SoTrumpBelieve Must See Movie...

Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Kaydan Christian A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Taha Avalos The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Scott LeBrun Richard Crenna, Yvette Mimieux, and those Witch Mountain kids, Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann, star in this passable 1970s TV horror movie. They play the Barrys, a suburban family. Into their lives comes an adorable German Shepherd puppy whom they name Lucky. But what they don't know is that Lucky was one of a litter of ten pups that was contrived by Satan worshippers looking to create some canine minions of Old Scratch. The balance of the story (written by Steven and Elinor Karpf) shows what happens as most of the family falls under the evil influence of Lucky, while only Crenna manages to not be susceptible.I would have been five or six when this one would have originally aired. Had I seen it then, I might have thought it pretty creepy. Watching it for the first time tonight, I expected an unintentionally funny cheese fest. While this movie does have its laugh inducing moments, it actually takes itself fairly seriously much of the time, although some modern viewers may find it merely boring when the action doesn't involve the dog. It's laughable at the right times, but viewers may feel that it isn't laughable often enough. It does have the feel of 1970s TV at many a turn, complete with that music score by Artie Kane. The special effects are most assuredly far from being "special".My sympathies went out to Crenna and some of his co-stars for having to mouth some pricelessly inane dialogue. But give them credit, especially our hero Crenna. They give it as much gravitas as they can. The cast also includes Lou Frizzell as the neighbor, Ken Kercheval as the guidance counselor, and R.G. Armstrong and cult icon Martine Beswick in special guest appearances. Veteran actor Victor Jory gives the proceedings a little shot in the arm, late in the story. He plays an Ecuadorian shaman. The dogs are all great, as well.One good thing: the "it ain't over yet" type ending isn't as annoying as it has been in other horror films over the years.Six out of 10.

The_Void I went into this expecting something along the lines of a dog version of The Omen; but got only silly schlock in what can only be described as a really dull seventies horror TV movie; this fact made even worse considering how many great horror films were stemmed from TV in the seventies. The plot is extremely simple and focuses on a family who take in a German Shepherd after accidentally running it over. However, the dog turns out to be a minion of Satan and starts causing trouble for the family. The film is directed by Curtis Harrington who directed a string of trashy horror movies; including Queen of Blood and The Killing Kind, takes up the directorial reins here and isn't able to make anything out of the incredibly weak material. The plot is a mixture of complete stupidity and total boredom, and for the first half of the film barely anything happens. The special effects are also horrible; and don't get any slack for the fact that the film is a TV movie as I've seen TV movies with better effects than this before! The dog itself has its own little subplot but even that doesn't add any credibility to the film. I don't doubt something decent could have been made out of this material; but there was nothing decent on this occasion and Devil Dog is a terrible movie.

BaronBl00d A Satanic cult procures a dog for the sole purpose of breeding it with a demon and then has a huge litter that is given away to unsuspecting people all over the country. Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell tells the story of one family caught up in this unspeakable horror. Okay, perhaps I am getting a bit too melodramatic given the material here. Yes, it is a made-for-television production. Yes, Richard Crenna is the leading "star." Journeyman director Curtis Harrington(Whoever Slew Auntie Roo, What's the Matter with Helen?, and several other genre credits)directs with his usual touch. The story obviously has holes and problems of credibility: a dog is really a demon centuries old that has a story all his own, Richard Crenna manages to keep his hand out of a lawnmower blade because he is the "chosen" one, and so many more. Despite all these problems, the average yet solid direction, the cheap feel that comes with a seventies TV production, ridiculous special effects, I found myself thoroughly engrossed from start to finish. Like another reviewer noted, movies from this decade in the horror genre are just different than any other decade. They have a certain quality hard to put your finger on. As for the cast Crenna always does a workmanlike job, Yvette Mimieux is eerily good, Ike Eisenmann and Kim Richards(the Witch Mountain kids) are sickeningly sweet and evil and perfect in this concoction of unreality, and the film boasts a minor array of interesting cameos with Victor Jory, Barbara Steele, and R. G. Armstrong(soon to be Uncle Lewis Vendredi in the TV Friday the 13th: the Series).

Cjp I remember Devil Dog playing on TBS almost 20 years ago, and my older sister and her friends watching it and laughing all the next day. It's not that bad for a made-for-TV horror movie, but it is derivative (mostly of The Exorcist) and businesslike, for lack of a better word. It won't blow you away with artful cinematography or great acting, but it's not a waste of time, either. It's the kind of movie you watch to kill a couple of hours when you aren't in the mood to think too hard.However, if you go into the movie looking for some laughs, you won't be disappointed. The early scenes, with Lucky the Devil Dog as a cute little puppy with Children of the Damned eyes are hilariously non-threatening, and the climactic blue-screen effects of a giant black dog (with horns!) are pretty side-splitting. And keep an eye out for the cloaked Satanist in Maverick shades toward the beginning.Not a great horror film by any stretch of the imagination, but I wish they still made stuff like this for TV.