Monster Crap
Inductee: Devil Dog: The Hound Of Hell
No Cream Filling Sadly
1978
Made
For TV movies.
You
all have heard of it from channels like SyFy, Lifetime, or Hallmark, but back
in the day, Made For TV movies used to be on the primetime channels and
sometimes you would get a great film.
This
Definitely Comes To Mind When Saying Great Made For TV Films On Major Channels
If
you know this site long enough, we won’t be getting a good one and since Dark
Night of the Scarecrow aired on CBS, it seems perfect to talk about Devil Dog:
The Hound Of Hell because that also aired on CBS. In the 70s and 80s, satanic
and cultish stuff was a huge fear factor for people in crime.
You
Can Thank Pricks Like Charles Manson….Who California Keeps Having Parole
Hearings For As Well As His Other Family Members Responsible For That Murder
Spree.
In
fact, there was an episode of Kolchak: The Night Stalker called The Devil’s
Platform about a dog from hell. CBS wanted to continue the story from that
episode, but they never could get permission from the makers of that show. So
instead they would create a new story. And to make this sort of credible, they
got an okay director Curtis Harrington (who did the Killer Bees and really
needed the money) and some decent actors like Yvette Mimieux (who played Weena
in the 1960s The Time Machine, starring Rod Taylor) and Richard Crenna.
Col.
Trautman, The Only Man That John Rambo Will Listen To. *Salutes*
Well, this was before he became Trautman so they
originally wanted Tom Skerritt, but he was in talks to do Alien at the time so
he was unavailable. Tom may have made the better option considering one is
memorable and the other was in the vault or would come from Bootleg Dealers
until 2005 when it was released on DVD and released on Blu-Ray in 2011.
There
also are two children actors Kim Richards and Ike Eisenmann who were also in
the original Witch Mountain series of films. So with all of that and not much
else, let’s get to this Made For TV movie.
We
begin this film with a black station wagon heading to the Lakeland Kennel.
There
the people in the vehicle lead by a woman meet the owner at the gate.
The
woman says they were recommended to him by the National Breeders Guide as he
has some good dogs and the owner says that they won’t find any better. The
woman says the breed doesn’t matter, but they need a special dog. While the
owner shows them around, it is strange to him that all the dogs are barking
wildly at the people dressed in all black. The woman than explains that they
are interested in a female dog who is intelligent and healthy. Also, they want
one who has given birth to a litter to “prove herself” and is in season now so
she is ready to breed. The owner knows of such a dog and directs them to a
German Shepherd named Lady.
The
owner says she is as good as they come and has had two litters already. He also
reveals that three of her pups are Blue Ribbon winners and is great around
children. The woman explains that she won’t be around children and that she is
perfect for what they need. The owner then is hesitant about giving over Lady
as he was about to breed her with another dog, he is very fond of Lady, and
says that he can only give her away for no less than $5,000. They buy the dog
regardless and you can tell that Lady is not too happy about this sale.
So
we head to a barn which is being used for a satanic ritual which is led by the
same woman.
I
Guess I Should Mention That This “Red-Haired Lady” (That Is How She Is Credited
As Despite Not Having Red Hair) Is Martine Bestwick, Who Was One Of Few Women
Who Was Cast In Two James Bond Films (Zora In “From Russia With Love” &
Paula In “Thunderball). She Also Was In One Million B.C. Where She Met Her
Ex-Husband John Ricardson (Who Was Tumak). She Was Also Sister Hyde In Doctor
Jekyll And Sister Hide So This Actress Has Quite The Acting Resume For Someone
Who Will Barely Be In This Movie. I’m Not Kidding…After This Satanic Ritual,
She Is Done With Movie.
She
reveals that for 1,000 years mankind has waited for the return of Barghest, who
is apparently the spawn of Satan. Oh and we also get the title screen.
They
all leave the room and we see some red tinting coming towards the barn.
Aw
Crap….I’m Being Attacked By The Tinting From That Madman DVD I Used To Induct
That Film.
Actually,
this is just to be the view from the Barghest as he goes inside the barn and
impregnates Lady.
