Dogs of Hell (1984)
[+]
(Foreign Titles)
Nomination Year: 2015
SYNOPSIS: Dogs of Hell was originally filmed in 3D. The cover makes no mention of this fact, but it becomes increasingly obvious as things (dogs, primarily) lunge toward the camera. On to the content of the film!
A bunch of army guys are talking army guy stuff when they're interrupted by an angry shouty scientist (Dr Fletcher, played by Bill Gribble, which rhymes with Kibble, which is dangerous in a movie like this). The ... dogs! ... are not ... intended as ... a weapon! But this being the military, they have weaponized the dogs and sent them to Fort Bragg over Dr Fletcher's objections.
Of course, the thing about these dogs is that they're psychic, so ... wait, I'm sorry. I meant psychotic. They have lost the Human Affection Response, so when the truck of lethal dogs crashes (as trucks do), the dogs kill the driver and light out for the territories.
Dr Fletcher is first on the scene, gets the dogs' trail, and sends the army search party off in the wrong direction.
Meanwhile, in a more peaceful small-town part of the movie....
A small-town sheriff (Hank Willis, played by Earl Owensby, producer of the film) is peacefully going about his day. Checking in with the local businesses, having lunch with the townsfolks, throwing DARTS at the CAMERA.... When the disturbing news comes of a disappearance at an outlying home. Investigation ensues, a body is discovered, and the Sheriff is on the trail of a murderer.
Or maybe a killer. There are some questions about the murder weapon, so the body is taken to the local pathologist. Fortunately, a noted academic has come to town. One who can shed some light on these goings-on. Dr Fletcher meets the pathologist and the Sheriff at a local restaurant and explains ... his research ... and how the army ... took his experimental rottweilers ... and turned them into Dogs ... of Hell ....
The Sheriff is exceedingly doubtful, but after discovering another victim of DOGS ATTACKING THE CAMERA, he and Dr Fletcher (and a quickly-gathered heavily-armed posse) go to warn the local church youth group at the local campground. Unfortunately, as the youth group is packing up to leave, DOGS ATTACK THE CAMERA and the campers, and in the confusion, a car crash claims the lives of more campers (and one very '70s car).
A curfew is called in the small town. This concentrates all the potential victims in the same few small areas. Especially after the driver of a car is attacked by a rottweiler, CRASHING INTO THE CAMERA and through a power pole, knocking out the power to the town from the hydroelectric dam.
The dogs take advantage of this by waiting outside until the townsfolk open their doors to "run up to the dam and see what's happening," whereupon they ATTACK THE CAMERA, tearing into the townspeople.
It's up to the Sheriff or Dr Fletcher to save the day. But Dr Fletcher wants to save the dogs, convinced that they can be retrained. The Sheriff simply wants them destroyed to keep the town (and its -sfolk) safe. Who will be proven correct? Remember when I mentioned that the Sheriff is played by the film's producer?
A bunch of army guys are talking army guy stuff when they're interrupted by an angry shouty scientist (Dr Fletcher, played by Bill Gribble, which rhymes with Kibble, which is dangerous in a movie like this). The ... dogs! ... are not ... intended as ... a weapon! But this being the military, they have weaponized the dogs and sent them to Fort Bragg over Dr Fletcher's objections.
Of course, the thing about these dogs is that they're psychic, so ... wait, I'm sorry. I meant psychotic. They have lost the Human Affection Response, so when the truck of lethal dogs crashes (as trucks do), the dogs kill the driver and light out for the territories.
Dr Fletcher is first on the scene, gets the dogs' trail, and sends the army search party off in the wrong direction.
Meanwhile, in a more peaceful small-town part of the movie....
A small-town sheriff (Hank Willis, played by Earl Owensby, producer of the film) is peacefully going about his day. Checking in with the local businesses, having lunch with the townsfolks, throwing DARTS at the CAMERA.... When the disturbing news comes of a disappearance at an outlying home. Investigation ensues, a body is discovered, and the Sheriff is on the trail of a murderer.
Or maybe a killer. There are some questions about the murder weapon, so the body is taken to the local pathologist. Fortunately, a noted academic has come to town. One who can shed some light on these goings-on. Dr Fletcher meets the pathologist and the Sheriff at a local restaurant and explains ... his research ... and how the army ... took his experimental rottweilers ... and turned them into Dogs ... of Hell ....
The Sheriff is exceedingly doubtful, but after discovering another victim of DOGS ATTACKING THE CAMERA, he and Dr Fletcher (and a quickly-gathered heavily-armed posse) go to warn the local church youth group at the local campground. Unfortunately, as the youth group is packing up to leave, DOGS ATTACK THE CAMERA and the campers, and in the confusion, a car crash claims the lives of more campers (and one very '70s car).
A curfew is called in the small town. This concentrates all the potential victims in the same few small areas. Especially after the driver of a car is attacked by a rottweiler, CRASHING INTO THE CAMERA and through a power pole, knocking out the power to the town from the hydroelectric dam.
The dogs take advantage of this by waiting outside until the townsfolk open their doors to "run up to the dam and see what's happening," whereupon they ATTACK THE CAMERA, tearing into the townspeople.
It's up to the Sheriff or Dr Fletcher to save the day. But Dr Fletcher wants to save the dogs, convinced that they can be retrained. The Sheriff simply wants them destroyed to keep the town (and its -sfolk) safe. Who will be proven correct? Remember when I mentioned that the Sheriff is played by the film's producer?
Kevin Hogan
Worth Keeter
