A Boy and His Dog Review

Written by: DeathbyHighKick   

Funny title right?  I thought so too back in 1998 when I was first introduced to this film by my best friends stoner dad Rick.  He busted it out of this old ass chest, a torn and tattered VHS tape with a garage sale sticker still on the outside, marked at $1.00.  He handed it to me and said.....watch and love.  I took that with a grain of salt, when home and popped it in the old VCR.  Now, I was 14 at the time....and I was all about blood and gore, violence and movies that didn't require thinking.  I turned this off 10 minutes into it and told Rick that I thought it was a piece of shit.  he was appalled, then told me to watch it when I got older and learned about the great things in life. Fast forward almost 10 years and here I am, writing this review for a movie that I not only watched, but fell in love with. 

**LONG SYNOPSIS, SKIP TO THE BOTTOM IF YOU'RE NOT INTERESTED**

"A Boy and His Dog" was made in 1975 by L.Q. Jones, who more recognized for his acting roles (which go into the 100's), over his directing.  The film starts Don Johnson (yes.....Sonny Crockett from Miami Vice) as Vic, a tall young man attempting to survive in a post-apocalypse world (we're unsure if he's in the United States, but I suspect he is due to the lack of a foreign accent and vulgar speech).  Alongside him is Blood, a raggedy looking loyal canine who's Vic's one and only friend.  Vic talks to Blood like you talk to your friend....and the funny thing is, Blood talks back.  Yes, Blood is a talking dog, well...not literally talking, he and Vic have some sort of mind communication, they communicate through thoughts.  Immediately you don't consider Blood a dog, but a serious character with emotion. 

Blood's purpose, as shown in the beginning, is to find a woman for Vic to do the nasty with....seriously, it's all about finding some sex for the horny kid.  Blood's ability to "smell" a woman takes them to this beat up somewhat underground shanty, where Vic meets Quilla June Holmes, a serious sex-pot played by Susanne Benton.  Vic's immediate reaction is to attempt to control her and force himself to do something bad, but they're interrupted by scavengers and unidentified people called "Screamers'.  After enduring a shootout, where Vic mows down probably 10 hooligans with an old ass rifle and a six shooter, and Blood fights another mutt, and busts himself up pretty bad...Vic ends up banging the babe.  They share a little romantic connection, which surprises Vic because he's not used to having a girl like him....considering he rapes all the others.  Well, Blood doesn't like the babe because she'll slow them down, Vic lets his lower brain think for him and tries to say she'll do her part....the Babe has other plans....and she shows Vic up by knocking him unconscious and fleeing...

When Vic comes around, alls he can think about is finding and "messing her up".  Blood leads him to a small closet looking building in the middle of the desert, and using a key card the Babe left, Vic abandons and injured Blood (who's constantly trying to persuade him otherwise) and enters the building.  Now, Vic's alone and underground, climbing down ladders and entering what looks like a very well maintained factory/missile silo....I don't know what it is and they never explain it.  Well, Vic's an idiot, gets caught and brought into a "cleansing room", where he's placed in a bathtub and scrubbed hard by a smiling man in overalls named Michael.  He's surrounded by numerous other people, who's faces are painted up to look like a porcelain doll...really creepy.  They're watching him closely and eating ice cream sandwiches and banana's.  Vic finds himself in an underground town, fully stocked with everything a town has, people, schools, etc...but he soon comes to discover that he was purposely led down here only to be used to impregnate roughly 30 females....apparently the men underground lack the ability to do the deed themselves.....Vic thinks that it's all wonderful, readily agrees for the obvious reasons, and then quickly finds himself hooked up to tubes, being "milked" for lack of a proper word.  The Babe eventually shows up and rescues him, stating that 1) he's an idiot 2) he's going to be killed after he's used up 3) That he's going to help her overthrow the committee and help her rule the underground populous. This doesn't sit right with him, alls he can think about is getting back to Blood up in the dirt where he "feels clean".  Now, the committee that is to be overthrown are 3 people, two men and a woman....who are doing whatever they can to maintain civilization down there, and that means sending people to "The Farm" aka executing them for committing small infractions.  It's honestly creepy.  Vic refuses to help The Babe overthrow the committee, and after she tries to attack him and he slaps her around, she just gives and decides to come up top with him.....but they've got one problem...the overall wearing smiling Michael is hunting them down.  Vic unloads his rifle into the but nothing happens....I won't spoil that for you, just watch and see...it's pretty interesting how it turns out.

 The ending of the movie is by far the most awkward, but also the best.  Vic comes up top with The Babe to find his dog dying from starvation. The Babe tells him that there is nothing that they can do for Blood, and that the dog would want them to be happy.  She tells Vic "If you love me you'll leave him"..................Vic thinks about it and makes a decision that I think fully completes this movie and makes it great.  It's a classic ending never before seen in a movie, and it leaves you feeling really weird.

**END OF SYNOPSIS....SORRY**

I think the reason "A Boy and His Dog" works so well, not only back then, but today as well...is because of it's creativity and lack of stereotyping characters.  Vic is a sex hungry vulgar young man, but he's also the hero/antihero depending on how you look at him and his actions.  He has his one and only friend...a dog, and it's pathetic to see him living like this, but you can help but be intrigued by their relationship.  The films also a very creepy, eerie picture....it made me uncomfortable numerous time, not because of violence or gore (which has very little), but because of the people in that underground place...talk about twilight zone to the 10th power.  It's really great on screen chemistry I feel.  Another great thing about this film is that since it's release, nothings compared to it....nothing at all.  Not even the Mad Max films compare to it, and those are the cream of the crop when it comes to post-apocalypse.  "A Boy and His Dog" stand alone on the list of great films that you've gotta see just to be able to say you saw them.  There's no special effects, the directing and cinematography is nothing special....but the storyline and performances, not to mention the jacked up ending, make this film completely worthwhile and a must see for anyone who visits this site.