You
Didn’t Think The 1993 Film Man’s Best Friend Was The Only Film To Have A Dog
Getting Raped Off-screen, Did You?
Oddly
enough, the director actually wanted a Rottweiler to be the Devil Dog. But he
was told by people that Rottweilers aren’t exactly smart with commands so to
get the most out of a dog while sort of being a dangerous dog, they had to get
a German Shepherd. Considering how little of a menace this dog really looks in
the film, they may as well have gotten a Rottweiler or a Pit Bull. You’ll
understand later on in the film.
Anyway,
another day (I can’t say next day because the next time we see Lady, she has
already given birth to the kids), Mike Barry comes out from Wincott Aerodynamics.
Since
The Gate Keeper’s Name Is Scottie, I’m Sadden We Got No “Hey Scottie….Jesus,
Man” Moment From This Film.
Mike
goes to pick his wife Betty from the veteran’s hospital.
Betty: Hi Honey, Hope You
Didn’t Get Attacked By A Grizzly Today.
Mike: Ha, Ha, Ha, Ha…..I
hope Eric Shinseki Didn’t Fuck Things Up Again
Anyway,
she shows him a painting that one of the patients drew. They drive to their
house and sadly come across the run over body of their dog Skipper.
Poor
Skipper…And All He Wanted To Do Was Be The First Dog To Captain A Ship, Crash
On An Island, And Have His Own Version Of Gilligan’s Island.
I
Know, Maili…That Was A Terrible Joke I Just Made.
A
neighbor named George comes over and explains that Skipper was chasing after
what he assumed was raccoons when this black station wagon (that was parked
over by the corner) just ran him over and drove off.
George
tried to follow in his own car, but he lost it. Now who in the hell would kill
a good dog like th…
Oh….
Mike
asks if the kids saw it and George says he doesn’t think so. So we go inside
where Bonnie has cancelled the birthday party (it was her birthday today) and
is heartbroken that Skipper is dead.
You
Know What Would Be A Good Cure For This, Bonnie? A Dr…Yeah, I Can’t Go There
With This Actress As That’s Just Cruel.
Mike
and his son Charlie come home with the food, only to find out that the party
was cancelled.
All
That Good Food Going To Waste.
Mike
tries to comfort his daughter and promises her they will get another dog.
Unfortunately, as is usual once a pet dies, they don’t want another one and
want the one that just died. Trust me, I’ve been there with dogs….twice
(technically three times if we count my brother’s dog that just died). She also
uses the old line of “If something happened to her, would they get another
daughter?” which is so wrong to do since one is a daughter and the other, while
a member of the family and truly loved…is a dog that was not going to live her
entire life. Bonnie tries to also make sense of it all when sadly, there is no
real sense to be made with a hit and run.
Bonnie
goes outside and Charlie follows. He asks to ride with Bonnie, which she
accepts. But they don’t even get out of the driveway before a fruit and
vegetable salesman comes by.
Wait
A Minute…
It’s
That Damn Member Of The Satanic Cult From Earlier. Whatever It Is He Is Truly
Up To…
It’s
No Good
Charlie
asks if this guy grew the fruits and vegetables, which is confirms as he has a
place uptown. The salesman (named Dunworth) offers Charlie a free sample of one
of his apples (which could have razor blades in it for all we know) when a
puppy pops up.
That’s
Why This Wasn’t The Next Day. Heck, With The Way Those Dogs Have Aged, It Is At
Least A Few Months Later.
Charlie
likes seeing the puppies and shows Bonnie them. Dunworth even lets Bonnie hold
one of them.
Dunworth
offers them the puppy as he has 9 more that need to find a home. Bonnie
initially declines (still getting over Skipper), but eventually is okay with
having it. Charlie wonders if they should ask their mom and dad first, but
Bonnie says it is her birthday so he eventually agrees to also let her keep the
puppy. Dunworth remarks to Lady that they choose her favorite pup and leaves.
Good-bye, Dunworth, Lady, and pups…your time is done in this movie.
We
then go to the family watching the new puppy eat ice cream, remarking that just
like Skipper (R.I.P.), he also likes ice cream.
