After WWIII, Vic and his telepathic dog wander a post-apocalyptic wasteland in 2024 as they scavenge for food and sex. They stumble into an underground society where the old ways are preserv... Read allAfter WWIII, Vic and his telepathic dog wander a post-apocalyptic wasteland in 2024 as they scavenge for food and sex. They stumble into an underground society where the old ways are preserved. He finds a new purpose in his life.After WWIII, Vic and his telepathic dog wander a post-apocalyptic wasteland in 2024 as they scavenge for food and sex. They stumble into an underground society where the old ways are preserved. He finds a new purpose in his life.
- Awards
- 2 wins & 2 nominations
Tim McIntire
- Blood
- (voice)
Michael Rupert
- Gery
- (as Mike Rupert)
Dickie Jones
- Man with Shotgun
- (uncredited)
L.Q. Jones
- Actor in Porno Film
- (uncredited)
Maggie Smith
- Old Lady Survivor
- (uncredited)
Tiger
- Blood - the Dog
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- L.Q. Jones
- Harlan Ellison
- Wayne Cruseturner(uncredited)
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaOne of the reasons the film now enjoys cult status is because of its blackly comic last line. Ironically, Harlan Ellison hated this and actively campaigned to have it removed.
- GoofsNear the end of the film, when Vic is speaking with Blood outside the entrance to The Down Under, Vic refers to him as "Tiger", which was the dog's actual name.
- Alternate versionsAccording to the Blu-ray commentary, the prologue (mushroom clouds and explanatory text, the first minute and a half or so) was added for the 1982 rerelease to help explain the world of the film.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Sam Peckinpah: Man of Iron (1993)
- SoundtracksWhen the World Was New
by Richard Gillis
Featured review
Dystopia to the max. Watch out, Kubrick.
Despite its ironically cutesy title ("A Boy and His Dog") and a plot premise that might've come out of the Walt Disney archives (dog and boy share telepathic communication), this movie is about as darkly comic and acidic as anything Stanley Kubrick ever did ("Clockwork Orange"). Sadly, as of the year 2014, almost 40 years later, the only copies you can find, even the laughable Blu-ray HD release, are in serious need of some restoration before audiences will give this film the respect it deserves. But considering its low profile appeal, I highly doubt that'll happen in our lifetimes, so grab it wherever you can.
In the tradition of the great 70s dystopian/postapocalyptic scifis like "Clockwork Orange" (1971), "Rollerball" (1975), "THX-1138" (1971), "Soylent Green" (1973), "The Omega Man" (1971) and I'll even throw in "The Stepford Wives" (1975), this movie has its appeal in a sort of minimalist presentation that presents a chillingly emotionless and sterile future. Where "A Boy and His Dog" excels is in its thick, satirical tongue-in-cheek presentation, particularly in the 2nd half when our hero encounters the true future of human society (or is it the present? You be the judge).
The first half is something like Mr. Ed meets Mad Max, with its equal portions of chatty humor and dusty violence. But right in the first scene we realize that, despite the cute banter between boy & dog, there aren't going to be many warm fuzzies. In the opening scene we learn that the boy (Don Johnson) is looking for female survivors so he can rape them.
If you can swallow that highly disturbing premise, which the director makes no bones in presenting at the outset, then the rest should be an unsettlingly fun joyride all the way to the film's very memorable punchline. Things get really trippy in the 2nd half, and even though there's minimal nudity, certain things happen which would make D.H. Lawrence blush (particularly involving a certain mechanical device attached to the male anatomy).
Definitely NOT a date movie, nor any sort of movie you'd watch with your parents or kids, "A Boy and His Dog" is really like a lost cousin of "A Clockwork Orange" or "Dr. Strangelove". Who ever would've thought that this sarcastic gem would come to light through the directing talents of L.Q. Jones, the ubiquitous guest star on many a 70s TV show like "Charlie's Angels", "Columbo", "Gunsmoke" and "Vega$" but whose only other directing credit is an episode of "The Incredible Hulk" (one which I'm going to re-watch immediately).
Unfortunately with the somewhat bland & grainy video quality of the existing print, we don't get the full eye-boggling power of this film the way one could imagine it. But all the same, it's an unusual vision which should proudly take its place amongst the other 70s masterpieces I mentioned. You can buy the Blu-ray for literally pennies on ebay, so you have no excuse for not checking this out.
In the tradition of the great 70s dystopian/postapocalyptic scifis like "Clockwork Orange" (1971), "Rollerball" (1975), "THX-1138" (1971), "Soylent Green" (1973), "The Omega Man" (1971) and I'll even throw in "The Stepford Wives" (1975), this movie has its appeal in a sort of minimalist presentation that presents a chillingly emotionless and sterile future. Where "A Boy and His Dog" excels is in its thick, satirical tongue-in-cheek presentation, particularly in the 2nd half when our hero encounters the true future of human society (or is it the present? You be the judge).
The first half is something like Mr. Ed meets Mad Max, with its equal portions of chatty humor and dusty violence. But right in the first scene we realize that, despite the cute banter between boy & dog, there aren't going to be many warm fuzzies. In the opening scene we learn that the boy (Don Johnson) is looking for female survivors so he can rape them.
If you can swallow that highly disturbing premise, which the director makes no bones in presenting at the outset, then the rest should be an unsettlingly fun joyride all the way to the film's very memorable punchline. Things get really trippy in the 2nd half, and even though there's minimal nudity, certain things happen which would make D.H. Lawrence blush (particularly involving a certain mechanical device attached to the male anatomy).
Definitely NOT a date movie, nor any sort of movie you'd watch with your parents or kids, "A Boy and His Dog" is really like a lost cousin of "A Clockwork Orange" or "Dr. Strangelove". Who ever would've thought that this sarcastic gem would come to light through the directing talents of L.Q. Jones, the ubiquitous guest star on many a 70s TV show like "Charlie's Angels", "Columbo", "Gunsmoke" and "Vega$" but whose only other directing credit is an episode of "The Incredible Hulk" (one which I'm going to re-watch immediately).
Unfortunately with the somewhat bland & grainy video quality of the existing print, we don't get the full eye-boggling power of this film the way one could imagine it. But all the same, it's an unusual vision which should proudly take its place amongst the other 70s masterpieces I mentioned. You can buy the Blu-ray for literally pennies on ebay, so you have no excuse for not checking this out.
helpful•276
- rooprect
- Oct 19, 2014
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Der Junge mit dem Hund
- Filming locations
- Coyote Dry Lake, California, USA(desert wasteland setting)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $400,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 31 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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