A Boy and His Dog by L.q. Jones (Review)

The theme of a boy and his faithful dog has been done before. (Two words: Old Yeller.) But did Old Yeller have a telepathic bond with his young friend? I didn’t think so. Don Johnson (yes, of Miami Vice and Nash Bridges fame) and his faithful mutt, Blood, wonder the post-World War 4 wasteland, seeking food and females. You see, Blood has the ability to find women, which is just what young Don’s libido needs.

There were times when the movie gets a little campy, and I was afraid it’d devolve into a simple film about the boy’s libido. However, about halfway into the film, Don gets kidnapped by a cult intent on reliving America’s McCarthy-esque era. Although the indictment of American conformity gets a little heavy-handed, the sheer wierdness of it all keeps it fresh.

The other high point is the bond between the boy and his dog. Rather than being faithful and doting, Blood is actually his young master’s intellectual superior, and teaches his young ward with wit and sarcasm. In fact, Blood often steals the show, never ceasing to hurl highbrow insults which his charge never gets. But underneath it all, there’s a heart of gold. And when his young friend leaves him, Blood reveals his tender side in a pretty moving, if melodramatic scene.

Does this actually happen, or am I making it up? It may sound that way, but I promise you, it’s all there. It’s easy to see why this is such a cult film, but it actually has merit and wit, as opposed to sinking to sub-Corman levels. And the ending is delightfully grotesque, twisted, and humorous. Some may see it as misogynistic, when in reality, it’s the only way the film could end and do its characters justice. In fact, I’d say that it’d be worth watching everything else in the film just to see the ending. But then again, I’m funny that way.