Illustration : Unknown / Les Edwards

Satan's Dog
 

Peter Wittman | US | 1982

A capable entry into the ‘killer dog’ canon of movies, Peter Wittman — who directs here for the first time — delivers a structured, evenly-paced, fairly entertaining slice of horror hokum. Lily Munster herself, Yvonne De Carlo, accords the film a touch of style and glamour as the scheming and deadly Satanist and although made in 1982, the film exudes a distinctive 70s feel.

Rich old spinster Hester Ramsey (De Carlo), lives alone in a huge mansion with only her pet Rottweiler dog, Greta, for company. She holds a grudge against her nearest kinfolk, blaming her recently deceased sister for stealing the one true love of her life: the charming Sam.

Hester hatches a plan to get even, and after uttering a demonic incantation gives Greta to her niece Audrey (Stephanie Dunnam) as a gift. That evening Audrey’s brother Stephen (David Ellzey) visits, but whilst getting into his car for the journey home, the awaiting Greta leaps out — startling him — and he dies under the wheels of an on-coming car. The police initially suspect Audrey, thinking that she is after the whole of the Ramey estate; Audrey meanwhile (in a scene with an outrageously transparent body double), finds solace in the arms of her friend Jeff (David Cullinane). 

Next in line for the murderous canine is neighbour Monique (Carolyn Greenwood), electrocuted in Audrey’s bath with a curling iron. Boyfriend Jeff follows shortly after — throttled with Greta’s metal leash; not even the investigating police are safe from Hester and her Satanic pet…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mick Glover’s Video Film Organisation, presented this supernatural horror oddity as Play Dead (the film’s rather non-descript and bemusing original title) for the British video public in July 1983 — two years before it received its official US theatrical release courtesy of Troma Inc., in 1985.

The film surfaced again in November 1986 from Portland Video off-shoot Video Vision, which issued the film in both full-length and truncated ‘1-Hour Special Edition’ variants — something of an unsavoury staple for Portland. Of course, the stills on the back of the cover and the hysterical write-up have nothing to do with actual film on the tape! 

Hard rock fans will recognise the centrepiece of the sleeve: a slightly modified version of Les Edwards' red demon used on Uriah Heep's 1982 Abominog album (Edwards' originally painted this piece in 1979 to illustrate the Graham Masterson novel The Devils of D-Day). Yet another modified variant of Edwards' demon was also used on the Mr. Video release of Riccardo Freda’s, Satan’s Altar!

 

aka :  Play Dead; Killer Dog

cast : Yvonne De Carlo, Stephanie Dunnam, David Cullinane, Glenn Kezer, Ron Jackson, David Ellzey, Jo Livingston, Carolyn Greenwood, Jeff McVey, Robert Hibbard, Desmond Dhooge, John Caroll Perry, Alex Bond Winslow, Harry Gibbs, Lori Love, Janice Grupe, Loretta Dunn