Bonnie
decides to name this dog Lucky. George comes by with his dog Prince.
They
are introduced to Lucky and Prince definitely senses something wrong with Lucky
as Lucky’s eyes are glowing
So
Much So That Prince Grabs The Table Cloth And Knocks Everything Over On His Way
Out.
George
apologizes for Prince’s behavior and offers to pay for the damages as he leaves
too. Bonnie tells her dad that she doesn’t want that awful dog (Prince) in her
house again. Mike assures her that from now on, George will keep Prince in the
backyard. Mike apologizes for the cake being smashed, but Bonnie is okay as she
now has Lucky, which makes it the best birthday she has ever had.
Later,
the maid named Maria comes by.
Even
though Maria admits it is her day off, she came by because she was thinking of
Bonnie all night and wonders if she can take her to the park. Bonnie comes in
and reveals her new dog.
Maria
Is Also A Little Weirded Out By The Dog (Despite Not Then Going On To Destroy
The Table Like Prince Did).
Betty
notices this and wonders if something is the matter, but Maria says nothing is
wrong. Maria tells Bonnie to take the dog outside as he probably isn’t house
broken yet and would make Maria have to was the floor all over again.
That
night, Maria confides in Mike that she sense something wrong with that dog
(after seeing its eyes glow) and she thinks he should take it back before the
kids get too attached to the dog (too late as the moment the dog was theirs,
they were attached….like what happens with most kids and a new dog). Mike says
he will think about it, but of course he really isn’t since he already thinks
Lucky will make a good watch dog when he grows up.
Later,
the Barry family heads out for the school play and leaves Maria to take care of
Lucky while they are gone. Maria starts
lighting candles to a religious shrine.
What?
Not Every Suburban Family Has One Of These?
Maria
grabs her rosary and starts praying so you know the evil pup can’t have that.
So Lucky uses his evil psychic powers to set Maria’s arm on fire.
Quick,
Run Outside So You Can Stop, Drop, And…
Nevermind…Seems
Lucky Knows That Tactic Too And Makes Sure Maria Is Stuck In That Room.
Maria
tries to escape while smoke is filling the room, but no luck. The Barry family
comes back after a few hours and smell something burning. Mike goes to the room
that Maria was in and is horrified by what he sees.
I’m
Sure You Wish You Could See What Mike Is Seeing When He Says “On My God”, But
You Can’t…Because This TV Movie Won’t Let You.
So
we move to one year later (and I guess we are to assume Maria is dead as she is
barely mentioned again) as Mike and Charlie are wondering what is up with the
lawnmower.
Charlie: Maybe We Should
Call The Lawnmower Man
Mike: The Hell We Are,
Have You Seen Beyond Cyberspace?
Charlie: Yeah, That Would
Be A Bad Idea.
And
just so someone doesn’t bother asking, that was fake dialogue I did there.
Anyway, you can tell it is one year later because Bonnie comes home with her
new birthday present (which is getting her ears pierced) and Lucky comes out
and he has grown.
Now
That Is A Dog That Is Gonna Cause Nightmares As The Evil Dog
Bonnie
gives Lucky a new collar for his one year anniversary. Mike tries to pet Lucky,
but Lucky still seems to not want Mike to pet him. Lucky and the kids go inside
and Mike doesn’t understand why that dog still won’t let allow the father to
pet him. Mike says he has been around dogs since he was a kid and something is
different about Lucky. Betty thinks he is imagining things and tells Mike not
to work to late as they are going out to dinner later. Betty heads inside and
Lucky heads back outside. There, Lucky stares at Mike and the mower to suddenly
start again.
Lucky
tries with his stare to get Mike to put his arm in the mower in hopes of
cutting his hand off.
Mike
fights this urge to cut off his own hand and Lucky eventually stops. Mike makes
some of the strangest faces while struggling.
But
Sadly Not The Strangest Face Someone Will Make In This Film, That Will Come
Later
That
night, Mike can’t get to sleep after what happened with the mower. But he
doesn’t hear Charlie and Bonnie get summoned by the dog to go to the attic.
Yeah,
Your Asses Would Be Busted If Mike Really Couldn’t Get Any Sleep.
