Pet Sematary Book vs Movies 1989 and 2019

Pet Sematary by Stephen King is one of his darkest and saddest books, find out how it compares to the '89 movie which he wrote the script for himself and hear my thoughts on the 2019 remake.
Doctor Sleep • Doctor Sleep 😴 Book vs...
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00:00 intro
01:16 plot overview
04:31 the ending
05:54 grief and the burial grounds
11:42 Jud and Louis
13:12 Tim Baterman, Gage, and the wendigo
17:54 Zelda
19:05 Norma
19:50 Victor Pascow
20:53 2019 movie
25”36 Stephen King’s inspiration
27:18 book vs movie

[@A_YouTube_Commenter]

The 89 film was a very solid adaptation, but the 2019 felt spiritless, the book is my favorite from King.

[@s2lech86]

I just watched the 1989 film again for the umpteenth time, but the book will always hold a special place in my heart. The newer film just doesn't have that same feeling.

[@Kaiyanwang82]

Back then when I was a wee lad and watched this movie with my friends, Zelda was probably the thing we found the most messed up. Interestingly, King has this "scary relative guarded by a child alone dies" theme going - see as an example Gramma. I do wonder if something happened to him to lead to this.

[@WhytheBookWins]

Hm yeah it's interesting the things he often returns to in his writing.

[@Eric_1991]

I'm glad you covered this. It's one of my favorite King books. I actually saw the original first at the age of 6 or 7 (and it traumatized me lol). It was the first movie adaptation of King's that I first saw then it became the first of his books I read. I really hated the 2019 version except for the Wendigo aspect being more established, and that it used Ellie to mess with Jud. I agree, book wins, but between 89 and 19, I think 89 wins

[@WhytheBookWins]

Yeah I prefer the '89 movie as well but I could see myself rewatching both in the future!

[@KenjiiH]

This is one is one of the few King books I have read (before getting too creeped out). I love horror. I had seen the movie then read the book. The book definitely wins. Great channel!

[@WhytheBookWins]

Thanks!

[@TheGuardOfMagog]

The movie is pretty scary .... the book ... is downright friggin HORRIFYING!!

[@LucyLioness100]

The book is way more disturbing especially when King implies how horrible Rachel’s mutilations are that Louis is driven insane by it

[@vonVile]

I consider the 2019 version's ending is more of a commentary on the end of the Nuclear Family. As for suggestions: - Ghost Story by Peter Straub. I know the 1981 film removed a lot, but I still enjoy it. - The Girl With All The Gifts by Mike Carey, who also wrote the movie adaption.

[@LucyLioness100]

The 2019 film actually had about 3 alternate endings; Laura used the theatrical one, but one of the other endings is Louis still living with Gage and undead Rachel and Ellie with a morbid expression that he and his son are consigned to living with reanimated ghouls as an unconventional Nuclear Family And yes I would enjoy a look at Ghost Story

[@WhytheBookWins]

Oh interesting! I'll need to check out the alt ending online. And I saw Ghost Story as a kid and it freaked me out! I would love to return to it though.

[@LucyLioness100]

So glad you picked this one. This is definitely King’s most disturbing novel (outside of “The Stand” basically becoming real with the COVID pandemic in 2020) & isn’t for the faint of heart. I find the ‘89 film kinda bad in comparison to the book, but little Miko Hughes is precious as Gage & is sort of creepy but had they made him up the way the book describes undead Gage (a crudely reassembled face by uncaring hands to paraphrase King’s description), he would’ve been even scarier. The 2019 movie got the vibes down a bit better, but isn’t perfect. So agree with the book winning due to how well King tackles the themes of death and grief; the fact he used real life incidents with his family makes it even scarier

[@WhytheBookWins]

Yeah this has definitely become one of my favorite King books! That's for the suggesting it!

[@LucyLioness100]

@@WhytheBookWins of course 😄 there are so many more King books & movie out there for you. On a non-King horror, you should check out “Psycho”; book and movie are virtually the same story, but Norman is way different from Anthony Perkins in the Hitchcock film

[@johnlanouette8611]

There was an alternate ending in the 2019 version, this was a lot like the Books ending. I much prefer the alternate ending. I was not fond of the 2019 theatrical ending. I feel that took away some of the important themes

[@yensid4294]

The Outsider is kinda/sorta a sequel (in spirit) to Pet Cemetary. It's a series not a movie & it's really, really good. Similar themes explored. Great acting, creepy vibe that builds. Very SK.

