Three woofs up, Michael, for this very enjoyable post, That Dead Calm film is really unforgettable. The scene when Sam Neill dives to explore the sunken boat is really eerie and amazing. I guess my favorite dog is Pete the Dog aka Petey, in the Our Gang comedies, later called The Little Rascals. He had a circle around his eye. How cute!
I agree! Dead Calm was creepy and eerie. I'd love to see it again, as it has been more than 30 years since I saw it. I also love Petey with the circle around his eye. I loved watching the Our Gang/The Little Rascals shorts when I was a kid.
@@julieborel3043 Yes, Julie. I also saw it long ago but have never forgotten it. The acting by the three leads is excellent with Billy Zane an all time terrifying psycho. The direction and cinematography are first rate too.
@@willieluncheonette5843 I remember that I saw it on VHS. I got it from a small but wonderful neighborhood movie rental store that closed long ago. The clerk there recommended it. I thought it was great and am surprised I haven't watched it again since then. I plan to look for it.
@@willieluncheonette5843 I saw Dead Calm on VHS that I got at a small but wonderful neighborhood movie rental store that closed long ago. The clerk there recommended it. I thought it was great and am surprised I haven't watched it again since then. I plan to look for it.
@@willieluncheonette5843 For some reason, RUclips keeps deleting my reply. I will reword it and try again. Here goes. I rented Dead Calm from a small but wonderful neighborhood movie rental store that closed long ago. The clerk there recommended it. I thought it was great and am surprised I haven't watched it again since then. I plan to look for it.
Hey again, Mike, I think it's safe to say that felines have been less prominent on movie screens than their canine cousins, as there seems to be more dog people in the world than cat people (of course the two categories are not mutually exclusive), and dogs have had a usefulness in human society that cats, for all their charm, cannot match. And dogs are trainable actors, capable of giving very effective performances. One of the earliest silent film stars was a dog, Rin Tin Tin. Here are some additional memorable cinematic turns by our beloved canine companions: --Dorothy's faithful Toto (played by Terry) in 'The Wizard of Oz' (1939) --the mother ruefully feeding the household dog the handful of food she had hoped would nourish young Apu in Satyajit Ray's beautiful first film 'Pather Panchali' (1955) --the heartbreaking confrontation with his pet's incurable disease that thrusts Travis (played by Tommy Kirk) into manhood in 'Old Yeller' (1957), with the beloved dog played by Spike --the lovable street hounds running free in Jacques Tati's classic satirical comedy 'Mon oncle' (1958) --the wonderful performance by Tiger as Blood (voiced by Tim McIntire), the mutant dog in the 1975 post-apocalyptic black comedy 'A Boy and His Dog', directed by L. Q. Jones --the frightened dog whimpering offscreen when witnessing the Stalker's young daughter's otherworldly powers in Andrei Tarkovsky's science fiction masterpiece 'Stalker' (1979) --the infamous, invading "Bumpus" hounds in Bob Clark's 1983 sentimental favorite 'A Christmas Story' edited to correct the chronology of my citations
These two fun videos highlight a key difference between cats and dogs in cinema... Dogs are Actors; Cats are more like movie Extras. Jed features in my A-Z of Villains montage, under T for Thing 😁👍.
Hello Michael 😀I found your channel recently and really enjoyed your videos about Japanese cinema. It's a pleasure to hear your thoughts in general and we have lots in common. Since Japanese cinema is my passion and they really love dogs over there too, let me just say in my modest opinion two very special films could be in such a list --- ANTARCTICA (1983) starring the brilliant Ken Takakura directed by Koreyoshi Kurahara and soundtrack by Vangelis. Also, a bonus idea would be HACHIKO (1987) starring the legend Tatsuya Nakadai. Sorry, I couldn't help myself, these films are quite obvious dog films, but I love them very much and am curious to know your thoughts on them too, Lol. By the way, great list! Thank you.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the vids on Japanese cinema. But you've caught me out here. I haven't seen either film. Looks like they remade the second one with Richard Gere! (Lovely dog)
Do you remember the 20th Century-Fox film The Mephisto Waltz? The dog had a human face, just like Philip Kaufman's Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Another film people often forget was The Pack. A 1977 Warner Bros. film with Joe Don Baker as the main protagonist. The story centers around dogs being disowned by their owners and becoming feral, and they start attacking the local island inhabitants.
@julieborel3043 No problem. It's always good to hear some outsiders that never get mentioned much these days. I think The Pack was re-made, but I never saw the new version of The Pack.
The Mephisto Waltz has long been a huge guilty pleasure of mine. But isn't it weird - I don't remember the dog! I do remember Jacqueline Bisset, however...
@michaelbartlettfilm Doberman's head wearing the Halloween mask. Goldsmiths score is probably another stand-out element. Outstandingly creepy score and his least accessible.