The
next day, Mike is upset that he has to work on Saturday and his wife tells him
it is alright.
He
Must Have A Boss Like This Guy. If He Does, That Would Be…Great
Betty
says she plans on taking the kids to a Museum of Haitian Art that she is sure
the kids will love. She then worries that she doesn’t see much of the kids
anymore and Mike tells her that kids do grow up. Mike says if he finishes early
enough, he will take everyone out to a Chinese dinner and leaves. Betty goes
inside and looks for the kids. She goes into the kids’ room looking for him,
but finds some of Charlie’s art instead and notices that there may be blood in
his ink.
I
Hope This Isn’t Chris’ Blood
Charlie
and Bonnie come in angry that his mom is in his room and yell at her to get
out.
Considering
The Decade This Was In, I Think Those Kids Would Be Getting Ass-Whippings For
This Type Of Behavior.
Betty
wonders what is the matter with the two of them and Lucky gets on Charlie with
his face.
Calm
Down, Charlie….You Are Acting Way Too Suspicious.
Charlie
calms down and apologizes, saying that they worked so hard while Bonnie says
they wanted to surprise her with an art project they were doing. They get Betty
out of the room so they can all eat breakfast.
At
night, the kids head out as they have things to do which leaves Betty with
Lucky. Mike also calls, saying he will not be able to come home in time to take
them out to eat and Betty is worried about the kids. Mike says she can tell him
all about it when he gets home. Betty goes to read a magazine, but Lucky starts
creeping around.
I
Would Like To Say This Is Supposed To Be Terrifying, But I Am Too Busy Laughing
My Ass Off At This Attempt At Suspense
Betty
gets weirded out by this, but has to focus on putting out a fire because she
may have left some pots on the stove for too long and she has to close a back
door that was left wide open. Then Lucky chases Betty to her room.
Lucky
gets Betty to her room and closes the door behind him, signifying that Lucky
will be doing something. Mike gets home after a few hours and wonders what
Betty wanted to talk to him about, but Betty is calm now and just says it was
just nothing. But how do we know Betty has changed from her past self, you may
ask?
Betty
decides that she wants to skinny dip in George’s pool and after some
hesitation, Mike sees no problem in this.
They
do a little kissing as we go to the next day, where Prince is barking at Lucky,
who is in the house.
George
wonders what the matter with him is as Betty comes down to tell the neighbor
that he needs to shut that dog up. Betty tells George that all the neighbors
are complaining and she thinks he needs to do something about Prince
immediately. George says he has tried everything with Prince as he has had
Prince for 8 years and until now he has always been behaved. Betty then says
that Prince may be getting too old and George may need to put him down. George
is insulted that Betty would even say a thing like that, especially since it is
Lucky who always gets Prince riled up. Betty laughs it off, saying that Lucky
hasn’t been getting any complaints. George puts his foot down and says the last
thing he will ever do is put his dog to sleep. Betty just looks at him and
leaves as Prince is still barking at Lucky.
George
comes back from a jog to notice that a police officer is at his house with
George and the other Barry family members are arguing. Mike wonders what is
going on and George reveals that Prince got mutilated (off-screen). George
shows the body.
The
other Barry family members are extremely callous about a man’s dog dying
horribly and say it is false that their dog killed his dog. Kim even threatens
to kill George and calls him an old creep. Mike says that he is sorry for
George and his dog as he knew how much Prince meant to him, but asks to let it
cool off and talk about it like friends. Betty then interrupts and says that
George is no friend of theirs. The policeman says that they will all have to
settle this themselves as without proof, this isn’t a police matter. I guess
they didn’t have DNA testing yet or that would easily explain this whole thing.
George
says it will be a police matter when that dog kills a kid or something. As the
officer leaves, George says if he doesn’t take Lucky away, he will kill the dog
himself. He says he will shoot him. Mike takes his family back to their house
and once more apologizes to George for his loss. George says to see how he will
like it when he finds his dog dead.
