Customer Reviews

A Boy & His Dog

5 star:		(36)
4 star:		(39)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

It's the year 2024, and most of the Earth's nations have been demolished by yet another world war (the latest being WWIV). In this postapocalyptic world, slow-witted survivor Vic (Don Johnson) forages through the ruins for food and women with the help of his faithful dog, Blood (voiced by Tim McIntire), with whom he is able to communicate telepathically. Blood, more intelligent and more cultured than his young "master," often gets impatient with Vic's immature behavior and lack of interest in his attempts to educate the boy, but he nonetheless loves Vic and sticks with him to help him survive. And after several minor adventures and one huge misadventure, Vic does learn one incontestable actuality: Nothing is more important to a boy than his dog.

Based on an award-winning novella by the curmudgeonly SF writer Harlan Ellison, A BOY AND HIS DOG was adapted and directed by character actor L.Q. Jones and co-produced by Jones and Alvy Moore (the latter probably best known for his portrayal of scatterbrained Hank Kimball on TV's GREEN ACRES). While Ellison has said many times publicly that the film is the most faithful adaptation of any of his works, he has nonetheless complained vehemently about some of Jones' "adjustments"--most notably the minor addition of some gross or vulgar dialogue--and tried unsuccessfully to get them changed. Whether or not Ellison's complaints have merit, A BOY AND HIS DOG has come to be regarded as a science-fiction classic, its popularity undoubtedly due to its likeable characters who, despite their constant bickering and individual quirks, are redeemed by their committed friendship and their sarcastically humorous approach to survival.

The performances in A BOY AND HIS DOG are top-notch. Johnson convincingly portrays Vic as a filthy scavenger who, in spite of his dire situation, still manages to remain a decent human being at the core. Tim McIntire's vocal characterization of Blood embodies Ellison's original concept of a mutant pooch with a caustic ego that is balanced with just the right amount of off-beat humanity, and this portrayal is enhanced further by the outstanding on-screen performance of Tiger, the canine thespian that portrayed the family pet on TV's THE BRADY BUNCH. In his supporting role as the governor of a subterranean dystopia, Jason Robards is delightfully smarmy. And when beautiful Susanne Benton bares her ample "talents" on the screen, that's a lot of fun watch, too.

With A BOY AND HIS DOG, Jones' intention is not to make deep socio-political innuendos or to meet the average action-fan's prosaic expectations, and sentimentality is obviously far from his mind. Instead of serving up a dull postapocalyptic survival-of-the-fittest thriller or a cliché love-among-the-ruins drama, Jones gives us a wry black comedy that doesn't take itself too seriously. His direction is tight, his staging often inventive, and the dialogue--while MOSTLY lifted directly from Ellison's story--is often sharply sardonic and frequently witty. With this AND the outstanding performances he elicits from his cast, Jones creates a realistic world of future desolation, but he peoples it with central characters that learn to deal with the nightmare while still maintaining their humanity...and a sense of humor.

Several DVD editions of A BOY AND HIS DOG have been available over the past few years, and all have delivered good letterbox widescreen digital transfers. The current offering from First Run Features is an anamorphic widescreen version, and it also contains an interesting feature commentary and theatrical trailers.

All in all, A BOY AND HIS DOG is a wonderful interpretation of a classic SF novella, and this DVD will make a great entry in the film collections of SF fans who love quirky non-mainstream films.

A cult favorite for years, this faithful version of Harlan Ellison's classic novella enjoyed some mainstream popularity in the mid-'80s when its star, Don Johnson, hit the big time with "Miami Vice." In recent years the movie has settled back into cult status, which is for the best. Johnson (in an excellent performance) is Vic, a simple-minded survivalist who wanders what's left of post-apocalypse America with his dog Blood (played by Tiger of "The Brady Bunch," with voice by singer Tim McIntire), with whom he has a telepathic bond. Vic's main ambition in life is to, well, find female companionship; he demands that Blood sniff out girls for him. He meets a seemingly innocent young woman who leads him down to a strange subterranean civilization where all the men are sterile. Eventually, Vic is presented with a hard choice. The decision he makes has remained controversial; the one-liner that ends the film is even more so. (Ellison didn't write the line and has expressed discomfort with it. I think it's one of the great final lines in movie history.) If you haven't seen this film, chances are you've seen a dozen better-known SF movies it influenced (like the "Mad Max" series), and Kevin Costner's "The Postman" was a windbag '90s variation on the same theme. If you've only caught this on television, you haven't really seen it.

Mid-70s post-nuclear apocalypse movies are not a genre I generally enjoy. "A Boy and His Dog" (one of the first of the type) is the exception that proves the rule.

The shattered world above is not the interesting part of this film, and it moves slowly for the first hour while we're in it. What keeps us watching is the great dialogue and interaction between Vic (Doh Johnson) and his dog, Blood. Vic and Blood can talk to each other, and the dog is rather smarter than Vic. Once we go "downbelow," into the survivalist enclave called "Topeka."

