On a random side note, has anyone ever seen Dario Argento's re-edit of George Romero's Dawn of the Dead? I came across the DVD recently, and I'd like to know if it's worth checking out if one has seen the original so many times.
Oct 7, 2009
Aroooooo!
Look around you. Do you see any dogs? If yes, be aware: did you know they could be harboring homicidal thoughts about humans? If no, you should be fine. However, it may behoove you to read my AMC column this week, which is all about killer canines of the screen. Better to know the score than to get all chewed up by your four-legged friend.
On a random side note, has anyone ever seen Dario Argento's re-edit of George Romero's Dawn of the Dead? I came across the DVD recently, and I'd like to know if it's worth checking out if one has seen the original so many times.
On a random side note, has anyone ever seen Dario Argento's re-edit of George Romero's Dawn of the Dead? I came across the DVD recently, and I'd like to know if it's worth checking out if one has seen the original so many times.
You should watch it once just because you can, I prefer the theatrical version myself.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if it qualifies as horror, but Samuel Fuller's White Dog is definitely a worthy entry in the killer dog genre. It's also a pretty great film all around.
ReplyDeleteHi Stacie - I saw that version a long time ago and don't remember it being all that much different than the American version. One thing that is noticeable, though, is that the music is done by the band Goblin, which is the band that Dario Argento always uses in his movies. I think there is also some footage not seen in the American version, but it doesn't stand out in my memory. Happy Shocktober!
ReplyDeleteGreat list! Have you seen Madhouse (AKA There Was a Little Girl)? Some pretty gnarly canine mayhem in the film (more as a support role) but no less gruesome and zany.
ReplyDeleteThe only version of the film I have actually seen is the 'European Version.' I can't tell you how it matches up to the original, other than what they describe it as.
ReplyDeleteIt is is supposed to be shorter (around 85 minutes in length) and more concise.
I liked it, but, again, I have no other version to compare it to.
Your list doesn't include the scariest movie dog EVER - Sam Fuller's White Dog. Is it a horror movie? I would say yes, but I define horror pretty broadly - and I love it when I find movies that are not-horror, but really are. The flick has a deceptive made for TV vibe, and, technically, it's a social issue picture - don't let that stop you, though. White Dog is like finding a black widow in a box of Crackerjacks. That the dog is a sympathetic character, and the film is really a serious treatment of a cultural problem only makes it worse. There are some goofy scenes early on - but it sneaks up and gets you by the short hairs and drags you, with some modestly virtuoso cinematics and the scariest movie dog EVER. And by "EVER," I mean EVER! It's better if you don't actually know what it's about, so if you don't, don't read anything - not even the back of the DVD case. Kristy McNichol, Burl Ives (!!!), cameos by Dick Miller and Paul Bartel, Morricone (!!!)... Sam Fuller is God! Run, don't walk, to your Netflix queue! It's a slow burner, but certain shots (you'll know when you see 'em) of the dog's snarling, bloody, hate possessed-looking face made me actually stop the movie and say, "Holy crap, that's the hands-down scariest sonofabitchin' dog I've ever seen!" True fact!
ReplyDeleteI like Romero's version much more. Argento's uses more Goblin music, but he overuses it, too, and there are sections of the film where music is just not appropriate. For my money, I'll stick with the George cut.
ReplyDeleteYes, very nice list! I would also add just that one dog scene from Suspiria, as well as the 3-D Rottweiler: Dogs of Hell from 1982-ish.
ReplyDeleteCool list. I added a bunch to my Netflix Queue. Now my husband's going to look at it and wonder why there are a horde of killer dog movies bunched together.
ReplyDeleteI vote for Romero's version.
ReplyDeleteGreat dog list! The dog from the Omen was pretty freaking gnarly, too. But I believe it was the Omen II where the packs of devil dogs really get their freak on!
ReplyDeleteI got the Dawn of the Dead "Ultimate Edition" a while back and I think it had three versions: USA, European, and "Long" (DVD-specific mix of the other two?). I've never sat through them all back-to-back, but from what I recall I preferred certain bits from each one.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever gone out and bought the DVD of a "classic" and when you sat down to watch it's missing scenes you clearly remember? I hate that. It's not much better when there's three different cuts on the DVD and you don't know which one is the "right" one...the one you saw first.
I have the same "Ultimate Version" that Jason has. I watched the two cuts back to back and I can tell you that they both have their strengths. If you don't like Argento's band, Goblin, then you'll be a bit distracted. But don't let it dissuade you. He re-cut and edited the film, so you get essentially the same story but told from what amounts to a different view point. I wouldn't say it's better than Romero's cut, but it's certainly worth watching, especially if you want to sit through the two back-to-back.
ReplyDeleteNo Monster Dog???? It stars Alice Cooper!!!
ReplyDeleteThe Argento cut of Dawn of the Dead is definitely interesting and worth checking out, but Romero's theatrical cut has always been my favorite. Argento's cut wears out the Goblin music by playing the songs over and over, and he cut out some of the best scenes in the movie (like the helicopter zombie). It has a very fast pace, but you don't get all the awesome characterization and humor that Romero put in the film. Romero's extended cut (actually the rough cut he put together for the Cannes film festival, before the theatrical cut was ready) has some nice extended scenes, but it also features none of the Goblin music, and the editing isn't as tight. The theatrical cut is the best balance of the two versions.
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