Fun fact. The Saint Bernards got along well with the people who worked on the film. When the kid started crying, one of the dogs stopped acting and actually became concerned.
If you think this movie is heartbreaking, the novel is way worse especially for Cujo. In the book you can basically know his thoughts and he's like "am I bad dog?" and other thoughts going with the poor doggo. He wasn't a bad dog or an evil one, rabies messed with his mind.
Never gotten round to read the book, but as pointed out, many things like the dog's thoughhts and such are hard to put into movie format. I think the book may make you feel worse than the movie. He wasn't evil as such, as many have pointed out, just very unwell.
Evan as someone who doesn't like dogs I always felt sad seeing the scene with him being covered with pus and blood and looking a mess. When I heard rabies victims can't evan eat or drink water properly my heart broke so much more
@@max666tallI don't remember but I think so. Because the cop who Cujo kills was the chief of Castle Rock Chief Bannerman ..Dodd was his deputy..Oh had edit. Chief Bannerman was from the Dead Zone and Dodd was the killer..
@@Aeon2Flux one of these days I need to read those books again. It's been so long I really can't remember anything like how King has no memory of writing Cujo
My mom is a vet, and when i showed her this movie she said "every dog owner should watch to see the importance of rabbies vaccines", her main problem with the movie was that in the end the mother doesn't go to a hospital to clean the wound and get a vaccine herself
Another fun fact: The Saint Bernards had to have their tails pinned down, this was accomplished by using a light strap and they made sure that the dogs weren't hurt. The reason for having to do this was because the dog actors kept wagging their tails to much.
I think in the book Tad ended up dying from heatstroke and dehydration, poor kid. Cujo was a good dog too and it was never his fault that this whole thing happened. I never watched the movie nor read the book, but seeing this now makes me want to watch it.
yup, in the book he dies from heatstroke and dehydration, and a combination of the affair and the death of Tad sees his parents divorcing, so in a classic Stephen King moment it wasn't a happy ending at all
The author Stephen King said he really regretted killing Tad at the end, and the ending of the book was also heavily criticised for this. So I guess in a way the film was King’s way of undoing that decision as he was one of the screenwriters for the film.
They cleverly edited the scene where she hits cujo with the bat, so you never see the bat actually hit cujo. because they assumed (correctly I think) that people would not want to see a dog being beaten to near death, even a rabid one that is actively trying to murder a person.
It's a relief in the book though. She beats it with that bat for ages and ages, long after her son and Cujo are both dead, until she finally passes out from exhaustion.
This review was hard for me to watch as a mom to a toddler. I cried mainly for her son and yes I felt bad for the Dog, but my heart was torn apart by the son crying and trying to help his mom.
This is true horror after learning about how lethal rabies can be and without a cure only few people have survived the brain eating thing :( When I was little I was sad after reading/ watching Old Yeller too and wondered why he couldn't live either. Then learning about how rabies affects mammals taught me why.
Ah yes, one of the few horror movies that actually scared me when I was a kid. Absolutely classic. Glad to see you finally covered Cujo. Fun fact: when I watch this movie with my grandmother, she always wanted Cujo to eat the kid. I can't remember exactly why but I think she just really wanted to see Cujo kill the kid. Yeah, my grandmother was messed up.
This movie/book is one of the most frightening things I have ever seen and I have seen almost every horror story there is. My respect to king and Teague.
As a child of the 80s, yes, we were very aware of the dangers of rabies. When I was in school, one of the teachers found a raccoon with rabies on school grounds. We missed recess because they wouldn't let any of the students outside until they made sure there wasn't any more rabid animals around.
I know it's not necessary but I can't help but imagine what a remake of cujo would look like now (like cgi-ing in the terrifying spasmodic movements of an actual rabid animal). It would be terrifying
You do not at all need to be like all those other recap channels. Hearing you go "bitch...BITCH..WHAT THE HELL?" Is one of the highlights of coming to this channel. Always grow, never change.