One reason I didn't give this film 5 stars was the slowness at the start; the other reason was the poor quality of the DVD transfer. If ever a movie cried out for remastering, this is it: it really does look like they just transferred it from VHS. There is a commentary track with film critic Charles Chaplin, director L.Q. Jones (this was his last film directing), and John cinematographer Morrill. It makes for interesting listening.

If you like this genre, this is an essential film to add to your library. If you're not as fond of apocalypse movies, call this one a rental.

...which is why I keep buying every new release that comes out in the hopes that it will be better than the last. No such luck. This is the same transfer as the previous two releases -- from the original laserdisc, and with the same problems: dropped frames, dust and scratches all over it. And despite Amazon's description, this release is NOT ANAMORPHIC, though, like the others, it is widescreen. (I've submitted a change to the description). I could live with the dust and scratches -- after all, all the known prints of this film have been knocking around for almost thirty years, and as far as I know no pristine negative exists anymore. But I *wish* we could get an anamorphic transfer. How is it that a Hugo award-winning film that is so loved by critics can be overlooked for a decent DVD treatment for so long?

Now, the good: In addition to the now-familiar (and very entertaining) L.Q. Jones commentary track which has appeared on all the others, we also get two trailers restored to the DVD (these appeared on the first release, but not the one from Slingshot). And the fact that it is available once again at all -- I didn't relish the idea of shelling out ~$100 if something happened to current copy. Kudos to Firstrun for printing 'em again.

But dangit, won't *someone* step up to the plate and give us a decent anamorphic transfer? I'm begging here, which even Blood could only bring himself to do once.

This is an excellent, highly rewatchable movie which presents two starkly different worlds - both dystopias - of a post-apocalyptic America. The harsh desert-like land, where howling monsters lurk in the debris and an intelligent dog and his boy roam seeking out women to rape and food. Then there is the nightmarish underground white middle-class world where barbershop quartets mix in artificially lit parks with huge robot security men in oversized breeks, and residents are sent to the 'farm' to die in a fashion decreed by the elders (him...heart attack...her....machinery accident). And there is much much more...

This is a truly unique film - I'd say the closest comparisons might be 1984 or Clockwork Orange. It also has some startling moments and leaves you with so much (perhaps too much) to think about in just one movie.

It is definitely not to everyones' tastes - especially the film's treatment of women and the sick humour which will turn some off - but the overall result is a film with too many facets to mention in just a few paragraphs. If you are into cult movies and like to take some time rewatching films, then this is an excellent movie to get.

A Boy and His Dog is the hearwarming tale of....you'll never guess! Oh, right. The title. Well, this particular tale of the old-time cliche has telepathic canines, green glowing monsters (albeit unseen ones), cannibalism (of course), and semen-stealing underground societies with a mime-like face paint motif. Got your attention? Good. This is a post-apocalyptic science fiction tale for the ages based on the classic novella by Harlan Ellison and it's gooooood. I'm talking about a movie where the hero (Vic) exploits his partner, a telepathic and extremely intelligent (and snide) dog named Blood, to find women to rape. Vic gets the food, Blood finds the women. What a damn premise! Let me tell you, if I was in a post-apocalyptic wasteland a hyper-intelligent talking dog would be at the top of my list for partners. That or a vampire girl. A really hot vampire girl. Who is also a ninja. Wait, what was I talking about? Right. Post-apocalyptic stuff. The world Vic and Blood wander is an alternate Earth where the Kennedys were never assassinated which led to no less than three different presidents bearing the name. While the movie doesn't do the best job of explaining, choosing to simply explore the world while teasing the audience with bits of history that Blood attempts to bludgeon into his less-than-intelligent partner's head. Vic was born after the apocalypse so he has no sense of society outside of the wasteland. This is a damn great setup for a story.

After arguing with Blood at a makeshift theater showing an old dirty movie (the dog likes his popcorn), Vic convinces his companion to reveal to him that there is a lady hidden in the audience. Turns out she's about damn sexy too. But they are going to have to fight for her. At this point, the film goes from insanely cool to meh. The final acts separate our two "heroes" (bad move) and reveal an insanely creepy underground society attempting to preserve the good ol' days. Or at least, a bizarre approximation of it. Naturally, this means religion. Lots of religion. Oddly enough, this part of the story takes up too much screentime while at the same time is not developed enough. It seems like it could be an interesting story unto itself, but in this particular film it feels like an interruption of our regularly-scheduled prgoram that isn't fleshed-out enough to justify itself. It kind of kills the awesome tone of the film a little although it would be a cool story given more development. Thankfully, the whole thing ends up worthwhile with one of the best and most joyously twisted ending of any film ever. If you see it coming, I will eat my keyboard.

