Daily Reel - Fluke (1995)

Based on the book by James Herbert, originally published as a horror novel, Fluke was first released with a mature but family angled marketing plan. Later additions of the VHS, then DVD, were marketed specifically toward children and families. This dark, tragic story about death, love, grief, reincarnation, and learning who we really are and how to let go, couldn’t seem to find just the right place in the hearts of moviegoers. Yet dog film enthusiasts will never forget it.

Fluke is a mutt played by famed Golden Retriever, Comet. Nine years old when he starred in Fluke, Comet had already experienced long-running success on the American sitcom Full House. He came to live with trainer Cristie Miele from a Golden Retriever rescue group when he was a year old and won out against hundreds of hopefuls to play Fluke—a role made possible for him by a haircut and nontoxic dye job. Seldom has there been a more exacting, skilled, and memorable performance of any dog in any film.

Produced by MGM, Rocket Pictures

You Lucky Dog

After the theatrical release this month of Marmaduke, there's another dog movie on its way: You Lucky Dog (already released in Canada under the title Family Gathering) is a Hallmark Channel original movie airing on Saturday, June 26, 9/8c on the Hallmark Channel.

The story follows a New York fashion designer (Natasha Henstridge) returning home to the farm after her mother dies. She adopts a Border Collie from a shelter and brings the dog, Lucky, home to her brother (Harry Hamlin) to help with his growing sheep flock. Their father (Lawrence Dane) disapproves of the dog, who used to belong to an old rival. But, like any good movie dog, Lucky turns out to be the whole family's best friend.

After many years without releasing a dog film, Hallmark seems to have discovered new inspiration with last year's A Dog Named Christmas, and now You Lucky Dog (which is also the title of a Disney TV film from 1998). Don't miss it on June 26th!

Check out the trailer below:

Canine Incognito

In honor of Halloween, we're turning our attention for a moment to those reel dogs who act undercover: whether dyed or powdered or clipped or costumed, many movie dogs have to dress-up for their close-up.

The reason can be anything from getting a dog to look wounded, to matching one dog to another whom he or she is doubling for, to getting a young dog to look old, to making a purebred look like a mixed breed. The Parson Russell Terrier in Son of the Mask (2005) was a white dog who had makeup patches added to make him look more interesting. The radioactive killer in Atomic Dog (1998) was a white German Shepherd Dog with black makeup to give him an unusual appearance. Another dog who was changed from purebred to mix through dye and a haircut was the Golden Retriever in Fluke (1995). The German Shepherd who doubled for the main dog in Ace of Hearts (2008) was a sable, dyed to play a black and tan.

Some of the most extraordinary makeup jobs seen on film dogs are in the cyber-dog movies like Man's Best Friend (1993), and Rottweiler (2004). The DVD for the latter includes a featurette showing some of the extensive makeup effects used for the dog in the film. Some other horror dog films to include lots of makeup are The Pack (1977), Cujo (1983), and The Breed (2006).

Happy Howloween!

Million Dollar Dog

Billed as the "First Real Million Dollar Picture" Foolish Wives (1922) featured an elegant dog to match: a Borzoi, seen here with Maude George, Erich von Stroheim, and Miss DuPont.

Other early Borzoi films include The Intrigue (1916) and Macbeth (1916). Somewhat more modern Borzoi films include: Sextette (1978), Dumb and Dumber (1994), Legends of the Fall (1994), Anna Karenina (1997), and 102 Dalmatians (2000).

Bad Dog! The Killer Canines of Horror

Dogs have been appearing in horror movies for a long time, though their big break came in the 1970s with films like Trapped (1973), Dogs (1976) and The Pack (1977), based on David Fisher's novel. Warner Brothers originally retitled it The Long, Dark Night, but reverted back to the original right before the release. The Pack stars a variety of dogs with two German Shepherds and a mixed breed featuring prominently. The story takes place on a secluded island, favorite summer vacation spot for nearby city dwellers, who often adopt a dog for their vacation and then abandon it on the island to survive by itself. But now the dogs have had enough: They are starving and desperate when Jerry (Joe Don Baker) and his family arrive on the island for a trip that turns into a nightmare.

The superb performances by the canine stars of The Pack can be attributed to Karl Lewis Miller, one of Hollywood's top trainers for many years. Miller also trained what is probably the most famous of all killer screen dogs, Daddy, who played "Cujo."