That
night, Lucky sneaks into George’s property. Mike is awakened by a scream, but
Betty tells him it was nothing and to go back to sleep, which he does. In the
morning, both Bonnie and Charlie are laughing at the kitchen table when Mike
wants to talk things over with George, but they refuse as they have nothing to
say to him. Also, Charlie reveals that he is running for school president and
Charlie thinks his chances of winning are 100%.
Mike
goes to make peace with George, but is shocked to find George dead in the pool.
We
then move later that night as the school counselor Miles Amory rings the
doorbell and wants to talk to Mike and Betty about Charlie. Betty doesn’t
understand the issue as Charlie has straight As and was just elected school
president. Miles asks if they know how Charlie won, which neither of them do.
Miles reveals that Charlie’s opponent (who everyone thought would really win)
was caught with a stolen watch and was suspended (making Charlie win by
default), but Miles believes the kid might have been framed since it was
Charlie’s friends who said he did it and were the supposed witnesses.
Mike
asks what they think should be done and Miles thinks Charlie needs some
professional help. Betty is against the idea, but Miles says there is a sort of
corruption coming over him and other than that, he really can’t explain it.
Mike reveals that they have also been getting the same type of worry with
Bonnie too and Betty sees nothing wrong with either kid. She also has Miles
leave as she has nothing more to say. Miles says he is going to have to look
into this further. Miles leaves with Mike wanting to still talk with him as
Bonnie and Charlie hear all of this and are very worried.
The
next day, Mike comes home and the kids say that mom says he won’t be home
tonight and they should just order a pizza as Betty also won’t be home as there
is an art show at the veteran’s hospital. We go to that night and Mike is
wondering what Betty was doing that night because he knows she wasn’t working
at the art show at the veteran’s hospital at night. Betty explains that she
went to talk to Miles in hopes he can lay off his investigation of Charlie.
Mike laughs and says that Miles would never go for her advances, which Betty
says he did. Mike angrily leaves saying he is going to talk to someone who is
truthful, like his friend Miles. I want to explain that Mike leaves in his car
so I can tell you that even after a small head start, Betty sends Lucky to take
care of Miles and guess who gets there first?
At
Miles’ house, Miles is in bed when the door to his bedroom blows open and the
true form of the Barghest.
Not
Since Shark Attack 3 Have I Seen Super-Imposing This Bad
Even
better is the reaction Miles has on this thing. Now I’m sure Miles Is legit
supposed to be terrified of this thing and I’m sure he legit tried to be terrified,
but tell me….
Mike
gets to Miles’ house and sees Miles come running out of his house. He tries to
run across the street in such terror that he doesn’t even notice the car also
coming down that street and gets hit by it.
Mike
definitely suspects the dog as the dog shows up as if to brag.
The
next morning, Mike comes home to tell the family that Miles is dead. Betty says
they know as they heard on the radio, but their behavior doesn’t seem to show
any care whatsoever. Charlie in fact makes a joke about no one failing English
now and Mike sends both kids to their room. Mike then talks about Betty’s
“lover” dying and she doesn’t bat an eye, to which Betty says she doesn’t know
what he is talking about. She even doesn’t know why he went over to Miles or
why Lucky was there last night. Betty says they must train the dog not to chase
his car because he could get hurt. Mike is still concerned even at night as he
is looking at his wife, wondering what is going on.
He
hears something that sounds like chanting going on upstairs so he goes to
investigate. It sounds like the kids chanting in the attic so he goes to the
attic. He sees nothing in the attic except for a circle with candles and a
painting that is covered.
He
goes to uncover the painting, but is told by Charlie not to. He turns around to
see all three of the family members and the dog behind him.
Mike
unveils the painting anyway and…
Charlie
then tries to explain that at 3 in the morning, he was up here painting that
picture and nothing more, even though evidence of candle burning and chanting
is there. The only explanation as to why, is so they can finish and Betty tries
to say that it is pretty good. She then sends the kids to bed and follows them.
Mike
visits the doctor the next day and wonders if things are wrong with him and the
doctor says he is just fine.