My four-year-old sister saw this on TV one time, and now she’s completely obsessed with it. Not exactly sure why, but she’s watched that movie more times in the past few days than I can count. 😅
Ya, I watched this movie with my grandma she was like this is awful and I was like this is such a good movie But Saint Bernard's are actually quite gentle dogs and are usually nick named nanny dogs However, if I saw my dog with a giant hole in his nose like that, I would be absolutely terrified because I love my dog
I’d recommend a Saint Bernard for anyone who wants a family dog. They’re absolutely beautiful in temperament and also very large so if you want a dog that will scare off unaware intruders you got one
if i recall right, it was pretty hard to film the movie kujo since the dog licked the makeup that was made with scrambled eggs and needed to be trained specifically for the scenes of the car by hiding toys inside as he plays searching for them, basically the dog actor was having a surprisingly fun time, ironic
dog is such a good actor in this movie also : back in the 80's you could afford a house and a family, a car and a purebred dog while having an office or blue collar job , single income household! it'd be like a 29$ min wage adjusted for inflation
Saint Bernards are large but absolute sweethearts. I had one a few years back before I got my first Caucasian shepherd and I gotta say I miss the Saint Bernards goofy and loving temperament. But my caucasians larger and also a lot better for guarding so I’m glad someone’s around the house when I’m not.
Cujo is one of my all time favorites, it's a horror classic. Dee Wallace is smokin' hot, and she plays the role perfectly. Personally, I don't understand why Dee isn't considered a "Scream Queen". Danny P, (Tad), also did a fantastic job even as a young actor.
What’s funny is my dog Nibbler a standard Boston Terrier (Rest in peace nutcase) was super aggressive towards people, men especially earned the nickname Cujo by out mailmen
This movie made me very cautious of big dogs when I was little. Didn't help that one of my aunts had a big dog that really disliked me in particular. Like, growling at me on sight. But yeah, this movie is an underrated animal horror. It's more believable because this can and could happen to people with rabied-up animals.
Back then 911 didn't exist yet, although he could have called the operator *Spoiler* If I recall correctly the book was much darker since she fights the dog but the kid dies from thirst by the time she kills it.
The dogs featured in the film would often have their tails tied down to their legs because the dogs would be enjoying themselves so much that they would wag their tails during filming. This tactic was missed once in the editing where they show Cujo from behind ready to attack and his tail is wagging energetically. Five St. Bernards were used, one mechanical head and a man in a dog costume. To make the St. Bernards attack the car, animal trainers put the dog's favorite toys inside the car so the dogs would try to get them. The foam around Cujo's mouth was made of a concoction of egg whites and sugar. The dogs caused problems on the set by constantly licking off the tasty mixture. Danny Pintauro actually bit Dee Wallace's fingers during his seizure scenes. Dee's reactions in the scene were quite real. Stephen King has admitted several times that he was so deep into his alcohol addiction at the time that he does not remember writing the book. Stephen King was inspired to write the story when he met his mechanic's intimidating dog while having his motorcycle repaired one day. After the film Dee Wallace went on record saying she hoped she'd never see another Pinto in her life. The fog in the scene where Brett encounters a sick Cujo was created by a naval fog machine. The smoke brought out the local fire department who feared the woods were burning. Young star Danny Pintauro was only six years old at the time of the movie and had not learned how to read yet. He would often have to memorize his lines from the script with the help of his mother who was always close by on location. A Rottweiller was used for some of the scenes because they couldn't get the St. Bernard to look mean enough. Karo syrup dyed red was used for fake blood. In the original Stephen King novel, Tad Trenton dies of dehydration while Donna contracts rabies from her fight with Cujo. There was a rabies scare following the incident, not mentioned in the film. The outcome of the Sharp account was not mentioned, in the book he had saved it. Stephen King said that if he could go back and change anything from one of his books it would be letting Tad live. This is why he survives in this film. Stephen King cites this film as having the most effective scare of any of the movies based on his works, referring to the jolting scare where Cujo first leaps at the passenger window of the car. Sheriff Bannerman's death is the reason that Castle Rock has a new sheriff in subsequent films and shows. The new Sheriff, Alan Pangborn, appears in The Dark Half (1993) (played by Michael Rooker), Needful Things (1993) (played by Ed Harris), and the streaming television series Castle Rock (played by Scott Glenn).
