The article revisits the making of Paramount's 1989 film adaptation of Stephen King's *Pet Sematary*, focusing on the clashes between King and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) over the film's content and marketing. King, who took a more hands-on role in adapting his work after being unhappy with Stanley Kubrick's changes to *The Shining*, had to alter both the film and its promotional materials to secure an R rating rather than the more damaging X rating.

Producer Richard Rubinstein revealed that the MPAA blocked an advertising campaign featuring a painting of the child character alongside the line "Sometimes, dead is better," ruling it violated guidelines on depicting children in jeopardy. The piece also traces the MPAA's rating system history, from the introduction of PG-13 in 1984 (championed by Steven Spielberg) to the replacement of the X rating with NC-17 in 1990, noting the inconsistency whereby *Stand by Me*, a film centred on children, received an R rating simply for its frequent swearing.