The
doctor wonders why he is here because he wasn’t due for another physical for
another 6 months. He asks if Mike can tell him what he thinks is wrong. Mike
says he was just checking on himself as he was planning a trip soon. The doctor
then tells Mike that he doesn’t call for an immediate appointment for just that
and wonders what is really going on. Mike explains that he was hoping for
something to be wrong so it could explain what is going on lately and the only
thing he can say as to what is going on lately is it is as if something evil
has come into his house. He says his family has changed with his kids being
different and his wife being so cold. He says he can’t even recognize them
anymore and the strangest thing of all is it seems like there is some type of
conspiracy against him by all of them.
When
the doctor asks how long this has been going on, Mike explains that it has been
going on ever since they got that new dog. He says that first he didn’t think
anything of it. But then the deaths of three people have occurred who were
friends. He even admits that this all sounds crazy, but it is all true. The
doctor then wonders if things have been hectic at work and Mike says he has not
been overworked. The doctor explains that there was a birthday where his
co-workers gave him a clock with no hands on it, and recommends that Mike needs
to stand back and take a good look at the situation. He says that two weeks
alone with Betty will do him some good and gives him a prescription for some
tranquilizers.
He
goes home and waits until his wife gets home as she did a bit of shopping. Mike
wonders why she isn’t at work as it was her day at the veteran’s hospital.
Betty explains that she quit that place because they are a bunch of basket
cases and she has wasted enough time on them already, with it all being too
depressing. Betty says she has better things to do with her time and Mike
wonders what is happening. Betty tries to have him have a drink, but Mike is
adamant because with all the people dying and them changing, something is up.
He thinks this somehow involves Lucky and Betty laughs this off. Mike explains
that Maria tried to warn him about Lucky, but he didn’t listen and is wondering
if maybe he should. He also explain that the damn dog tried to force him to put
his hand in a lawnmower. Betty says if anything is wrong with this family, it
is him.
Mike
then says he was hoping that was true. He explains he went to the doctor to see
what was wrong and of course, nothing was wrong. He also said everything else
to the doctor and the doctor said he was overworked, recommending two weeks in
Hawaii and some tranquillizers. The doctor then also had him visit a colleague
of his who is a psychiatrist. Mike says he will not be spending months on a
damn couch, not while there is a danger in the house in that dog. She decides
that she has had enough for now as she is going to change and then make dinner.
Then
Mike sees a news report of a man in a shootout with the police. The man’s wife
is on the TV and she explains that her husband had never acted this way and
says he kept saying the dog next door forced him to kill all those people. The
reporter then asks if her husband had any mental issues and she says no. She
doesn’t want to do any more questions and the reporter finishes the story as
Mike definitely believes the dog is the problem. He goes to his drawer and
grabs his gun. He also decides that he is taking the dog with him to wherever
he is going, despite the fact that this upsets the kids.
Mike
says the dog has to go and isn’t going to explain why. Charlie asks why he is
doing this and Mike says he is afraid of the dog. Charlie then explains that he
hates his dad while Bonnie also says not to hurt their dog and to never come
back again. As Mike gets into the driver’s seat, Betty explains that he will
never forgive himself for this. Mike leaves and takes the dog to a random spot
in the middle of nowhere.
Mike
takes the dog out of the car. He apologizes to the dog if he is wrong before he
tries to shoot it.
This
definitely confirms Mike’s suspicions so he gets in his car and drives away.
*Pause
After Mike Leaves*
Lucky: Oh Great, I Guess
I’ll Have To Use My Powers To Get Back Before He Do. Really Need To Thank The
Roadrunner For That Teaching Me How To Get That Speed On Foot.
You
may think I’m kidding you, but no. Lucky gets there before he does and the
family acts like nothing happened.
Mike
then goes to a woman who knows about the occult.
She
talks to him about the Barghest. She explains that it is a creature from
another world from another time, according to those who believe. She says it is
a demon that appears in the form of a dog. When Mike asks if Lucky is a
Barguest, the woman says that it is possible, but there is no way of knowing
until you actually see the Barghest in its true form. She says he might have
heard it as it is a sound not of this Earth, just like a high pitched shriek.
Mike says he has heard it the night his neighbor’s dog was killed. Gee…this
scream…it is almost as if we needed to be shown the night George’s dog getting
killed and not be told about it.