While the tale has been criticized for misogyny, I feel that the world the story takes place in is one where even the heroes are bad people preying on those weaker than themselves and is meant as a statement on humanity as a whole. Having the protagonists on the hunt for girls to rape is not the most PC premise of all time, but it makes sense for the story and the world inhabited by that story. Don't let the fact that the only being (if any) considered worth saving is a dog fly over your head, either. In my mind, that's the premise and any misogyny is a means to that end. A Boy and His Dog is a very entertaining film that makes up for what it lacks in effective exposition with attitude and humor. As far as visions of a post-apocalyptic future go, this is one of the coolest by far. I feel another half hour could have made this a five-star film, but as it is it is still a must-see. Ellison actually made a sequel to the story in graphic novel form (although turns out he did it literally to spite pushy fans), and I do believe I'll check that out.

"Horrible" is for the DVD release, not for the wonderfully quirky movie. They must have found the worst available VHS copy to dup to DVD. My old VHS has better picture and sound quality. If you're a fan of the movie, do yourself a favor and wait for a remastered DVD release.

It's a damn shame people can't make movies like this any more. Not necessarily Don Johnson movies, or ones with Harlan Ellison screenplays (though the latter are probably few); ones which are actually controversial. Sure, it suffers from the usual urban screenwriter paranoia about middle America (can't we make a dystopia where the masses are oppressed by the nightmare world of urban screenwriters? that sounds a lot closer to the truth than making middle American life, which doesn't even exist any more, look sinister). Sure it's going to offend the deeply politically correct, who think that women are all snowflakes and bunny rabbits and nature's aristocrats. It will also offend people who think Science Fiction means lots of dumb special effects. Probably, this is why such movies don't get made any more; no constituency.
This movie is arguably one of the most important in science fiction, mostly because Mad Max stole the aesthetics from this film. Yet, nobody has heard of it, and it remains obscure and unloved, for the crime of making demands of the viewer.
I agree with other reviewers that the pacing leaves something to be desired, and, well, it does resemble "the cat from outer space" at times, but if you enjoy thinking about movies, and bleak visions of the future: this one is about as good as it gets.

"A Boy and His Dog" (1975) is science-fiction satire based on a well-known Harlan Ellison story. The movie takes us on the adventures of a young scavenger, Vic, (a VERY young Don Johnson) and his intelligent, telepathic dog, Blood, in post-apocalyptic Arizona. Blood and Vic need each other to survive, to find food for both and the girls for Vic. Blood is always hungry, and Vic always wants a woman. That's the common through-line of the entire movie, and it drives Vic to do things he might not normally do. Or might he? This low tech, well-paced film is dark and funny, making it deserving of its cult status.

Imagine you never ever heard of this movie. If someone were to ask "Have you ever seen A Boy And His Dog?", what image would come to your mind? You imagine a little boy playing with his faithful dog, right?

Well, whether you would or not, that was definitely me. All I heard about this movie was that it was set during a time when the Earth was ravaged and that the movie was about a hungry/horny boy with his faithful dog who complains about his libido all the time.

What came to my mind was an image of a 13-14 year old boy and a dog wandering around the desert looking for something to do. Of course, if I had known this movie got an "R" rating, a more accurate image would have come to my head.

I was very surprised by this movie. Aside from the fact that the movie shows pornography and rape, it also portrayed the main character as some kind of a sex addict. Since I had originally thought the movie had a "PG" rating, I didn't even think it had any of these.

I found myself stumbling upon a very strange movie, indeed. You could clearly see that this is from a non-PC time because aside from the fact that it shows women as sex objects, it also shows the main character choosing his dog over a woman that claims "she loves him". Now, aside from that, he does something that women today would consider VERY sexist. I thought it was cool as hell, but hey, that's me.

Anyway, a number of things got me confused about this movie. Now, of course there would be very little people, but why are there so much less women? Did the men have some sort of gene that allowed them to survive nuclear war better? Aside from that, why did they kill women so frivolously if women were in short supply? None of it seems to make any sense to me. The thing that really hit me, though, was the lack of commitment in EVERYONE. Considering the human race seemed to be on the verge of extinction if something wasn't done fast, why were so little committed to having children? Food didn't seem to be a factor since one scene showed them giving away food in order to see a pornography movie. Was wondering the desert with your pals digging up old cans of food so much fun that you didn't want to bother having children to make sure your species don't go extinct?

Of course, that is just the gist of it. There seems to be A LOT of unexplained or unplausible stuff in this movie, but then again, you're probably not watching this movie for the plausibility.

Despite the strangeness, I actually like this movie. It was fun seeing the teen kid argue with his dog about women. It certainly was touching to see how loyal they are to each other. How many guys today would give up a woman for their dog? Even if the woman was a conniving wench and the dog was loyal beyoung belief? Not many, I bet.

Overall, I consider this movie to be excellent! Pick it up if you can. It's very good.