The dog horror film fad of the 70s continued through the 80s with films like Dogs of Hell (1982) (this is one of the truly terrible films out there), Cujo (1983) and Play Dead (1986) (another really bad one). Even through the 90s and today we still see some good, and some not so good, evil dog movies on TV and occasionally in a theater; Man's Best Friend (1993), Atomic Dog (1998), Rottweiler (2004), The Breed (2006) and Wilderness (2006) among them. But none has ever compared to The Pack, especially when it comes to the performances of the dogs.

Unfortunately, The Pack, along with many other old dog horror films, is still not available on DVD.

Pictured: Original still photo from The Pack, from author's collection. Copyright Warner Bros. Pictures, 1977.

Some additional canine horror films below.

Reel Dogs Freeze-Frames 3

Hugo Weaving's Labrador Retriever companion in

Proof (1991)

Alaskan Malamute, "Kayla," shows his wild nature in

Kayla (1999), based on Elizabeth Van Steenwyk's novel,

Three Dog Winter.

A German Shepherd Dog says goodbye in

My Own Private Idaho (1991)

Dozens of Dobermans

I get a lot of requests by people through my YouTube page (www.youtube.com/user/ReelDogs) who are looking for Doberman Pinscher films. So here's my list. Enjoy!

The 6th Day (2000)
Addams Family Values (1993)
*The Amazing Dobermans (1976)
America's Sweethearts (2001)
Another You (1991)
Bait (2000)
Bedazzled (2000)

Beverly Hills Chihuahua (2008)
The Boys from Brazil (1978)
Boyz N the Hood (1991)
The Boy Who Could Fly (1986)
Cats and Dogs (2001)
Cerberus (2005) TV
Chips the War Dog (1993) TV
Commando (1985)
The Conversation (1974)
Cousin Bette (1998)
Daddy's Boy (2004)
*The Daring Dobermans (1973)
The Defiant Ones (1958)
The Demolitionist (1995)
*The Doberman Gang (1972)
Don't Tell Her It's Me (1990)
Every Day’s a Holiday (1937)
*Eyes of an Angel (1989) (Best Doberman film there is!)
First Blood a.k.a. Rambo: First Blood (1982)
Garfield (2004)
Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000)
Halloween (1978)
House Party (1990)
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)
Instinct (1999)
*It Shouldn't Happen to a Dog (1946)
Jack the Bear (1993)
K-911 (1999)
The Kennel Murder Case (1933)
Lawn Dogs (1997)
The Little Rascals (1994)
Lovers Lane (1999)
Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966)
Mean Dog Blues (1978)
Mid Road Gang a.k.a. Ma mha 4 khaa khrap (2007)
Nacho Chihuahua (2001)
The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991)
The Next Karate Kid (1994)
Nobody's Fool (1994)
The Pickup Artist (1987)
Playback a.k.a. Los Placeres ocultos (1989)
Play Dead (1986) 
The Rainmaker (1997) 
Raising Arizona (1987)
Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985)
Resident Evil (2002)
Satisfaction (1988)
Soldier (1998)
Storybook (1995)
Street Hunter (1990)
The Tao of Steve (2000)
They Only Kill Their Masters (1972)
To Kill a Clown (1972)

Trapped a.k.a. Doberman Patrol (1973) TV
True Lies (1994)
Wildcats (1986)
Witch Hunt (1994) TV
Yankee Zulu (1993)
*Zoltan: Hound of Dracula a.k.a. Dracula's Dog (1977)

* Indicates my personal recommendations for those looking for Doberman films.

Girls and Their Dogs

While the "boy and his dog" story line is well picked over from Old Yeller (1957) to Air Bud (1997), there are relatively few "girl and her dog" films out there. Notably Because of Winn-Dixie (2005), adapted from Kate DiCamillo's bestselling juvenile novel, and Little Heroes (1992), about a girl learning love and loss through her canine friend. 

One of the really outstanding girl and dog films is not about a girl and her dog at all, but a girl who rescues a wolf on her cross-country journey to find her father during the Great Depression. The Journey of Natty Gann (1985) stared Jed, a Malamute/wolf mix trained by Clint Rowe. Jed also appeared in The Thing (1982) and was most famous for his role in the 1991 adaptation of White Fang. It was the first time in a live-action film that White Fang had been portrayed by any breed other than a German Shepherd Dog.

Some other films featuring a girl and dog are Courage of Lassie (1946), More Than Puppy Love (2000), Sunny's Ears (1997, from TV series), Eyes of an Angel (1991), Annie (1982), Annie (1999), Big Chuck, Little Chuck (2004), The Bashful Elephant (1962), and Poco: Little Dog Lost (1977).

Pictured: Theatrical release poster of The Journey of Natty Gann, from author's collection, showing Jed, Meredith Salender and John Cusack. Copyright The Walt Disney Company, 1985.