The
lady says she wants to help him, but she only runs a shop and is not a
practitioner. Mike asks why it picked his family, but she doesn’t know that
either. Mike says that of course, he could be cracking up and this all is in
his mind. The woman says he will have to decide that. He asks what this
Barghest looks like, which the woman responds that it is a monstrous thing,
like a goblin dog with huge teeth and claws. She also says that it only appears
at night.
Then
she goes to get a book about the Barghest and reads that “the demon dog, the
black dog, the dog of darkness…sometimes he runs with backward pointed feet,
sometimes he is ablaze, sometimes he is headless, but even a glimpse of the
beast in his true form will send a man to hell.” Mike says that she needs to
help him so the woman wants to see the painting he brought with him, which was
that painting Charlie made.
The
woman says it is a pity that it is a one eyed devil as the one eye devil isn’t
your brightest, but the three eyed devils (which this painting obviously shows
that it is) is all seeing and all knowing. They are also the cleverest and she
has never seen one like that before. Later, the woman found something in
another book that talks about a demon of this kind being in a cliff in Ecuador,
but that is all it says. The woman says that the book is rather incomplete, but
it is a start. Mike agrees and thanks the woman, who reveals she wants to help
in some way and reveals that if you hold a mirror to a sleeping person, you can
then see the true state of the soul.
That
night, Mike goes to Bonnie’s room as she is sleeping and he is able to sneakily
hold the mirror to her face and see the true horror of her soul’s current
state.
With
that horrible revelation, Mike books a trip to Ecuador.
You
see, I actually had to look up this word Barghest to know how to spell it and I
learned a lot about the so-called creature. One of the most important things I
learned about it is in the folklore of NORTHERN ENGLAND, so unless the creature
found a boat to Ecuador (which considering it has been asleep for a thousand
years according to this film and Ecuador was only discovered by Spain in
1563…is next to impossible), there is no way you could find anything about a
Barghest in Ecuador.
Moving
on…Mike gets guided to this cliff where the drawings of the Barghest are by a
taxi driver.
The
cabbie says that the people who drew this died years ago and any information on
this painting died with them. Mike says that he has come all this way and there
must be someone who can help me on this. The cabbie reveals that his great
grandfather is a shaman in the mountains (which they say is a two day drive,
but it looks like they are able to get there on the same day) and if anyone
would know about this stuff, it would be him. Mike wants to find this shaman, but
the cab driver reveals that he won’t be able to find the shaman and instead the
shaman will find him. Mike stays at the lake that is nearby and after a while,
the shaman comes down from the mountain to find him.
Mike
sits down with the shaman and the shaman says he knows who he is (just because
of magic I guess). He explains that he needs to draw this circle on his hand.
The
shaman explains that the eye is all seeing and all penetrating. He says it will
protect him from the great evil one (the Barghest). The shaman asks how the
evil one has come to him and Mike explains it has come to him in the form of
his dog and it has taken over his wife and kids. Also, the creature somehow
kills anyone who tries to stop him. The shaman reveals that the evil has not
killed him, but Mike says it tried. The shaman reveals that Mike is among the
blessed and he has the special strength to resist the beast. The shaman then
says to speak the words in the bible about the thousand years and at the end of
a thousand years, the beast can be brought back by the evil of the Earth and
back from the deepest depths of hell.
Mike
asks how he can kill the creature and the shaman says that he can’t kill it.
Mike says there must be a way as he can’t let the creature have his wife and
children. The shaman says he could leave and be safe, but Mike refuses to run
away from his family. The shaman then reveals that it can be locked away for
another thousand years, but perhaps it may be at the price of Mike’s own soul.
Mike asks how (not caring if he has to sacrifice his own soul) and the shaman
smiles in saying that he wanted to be sure he was giving his great gift to the
right man.
The
shaman then has Mike follow him and starts creating the circle on Mike’s hand.
He explains that the creature steals the souls of those you like and turns them
against all that is right. He says those souls he has stolen no longer combine
with nature and with the great plan. He then says that to look into the
creature’s eye is to see the netherworld so do not look into its eye or he will
die too as well as tumble to the depths of hell forever. The shaman says the
Barghest fears this sign for it is the creature’s undoing. He tells Mike to
hold the symbol he is drawing on his hand to the beast’s vision and the beast
will be consumed by its own fire and called back to its master.