[@WhytheBookWins]

I'll have to look into this one!

[@Nexils]

The 2019 movie has an alternate ending - that I prefer way more - where disturbingly Rachel is pretty much buried alive on the burial ground and the movie ends with a crying Gage surrounded by his insane father and undead sister and mother.

[@WhytheBookWins]

I'll need to look up this ending!

[@brittneyminor166]

The 2nd Movie that came out in 2023 tells the Tim story and also shows Judd in his youth!

[@WhytheBookWins]

Oooo I need to watch that one!

[@martinarreola64]

I love when you do SK stories

[@mrd5024]

I liked the book because it is so much more unsettling than any of the movies dared to be. The moves chickened out.

[@WhytheBookWins]

Yeah, the 89 movie tried but didn't quite capture it.

[@pretty_raya]

Can you do a video on the book “Lolita” and the two movies of the same name one came out in 1962 the other came out in 1997

[@WhytheBookWins]

I'll look into that one!

[@frankducky6130]

Your dog is adorable.

[@WhytheBookWins]

Thanks 😊

[@cinema_chic]

Recently I've been listening to Stephen King Book Club. Your shirt makes me wonder if you're a fan of that podcast as well.

[@WhytheBookWins]

I have never heard of that! King calls his dedicated fans "constant reader" which is why I got this shirt.

[@cinema_chic]

@@WhytheBookWins ooohhh!!! I didn't know that. Now it makes sense that the host on Stephen Kings Book Club begins all his videos with "Hello Constant Reader." It's neat because he essentially retells king's stories in the form of a true crime podcast.

[@ananananabop]

Saw your little dog in the thumbnail and I had to click instantly. Even though I don’t care much about Pet Sematary 😆 (Hi Cookie! 😭💗)

[@ananananabop]

Ok, video’s over! I like King’s writing, but Pet Sematary was way too sad for my taste. The horror is mostly how grief infects you like a brain virus and that’s more bleak than horrifying to me. I also had trouble connecting with Louis as a p.o.v protagonist. ( e.g. The part at the beginning of the book where he thinks about hitting his wife and Ellie because they’re annoying him) I just find it hard to understand his motivations, so it doesn’t impact so much when his thinking is askew from the influence of the burial grounds. In that case I think the 2019 movie should’ve gone the full tilt and switched protagonists to Rachel. Her whole history with her sister and the neglectful parents she still defends, and a husband that’s keeping dark secrets would make for a very interesting lens I think. As it stands the change to Ellie as the zombie child seems to be more about the acting capabilities of an older kid than any story reasons.

[@WhytheBookWins]

Yeah that would have been such a great idea to switch to Rachel's perspective. What a missed opportunity! And Cookie says hi 😊

[@agostinodublino1387]

very nice review and comparison. I'm sorry for the King, but to me, the lesson is not really "to accept what god decided for us" but instead "SAFETY FIRST, don't go to live in a dangerous road, you already knew it!!" Poor King's cat and poor daughter u_u

[@WhytheBookWins]

True, but once the incident has already happened you can only accept it and continue on.

[@jessewoellhof6843]

Wait wait is that lieutenant yarr?

[@lavingshadow345]

I hated the newest movie. It cheapens all the themes of the book

[@WhytheBookWins]

Yeah they definitely veered far from the message of the book!

[@naiderl]

I'm cool with most changes made in the 2019 movie, but their ending is just terrible. Taking the decision to bury Rachel out of Louis' hands removes the most unsettling aspect of King's ending: Showing us the extremely dark places where grief can take us. Instead, we get a messy twist ending that requires some serious suspension of disbelief (How did a little girl carry an adult's body though the woods so quickly? How did Rachel come back to life so quickly?) and has nothing to say other than "three zombies are scarier than one" (I think your unhealthy family cycles reading cuts this movie way too much slack). And thank you for the book recommendation! Another one for my shamefully high to-read pile.

[@WhytheBookWins]

I guess she has super strength from being undead 😆 And let me know what you think of The Fisherman!

