Dogs (1976)

People are voting emotionally.

hyped garbage

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

I don't know guys, didn't think this movie was all so silly. Yeah OK, most of the canine cast are pooches who sort of look like they want to play, go walkies and have a snack. Perspective might have something to do with my reaction: I got bit pretty bad as an 11 year old and by a beagle, of all things. Not Snoopy but a vicious snarling little ball of teeth who would not let go and scared the crap out of me enough to turn me into a cat person for most of my life. Only as an adult in what one might refer to as middle ages have I become more fond of dogs. Cats don't care. Dogs celebrate your very existence each time you walk into the room. Mmyesh you do, Pumpkin Butt. I also buy the premise of a swarm/pack/stampede of similar animals or insects having a collective response to stimuli which could provoke group reactions. Imagine if all the millions of mosquitoes in the Adirondacks collectively went after every living warm blooded creature en masse, all at once. Deep Woods Off and your windbreaker would not help for long. Thankfully it isn't going to happen, but if applied up the ladder of life forms one could see how it would be kind of scary to have every domesticated pet turn into my friend the beagle all at once and form up into packs of ravaging bloodthirsty killers.The film also goes out of its way to explain the science of its premise in terms that come across as being at least as plausible as "King Kong Vs. Godzilla" so I was willing to give the film a chance. And it does have one insanely creeped out sequence which I won't ruin. I will cite ALIEN (1979) as my favorite film ever and for about ten minutes "Dogs" had me wondering if I should maybe turn a couple lights on and fix a drink. Freaked the hell out of me, with a sober plausible cast of non-sensational types making it all feel pretty familiar up until that moment. The festival of carnage which then climaxes the film and its obligatory 70s paranoid ending sort of broke the spell, which is too bad as they were onto something there for a while. Yeeeesh. Do I recommend the movie? Sure, if you want to potentially be freaked out by something that really is as skin-crawlingly scary as a character describes it as. The snarling dogs may be unsettling to some viewers but my guess is that was sort of the point -- Horror movies used to be designed to actually scare audiences and they do a fairly good job of it. Though my sensibilities as a film consumer are also rooted in the 1970s & don't rely on mind- blowing special effects, can set aside the absurdity of seeing a poodle mutt depicted as vicious due to personal experience, and watched the movie all alone in the dark with the lights off. Which was the right decision.

Here we have a so-so entry into the popular "nature strikes back" genre of the 1970s, in which general ineptitude, substandard attack scenes, some unintentional hilarity, sincere but bland acting, and canine aggressors that never come across as *that* scary combine to make a passable B level thriller. TV veteran Burt Brinckerhoff fails to ever generate very much tension, but it's still basically amusing to see the damage that these dogs do. They sure create a fair amount of gore before this is over. There's some very mild titillation: a pre- 'Dallas' Linda Gray gets into the shower, and is attacked, in yet another nod to "Psycho". The music, by Alan Oldfield, has that very 70s feel to it, and isn't always effective.In addition to Ms. Gray, a couple of familiar faces turn up in this tale of ordinary domesticated dogs forming a pack and turning savage in a sleepy college community. Could it have something to do with secret government experiments involving an accelerator? Who knows. What it amounts to is a big problem for people such as beer guzzling biology professor Harlan Thompson (played by David McCallum of 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' fame) and his new associate Michael Fitzgerald (George Wyner of "Spaceballs"). In an obvious nod to "Jaws", they have a tough time convincing their boss of the danger until it's too late.If one really wants to see mans' best friend kick some human ass, the movie "The Pack" from the following year is technically the better effort. But "Dogs" isn't without its delights, such as the aforementioned shower attack scene and the climactic action on the campus when the dogs crash through glass. There are more laughs than thrills to be had here, but that should count for something. McCallum is an underwhelming hero; you're not likely to care whether or not he makes it. And Wyner doesn't fare much better. Also among the cast are Eric Server ('B.J. and the Bear'), Sterling Swanson ('Don't Be Afraid of the Dark'), Russ Grieve (Big Bob Carter in Wes Cravens' "The Hills Have Eyes"), and future producer Lance Hool ("10 to Midnight").When all is said and done, "Dogs" doesn't add up to much, but it's worth it just for that priceless final shot that sets up a sequel that never got made.Five out of 10.

The "nature attacks" subgenre of horror had pretty much reached its apogee in '76 when this minor entry hit the drive-in screens, and for what it is, it's not entirely valueless. The story, which is actually rather plausible, denotes a sleepy college town where the pet pooches of local denizens have taken to packing in the night. Initially, cattle are the prey of these abruptly aggressive mongrels, but it's not long before people are attacked, at first alone, then in groups. Science teachers from the college provide the usual explanatory double-talk, and do their best to alert the community to the mounting danger against cliché Mayoral resistance.For a quickie this low on the totem, DOGS/SLAUGHTER has a few effective moments, and stands as a par example of its type. I'd say they could have used MORE of the canines(as there seems to be around a dozen passing off for many more), and a bit more fang-bearing and growling might have added greater threat to the situation at hand(generally, these dogs just scamper about playfully as folks run screaming...only a single oft-shown Doberman is really physically imposing and scary). Still, I found myself taking an unexpected liking to this supplicatory little film, despite its poverty-row provisions and customary B-movie shortcomings. Gotta love the retarded "shocker" ending...*groan*... 4/10

I was lucky enough to find a bootleg copy of this gem. To see some of Robert Schneiders legendary rare cinematography (uncredited) was truly an a life-changing experience. It's sad that he died from aids (he was one of the first Americans to contract this disease) shortly after the production wrapped. However, he obviously went out with a bang and he will be immortalized through this film. Dogs is so hard to find because it is such a rare film that if you find you just have to hold on to it. I hope this film eventually goes to DVD and it has the proper credit for Robert Schneider. On a scale from 1 to 10 I give this movie an 11. Go find Dogs. You won't regret it! For my name ain't Nathan Arizona!