Released in 1989, Mary Lambert’s Pet Sematary is widely considered to be among the very best Stephen King movie adaptations. While sometimes dead is better, let’s dig up the classic horror film with these ten behind-the-scenes facts about Pet Sematary you may not know…
1George A. Romero almost directed the movie
Horror mastermind George A. Romero is probably best known for his series of zombie movies beginning with Night of the Living Dead, but he came very close to directing Pet Sematary as well. In 1984, Romero bought the film rights to Stephen King’s novel after King initially turned down several other offers. As Romero and King had previously collaborated on Creepshow, it appears King knew he could trust the legendary filmmaker with adapting his work.
As we know now, Romero didn’t direct the movie. So, what happened? Apparently, it all came down to scheduling issues. As it was taking longer than expected to get Pet Sematary off the ground, Romero ultimately left the project to make the cult classic horror film Monkey Shines.
2Stephen King personally approved Mary Lambert
Wanting the movie to be as faithful to the novel as possible, Stephen King was very hands-on with its production. A part of his contributions includes insisting the film actually be shot in Maine, giving the story an authentic look. Following Romero’s exit, it was also up to King to get the final say on the film’s director. After meeting with Mary Lambert, King was so impressed with her knowledge of the source material that he gave her the green light to direct Pet Sematary without meeting any other directors.
“I loved the material and I think he knew that I respected it and didn’t want to change it or make it my own movie. You know, reimagine it as something that it wasn’t,” Lambert explained in 2019. “In addition to all that, it wasn’t actually that dissimilar to my first movie, Siesta, about being so obsessed with somebody that you can’t die, that you hold off death.”
3Bruce Campbell is rumored to be the first choice for Louis
Ultimately, whether Campbell was in consideration or not, the role of Louis Creed would go to Dale Midkiff.
4Mary Lambert fought for Miko Hughes
For financial reasons, Paramount execs wanted to cast twin boys to share the role of little Gage Creed just as they had done with Ellie. However, director Mary Lambert was left very impressed when Miko Hughes auditioned for the part. Seeing the boy’s potential as a child star, Lambert insisted they cast Hughes rather than a set of twins, and the producers ultimately agreed.
You can’t argue with results, and it’s obviously very clear now Lambert was spot on. Hughes made a perfect Gage as he was able to effectively balance being both cute and creepy, and the boy’s performance is definitely a big part of what makes Pet Sematary so effective. Of course, Hughes would go on to find further success as a child actor, appearing in many other movies and TV shows in the following years.
5The movie gave The Ramones one of their biggest hits
Because of her work directing music videos, Mary Lambert had many connections in the music industry. This led to her asking The Ramones to do a song for the movie’s soundtrack, and the members of the band happily agreed. They recorded an original new song called “Pet Sematary” specifically for the film, which plays during the movie’s closing credits. This also worked out very well for The Ramones, as the track would become one of the band’s highest-charting and well-known hits.
Additionally, the music of The Ramones can be heard at an early point in Pet Sematary. Fans of the band will recognize the driver of the truck playing the Ramones song “Sheena Is a Punk Rocker” on the radio.
6There are multiple Cujo Easter eggs
It’s not unusual for Stephen King movies to have references to others, and Pet Sematary is no exception. In particular, the events of Cujo are directly mentioned in the movie when Jud tells Louis about a dog “going wild” and killing several people in a town close by. Of course, Cujo tells the story of a Saint Bernard going on a rampage after the poor dog is infected with rabies.
This isn’t the only Cujo Easter egg to be found in the movie, as the vicious dog can actually be seen in Pet Sematary as well. In the scene where Victor Pascow is taken into the health clinic following his accident, a rabies awareness poster on a nearby bulletin board bears a photograph of a rabid Saint Bernard.
7The rapper Cage made a love song for Zelda
Most everyone who saw Pet Sematary is haunted by the movie’s depiction of Zelda, Rachel’s sister portrayed by Andrew Hubatsek. For some horror fans, the character is the scariest character in the film, even more so than Gage. Still, not everyone is horrified by Zelda, as the suffering sibling has even been the subject of a horrorcore rapper’s love song.
From a rapper called Cage, the song “Ballad of Worms” was featured on the album Eastern Conference All Stars III. While her name isn’t directly referenced, Cage has since said on Twitter the song is “a love song for Zelda from Pet Sematary.” The lyrics are somehow even more disturbing than you’d expect, but if you’re so inclined to listen, you can play the song here.
8A cut character expanded the story’s mythology
In the original novel from Stephen King, it is suggested that what’s happening in the story is the handiwork of a Native American demon called the “Wendigo.” It’s apparently this creature that’s resurrecting those buried in the Micmac burial ground for the purpose of terrorizing the townspeople. However, while the Wendigo was originally a part of the movie adaptation’s screenplay, this aspect was ultimately cut from the final version.
Still, while the Wendigo isn’t directly referenced, the creature is still vaguely alluded to at multiple points in the film. At one point, Louis hears an unseen creature making noise in the darkness of the woods, which could in fact be the Wendigo. A slightly more clear reference comes at another moment when Jud and Louis are walking to the Micmac burial ground. When the two hear a strange howl coming from the distance, Jud suggests it’s the cries of a loon, but fans of the novel will know what it really is.
9The ending was reshot to make it scarier
In the end of the Pet Sematary movie (30-YEAR-OLD SPOILER ALERT), Louis buries his wife Rachel after she is killed by their resurrected son Gage. Predictably, this makes matters much worse for the Creed family patriarch, as Rachel only comes back as a zombified, murderous version of her former self. While embracing Louis, Rachel grabs a kitchen knife, and her husband’s screams suggest she murders him off-screen.
Originally, however, the ending of the movie wasn’t quite so dark. In the original cut, the film ends when Rachel finds Louis at home, leaving out the bit with the knife and the screaming. This left Louis’ fate more ambiguous, but at the request of the studio, director Mary Lambert had to reshoot the scene so as to make the character’s death more obvious. Additionally, Rachel’s makeup was altered to make her look much more terrifying.
10The story is inspired by true events
The story told by Pet Sematary is certainly depressing enough as it is, but it gets even more so once you find out it’s based on true events. Obviously, the part about resurrected children and animals killing people is King using his creative license, but some of the other disturbing moments were inspired by real life.
Mostly, the concept of the plot comes from the heartbreak the family felt when King’s daughter’s cat Smuckey was killed on the highway near their Maine home. Knowing this, Lambert paid homage to Smuckey by featuring his name brandished on one of the tombstones in the movie’s titular animal graveyard. On another occasion, King’s youngest son Owen had wandered towards the road while a semi was heading in their direction, directly inspiring Gage’s heart-wrenching death scene.
Additionally, King had a neighbor at the time who heavily resembled Jud Crandall and also had a pet cemetery in the woods nearby his home. There doesn’t seem to be any reports of King also witnessing a Wendigo in the forest around this time, but if there were, it definitely wouldn’t be a surprise. You can read more about the story inspiration for Pet Sematary at King’s official website.
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