Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell
| Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell | |
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| Directed by | Curtis Harrington |
| Produced by | Lou Morheim |
| Written by | Elinor Karpf Steven Karpf |
| Starring | Richard Crenna Yvette Mimieux Kim Richards Ike Eisenmann |
| Cinematography | Gerald Perry Finnerman |
| Editing by | Margo Anderson Ronald J. Fagan |
| Distributed by | CBS Broadcasting, Inc. Shriek Show (DVD, 2005, Blu-ray, 2011) |
| Release date(s) |  October 31, 1978 |
| Running time | 95 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell is a 1978 television movie directed by Curtis Harrington. The story centers around a suburban family and the harrowing experiences they endure from a possessed dog they innocently adopt. The film stars Richard Crenna as Mike Barry, the father, Yvette Mimieux as Betty, the mother, and Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann as Bonnie and Charlie, their children. The latter two starred in Disney's Witch Mountain series, but were not intentionally cast based on that fact, just on that they looked believable as siblings.
[edit] Plot summary
The Barry family acquire a new puppy after their old one dies in an accident. They buy the puppy from a seemingly friendly fruit vendor who is actually a satanist who bred the dog to a chant, causing it to be possessed. They sell the dog to wreak havoc in the hope Satan will overcome good once and for all. The dog acts very strangely when they bring it home, leading the father and the family maid to believe there is something wrong with the dog. The dad believes so after the maid is killed in a fire while she was watching the dog, and the dad being forced to stick his arm into a lawnmower while the dog is present. The father barely avoids having his arm chopped off and soon, the dog begins to exhibit mental control that allows him to kill, injure, or control many victims. Nobody thinks much of this, until his family's souls are possessed by the hound. The possession makes the family act very strangely, including his son framing a student by stealing a watch and planting it in a classmate's locker, allowing him to win the student election. Dad decides the dog has overstayed his welcome when he finds a secret shrine to Satan in the attic. Dad tries to shoot the demonic beast to put an end to the hardships, but it is unharmed.
Realizing the dog is not alive, but rather is possessed, the father finally makes a special trip to Ecuador to determine how to destroy the animal. Unfortunately, there is no way to kill it, but if you hold a holy symbol to its eye, you can imprison it in Hell for 5,000 years. He takes it to a showdown at his work plant, but there the dog turns into a demon and begins to wreak havoc. When he is cornered by the monster, he holds the sign he made on his hand right up to the beast's eye. This causes the beast to be engulfed in fire and be imprisoned, getting his family's souls back. The final scene shows the family loading the family car for a vacation, and one of the children mentioning there were several more puppies the vendor was selling, suggesting there are more satanic dogs and that it is not over yet.
[edit] Home Video Release
Shriek Show Entertainment released the film on DVD in 2005 and Blu-ray in 2011.
[edit] External links
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