Pet Sematary Two ** (1992, Edward Furlong, Anthony Edwards, Jared Rushton, Clancy Brown, Jason McGuire, Darlanne Fluegel) – Classic Movie Review 7,111

Anthony Edwards and Edward Furlong star in the 1992 fantasy horror thriller sequel Pet Sematary Two.

Anthony Edwards and Edward Furlong star in the 1992 fantasy horror thriller sequel Pet Sematary Two as Los Angeles vet Chase Matthews and his 13-year-old son Jeff Matthews, who move to a new town, Ludlow, to rebuild their lives after the mother dies in a freak Hollywood stage accident.

Director Mary Lambert’s scrappy but scary sequel to her 1989 Pet Sematary, Stephen King’s hit that grossed $84 million worldwide, finds two teenage boys unearthing the powers of a mysterious ancient Indian graveyard. Inevitably, perhaps, it is not as good as the original, but still acceptable.

The box office was not as good as the original either, grossing only $17,100,000 in the US, and the public, studio and critics found it less than acceptable, though it has since become a cult film.

The boy Jeff (Edward Furlong) is bullied by Clyde Parker (Jared Rushton) at school. Jeff befriends his classmate Drew Gilbert (Jason McGuire), whose abusive sheriff stepfather Gus Gilbert (Clancy Brown) recklessly kills his dog. And then the boys conduct a burial at the infamous sematary, er cemetery.

Like the original, Pet Sematary Two is nasty toned but professionally handled and generally quite effective. The star quartet of Edward Furlong, Anthony Edwards, Jared Rushton and Clancy Brown are assets, particularly Furlong.

Also in the cast are Darlanne Fluegel, Lisa Waltz, Sarah Trigger, and Jim Peck.

It is R rated for strong horror violence, and for sexuality and strong language.

It  was released in the US on August 28, 1992, by Paramount Pictures.

On a tighter budget of $8,000,000, it grossed $17,100,000 in the US, against the original’s cost of $11,500,000 and US gross of $57,000,000. As a box office disappointment, it went straight to video in Britain.

Paramount asked Mary Lambert to return to direct a sequel. She says her original concept had the first film’s sole survivor Ellie Creed as the central character. But Paramount had the story rewritten with all new characters and male protagonists. The 13-year-old Furlong was cast after the previous year’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

Stephen King had his name removed from the film before release.

Pet Sematary Two [Pet Sematary II] is directed by Mary Lambert, runs 100 minutes, is made by  Paramount Pictures, Columbus Circle Films, released by Paramount Pictures, written by Richard Outten and David S Goyer, shot by Russell Carpenter, produced by Ralph S Singleton and scored by Mark Governor, with Production Design by Michelle Minch.

It was filmed in Peachtree City, Senoia and Coweta County, Georgia, US.

The 1989 original was remade as Pet Sematary in 2019. A prequel, Pet Sematary: Bloodlines, premiered on October 6, 2023, on Paramount+

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7,111

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