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They say a dog is man's best friend. Loyal companion, trusted protector, undeniable friend. We usually try to decipher and interpret what our dogs are trying to say as a way to extend that connection. But what if you could communicate with your dog, what will he say? really, really say to you? And what if you both were stuck in a dystopian apocalypse? How will that relationship work? That is a small part of what this odd 1975 film explores.
A Boy and His Dog follows Vic (Don Johnson), a teenager living in post-nuclear America along with his dog Blood (Tim McIntire), with whom he can communicate telepathically for reasons that are brushed over with the above quote. Vic and Blood spend their days scavenging the desert-like land for food and women to rape. Yep. Chalk that up on the "problematic" column, to put it mildly.
But the thing is that Vic has been raised alone in this wasteland, with no moral compass and no societal structure. So instead of taking it as a story of protagonists and antagonists, or characters that I should root for, or whose actions I could/should/would endorse, I took it as a story of just people inhabiting this savage world. To push it further, Blood's "persona" is 100% cynical and misanthropic. Kinda like a more raw Brian Griffin.
Things get complicated for Vic when he falls for Quilla (Susanne Benton), another young survivor that likes to follow her own way, which leads into more bizarre occurrences. If that description doesn't let it show, this has got to be one of the oddest watches I've had. Yes, from the problematic premise, to the way the characters behave and operate, and how all the events unfold. But I would be lying if I said I wasn't mesmerized by everything in it.
The world that the characters live in is brutal and relentless, and the things that happen are disturbing and bleak, and yet, director L.Q. Jones manages to walk a tightrope between that and a darkly comical tone that... kinda worked? The direction also effectively moves from taut tension at the dangers of the place and the intrigue of wondering WTF will happen next.
Johnson and Benton are solid in their roles, but McIntire's voice work is a real treat. The oddball last act also introduces Jason Robards, in case you needed another reason to check this out. But the main reason I would recommend this is just because of how unapologetically odd, bold and bizarre it is, down to its last line.
Grade:
A BOY AND HIS DOG
(1975, Jones)
A film with the word "Dog" in its title
-- recommended by Keram --
(1975, Jones)
A film with the word "Dog" in its title
-- recommended by Keram --
Quilla: "Well, how come I can't hear him?"
Vic: "Uh, he said something one time. It's 'cause we had a feeling for each other or something."
Quilla: "What do you mean, like love?"
Vic: "I guess."
Vic: "Uh, he said something one time. It's 'cause we had a feeling for each other or something."
Quilla: "What do you mean, like love?"
Vic: "I guess."
They say a dog is man's best friend. Loyal companion, trusted protector, undeniable friend. We usually try to decipher and interpret what our dogs are trying to say as a way to extend that connection. But what if you could communicate with your dog, what will he say? really, really say to you? And what if you both were stuck in a dystopian apocalypse? How will that relationship work? That is a small part of what this odd 1975 film explores.
A Boy and His Dog follows Vic (Don Johnson), a teenager living in post-nuclear America along with his dog Blood (Tim McIntire), with whom he can communicate telepathically for reasons that are brushed over with the above quote. Vic and Blood spend their days scavenging the desert-like land for food and women to rape. Yep. Chalk that up on the "problematic" column, to put it mildly.
But the thing is that Vic has been raised alone in this wasteland, with no moral compass and no societal structure. So instead of taking it as a story of protagonists and antagonists, or characters that I should root for, or whose actions I could/should/would endorse, I took it as a story of just people inhabiting this savage world. To push it further, Blood's "persona" is 100% cynical and misanthropic. Kinda like a more raw Brian Griffin.
Things get complicated for Vic when he falls for Quilla (Susanne Benton), another young survivor that likes to follow her own way, which leads into more bizarre occurrences. If that description doesn't let it show, this has got to be one of the oddest watches I've had. Yes, from the problematic premise, to the way the characters behave and operate, and how all the events unfold. But I would be lying if I said I wasn't mesmerized by everything in it.
The world that the characters live in is brutal and relentless, and the things that happen are disturbing and bleak, and yet, director L.Q. Jones manages to walk a tightrope between that and a darkly comical tone that... kinda worked? The direction also effectively moves from taut tension at the dangers of the place and the intrigue of wondering WTF will happen next.
Johnson and Benton are solid in their roles, but McIntire's voice work is a real treat. The oddball last act also introduces Jason Robards, in case you needed another reason to check this out. But the main reason I would recommend this is just because of how unapologetically odd, bold and bizarre it is, down to its last line.
Grade: