Dogs Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

Dogs Blu-ray Movie Review

Alpo to the rescue.

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf March 27, 2014

Man’s best friend goes insane in 1976’s “Dogs,” a rather assertive attempt on part of the producers to cash in on the growing eco-disaster/animal-attack subgenres popular in the decade of disillusionment. That’s right, old Spot and Snoopy are the enemy in this feature, which gleefully serves up violence, preying on fears of a domesticated animal uprising where no one is safe from harm. The premise is goofy, but nobody told director Burt Brinckerhoff (a longtime television journeyman) and screenwriter O’Brian Tomalin (“Acapulco Gold”) they needed to play the picture tongue-in-cheek. In fact, “Dogs,” outside of some obvious touches of camp, plays out with refreshing severity, watching the cast maintain straight faces as they engage in battle with neighborhood pooches. Extremely entertaining when it isn’t tying its shoelaces together with laborious scientific exposition, the movie delivers exactly what the title promises, organizing stalking sequences and kills that highlight the four-legged co-stars and their insatiable appetite for human blood.

In small town California, Harlan (David McCallum, “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.”) is a scientist at a local college who’s a bit perturbed with the fawning reception new hire Michael (George Wyner, “Space Balls”) is receiving. However, the pair has little time to compete, with reports that a mysterious pack of roving animals are killing local cattle, baffling experts. Investigating the case, Harlan comes to the conclusion that dogs are involved in the slaughter, though why friendly creatures would commit such savagery proves difficult to understand. With little time to coax estranged girlfriend Caroline (Sandra McCabe, “The Rose”) back into his life, Harlan hurriedly teams with Michael to figure out what’s driving the dogs to such behavioral extremes. However, their scientific efforts aren’t arriving fast enough, with the pooches teaming up to take down the locals, chewing on bikers, grandmothers, and cops as the community dissolves into panic, including college students, who have little resources to protect themselves when the canine catastrophe arrives.

“Dogs” doesn’t want to be laughed at. At least not during its first act. The set-up for this animal attack film is stone-cold sober, observing Harlan and Michael using their intellectual means to explain the impossible, coming up with an idea about pheromones that doesn’t exactly stick, while a vague mention of shady dealings at a local nuclear power plant seems more likely, radiating the dogs into an unstoppable fury. It’s alarming how seriously “Dogs” takes itself in the early going, with an enormous amount of exposition deployed to sate audiences craving some answers, though nothing is ever settled on. Admittedly, it’s a pokey stretch of banal conversations and static characterizations, alleviated some when Harlan slips into investigative mode, visiting a farm to inspect a dead cow and the morgue to feel around the exposed wounds of a human victim with his bare hands (ick). “Dogs” insists that Science! is the answer to all questions this feature raises, and while it’s an admirable effort to supply the endeavor with a foundation of realism before silly business commences, pace is slowed considerably when attention is placed solely on the lead characters in debate mode. After all, the picture’s not called “Bickering College Professors.”

Once the titular menace is fully unleashed, “Dogs” transforms into a completely enjoyable semi-horror romp. While the production claims that all action was monitored by the Humane Society, the footage retains a visceral bite, watching the canines tear into the locals (well, at least their arms), whipping and gnawing their way to a kill. Brinckerhoff isn’t an action director, but “Dogs” manages to seize suspense with the attack sequences, concentrating on the ferocity of the barking stars, where their deceptive domestic demeanor is dropped in a heartbeat, surprising poor saps unprepared for such fury. Animal activists will likely dismiss “Dogs” as trash, but it hardly appears as a reckless production, with only a few tiny moments that come uncomfortably close to crossing the line of good taste. Those with an established phobia will likely be curled up in a ball for 90 straight minutes.

Performances are satisfactory for this type of escapism, finding McCallum and Wyner committed to the cause, trading concerned looks and plausible panic once confronted with the ravenous canines. It’s Linda Gray (arguably the most famous cast member these days) that generates the most puzzled looks, spending the majority of her performance fiddling with oversized glasses as an undersexed staff member. It’s done in such a deliberate way, I’m sure Gray collected some type of paycheck for eyewear promotion. As for the dogs, I believed the German Shepherd completely, delivering powerful work as one of the ringleaders of the pack, while the Doberman Pinscher left much to be desired, requiring a lesson in understatement.

Dogs Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.78:1 aspect ratio) presentation for "Dogs" features only one real setback, finding crush to be a problem during scenes with limited lighting and deep backgrounds. The solidification robs the picture of some detail, but it's far from a deal-breaker, with the rest of this HD viewing experience handling the movie's cinematography satisfactorily. Colors are nicely refreshed and stable, with emphasis on red blood and seventies costuming, making bolder hues matter. Skintones are natural, while fur also retains its original distinction. Grain is managed acceptably, delivering filmic qualities. The print is largely clean, with minimal imperfections. Detail is welcome with facial reactions and gore shots, with the soft-ish photography preserved well on the disc.

Dogs Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA sound mix does retain noticeable hiss that runs throughout the film, though it never overpowers the rest of the elements. Dialogue is direct and clear, indicating surges in panic and subdued discussions of canine motivation without triggering shrill highs and muddy lows. Dog barks are aggressive and loud, keeping their original menace. Scoring is mild but complementary, carrying dramatic and suspenseful moods without blocking out critical sound effects. Atmospherics are satisfactory, preserving environmental changes and group activity.

Dogs Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Featurette (19:10, SD) is a 2003 recollection of the "Dogs" production event, interviewing cast and crew for their experiences making such an odd film. Amazingly, there's a sense of pride shared throughout this dissection, with everyone keeping a cheery attitude about the project and its arduous shooting schedule, which involved the corralling of 38 canines.

• Fun Facts and Trivia (6:20, HD) returns host Katarina Leigh Waters to the Scorpion Blu-ray experience, sharing IMDB tidbits and participating in a killer dog skit with stuffed animals.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:21, HD) is included.

Dogs Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The climax of "Dogs" has a grand old time with canine harassment, watching the pooches attack college students on campus (making life hell for Howard "Fat Boy" Kaplan, a portly loser trapped in a kitchen), and there's a set piece where the animals go after a drunk posse out to pick off the menace with guns. It's difficult to know who to root for. However, the climatic stinger is truly applause worthy, hinting at a sequel with a different threat that never materialized. It's a shame, as "Dogs" finds its stride in the end, perhaps fueling a follow-up that built on the momentum. Alas, we have the one movie, and thankfully it's highly amusing one.