This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page . (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell | |
---|---|
Genre | Thriller Horror |
Written by | Elinor Karpf Steven Karpf |
Directed by | Curtis Harrington |
Starring | Richard Crenna Yvette Mimieux Kim Richards Ike Eisenmann |
Theme music composer | Artie Kane |
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
Production | |
Executive producers | Hal Landers Jerome M. Zeitman |
Producer | Lou Morheim |
Cinematography | Gerald Perry Finnerman |
Editors | Margo Anderson Ronald J. Fagan |
Running time | 95 minutes |
Production company | Wizan Productions |
Original release | |
Network | CBS |
Release | October 31, 1978 |
Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell is a 1978 American TV movie directed by Curtis Harrington. The story centers on a suburban family and the experiences they endure from a possessed dog that they innocently adopt. The film stars Richard Crenna as Mike Barry, the father; Yvette Mimieux as Betty, the mother; and Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann as Bonnie and Charlie, their children. The two child actors previously played siblings in the Witch Mountain films from Walt Disney Productions.
The Barry family acquire a German Shepherd puppy after their old one dies in an accident. They get the puppy from a seemingly friendly fruit vendor who is actually a Satanist who bred the dog during an evil ceremony, causing it to be possessed. The Satanic cult then gives away the dog's offspring in order to wreak havoc in the world in the hope that Satan will overcome good once and for all. The Barry family names the dog Lucky.
Lucky acts very strangely when they bring him home, leading the father, Mike, and the family maid to believe that there is something wrong with him. Mike starts to believe so after the maid is killed in a fire while she was watching Lucky and he is nearly forced to stick his arm into a lawnmower while it is running while Lucky is present. Mike barely avoids having his arm cut off and soon, Lucky begins to exhibit mind control powers that allow it to kill, injure or mentally control many victims. Eventually, the family's souls are possessed by Lucky, causing them to act strangely, including Mike's son framing another student by stealing a watch and planting it in a classmate's locker, thus allowing him to win the student election.
Mike finally decides that Lucky has overstayed his welcome when he finds a secret shrine to Satan in the attic. Mike tries to shoot the demonic beast to put an end to the hardships, but he is unharmed. Realizing that the dog is possessed, Mike finally makes a special trip to Ecuador to determine how to destroy the animal. Unfortunately, there is no way to kill it, but if you hold a holy symbol to its eye, you can imprison it in Hell for 1,000 years. He takes Lucky to a showdown at his work plant, but there Lucky turns into a demonic version of himself and begins to pursue Mike. When Mike is cornered by Lucky, he holds the sign he made on his hand right up to the beast's eye. This causes Lucky to be engulfed in fire and imprisoned, getting his family's souls back.
The final scene shows the family loading the family car for a vacation and Mike's son mentioning that there were 10 puppies that the vendor was selling and wondering where the other nine are, suggesting that there are more Satanic dogs out there somewhere and that it is not over yet.
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (October 2019) |
The movie was released on DVD by Media Blasters under its Shriek Show imprint on October 25, 2005. Media Blasters later re-released the movie under the same imprint on February 13, 2007, as part of its three-disc Evil Animals Triple Feature, along with Grizzly and Day of the Animals . On July 26, 2011, the movie was released on Blu-ray. [1]
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (October 2019) |
Debi Moore from Dread Central rated the film a score of three out of five, calling it "a fun throwback that manages to provide its fair share of creepy, claustrophobic moments for as long as the audience can put aside the overt silliness of the concept." [2] Terror Trap awarded the film three out of four stars, noting the film's implausible story while stating that the film was entertaining and featured decent performances by Crenna and Mimieux. [3]
Yvette Carmen Mimieux was an American film and television actress who was a major star of the 1960s and 1970s. Her breakout role was in The Time Machine (1960). She was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards during her acting career.
