2024 the best horror films review
Price: $49.95
(as of Nov 01, 2024 23:31:09 UTC - Details)
How did beloved movie dogs become man-killers like Cujo and his cinematic pack-mates? For the first time, here is the fascinating history of canines in horror movies and why our best friends were (and are still) painted as malevolent. Stretching back into Classical mythology, treacherous hounds are found only sporadically in art and literature until the appearance of cinema's first horror dog, Sherlock Holmes' Hound of the Baskervilles. The story intensifies through World War II's K-9 Corps to the 1970s animal horror films, which broke social taboos about the "good dog" on screen and deliberately vilified certain breeds--sometimes even fluffy lapdogs.
With behind-the-scenes insights from writers, directors, actors, and dog trainers, here are the flickering hounds of silent films through talkies and Technicolor, to the latest computer-generated brutes--the supernatural, rabid, laboratory-made, alien, feral, and trained killers. "Cave Canem (Beware the Dog)"--or as one seminal film warned, "They're not pets anymore."
Publisher : McFarland (August 7, 2023)
Language : English
Paperback : 274 pages
ISBN-10 : 1476685878
ISBN-13 : 978-1476685878
Reading age : 18 years and up
Item Weight : 10.9 ounces
Dimensions : 7 x 0.55 x 10 inches
Reviewer: Blissdog
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A must-read for horror enthusiasts and dog lovers alike!
Review: Brian Dugganâs Horror Dogs is a surprising and delightful exploration into a chilling yet oddly endearing corner of popular culture: dogs as villains, monsters, and supernatural forces in folklore and film. This meticulously researched book strikes a perfect balance between academic insight and lighthearted fun, making it a compelling read for dog lovers and horror enthusiasts alike.From the ominous Black Dogs of legend to mythological beasts from cultures around the world, Duggan traces the fearsome canines that have prowled through history. His survey stretches across continents, introducing readers to figures like the Gabriel Hounds of the Wild Hunt and Japanâs Okuri-inu, notorious for devouring those who stray from forest paths. Alongside folklore, Dugganâs cinematic countdown of 128 films featuring sinister dogs reveals just how deeply entrenched these "Manâs Best Fiends" are in our imaginations.What sets Horror Dogs apart is Dugganâs obvious affection for his subject. Despite their monstrous portrayals, he maintains the core belief that there are no bad dogsâonly dogs whoâve been cast in evil roles. His scholarly approach is tempered by humor and a love of dogs that permeates every page, culminating in a touching tribute to a beloved Saluki.Whether youâre a fan of horror or simply curious about the darker side of dog lore, Horror Dogs is an engaging and thoroughly entertaining read, packed with facts and insights that will leave you seeing canines in a whole new light. Woof!
Reviewer: Ken Gallegos
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Over one hundred years of Horror Dogs in Cinema
Review: Horror DogsMan's Best Friend as Movie Monster by Brian Patrick DugganHorror Dogs: Manâs Best Friend as Movie Monster revealed a side of Mr. Duggan that was one part Sherlockian and several parts movie horror aficionado.To write such a comprehensive and obsessively detailed book on the history of (horror) dogs in cinema from 1904 to present day required a particular kind of dedication. This book covered, in detail, over 120 movies featuring man's so called "best friend" as malevolent cinematic marauding killers.The breadth of that span, tying together common themes, trends, and departures from established killer doggie tropes, etc., was staggering. I say with love and affection that we fellow Sherlockians can be a bit obsessive, and Mr. Dugganâs dedication to this killer dog gestalt was truly impressive.Author Duggan tied together themes, evolving story lines, and differentiations of various canine breeds over the span of 120 years to write an excellent, deeply researched, and entertaining book. The content was vividly presented and as the raw cinematic trope of Horror Dogs evolved, the films became progressively bloodier and ever more cinematically realistic, frightening, and disturbing.As a special added bonus, Mr. Duggan gave Horror Dogs a special cinematic grounding: Though the theme of canines as film monsters began in 1904 with the Edison & Biography film companyâs Dog Factory, the evolving theme of horror dogs really took off with the June 1914 release of the German silent Der Hund von Baskerville. Over the next 100+ years, there would be at least 18 versions of the canonical classic The Hound of the Baskervilles from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Each of these evolving Hound versions was extensively described and ranked for movie excellence, canine terror, and adherence to the canonical Conan Doyle story.In closing, I highly recommend Brian Patrick Dugganâs excellent and spine chilling Horror Dogs: Manâs Best Friend as Movie Monster. I gave it 5 out of 5 movie obsessed stars!!
Reviewer: S. W. L.
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Fascinating read!
Review: There is so much historical, cultural, and cinematic detail crammed into this captivating book that it seems Brian Patrick Duggan would have needed several lifetimes to absorb it all. But swept up by Dugganâs delightfully easy-going, engaging style, I was introduced to a world that was shocking, surprising, funny, dark, and replete with amazing characters of both the human and furry varieties. It kept me up past my bedtime more than once. With the movies Iâd seen (and thought I knew well), Duggan revealed layers Iâd never imaginedâcasting and directing dogs, just how hard it is to make a dog look convincingly scary on film, and over a century of the evolution of the canine presence in this particularly popular film genre, from silent 2-reelers to CGI. He watched (and occasionally suffered through) over 120 films and a good many of them I will be happy never to see, content to just read his loving anecdotes. You donât have to be a dog person to find âHorror Dogsâ a fascinating read. This is deliciously rich history, delivered by an author who truly knows and loves his subject. âDanny Carnahan, author of âA Jig Before Dyingâ, âFortune Turns the Wheelâ, and âWith His Dying Breath"