Mike
flies back to wherever he lives and as he drives out of the airport, he is met
by a familiar foe.
Mike
decides that he is going to lure the dog into a place he has chosen. The place
Mike has chosen is the place he works at. And how is he going to lure the dog
to that place by originally making the dog think he is chasing it with his car
and then making a turn to his place of work. Scottie wonders why Mr. Barry is
here and Mike says to just let him in, which Scottie does.
Okay,
longest caption to one of these films I have ever had out of the way, let’s get
back to the movie. Mike heads to a factory in the boiler room because that is
the perfect place to battle a beast from hell.
So
after a brief cat and mouse game where the two are looking for each other, they
find each other and the demonic dog shows his true form and I’m not kidding you
when I say the people doing the editing actually had to center the dog so it is
not part of wall.
Mike
closes his eyes and we get a battle of a shining hand and a crappy effect that
growls.
Oh
and sometimes Mike would just grab the fur for some reason.
Ultimately,
Mike wins and the Barghest is sent back to hell.
And
with the Barghest (and Lucky for that matter) sent back to where it truly
belongs for another thousand years, Mike is able to go home and his wife hugs
him, thanking god that the dog is dead.
The next day, the family is heading for a trip when the son makes a stunning revelation: that there were ten pups in that litter and they only killed one of them so what about the other nine? Mike realizes that this may be over for them, but the Barghest still maybe out there and in the souls of 9 other dogs (one of which may have caused that person to go crazy on the TV). He shows some affection for his son and then has him get in the car as they drive away because it isn’t their problem anymore.
And
so ends a movie that the producer thought would have many sequels (something he
still believes in 2005), even though it had been 27 years since the film first
aired on CBS….so yeah, that’s not happening anytime soon. The director of this
film Chris Harrington had a different take on the film, calling it complete
trash, considering it one of the worst films he has ever directed, and saying
that he only did the film because he really needed the cash.
Now
for aftermaths and I’ll save a bunch of them at the end as many of these people
are sadly no longer with us. Ike Eisenman (who played Charlie) went on to
become one of Khan’s underlings in Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan and has
found a real career in voice acting like being in several English dubs of
Miyazaki anime movies and did additional voices for one of my favorite cartoons
of all time (even if it didn’t last so long).
Kim
Richards (who played Bonnie) retired from acting in 1989 and returned to acting
in 2006, but she is now best known for being one of the Real Housewives of
Beverly Hills.
James
Reynolds (who played the cop) is still working and if you are a fan of soap
operas, you may know him as he is Abe Carver in Days Of Our Lives.
Ken
Kerchevel (who played Miles) at the same year this movie came out found his own
huge break as most will know him as…
A
bunch of people stopped acting as well (either after this movie or after a few
years (those included Martine Bestwick (who played the red haired lady) and
Yivette Mimeux (who played Betty))), but unfortunately most of the people in
this film are sadly no longer with us. Victor Jory (who played the shaman) died
four years later in 1982 of a heart attack at the age of 79. Tina Menard (who
played Maria) died in 1993 at the age of 88. R.G. Armstrong (who played
Dunworth) was in several good movies (like Predator and Children of the Corn)
before ultimately passing away in 2012 at the age of 95. Lou Frizzell (who
played George) died one year after this movie in 1979 at the age of 59 after
battling a lengthy illness. Director Curtis Harrington died two years after
doing the interview on the DVD set (where he talked about his hatred of the
film) in 2007 at the age of 80 from complications from a stroke. Finally,
Richard Crenna (who played Mike) went on to play Col. Trautman in the first 3
Rambo films (and he was also in a movie I love called Leviathan), but sadly
died in 2003 at the age 76 due to pancreatic cancer.
So what is next?
Extra Terrestrial Visitors aka Pod People??? Awesome!!!
Hahahahahaha....no, you're not that lucky. That wasn't even a choice. But it does kind of involve a being from outer space. Instead you get....