Return from Witch Mountain is a 1978 American science fiction–adventure film and a sequel to Escape to Witch Mountain (1975) and the second film in the Witch Mountain franchise. It was produced by Walt Disney Productions. It was written by Malcolm Marmorstein and is based on characters created by Alexander Key, who also wrote the novelization of the film for Disney. Ike Eisenmann, Kim Richards, and Denver Pyle reprise their roles as Tony, Tia, and Uncle Bené—humanoid extraterrestrials with special powers including telepathy and telekinesis. The two main villains are played by Bette Davis as Letha Wedge, a greedy woman using the last of her money to finance the scientific experiments of Dr. Victor Gannon, played by Christopher Lee. It was the final film of actor Jack Soo, who died of cancer in January 1979.
A hellhound is a mythological hound that embodies a guardian or a servant of hell, the devil, or the underworld. Hellhounds occur in mythologies around the world, with the best-known examples being Cerberus from Greek mythology, Garmr from Norse mythology, the black dogs of English folklore, and the fairy hounds of Celtic mythology. Physical characteristics vary, but they are commonly black, anomalously overgrown, supernaturally strong, and often have red eyes or are accompanied by flames.
Simon, King of the Witches is a 1971 American exploitation horror film directed by Bruce Kessler and starring Andrew Prine, Brenda Scott, George Paulsin, Norman Burton and others. The film centers on the title character as he attempts to become a god through magic rituals.
The Car is a 1977 American supernatural horror film directed by Elliot Silverstein and written by Michael Butler, Dennis Shryack and Lane Slate. The film stars James Brolin, Kathleen Lloyd, John Marley and Ronny Cox, along with real-life sisters Kim and Kyle Richards. It tells the story of a black unmanned self-driving mysterious car that goes on a murderous rampage, terrorizing the residents of a small town.
Ike Eisenmann is a former American actor, producer, and sound effects specialist who has been active in the entertainment industry since childhood.
The Hound of the Baskervilles is a 1978 British comedy film spoofing the 1902 novel The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It starred Peter Cook as Sherlock Holmes and Dudley Moore as Dr. Watson. A number of other well-known British comedy actors appeared in the film including Terry-Thomas, Kenneth Williams and Denholm Elliott.
Demonic Toys is a 1992 American direct-to-video horror comedy film produced by Charles Band's Full Moon Entertainment and directed by Peter Manoogian. The film centers on a police officer who is terrorized by the title characters after a botched arrest. Like many other Full Moon releases, Demonic Toys never had a theatrical release and went straight-to-video in 1992. In the United States, the film was given an "R" rating for violence, language, and brief nudity. The franchise was created by Charles Band.
Black Noon is a 1971 American Horror Western television film. It was written and produced by Andrew J. Fenady and directed by Bernard L. Kowalski. The film originally aired on November 5, 1971, as part of CBS's The CBS Friday Night Movies, and was shown repeatedly in 1982.
Edges of Darkness is a 2008 American direct to video horror film directed by Jason Horton and Blaine Cade. The plot is about three interconnected tales of terror set against the backdrop of a zombie apocalypse.
A Satanic film is a subgenre of horror film, and at times other film genres, that involves the Devil as a concept or a character. Common themes/characters in Satanic film include the Antichrist, demonic possession, exorcism, and witchcraft.
Demonoid, is a 1981 Mexican supernatural horror film written, produced, and directed by Alfredo Zacarías and based on a story by Zacarías. The plot centres on a group of explorers, who find a mysterious hand in Mexico that causes madness and death to whoever owns it. The film, an English-language Mexican production, was released theatrically in the U.S. in June 1981 to predominantly negative reviews, however, over the years it has achieved cult movie status.
Heebie Jeebies is a 2013 American science fiction horror film directed by Thomas L. Callaway and written by Trent Haaga. The film stars Robert Belushi, Cathy Shim, Evie Thompson, Olivia Ku, Lucille Soong, Michael Badalucco and Carl Savering.
The Evil is a 1978 American supernatural horror film directed by Gus Trikonis and starring Richard Crenna, Joanna Pettet, Andrew Prine and Victor Buono. Its plot follows a husband-and-wife team of doctors who attempt to open a rehabilitation center in a mansion built over a gateway to hell.
Crowhaven Farm is a 1970 American made-for-television supernatural horror film and folk horror film directed by Walter Grauman and starring Hope Lange, Paul Burke and John Carradine. It originally aired as the ABC Movie of the Week on November 24, 1970.