Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell

This scared me when I saw it on TV as a child. I thought seeing it again over 40 years later that I would find it cheesy. But it held up and was still unnerving.

While I've never owned a possessed pooch like the one depicted in the made for television movie Devil Dog: The Hound from Hell (1978), I did once acquire a very naughty ferret, but that's another story for another time...directed by Curtis Harrington (Queen of Blood, Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?), the film features Richard Crenna (First Blood, Summer Rental), Yvette Mimieux (The Time Machine, The Black Hole), and Kim Richards (Assault on Precinct 13, Tuff Turf) and Ike Eisenmann (Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan), both of whom you may remember as siblings Tia and Tony Malone, from the Disney feature Escape to Witch Mountain (1975), and the sequel Return from Witch Mountain (1978). Also appearing is Martine Beswick (Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde), Lou Frizzell (The Reivers), Ken Kercheval ("Dallas"), Victor Jory (Cat-Women of the Moon), and everyone's favorite curmudgeon R.G. Armstrong (Evilspeak, Children of the Corn).As the film begins we see a slightly nefarious looking trio (including Martine Beswick) visiting a kennel to purchase dog, one which they later use in a chintzy black mass ceremony involving something called a `barghest, which is `a mythical monstrous black dog with huge teeth and claws', according to Wikipedia. Afterwards we meet the Barry family, including Mike (Crenna), the father, Betty (Mimieux), the mother, and their two children Charlie (Eisenmann) and Bonnie (Richards). Seems it's Bonnie's birthday, but the celebration is cut short as the family dog Skipper is found squished in the road outside the house (talk about a bummer). Oddly enough, that same day, a man (Armstrong) comes around selling fruit and giving away German Shepherd puppies, who happened to have been spawned from the dog we saw at the kennel. Bonnie takes one, names it Lucky, and her grief over the loss of Skipper diminishes significantly (apparently the family wasn't as attached to their previous dog as was initially indicated). Anyway, turns out Lucky is anything but, especially for Maria, the family's live-in housekeeper, who has serious concerns about Lucky from the get go, and gets hers soon enough (you see, because she was Catholic, with her rosary beads and funky candles, she had an extra sensitivity to all things evil and tried to warn Mike about the dog). Time passes and Lucky eventually putting the whammy on Betty, Charlie and Bonnie, resulting in them acting aloof and distant, much to Mike's concern. After a few more deaths, all involving people perceived as threats to Lucky's well being, Mike begins to believe there's some sort of evil conspiracy afoot, one that started about the same time he and his family took in Lucky. Finding little in the way of help from conventional sources, Mike travels to Ecuador to visit a shaman (Jory). Returning home, Mike must now confront the demon hound that has since taken hold of his family...A movie with both Martine Beswick and Yvette Mimieux? I'm so down with that...okay, Ms. Beswick's screen time is all of about five minutes, but we do get plenty of Ms. Mimieux...homina homina...actually I think all the performers did pretty well (Crenna came off the best), especially considering the extremely hokum plot. I did learn a number of things, including the following...1. A `barghest', which is `a mythical monstrous black dog with huge teeth and claws', isn't as scary as it may sound, especially when it's presented as a really cheap effect in a low budget television film.2. Beware canines with glowing peepers, as they're probably infused with a demonic presence.3. Never threaten to harm or kill a demon dog as it will end badly (for you, that is).4. Yvette Mimieux is incredibly hot when she's being naughty.5. If your children begin retreating to the attic to paint satanic images in blood and perform black mass ceremonies you might have a problem.6. Richard Crenna is about the worst shot I've ever seen.7. Demon dogs cast ginormous shadows.8. One-eyed devils are none to bright but the three-eyed devils are the ones you have to watch out for because they're all seeing (you know, because of the three eyes and all).9. Mirrors are especially useful in determining the state of someone's soul while they're sleeping (hold a mirror up to the face of a sleeping individual to see their true form, but beware, if they're possessed their visage will be kinda icky).10. A demon dog, running in slow motion, actually runs faster than a car driving at normal speeds.While the story material may have been goofy, the film succeeded for me mainly because it was presented in such a way that kept me engaged, and the cast was solid. Some of the effects were certainly bargain basement, but if you can get into the spirit of things, that won't really matter too much. Given this was a made for TV film there's no blood or real violence, but there are a few tense sequences, the one standing out in my mind including a whammified Crenna, his hand, and an overturned lawnmower. The film is more creepy than scary (the `demon' dog mainly lopes around, obviously performing as instructed by an off screen trainer), but, as I've mentioned, the performances are decent enough, along with the pacing, to keep one interested throughout.This DVD release from Media Blaster/Shriek Show is actually a two disc set, the first disc containing the film, which is presented in fullscreen format. The picture quality is very clean and clear (and probably looks better than when you saw it in the 1970s), and the Dolby Digital mono audio available in both English and Italian, comes across very well. While most of the extras are on the second disc, the first one does include a handful of previews including Just Before Dawn (1981), Frankenstein's Bloody Terror (1968), The Being (1983), and Syndicate Sadists (1975). As far as the second disc, there's a new featurette titled `To the Devil a Dog', a new promotional trailer, a Martine Beswick photo gallery, a text interview with Ms. Beswick, a Curtis Harrington filmography, and an audio interview with Curtis Harrington himself, who, by the way, didn't seem to care much for the film mostly due to the fact he thought the plot ridiculous and the film under funded (the interview is worth listening to as Harrington tends to tell it `like it was', instead of sugarcoating things). All in all a superior release of a funky, yet fun, made for TV movie. I only wish more companies put this amount of effort into DVD releases as Media Blasters/Shriek Show did here.Cookieman108