Another fun and interesting video! 😀👍 As I thought of movies with dogs in them, and after ruling out all in which a dog was the title character or played a major character, the first film that came to mind in which a dog made an incidental appearance or played an incidental role was the police procedural noir "He Walked By Night" (1948). I haven't seen it recently, but as I recall the dog is in just two scenes. In the first one, the fugitive cop-killer psychopath (played by Richard Basehart) is smiling at, petting, and feeding his dog. This is the one thing in the film that gives the character a bit of humanity, as no information is provided regarding his backstory or personal life. The other scene with the dog is near the end when the dog alerts the fugitive that there is someone outside. (The police have figured out who he is and where he is staying and are sneaking around outside, surrounding the place.) I'm not sure why this particular film popped into my mind so quickly. I do like it a lot, but it's not a top favorite. For some reason, I remember that dog.
@@michaelbartlettfilm The dog isn't a necessary character, and I'm pretty sure the dog is only on screen briefly in two scenes, and the script could easily have been written without having a dog. But for some reason, I remember the dog. I think it's because it seemed to me that the fugitive loved the dog and that was about the only nice thing about him that we saw.
@@julieborel3043 And that's the kind of doggie/catty appearance I was looking for. Just a dog who appears in the background and catches the attention. (I mean, anything that upstages Richard Basehart is a plus... Tee hee!)
@@michaelbartlettfilm I generally like Richard Basehart well enough, and I think he does a good job in this film. (But I also like Anthony Andrews and I know you don't, so maybe you disagree. 😆)
Bullseye in David Lean's Oliver Twist. There's a fantastic scene where Nancy is murdered (bear with me!) and Lean uses the technique of portraying violence by showing another's reaction to it - in this case, the dog's very believable fear. It's brilliantly done, and I hope the doggy got a steak.
Ah, that's a good call. Yes, I should absolutely have mentioned that scene. It's quite brilliant (as is the whole film, maybe the best Dickens adaptation ever)
Three woofs up, Michael, for this very enjoyable post, That Dead Calm film is really unforgettable. The scene when Sam Neill dives to explore the sunken boat is really eerie and amazing.
I guess my favorite dog is Pete the Dog aka Petey, in the Our Gang comedies, later called The Little Rascals. He had a circle around his eye. How cute!
I agree! Dead Calm was creepy and eerie. I'd love to see it again, as it has been more than 30 years since I saw it. I also love Petey with the circle around his eye. I loved watching the Our Gang/The Little Rascals shorts when I was a kid.
@@julieborel3043 Yes, Julie. I also saw it long ago but have never forgotten it. The acting by the three leads is excellent with Billy Zane an all time terrifying psycho. The direction and cinematography are first rate too.
@@willieluncheonette5843 I remember that I saw it on VHS. I got it from a small but wonderful neighborhood movie rental store that closed long ago. The clerk there recommended it. I thought it was great and am surprised I haven't watched it again since then. I plan to look for it.
@@willieluncheonette5843 I saw Dead Calm on VHS that I got at a small but wonderful neighborhood movie rental store that closed long ago. The clerk there recommended it. I thought it was great and am surprised I haven't watched it again since then. I plan to look for it.
@@willieluncheonette5843 For some reason, RUclips keeps deleting my reply. I will reword it and try again. Here goes. I rented Dead Calm from a small but wonderful neighborhood movie rental store that closed long ago. The clerk there recommended it. I thought it was great and am surprised I haven't watched it again since then. I plan to look for it.
Viz's silly strip "Black Bag - the Faithful Border Bin-liner' is a superb homage to Lassie.
Oh, God, I remember that! Haven't read Viz in ages. Great fun.
Hey again, Mike, I think it's safe to say that felines have been less prominent on movie screens than their canine cousins, as there seems to be more dog people in the world than cat people (of course the two categories are not mutually exclusive), and dogs have had a usefulness in human society that cats, for all their charm, cannot match. And dogs are trainable actors, capable of giving very effective performances. One of the earliest silent film stars was a dog, Rin Tin Tin.
Here are some additional memorable cinematic turns by our beloved canine companions:
--Dorothy's faithful Toto (played by Terry) in 'The Wizard of Oz' (1939)
--the mother ruefully feeding the household dog the handful of food she had hoped would nourish young Apu in Satyajit Ray's beautiful first film 'Pather Panchali' (1955)
--the heartbreaking confrontation with his pet's incurable disease that thrusts Travis (played by Tommy Kirk) into manhood in 'Old Yeller' (1957), with the beloved dog played by Spike
--the lovable street hounds running free in Jacques Tati's classic satirical comedy 'Mon oncle' (1958)
--the wonderful performance by Tiger as Blood (voiced by Tim McIntire), the mutant dog in the 1975 post-apocalyptic black comedy 'A Boy and His Dog', directed by L. Q. Jones
--the frightened dog whimpering offscreen when witnessing the Stalker's young daughter's otherworldly powers in Andrei Tarkovsky's science fiction masterpiece 'Stalker' (1979)
--the infamous, invading "Bumpus" hounds in Bob Clark's 1983 sentimental favorite 'A Christmas Story'
edited to correct the chronology of my citations
Fantastic choices, Barry. I'd forgotten the whimpering at the end of Stalker, despite seeing that film several times!
