Monster Dog Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Monster Dog Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov December 10, 2020

Claudio Fragasso's "Monster Dog" (1984) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Camera Obscura. The supplemental features on the disc include exclusive new video interview with Alice Cooper; new interview with creature designer Antonello Geleng; vintage promotional and production materials; and more. In English or German, with optional English and German subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

The man with the Spanish accent

According to Alice Cooper, Monster Dog was an experiment. What kind of an experiment? Well, right around the time Cooper completed his recovery and swore he would never touch the bottle again, his manager informed him that a foreign producer wanted to book him to do a film in Spain. Cooper immediately agreed to do it -- not because he had supreme confidence in the project, but because he wanted to figure out if he would be able to function properly before (and behind) the camera without booze. Shortly after, he packed up his bags and went to Spain to shoot Monster Dog.

The above information comes from a great exclusive new interview that Cooper did with Federico Caddeo, which is included on this recent release of Monster Dog from Camera Osbcura. In the same interview, Cooper also explains that his contribution to Monster Dog was quite unique because his character, Vince Raven, was unlike any of the bad characters he had played in the past. So, under the direction of Claudio Fragasso he was essentially given a chance to redefine his conventional cinematic image. Cooper saw the transformation as a challenge, but he liked it and later on realized that it was the main reason why he enjoyed doing Monster Dog.

As an experiment and a genre film, Monster Dog turned out pretty much as Cooper expected. Fragasso and his crew were patient with him but did not compromise their working methods, so Cooper did everything he was expected to do and, in the process, gained the confidence that he can be just as effective without the booze. The film wasn’t a stunner, but Cooper thought that after production wrapped up it offered the thrills it was supposed to deliver. His take on the finished version that was dispatched to theaters, however, was different. After he packed up and left, for some strange reason the Spanish producer redubbed the entire film in English, including Cooper’s lines, with Spanish actors whose English was rather rough. When Cooper eventually saw the finished version with the new audio track, he barely recognized himself.

Camera Obscura’s release of Monster Dog features this particular overdubbed version, and as Cooper suggests in the interview, it is essentially a different film. Raven, an aging rock star, heads to his home town to shoot a music video, but a dark past catches up with him and the trip quickly becomes a bloody nightmare. Much like Cooper, Raven then begins a challenging transformation which at the end reveals a completely different side of his personality. Before and during the transformation, Cooper does not wear any makeup, so the different stages of the experiment he discusses in the interview are quite interesting to observe.

But the overdubbing is a killer. Instead of being a dark and tense horror thriller, and there is certainly enough visual information to conclude that this was precisely what Fragasso attempted to deliver, Monster Dog now looks like a goofy period parody, with Cooper intentionally making a fool out of himself. To be perfectly clear, without the overdubbing Monster Dog would not have been a groundbreaking genre film either, but at least it could have been a lot easier to take seriously. In other words, the overdubbing dramatically changes its identity, so Cooper is correct to point out that when seen with it, it is not the film he worked on.

Interestingly, Cooper does not appear dismissive of the ‘new’ film either. He seems to imply that with the overdubbing it often appears so exotic that it actually becomes charming. If seen with the right mindset, such a charmer could materialize, but the overdubbing will still be there and impossible to ignore. It is just feels very odd looking at Cooper and hearing the voice of a stranger who does not even have the proper emotional connection with him.

Monster Dog Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Monster Dog arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Camera Obscura.

The master that was used to produce this release isn't new. (I don't know if it is the same master that Kino Lorber used to produce this North American release in 2016. I don't have it in my library and cannot comment on it). However, it is healthy and really quite nice. Indeed, even though density levels can be a little bit better, the visuals boast very nice delineation and depth. In fact, if you decide to project it, you will most likely be quite impressed with how well the darker footage holds, which is the bulk of the footage in this film. Clarity is very good as well. Colors are stable and nicely balanced, but saturation levels could be improved. Image stability is very good. A few specks and stains remain, but there are no distracting large debris, cuts, damage marks, warped or torn frames to report. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

Monster Dog Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 2.0 and German LPCM 2.0. Optional English and German subtitles are provided for the main feature.

The English track is of course the original overdubbed track that came from the Spanish producers of the film. The audio is clear and stable, but like most such tracks it feels it is rather lifeless. It is why it sounds funny as well, which is why Alice Cooper apparently enjoys the film so much. There are no encoding anomalies to report in our review.

Monster Dog Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Introduction - exclusive new video introduction to Monster Dog by director Claudio Fragasso. In Italian, with optional English and German subtitles. (1 min).

• Ballad of Vincent Raven - in this exclusive new video interview, Alice Cooper recalls how he became involved with Monster Dog and the impact the film had on his life and career, and discusses the production process, the film's 'bad' reputation, horror films and how they usually excited their targeted audience, etc. The interview was conducted by Federico Caddeo. In English, with optional German subtitles. (27 min).

• Lord of the Dogs - this archival program examines the production history of Monster Dog, which at least initially was apparently conceived to resemble Rats. The program also features a lot of interesting stories from the production process, including one about the director hunting a clumsy still photographer with a loaded rifle. Included in it are clips from interviews with executive producer Roberto Bessi, screenwriter Rossella Drudi, and Claudio Fragasso. The interview was conducted by Federico Caddeo. In Italian, with optional English German subtitles. (44 min).

• A Bark From Hell - in this exclusive new video interview, creature designer Antonello Geleng remembers his contribution to Monster Dog. The interview was conducted by Federico Caddeo. In Italian, with optional English and German subtitles. (3 min).

• Deleted/Extended Footage - a collection of deleted and extended footage from Monster Dog. In English, with German subtitles. (11 min).

• Trailers - two vintage trailers for Monster Dog.
  
  1. English trailer. Fully remastered. (4 min).
  2. German trailer. (3 min).

• Gallery - a collection of vintage production and promotional materials for Monster Dog.

• Booklet - 12-page illustrated booklet featuring an essay by Christoph N. Kellerbach. In German.

Monster Dog Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Is Monster Dog a bad film? Yes, it is. But in its current form it is actually not the film Claudio Fragasso shot. It is not just the odd overdubbing that changes its identity either. If you watch Lord of the Dogs, a long archival program that is included on this release, you will learn that the film was recut and reedited in ways that completely destroyed its atmosphere, which according to Fragasso was supposed to be its key strength. Fragasso did not even communicate with the people that butchered his film -- he was in Italy when they did the work and made it look as they thought it should. So, I only partially agree with Alice Cooper when he announces that he had the honor of appearing in three of the worst films ever made, with Monster Dog possibly being the biggest turkey. Camera Obscura's release offers a solid presentation of Monster Dog with a strong selection of bonus features. If you are a fan of the film or Cooper, pick up a copy for your collection.