[@cdolan13]

Just out of High School (No, I won't say what year!) I read The Shining. That book scared the bejesus out of me! And I am one tough cookie when it comes to horror! Since I loved that book so much I decided to read all King's books in order and, throughout my reading had heard that there was a book King had written that was so 'horrific' he refused to publish it. Lo and behold, when I was in college I picked up Pet Sematary as soon as it was released. I have to say I was completely disappointed in the book. The only thing I found even close to horrific was the thorough exercise in grief. The book is nowhere close to being as outright scary as The Shining, or 'Salem's Lot - or Ghost Story by Peter Straub, all of which I love! So yes, the hype monster got me, and I came away with a 'meh' feeling. The only thing I actually liked about the book was the ending: "Hello, Darling', it said. One of the greatest last sentences - ever! That being said, I saw the movie just because King wrote the screenplay, but ended up disliking it as well - especially since they changed my favorite part - the ending! So no, I haven't watched the new version and likely will not. Just for clarity, here are my top 5 favorite King novels, so you know I don't hate his writing: 1. The Stand (have not watched the 'mini-series', yet) 2. The Dead Zone (love the movie, for Christopher Walken's performance, alone) 3. The Shining (hate both filmed versions - for different reasons) 4. 'Salem's Lot (loved the 1979 mini series) 5. Different Seasons (especially The Body and Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption) - (LOVE both Stand By Me AND The Shawshank Redemption) Unfortunately, once I hit 'IT' I actually labored through it and decided I couldn't do King anymore. Not only did I ask: how many 'kids experience horror that revisits them as adults' are out there? Not to mention his repetitive use of 'new words' - how many times does he use the word 'roil' in IT? Waaaay too many! When he never used it in any prior works, that I can recall - or found re-reading any of my favorites. But, I have broken my vow now and again and read Misery when it came out, which brought me back into the fold, because it was that good! But then he lost me again immediately with The Tommyknockers. Ugh! Was THAT ever hard to get through! Anyway, since then I had read The Dark Half, Cell, Doctor Sleep (soooo disappointing! I had to go back and read The Shining, immediately to get the taste out of my brain) and The Institute - all because the critics kept praising King as 'The master' for every book. They pulled me in, and in each and every case disappointed me. So I have since moved to other horror authors such as the classics: Lovecraft, Poe, Jackson, and contemporaries such as Grady Hendrix, Paul Tremblay, Stephen Graham Jones and Christopher Buehlman, that I have really liked. But I do have to give a special shout-out to The Fisherman by John Langan. If there was ever a successor to H.P. Lovecraft for cosmic horror, look no further than this book, that came out of nowhere for me. Anyway, I could go on and on (haven't you, already? you ask), but I will stop and, as a lifelong reader, myself, declare absolutely that I am a fan. I always enjoy your videos, even if I disagree with you on anything, because of your thoughtful presentation, as well as opening my eyes to either reconsider how I felt about a book, or to bring me to books I had never considered reading. No one can understate how much I really do appreciate all the work you do to bring us closer to the written word, since I feel it isn't as important as it once was. We need more people like you out there! Keep up the good work!

[@WhytheBookWins]

I'm sad you didn't like Doctor Sleep! It isn't as good as The Shining but I really liked it. But thanks for sharing your King journey! He has published an insane amount of books but they aren't all winners that's for sure lol. And I agree about The Fisherman! And those authors you mentioned I really like as well, I have only read two books by Lovecraft but definitely want to read more. And thank you so much for your kind words! I really appreciate that 😊😊

[@cdolan13]

@@WhytheBookWins I agree! I am disappointed in myself, as well! I was very much looking forward to Doctor Sleep, too. I simply was not a fan of what King did to Dan(ny), even though King's main characters always have demons; Dan just seemed, after all he'd been through, that he had succumbed to his demons, rather than become a stronger person for the experience - especially for his mom, the horror she went through! Plus, it just felt it was more a sequel to Kubrick's movie than the book, which really gave me an added bad reaction to it. I think The Fisherman was my favorite book last year. I like books that sneak up on me, and this came right after I had read a couple of Lovecraft stories, so my mind/imagination fell right into it and was swept t along with the tide (pun intended). I admit, I never made any connection between The Fisherman and Pet Sematary, but, as you spoke I totally got it! Very perceptive you are, Ms. Laura! Thank you for always reading my 'dissertations'...I appreciate the open, constructive comments/communication. I will try to do better by being more positive, as well as keeping my word-count down... 😁

[@tophtopherson8920]

yaaaaaa

[@victoriashevlin8587]

The 2019 adaptation is utterly soulless and so disappointment. On the other hand, the prequel, Pet Semetary Bloodlines (2023) is a damned good film.

[@WhytheBookWins]

I was going to watch Blood Lines but it had bad reviews so I didn't bother. But now you have my curious! I'll have to watch it soon