Rated 5 stars because the movie is awesome. Seen this on tv back in the day. Glad it came to DVD! However, I do have one caveat, (a popular phrase from the 1987 made for tv mini series Echoes In The Darkness, lol), and that is the second disc with the special features. Love the trailer on it. And the interviews, well Kim Richards, Ike Eisenman, and the producer interview ran long. I would not have minded if the interviews just focused on the movie Devil Dog, but then they went on in between about their other movies, etc. That's my caveat. If the interviews was just focused on the movie the DVD is featuring, instead of dragging out unnecessary things not focused on Devil Dog, I'd would like it better. Watching now and Kim Richards is talking about her other movie Tuff Turf. I'm like who wants to hear about that movie, this has nothing to do with Devil Dog! So all I now watch on the special features DVD disc 2 is the trailer, then put the movie disc 1 in to watch. DVD producers please just focus on the movie the DVD is about.

I vaguely remember seeing this on TV when I was in about 8th grade.It's great to now be able to see made-for-TV movies like this once again.The picture and sound were better than I expected...very pristine.The bonus features went on...and on...and on... I actually thought that the interview footage could have been edited down to something shorter, actually. But, if you MUST have something to complain about, "too much" isn't so bad, is it?This is a 2-disc set. What a lavish treatment for an obscure property such as this.I wish someone would give similar treatment to some other obscure made-for-TV movies, such as "Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark"..."Crowhaven Farm"..."Last Bride Of Salem"..."Dark Night Of The Scarecrow"...and other almost-forgotten treats.

I won't go into a film synopsis here. That's just wasting our time. I just want to comment on the quality of the DVD.Media Blasters/Shriek Show did an outstanding job at cleaning up this flick. Video quality is pristine with vibrant colors throughout. Sound was clear with no noticeable flaws.However, I will say that there were two scenes which came off as soft and not as crisp as the rest of the movie. I assume that has to do with either a change in film during the shooting of the movie or Media Blasters found additional footage that wasn't up to snuff but was needed to give their consumers an "uncut" flick. Even though they don't state it is uncut. Nevertheless, great job on their part.Warning: When you open the case, there are supposed to be two discs inside. I didn't see the disc with the movie on it when I opened it. It was hiding under their catalog.If your remember seeing this as a kid on T.V. and enjoyed it, then don't hesitate to pick it up. It's just as good as it was back then. A bit corny but still enjoyable.

I remember this movie from when it first came out and I slept with the light on,even as a teenager. The movie arrived with the case broken on the spine and along the top and bottom edge. I promptly wrote in and arranged for a swap of the bad with a new good case. I received a reply that a replacement had been sent out. It is now 3 weeks later and it still has not arrived. Hopefully, with Amazon's receipt of the broken movie case they will check into the status of the replacement. I requested a tracking and feedback. I won't let this one mistake change my ordering from Amazon in the future.

