Cujo (1983)

In rural Maine, Vic and Donna Trenton (Hugh-Kelly and Wallace) struggle to repair their crumbling marriage, while their young son Tad (Danny Pintauro) befriends a hulking, lovable, 200-pound St. Bernard named Cujo. With Vic away on business, Donna and Tad take their decrepit car to be fixed at the remote farm of their mechanic (Lauter). As their aging Pinto sputters to a stop and dies, Cujo appears. But the once docile dog has undergone a hideous transformation - and becomes a slavering, demonic, killer possessed by almost supernatural strength...and unholy cunning. Critically acclaimed, CUJO is a fearsome, spine-chilling tour de force from the most popular name in horror!

UNEVEN, BUT TENSE AND EFFECTIVE THILLER! NICE 25TH ANN. EDITIONS!

'Cujo' is a pretty good intense film! King's story about a family pet that goes bonkers after being bitten by a bat is great when the dog is on screen, but when the thread bare story drifts into TV movie melodrama, it looses steam and credibility.

I am still a fan of the film because the second half of the film is so strong and the pacing of the animal slowly deteriorating into an uncontrollable killer seems very real, although I could have done without the last attack by the dog in Camber's house. It turned an otherwise believable story into the typical Hollywood ending, always trying to get one more good jolt out of a scene.

The new 25th ann. edition DVD sports an excellent transfer and an interesting documentary and commentary. I rate the film 3 1/2 stars, but the new release pushes my rating to 4 stars! August 10, 2008

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How Much Is That Rabies-Infested Doggie In The Window?

When you think of successful early "adapted from a Stephen King novel" films, a few come to mind. From the greatest:Carrie, The Shining, Pet Sematary to the not-so-bad:Salem's Lot, Children of the Corn, Christine. But nessled right in the middle should be Cujo. For my generation, after this film was released anytime you saw a large strange dog in the near distance, your mind raced with the thoughts of this film.

While still pretty effective, this film about a mother and son trapped inside their broken down Ford Pinto while a rabies-infected Saint Bernard terrorizes them from the outside in, still has plenty of scares even 25 years later. While not as classic as other Horror films of it's time, it did forever become the grandaddy of all maniac dog movies. So on that level alone, it comes from me to any Horror fan very suggested.

However, it does have a few faults. Even though it was shot and released in 1983, this movie looks and feels like it was actually done in say 1976, down to it's starring car and ABC-Movie Of The Week musical score. Another is the 30 minutes of set-up at it's beginning showing the trials and downfalls of suburban marriage and family life at the time. Not that those 30 minutes hurt the movie, it actually sets up the characters for concern quite nicely, but to new fans of the movie they might wonder what drama film got accidently put in this Horror DVD's case.

But once Cujo gets things a foamin' about 40 minutes in, all Hell breaks loose and let the intense claustrophobia begin. As for extras, there's a nice 50 minute documentary called "Dog Days:The Making Of Cujo" from 2007 that has crew and actors telling about how things were done quite informatively. Seeing a now 30 year old Danny Pintauro talking about his role when he was just six is nice to see a former child actor who can still remember the work much less live to tell about it. Also a directors commentary & an anamorphic picture with a high bit-rate, this is a worthy addition to any classic Horror collection. Despite purists who say that it changed certain aspects for the film not originally in the King novel (all of which were approved by King), this is one film that will make most say "The movie was better than the book".
(RedSabbath Rating:8.0/10) August 1, 2008

An above average Stephen King adaptation

I am a huge Stephen King fan, and as we all well know, about half his books are destroyed when turned into movies. That is not the case with Cujo. It may not be in the league of Misery, The Shawshank Redemption, The Green Mile or Carrie, but this is a scary little film that relies on very few characters and one hungry dog. The way they made the dog look with the make-up effects was very terrifying to me when I saw this as a kid, and it still is pretty menacing as I watch it now. The story is pretty thin, as was the book, but the suspense and the reality of the situation elevates the material. The events are not supernatural at all. This could really happen.

The 25th Anniversary DVD has some great extra features and very nice cover art, especially when compared to that funny one that came out years ago. Worth a cheap buy for your horror collection, or at the very least, a rental. July 30, 2008

Classic

This is a timeless Stephen King Film, has some great thrills, and scenes that will haveyou jumpin' out of your skin.....Enjoy. October 27, 2007

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