Daily Reel - Devil Dog: Hound of Hell (1978)

In this made-for-TV horror film, director Curtis Harrington hoped to cast a Rottweiler in the starring role. Animal trainer Moe DiSesso read the script and advised him against it: only a German Shepherd Dog, DiSesso said, would have the trained skills needed to pull off the character of "Lucky."

Harrington was smart to listen to the trainer and cast a GSD with a devastating stare and perfect focus for the role of the canine demon sent by Satan to terrorize a typical American family. The canine character is possibly unique in this sub-genre of horror films—he never bites or even tries to attack anyone, but uses telepathy to force his victims to harm themselves.

This movie is profiled in detail in Wonder Dogs: 101 German Shepherd Dog Films (see top right sidebar).

Produced by Zeitman-Landers-Roberts Productions

Daily Reel - Bad Moon (1996)

Based on the horror novel Thor by Wayne Smith, Bad Moon follows the secret battle of Thor, a suburban family pet, and his fight against a deadly werewolf. The novel is written from Thor’s point of view and most of the film keeps closely in touch with their star, played by Primo.

Primo, a handsome and athletic German Shepherd Dog, appeared in many films (including Dogboys) and TV shows (including The Call of the Wild) throughout his successful career, but nowhere do his talents shine brighter than in Bad Moon. His powerful performance and superb portrayal of Thor makes this otherwise lackluster horror film without many redeeming points worth watching.

This movie is profiled in detail in Wonder Dogs: 101 German Shepherd Dog Films (see top right sidebar).

Produced by Morgan Creek Productions

Happy Howloween!

Here are some canine films to get you in the spooky spirit whether you're looking for family fare or ultra creepy.

There are two new Halloween films for kids this season: The Dog Who Saved Halloween, sequel to The Dog Who Saved Christmas, and Spooky Buddies, one of Disney's Air Buddies series and following exactly the same plot as Hocus Pocus. Just add puppies.

For some retro canine horror films try Zoltan: Hound of Dracula (1978) and Devil Dog: Hound of Hell (1978). Or the original and best of all the killer dog movies: The Pack (1977).

For an update on an old theme try The Breed (2006).

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.