A Boy and His Dog (1975)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

L.Q. Jones

Writers:

Harlan Ellison (story)
L.Q. Jones (writer)

Release Date:

November 1975 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

A rather kinky tale of survival

Plot:

A post-apocalyptic tale based on a novella by Harlan Ellison. A boy communicates telepathically with his dog as they scavenge for food and sex...

Plot Keywords:

Dog | Underground | Food | Impregnation | Sex

Awards:

2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Don Johnson	...	Vic
Susanne Benton	...	Quilla June Holmes
Jason Robards	...	Lou Craddock
Tim McIntire	...	Blood (voice)
Alvy Moore	...	Doctor Moore
Helene Winston	...	Mez Smith
Charles McGraw	...	Preacher
Hal Baylor	...	Michael
Ron Feinberg	...	Fellini
Michael Rupert	...	Gery (as Mike Rupert)
Don Carter	...	Ken
Michael Hershman	...	Richard
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
L.Q. Jones	...	Actor in Porno Film

Also Known As:

Psycho Boy and His Killer Dog

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:R (original rating) | Spain:13 | UK:15 | Australia:M | Denmark:16 | USA:R | West Germany:16 | Iceland:16

Company:

LQ/JAF

Trivia:

The screenplay was started by Harlan Ellison, who wrote the novella on which it is based. Ellison encountered writer's block, and so producer Alvy Moore and L.Q. Jones took over and wrote the script. Ellison praised the film after its premiere, to the relief of Moore, but there are rumors that Ellison later condemned the film.

Quotes:

Blood: Well, I'd certainly say she had marvelous judgment, Albert, if not particularly good taste.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in American Asshole (2005) (V)

Don And His Pooch

The plot premises for A Boy And His Dog were far better presented in my opinion in the Sean Connery science fiction epic Zardoz. Still with the beautiful and young Don Johnson and Susanne Benton in the leads the viewing experience isn't all bad.

I'm willing to bet that more than a few people got lured into this film with the title thinking it was going to be some nice family picture with some Benji like dog in the lead. That would have been some shock to someone expecting that.

Don Johnson and his dog live in the 2024 in a post apocalyptic world by themselves and scavenging constantly for food and sex. It may be the post apocalypse, but Don and the dog still have their needs. They constantly steal off a group that looks a lot like the crowd Mel Gibson hung out with in the Mad Max movies.

Anyway when beautiful Susanne Benton comes up from the underground group where life has carried on in many ways like 1975, Don doesn't need much persuading to go down to the underground where the folks down there had the same ideas for him that the crowd in the Tabernacle had for Sean Connery in Zardoz. And it won't be as much fun.

The dog and Don communicate telepathically with Tim McIntire as the voice of the hound. Needless to say he's got the best lines the film.

A Boy And His Dog is a good faith effort at an underground classic which has succeeded with many. I don't think that it quite delivered the goods, I thought Zardoz was infinitely better.