Monster Dog (1984) - Movie Review

Vince Raven (Alice Cooper) has left his tiny, one-horse hometown far behind and become a famous rock singer. However, it’s been decided that he’ll return home to film his next music video. Upon returning he runs into the sheriff whose known Vince since his childhood. He heeds Vince a warning, telling him about recent bizarre, gruesome murders that have occurred around town which makes Vince believe that the werewolves he had known about and possibly encountered when he was a boy were still around. It turns out that Vince may have more to fear from the paranoid townsfolk than the wild dogs running amok as if possessed by a sinister force.

Ah, the 1980’s; was there ever a better year for horror? It’s certainly debatable. Monster Dog contains everything there is to love and dislike about horror movies from the era (perhaps even in general). 

Sidenote: If you really do want to debate it, my buddy John of the Dead can help you kickstart your discussion. 

Bad acting – check; it was a blast watching Alice Cooper take the lead in a horror film, but it’s a good thing he stuck to music. The supporting cast doesn’t do themselves any favors either, but that’s half the fun (even the dogs that are supposed to be blood thirsty mongrels seem clueless and bored half the time, but they know how to chase people). 

Bad audio – check. It’s an Italian movie that was later overdubbed in English. I can’t tell if Alice Cooper overdubbed his lines, but my money is on no.

Nudity – nope; passable story – check. Good special effects with nicely applied gore – big check. Unfortunately, the main creature is so large, only its head could fit into a shot. No arms, no torso; just a giant head that looks like it should have ten Chinese celebrators enjoying the New Year. It’s like one giant sock puppet with ears and teeth. 

 Monster Dog comes to us courtesy of director/writer Claudio Fragasso under the name Clyde Anderson (one of several pseudonyms). He’s probably better known as Drake Floyd, the writer/director of the globally, critically lambasted Troll 2 and helped take the reins of Zombi 3 (he was also the writer) after Lucio Fulci’s abrupt departure from filming.

Monster Dog is a bad movie, but in the glory days of cheesiness and absurdity that were the 1980’s, it does exactly what it was intended to do – tell a story and spill some blood. Alice Cooper (with his cool factor) in the lead role is definitely a bonus. His acting isn’t. He’s Freddy Krueger’s daddy, damnit!