Devil Dog, Hound of Hell- Review
Richard Crenna really pulls this television movie together with his portrayal of a Husband/Father trying to save his family from the Devil Dog. The whole time I was watching this movie, I kept wondering why Richard Crenna looked so familiar. It turns out Richard Crenna played Colonel Trautman in the first three Rambo movies.
As a quick synopsis this movie has what appears at first to be a simple plot: A family gets a new dog; the dog is evil; the dog mind controls the kids and wife and makes them worship the devil; and, then the father vanquishes the evil dog and saves his family.
But is this really a movie about a Devil Dog? Or, does it contain a hidden M. Night Shyamalan-like twist, making this movie really about Richard Crenna's character's mid-life crisis, in which a man loses touch with and control over his family? This might seem like a bit of a stretch but bear with me and my analysis. The movie opens with Richard Crenna, who is a man working later and later hours at work and who drives home to discover that the beloved family dog has been run over. Later his kids unilaterally choose to bring a new dog into the household. His long serving house maid begs him to get rid of the new dog. The man ignores his house maid and she later dies. His friend/neighbor of 15 years begs him to get rid of the new dog. The man ignores his neighbor and the neighbor later dies. The man even contemplates hurting himself with a lawnmower while the dog watches.
Later in the movie, Richard Crenna is working late again and his wife calls him and tells him that the kids are acting strange and begs him to come home. Richard Crenna ignores his wife (as he likely has ignored similar requests in the past). As a result he finds out that his kids have been changing under his nose, they have been having behavioral problems at school. His wife is changing under his nose, she becomes sexually promiscuous and tries seducing his friends. Later his wife and kids start living a "new life" without him. They spend all hours of the night engaging in weird paintings and activities. Richard Crenna blames the dog for his estrangement from his family and tries to get rid of the dog. His family screams that they hate the father/husband. Ultimately the family won't let him get rid of the dog.
Richard Crenna fears that something is wrong with him so he seeks medical advice. Physically he is healthy, but he is diagnosed with potential mental problems. Richard Crenna rejects psychological help and tells his wife that there is nothing wrong with him and instead fixates on the "evil dog". Ultimately, Richard Crenna's mid-life crisis reaches its climax and he flees the country and sits out in the South American wilderness contemplating his problem and seeking help from a native spiritual adviser.
Returning home to "face his demons", Richard Crenna encounters the Devil Dog. Richard Crenna says" I'll choose the location of our battle". The location he chooses is his work. The very place that he was spending too much time at, to the detriment of his family-life, is where he chooses to resolve his problem. It is there that Richard Crenna faces down the "evil dog"/mid-life crisis and in doing so makes it disappear. Having faced his demons, Richard Crenna returns home to find his loving family has missed him.
The movie ends with this workaholic taking a vacation with his family. Finally Richard Crenna has given his family the time and attention that they deserve and as a result his mid/life crisis has ended. But before the movie ends, the son cautions Richard Crenna that there are other "devil dogs" out there. In other words, Richard Crenna may have other crisis to face, but hopefully in a more appropriate manner.
So was there really ever a "Devil Dog" or was this just a manifestation of Richard Crenna's anxiety over losing touch with his family? An argument can be made that the "Devil Dog" does not directly on screen attack any other character in the movie. Nor does the movie explicitly demonstrate that the "Devil Dog" really has any special powers or abilities. All of the weird things that happen in the movie can be explained away as coincidence or hallucinations in Richard Crenna's sick mind.
Richard Crenna really pulls this television movie together with his portrayal of a Husband/Father trying to save his family from the Devil Dog. The whole time I was watching this movie, I kept wondering why Richard Crenna looked so familiar. It turns out Richard Crenna played Colonel Trautman in the first three Rambo movies.
As a quick synopsis this movie has what appears at first to be a simple plot: A family gets a new dog; the dog is evil; the dog mind controls the kids and wife and makes them worship the devil; and, then the father vanquishes the evil dog and saves his family.
But is this really a movie about a Devil Dog? Or, does it contain a hidden M. Night Shyamalan-like twist, making this movie really about Richard Crenna's character's mid-life crisis, in which a man loses touch with and control over his family? This might seem like a bit of a stretch but bear with me and my analysis. The movie opens with Richard Crenna, who is a man working later and later hours at work and who drives home to discover that the beloved family dog has been run over. Later his kids unilaterally choose to bring a new dog into the household. His long serving house maid begs him to get rid of the new dog. The man ignores his house maid and she later dies. His friend/neighbor of 15 years begs him to get rid of the new dog. The man ignores his neighbor and the neighbor later dies. The man even contemplates hurting himself with a lawnmower while the dog watches.
Later in the movie, Richard Crenna is working late again and his wife calls him and tells him that the kids are acting strange and begs him to come home. Richard Crenna ignores his wife (as he likely has ignored similar requests in the past). As a result he finds out that his kids have been changing under his nose, they have been having behavioral problems at school. His wife is changing under his nose, she becomes sexually promiscuous and tries seducing his friends. Later his wife and kids start living a "new life" without him. They spend all hours of the night engaging in weird paintings and activities. Richard Crenna blames the dog for his estrangement from his family and tries to get rid of the dog. His family screams that they hate the father/husband. Ultimately the family won't let him get rid of the dog.
Richard Crenna fears that something is wrong with him so he seeks medical advice. Physically he is healthy, but he is diagnosed with potential mental problems. Richard Crenna rejects psychological help and tells his wife that there is nothing wrong with him and instead fixates on the "evil dog". Ultimately, Richard Crenna's mid-life crisis reaches its climax and he flees the country and sits out in the South American wilderness contemplating his problem and seeking help from a native spiritual adviser.
Returning home to "face his demons", Richard Crenna encounters the Devil Dog. Richard Crenna says" I'll choose the location of our battle". The location he chooses is his work. The very place that he was spending too much time at, to the detriment of his family-life, is where he chooses to resolve his problem. It is there that Richard Crenna faces down the "evil dog"/mid-life crisis and in doing so makes it disappear. Having faced his demons, Richard Crenna returns home to find his loving family has missed him.
The movie ends with this workaholic taking a vacation with his family. Finally Richard Crenna has given his family the time and attention that they deserve and as a result his mid/life crisis has ended. But before the movie ends, the son cautions Richard Crenna that there are other "devil dogs" out there. In other words, Richard Crenna may have other crisis to face, but hopefully in a more appropriate manner.
So was there really ever a "Devil Dog" or was this just a manifestation of Richard Crenna's anxiety over losing touch with his family? An argument can be made that the "Devil Dog" does not directly on screen attack any other character in the movie. Nor does the movie explicitly demonstrate that the "Devil Dog" really has any special powers or abilities. All of the weird things that happen in the movie can be explained away as coincidence or hallucinations in Richard Crenna's sick mind.