Waits with bated breath for Chewbacca!!!!! Geddin' there.
Psst! Is he a big dog, then?
Can’t argue with No 1 - what a dog!
I also like the two dogs enjoying Dr Reeves’ camera obscura in “A Matter Of Life & Death”. It’s the ears. 😁
@@euansinclair5293 I think they were Michael Powell's own dogs!
These two fun videos highlight a key difference between cats and dogs in cinema... Dogs are Actors; Cats are more like movie Extras.
Jed features in my A-Z of Villains montage, under T for Thing 😁👍.
Noice! Saw that vid and really enjoyed it. (Jed easily one of the top three villains you mentioned - he's grrreat! Oh, hang on, that's a tiger...)
My favourite would have to be Benny in The War of the Roses. I choose to believe that he didn't end up as pate! ..."Benny? " :-)
Wow, that takes me back. Good choice!
Don't forget Toto from Wizard of Oz
Ah, yes. Poor Toto. He always looked a bit bored to me.
Hello Michael 😀I found your channel recently and really enjoyed your videos about Japanese cinema. It's a pleasure to hear your thoughts in general and we have lots in common. Since Japanese cinema is my passion and they really love dogs over there too, let me just say in my modest opinion two very special films could be in such a list --- ANTARCTICA (1983) starring the brilliant Ken Takakura directed by Koreyoshi Kurahara and soundtrack by Vangelis. Also, a bonus idea would be HACHIKO (1987) starring the legend Tatsuya Nakadai. Sorry, I couldn't help myself, these films are quite obvious dog films, but I love them very much and am curious to know your thoughts on them too, Lol. By the way, great list! Thank you.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the vids on Japanese cinema. But you've caught me out here. I haven't seen either film. Looks like they remade the second one with Richard Gere! (Lovely dog)
I was thinking of the dog that attacks his owner the Major in Tales From The Crypt (1972)
Oh, yes, good one! I bloody love that story.
Do you remember the 20th Century-Fox film The Mephisto Waltz? The dog had a human face, just like Philip Kaufman's Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Another film people often forget was The Pack. A 1977 Warner Bros. film with Joe Don Baker as the main protagonist. The story centers around dogs being disowned by their owners and becoming feral, and they start attacking the local island inhabitants.
I remember both of these films! 👍 I haven't thought about them in years. Thanks for the reminder!
@julieborel3043 No problem. It's always good to hear some outsiders that never get mentioned much these days. I think The Pack was re-made, but I never saw the new version of The Pack.
The Mephisto Waltz has long been a huge guilty pleasure of mine. But isn't it weird - I don't remember the dog! I do remember Jacqueline Bisset, however...
@michaelbartlettfilm Doberman's head wearing the Halloween mask. Goldsmiths score is probably another stand-out element. Outstandingly creepy score and his least accessible.
Another fun and interesting video! 😀👍 As I thought of movies with dogs in them, and after ruling out all in which a dog was the title character or played a major character, the first film that came to mind in which a dog made an incidental appearance or played an incidental role was the police procedural noir "He Walked By Night" (1948). I haven't seen it recently, but as I recall the dog is in just two scenes. In the first one, the fugitive cop-killer psychopath (played by Richard Basehart) is smiling at, petting, and feeding his dog. This is the one thing in the film that gives the character a bit of humanity, as no information is provided regarding his backstory or personal life. The other scene with the dog is near the end when the dog alerts the fugitive that there is someone outside. (The police have figured out who he is and where he is staying and are sneaking around outside, surrounding the place.) I'm not sure why this particular film popped into my mind so quickly. I do like it a lot, but it's not a top favorite. For some reason, I remember that dog.
That's interesting. I remember Richard Basehart but not the dog! I've got that film on disc somewhere - I'll fish it out.
@@michaelbartlettfilm The dog isn't a necessary character, and I'm pretty sure the dog is only on screen briefly in two scenes, and the script could easily have been written without having a dog. But for some reason, I remember the dog. I think it's because it seemed to me that the fugitive loved the dog and that was about the only nice thing about him that we saw.
@@julieborel3043 And that's the kind of doggie/catty appearance I was looking for. Just a dog who appears in the background and catches the attention. (I mean, anything that upstages Richard Basehart is a plus... Tee hee!)
@@michaelbartlettfilm I generally like Richard Basehart well enough, and I think he does a good job in this film. (But I also like Anthony Andrews and I know you don't, so maybe you disagree. 😆)
@@julieborel3043 Basehart is very over the top in his Columbo episode with Honor Blackman. Have you seen it?
Bullseye in David Lean's Oliver Twist. There's a fantastic scene where Nancy is murdered (bear with me!) and Lean uses the technique of portraying violence by showing another's reaction to it - in this case, the dog's very believable fear. It's brilliantly done, and I hope the doggy got a steak.
Ah, that's a good call. Yes, I should absolutely have mentioned that scene. It's quite brilliant (as is the whole film, maybe the best Dickens adaptation ever)