 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray is available now for pre-order before its Oct. 6 release.
Pet Sematary
- Release Date
-
April 21, 1989
- Runtime
-
102 minutes
- Director
-
Mary Lambert
-
-
-
Denise Crosby
Rachel Creed
-
Brad Greenquist
Victor Pascow
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
