Cujo (1983)

A friendly St. Bernard named "Cujo" contracts rabies and conducts a reign of terror on a small American town.

Director:

Lewis Teague

Writers:

Stephen King (novel), Don Carlos Dunaway,

Stars:

Dee Wallace, Danny Pintauro, Daniel Hugh Kelly

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dee Wallace	...	Donna Trenton
Danny Pintauro	...	Tad Trenton
Daniel Hugh Kelly	...	Vic Trenton (as Daniel Hugh-Kelly)
Christopher Stone	...	Steve Kemp
Ed Lauter	...	Joe Camber
Kaiulani Lee	...	Charity Camber
Billy Jayne	...	Brett Camber (as Billy Jacoby)
Mills Watson	...	Gary Pervier
Sandy Ward	...	Bannerman
Jerry Hardin	...	Masen
Merritt Olsen	...	Professor
Arthur Rosenberg	...	Roger Breakstone
Terry Donovan-Smith	...	Harry
Robert Elross	...	Meara
Robert Behling	...	Fournier

Storyline

Donna Trenton is a frustrated suburban housewife whose life is a turmoil after her husband learns about her having an affair. Brett Camber is a young boy whose only companion is a Saint-Bernard named "Cujo", who in turn is bitten by a rabid bat. Whilst Vic, Donna's husband is away on business, and thinking over his marital troubles, Donna and her 5-year-old son Tad take her Pinto to Brett Cambers' dad's car shop... the car fails, and "Cujo" is very, very sick...

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Plot Keywords:

boy | rabies | police | pistol | murder | 

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Taglines:

Now there's a new name for terror...

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Genres:

Horror | Thriller

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 August 1983 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cujo - O Novo Símbolo do Terror

Filming Locations:

Glen Ellen, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$5,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$21,200,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sunn Classic Pictures, TAFT Entertainment Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The scenes where Donna and Tad are trapped by Cujo are suppose to be sweltering hot and appear that way on film. Yet the conditions were actually very cold during filming. At one point it got so cold inside the car that heaters were placed inside to keep the actors warm, but they would have to be turned off for shooting to prevent their sound from interfering.

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Goofs

When Cujo initially attacks the Pinto, the car's passenger window shatters completely, but does not break. The tempered glass in all automotive side and rear windows does not have the thin plastic layer in it that keeps it intact when struck (as windshields have), and this type of glass will shatter into tiny pieces and disintegrate on impact. This is demonstrated when Mrs. Trenton uses the butt of the sheriff's revolver to shatter the Pinto's glass rear hatch, which is made of the same type of glass.

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Quotes

Joe Camber: You better watch it, Pervier.
[Joe looks down and pats Cujo]
Joe Camber: I'll sic my dog on you.
Gary Pervier: That dog? You couldn't sic that dog on me if I was comin' at you with a straight razor in each hand!

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Crazy Credits

The films title appears out of a pool of swirling blood.

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Connections

Referenced in Martin: All the Players Came (1995)

User Reviews

Suspenseful and Underrated, more than just 'When Animals Attack: The Movie'

Cujo is a movie that will scare the hell out of dog owners, to say the least. It's very frightening and very underrated, and for most of the movie, there is no sign that it is a horror movie. However, Cujo is very frightening, mainly because these kind of things do happen, a lot of people (kids in particular) are bitten by dogs every day.

The leading lady of 80's horror movies, Dee Wallace Stone, plays a woman who is trapped in her car with her 5 year old son, as a rabid St. Bernard terrorises them.

The tension in Cujo takes a long time to build up, but when it starts, it never lets up. Under no circumstances should young kids watch this movie, they'll be wetting their beds for weeks. 7.5/10.