Películas de los setentas , bastante buena nostalgia y terror los efectos no son como los de ahora pero para su tiempo eran maravillosos y la historia es extraordinaria

Not as good as I thought it would be, but still an old time classic.

リージョンフリーのブルーレイですので、我が国のレコーダーでも鑑賞可能。日本語字幕は愚か英語字幕もなし。但しストーリーは単純至極なのでヒアリング能力に長けてなくても充分楽しめ．．．いや鑑賞できます。特典は別添写真を参照ください。但しTrailersは本作とは別の作品の劇場用予告編で、聞いた事もないドマイナーな作品ばかりなので観る必要ないと思います。時折画質が悪くなったりするのでどんなマスターを使っているのか首を傾げてくなりますが、全体的にはマズマズと言ったところ。凶悪な犬が主役の作品って結構ありますが、どの作品もイマイチなんですね、これが。「ドッグ」「怒りの群れ」「ドラキュラ・ゾルタン」「ホワイト・ドッグ 魔犬」などなど。で、本作はどうかと言うとこれまたイマイチ、いやイマニかな。上述の4作と違って本作では陳腐な特撮（CGじゃありません）で犬の造形を恐ろし気にしたりしてはいますが、そもそも犬って可愛い生き物なんで製作側がよっぽど工夫をしない事には『おぉーこわぁ』とはならないですよね。ヒッチコックの「鳥」のように大群で襲ってきたりしたら、多少はビビるでしょうが本作の様に一匹だけではシンドイです。しかも本作はテレフィーチャーですからお金がかかっていない。工夫するにもしようがないって感じです。クライマックスでは悪魔の化身となった犬が上述の様に陳腐な特撮に依って大変身を遂げ、他の犬作品と一線を画しているかなぁと良いように解釈してあげたいが、うーんですね。脚本もかなり適当。邪教集団の呪いによって悪霊に憑りつかれた犬を引き取った家族が地獄の苦しみを味わうと言うストーリーですが、まずこの家族が結構いい加減で、笑っちゃいます。長年飼っていた愛犬が車にひき殺されてしまい、失意のどん底に陥る家族。特に娘ポニー（キム・リチャーズ）は一番ショックが大きかったのに八百屋らしきオッサン（R・G・アームストロング）から子犬を1匹譲ってもらうと5分も経たないうちにその子犬にぞっこん。『お前、さっきまで悲しみで打ちひしがれてたんじゃねぇのぉぉぉ』とツッコミ入れたくなります。この悪魔の化身は人間たちを操る力があり。まず子供たちをそして奥さん（イベット・ミミュー）を操るのですが、操られた奥さんはいきなり旦那さん（リチャード・クレンナ）に色仕掛けをするんですな。夜の営みを旦那さんに迫るんですな。まぁ夫婦だから良いっちゃ良いんですけど、別に悪魔の化身に操られなくてもピストン運動なんか何時でもすりゃいいのにと思いましたね。それに悪魔の化身を潜り込ませるのなら「オーメン」の様に政治家辺りを標的にすりゃいいのに中小企業の経営者家族では世の中に対する影響力が余りにも無さ過ぎて、スケールが小さすぎます。八百屋のオッサンが連れていた子犬は沢山いたので他にもばら撒いているのかもしれませんが。兎に角ツッコミどころ満載で途中から『これって確かホラー映画だったよな』と確かめたくなるような作品です。リチャード・クレンナは「ランボー」シリーズで再ブレイクする前の作品ですから、こういう作品に主演してしまったのも致し方なしか。イベット・ミミューはジャクリーン・ビセットとリー・レミックを足して2で割った美しさは健在。息子役を演じたアイク・アイゼンマンとキム・リチャーズは「星の国から来た仲間」でも兄妹役を演じており、ディズニー作品から今度はキワモノ作品で兄妹役を演じるなんて『節操がないなぁ』と思ったのは私だけ？？？

I enjoyed this 70's tv movie featuring the late great Richard Crenna.A good way to spend a cold stormy night with someone close AHOOOOOOOOOO! Make sure your dvd player will play region 1's

i enjoy bluray and i can play dvds on bluery player the film was good