Fox and Hounds

In the 1950 British film, Gone to Earth, a woman tries to save her fox from huntsmen, running desperately from a pack of English Foxhounds with her pet in her arms. But both fox and hounds almost didn't make it into the movie at all.

When the producers set about the daunting task of trying to find not only a tame, but trained, fox for the role of "Foxy," they almost gave up. Turning instead to a Corgi dog to play the part. Yes, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, with a fox tail attached to its own stub tail. It is extremely fortunate for the integrity of the film that they did at last find the foxes needed as Foxy and the Corgi idea was abandoned.

Then came the problem of the hounds: When the British Field Sports Society learned about the production of Gone To Earth, they made a statement requesting that no master of hounds should allow his pack to appear in it on the grounds that the film was propaganda promoting anti-hunting attitudes. Directors Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger were furious over the BFSS roadblocks in completing their "work of art," and their troubles were not over.

The American executive producer of Gone to Earth, David Selznick, was so unhappy with the way the film turned out, he sued Powell and Pressburger in an effort to get it changed. Although he lost the case for the British release, he was able to change the film for its US release. And change he did, re-shooting large portions in Hollywood instead of England and cutting out others. Unfortunately Selznick could not be bothered to go through the trouble Powell and Pressburger had to find trained foxes. In the scenes that were redone of the flight across the countryside with the fox in her arms, actress Jennifer Jones carries a stuffed dog instead.

But Powell and Pressburger had the last laugh: In the end they got the fox, got the hounds, and Gone to Earth was a success in the UK.

Pictured: English Foxhounds catch the scent of the fox in a scene from Gone to Earth.

Playing the “Fluke”

Director Carlo Carlei wanted to adapt Fluke, a novel by James Herbert, into a feature film as soon as he read it. He optioned the rights for $5,000 but it was twelve years before Carlei's dream became a reality. The story of a dog who has been reincarnated and is searching for the family he knew as a man, Fluke was released in 1995.

The first dog to audition for the role was Comet, a Golden Retriever who appeared as the family dog in the TV show Full House. Although Carlei was blown away by Comet's skills, the dog in the novel was a black mixed breed and the search continued. It was only after auditioning over a hundred dogs that Carlei went back to Comet and asked if he could be made to look like a mutt.

Comet's coat was dyed dark and trimmed short. To make sure they had done enough, the producers asked a dog show judge to take a look at Comet. The judge pronounced the dog to be a Golden cross and Comet got the role.

Although animatronic puppets were made to double for him in especially dangerous or difficult scenes, Comet proved to be such an outstanding performer that he hardly ever needed one. Comet can be seen in his normal coat in the 1997 made-for-TV film, My Magic Dog a.k.a. My Ghost Dog.

Discussing Comet's acting abilities, his trainer, Cristie Miele, said, "If ever there was a dog who was a person at one time, it's him."

Pictured: Photo from author's collection; "Fluke" makes a phone call. Copyright MGM, 1995.

You can buy Fluke, easily one of the best dog films ever made, and My Magic Dog through the links below.

The Bully as a Good Guy: American Bulldogs in Film

While American Pit Bull Terriers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers have gotten a bad rap in the past few decades (with Hollywood's help), filmmakers have taken a different angle with their cousins, the American Bulldog. Beginning noticeably with Walt Disney's Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey in 1993, ABs have been increasingly playing the role of family, and more notably children's, companions in such films as The Little Rascals (1994), The Pooch and the Pauper (1999), Cheaper by the Dozen (2004) and its sequel. Though still with some not-so-friendly incarnations such as Wonder Boys (2000), AMs have largely avoided the kind of typecasting that Pits have received.

In Homeward Bound, Chance (played by a dog named Rattler) was not only not the tough guy, but a goofball personality similar to what most people associate with a Golden Retriever. Ironically enough, his composed, wise companion was the Golden. Hollywood can brake the rules just as easily as they can make them.

Pictured: Poster artwork from author's collection; Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey, featuring Golden Retriever "Shadow", Himalayan Cat "Sassy", and American Bulldog "Chance." Copyright The Walt Disney Company, 1993.

Readers may be interested in some of these films, all featuring American Bulldogs:

Bark (2002)

Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back (1995)

Bingo (1991)

Bubble Boy (2001)

Cheaper by the Dozen (2004)

Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (2005)

The Little Rascals (1994)

Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)

Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco (1996)

The Pooch and the Pauper (1999) (Not available on DVD)

Return to Me (2000)

Squanto: A Warrior's Tale (1994)

Unaccompanied Minors (2006)

Wonder Boys (2000)