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)

After Thomas . . . and still no DVD

After Thomas is a made-for-TV film that first aired in the UK on Boxing Day, 2006. I was lucky enough to see After Thomas as I was in England at the time. Had I known it would be so difficult to see it again, I would have taken more notes.

Thomas is a Golden Retriever, named for Thomas the Tank Engine by Kyle (Andrew Byrne), a little boy with autism. For years, Kyle's family fights a desperate battle with Kyle's intense panic attacks and unpredictable behavior in public as well as the home, until a Golden puppy changes all their lives. 

What makes After Thomas so poignant and memorable is the way the film was made; although it is based on a true story, it could easily have become cute and childish, too Disney in other words. But it's not. Instead it's raw, heartfelt, and very sad. Yet the saddest thing about After Thomas is that, years later, it is still not available on DVD for NTSC players. And if you want a PAL version, it's going to cost you. 

If anyone out there knows where to get an NTSC DVD of After Thomas, I'd love to hear from you.

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.

Reel Artists of the 1940s

These close-ups of canine portraits done for different film posters of the 1940s demonstrate a few of the extraordinary animal paintings created for movie advertisements of the time. They show a dog sled team in Girl from God's Country (1940), a German Shepherd Dog in Danny Boy (1946), a Border Collie in Bob, Son of Battle (1947), and a mixed breed fighting with a mountain lion in Shaggy (1949).