Pet Sematary Two is a 1992 horror film directed by Mary Lambert. The screenplay was written by Richard Outten. It is the sequel to the 1989 film Pet Sematary. The film stars Edward Furlong, Anthony Edwards and Clancy Brown.
Plot
Following the accidental death of his mother Renee during production of her latest film, thirteen-year-old Jeff Matthews and his veterinarian father Chase move to the town of Ludlow, Maine. Jeff learns about the Creed family, and about the cursed Indian burial ground.
His friend Drew's dog, Zowie, is fatally shot by Gus Gilbert - Drew's stepfather, who also happens to be the town sheriff - for chasing Gus's pet rabbits. Complicating matters is the fact that Gus was in love with Renee 20 years ago; ever since she turned him down to marry Chase, Gus has been venting his ire on everything and everybody around him.
Jeff and Drew bury Zowie at the Indian cemetery, in order to bring the dog back to life. It works, with some side effects: Zowie is uncharacteristically fierce, and the dog's eyes have an unnatural glow to them, even in daylight. Gus grounds Drew for skipping school to bury Zowie (despite Gus demanding that he do so). Chase treats Zowie for his gunshot wound, which refuses to heal; even more bizarre is the fact that Zowie has no heartbeat. Chase sends a sample of Zowie's blood to a lab. It turns out that Zowie's cells have completely deteriorated and are no different from those of a dead canine.
Jeff goes to the pet cemetery on Halloween for a night of horror stories, notably about the Creed murders. Despite the fact that Drew is still grounded, Drew's mother encourages him to go to the pet cemetery and join in on the fun. Gus comes to the cemetery, looking for Drew. He beats up his stepson after chasing off all the other kids. Jeff stays behind, and he is swatted away like a fly when he tries to stop Gus's bullying. Gus rips up a gravemarker and is about to hit Drew with it when Zowie appears. The dog fatally mauls Gus, whom the boys subsequently bury at the Indian cemetery. Gus returns to life; he now moves stiffly and rarely speaks, but does treat his wife and stepson better. Gus becomes increasingly crude and sadistic, sexually assaulting Drew's mother and brutally skinning his pet rabbits for supper.
Zowie breaks out of the veterinary clinic and kills three cats, before entering Chase's home and attacking him. A day later, Jeff encounters school bully Clyde Parker - who is about to sever Jeff's nose using the wheel-spokes of his own motorcycle when Gus shows up. He sends Jeff home, then murders Clyde as Drew looks on.
Gus traps Drew inside their house with the savage Zowie. Drew escapes through a window just as his mother arrives home. Gus's police car chases them down the highway. He finally kills them both, by forcing their car into a collision with a truck. Afterward, Gus drags Clyde's body off to the cursed burial ground.
That night, Jeff decides to reanimate his mother by using the Indian burial ground`s power. Gus exhumes her corpse, and brings it to Jeff at the burial ground. When Chase hears that his wife's grave has been robbed by Gus, he rushes to the Gilbert house. There he is attacked by Zowie and Gus, and he shoots and kills them both.
Upon coming back to life, Renee stabs and kills Marjorie Hargrove - the Matthews' housekeeper. Jeff confronts his undead mother in the attic, and they embrace. Chase arrives home and urges Jeff to get away from Renee, who says she wants to spend quality time with her husband. An undead Clyde arrives and tries to kill Jeff; first with an ax, and then with an ice-skate. Renee locks Chase and both boys in the house, which she then sets on fire.
Jeff kills Clyde with a severed insulated cable, then breaks down the attic door to reach his father. Renee wants Jeff to stay and join her in death, saying she loves him. But Jeff drags his father out of the house as Renee is destroyed by the flames.
Jeff and Chase leave Ludlow for Los Angeles.
Cast
- Edward Furlong as Jeff Matthews
- Anthony Edwards as Chase Matthews
- Clancy Brown as Gus Gilbert
- Jared Rushton as Clyde Parker
- Jason McGuire as Drew Gilbert
- Darlanne Fluegel as Renee Hallow/Matthews
- Lisa Waltz as Amanda Gilbert
- Sarah Trigger as Marjorie Hargrove
Production
Paramount was anxious to follow up on the success of Pet Sematary with a sequel and invited Mary Lambert to return and direct. She has stated that her original concept for the film would have involved Ellie Creed as the central character, the only survivor from the first film. However Paramount was not confident in giving the film a female lead and overruled her, so the story was written with completely new characters and a male protagonist. 13 year-old Furlong was cast in the lead role, capitalizing on his starring role in 1991's blockbuster Terminator 2:Judgment Day.
The filmmakers originally planned to begin filming in January 1992 in Maine, where the first film had been shot and where the story was set. However studio executives had second thoughts about filming in Maine during the winter and at the last minute decided to move the production to Georgia. Filming was done in Coweta County, south of Atlanta, where the towns of Peachtree City and Senoia stood in for Ludlow.
Release
The film debuted at number three. Paramount Home Video released it on VHS in April 1993, and on DVD in September 2001.
Reception
Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, reports that 26% of 19 surveyed critics gave the film a positive review; the average rating was 3.8/10. Stephen Holden of The New York Times wrote that the film "is much better at special effects than at creating characters or telling a coherent story". Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times wrote, "Not nearly as scary as the 1989 original, it nonetheless expresses and attempts to resolve in bold mythological terms the anxieties of being 13." Variety wrote, "Pet Sematary Two is about 50% better than its predecessor, which is to say it's not very good at all." Richard Harrington of The Washington Post likened it to "an elongated Tales from the Crypt" episode and criticized the script as a rehash of the original. Jay Carr of The Boston Globe called it "better entertainment than the first Pet Sematary" but more of a remake than a sequel. Patrick Naugle of DVD Verdict wrote, "Everything about Pet Sematary Two stinks like the dead."
References
External links
- Pet Sematary Two on Internet Movie Database
- Pet Sematary Two at Box Office Mojo
- Pet Sematary Two at Rotten Tomatoes