A Boy and His Dog

A Boy and His Dog (1975)

Runtime: 91 minutes

Directed by: L.Q. Jones

Starring: Don Johnson, Susanne Benton, Alvy Moore, Jason Robards, the voice of Tim McIntire

From: LQ/JAF

Yes, I saw this movie on YouTube because its setting is the far-flung future of… 2024. The fact that it starred Don Johnson, his cohort was a far more intelligent canine who communicates w/ him telepathically and the plot is based on a novella by Harlan Ellison-color me intrigued. I’ve never played the Fallout games but do know this was a heavy inspiration.

My overall reaction: what an odd movie this was. The setup is that this is a post-apocalyptic tale set in a 2024 desert due to World War IV happening in 2007 (they said that World War 3 lasted from 1960 to 1983… so yeah, the Cold War) where Johnson plays Vic, typically referred to as Albert by his mutt dog Blood; the reason why is incredibly arcane, so it’s easier for me to direct you to the film’s Wiki page rather than attempt an explanation. It needs to be said now that Vic is a typical teenager; in this world, it means that “to get laid”, it requires… sexual assault. That isn’t shown but that doesn’t mean there isn’t misogyny, as I’ll mention in a moment.

In hindsight, it shouldn’t be a surprise that in a world with a telepathic dog, there would be a bizarre sect underground who would want Johnson for, ahem, “propagating the species” reasons. Currently on Letterboxd, the film’s tagline is listed as “a rather kinky tale of survival.” Bluntly stated, the film is quite horny! It is a memorable world where I was fascinated by the shanty towns that would form in such a setting; the only films available for viewing being old stag ones—what a story choice. So is Blood finding women for Vic to assault. The cast is fine and I enjoyed the 70’s electronic score (done in part by Ray Manzarek of The Doors-who had his name misspelled in the credits); what a film produced by someone from the Green Acres TV show (Alvy Moore, who also has a supporting role) and directed by B-movie actor L.Q. Jones. What a feat it was roping Jason Robards into a bizarre sci-fi picture.

There are accusations of misogyny; for certain, by our 2024 standards, that is a charge I can’t deny. There is a lead girl that enters the picture-many won’t appreciate how she’s treated… nor the final line of the movie that is in reference to her. It is rather dark and morbid; that controversial moment wasn’t in Ellison’s work and he made it clear he was not a fan. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have been surprised that an Ellison story would have challenging protagonists, or controversial moments. At least the dog delivered plenty of sarcastic barbs.