Out of all the dogs Stephen King chose the dog from Beethoven. I mean I get it such a cute looking dog becoming a monster is pretty scary. Like when in the og pet cemetery Gabe was pretty scary
St bernards were actually pretty cheap back in the day. I remeber getting a pup for free on a farm when i was a kid. St bernards were super common on farms and used as guard dogs to guard the livestock. The old saying that you couldnt give em away the same for rottweilers they were super cheap to. It wasnt until the 90s or perhaps 2000s that people started paying crazy money for purebreds. Unless it was some champion liniage they were cheap
I remember watching this with my mom and crying my eyes out, yelling at the screen for the mother to save her son. I was an emotional wreck when this movie ended.
I love how when in the book Cujo attacks Gary he is really fired up because Gary is scared.But when he starts to yell at him to come and kill him then Cujo gets confused and is unsure if he wants to attack or not anymore
So glad you reviewed this! I saw this as a kid when I wasn't supposed to and it scared the crap out of me! It's funny to hear at the beginning when they are calling Cujo's name sweetly since now anytime you hear Cujo you think of this. Kind of like if you named your kid Damien. Also, yeah 9-1-1 wasn't as prevalent in the early 80's as it is now, so you had to look up the police stations phone number in the phone book, which also coincidentally had everyone with a phone, number and home address. Ah, simpler times.
I really enjoyed this review. I just read the book for the first time and was blown away (and left heartbroken, yeah if you thought the movie was sad... this good boy deserved so much better). I thought it was incredible, and while the movie differs from the book in several areas, I still think it's a great and somewhat underrated film. It's scary, very well directed and acted, retains most of the book's feel and story, and has great effects and trickery to hide what a hilarious clusterfuck it was to try and make the Saint Bernards they used scary. The dogs they used were big fun-loving galoots whose tails had to be taped down to keep them from wagging and were tempted into attacking the car because their favorite toys were inside. And that nasty looking foam, pus and snot on Cujo's face? The concoction they used for the effect was really tasty and the dogs kept licking it off!
Yeah, and because Donna didn’t care that Cujo got bit on the nose and she saw it. Cujo probably hated her when he was rabid and attacked her for it since cujo probably remembered she didn’t tell Brett when she saw the bite wound.
Yeah Any time I see any wound on a dog of someone i know I always show the owner for a lot of reasons. I feel for the poor saint bernard. My grandparents had one and he was the biggest sweetest boy you've ever met.
unrelated but my mom got to meet the actress who played Donna in this movie. Dee Wallace is the actress's name and she also starred in E.T. as the mother. Dee appeared at a Rob Zombie event selling hand-made bracelets and no one was really around her talking to her so my mom took that chance and hung out with her the whole time! Pretty cool thing I like to bring up sometimes
Immediately had to click, my 5 year old and I watch this atleast once a week and he MADE me get a saint Bernard. 5 stars great movie (Also tad really does have a monster in his closet it's another creature from Steven King's other book I forget the name of there's so many.)
@@Passions5555 I saw someone in another comment say it's a langolier... which makes more sense since pennywise doesn't seem to leave the city he is in.
It’s the lingering presence or ghost of Frank Dodd, the serial killer from Dead Zone. Tad has the Shine and gets glimpses of his fate with Cujo as well as of Dodd’s crimes.
This is true. However, you don't have to be afraid if you are prepared in advance with weapons. I carry weapons with me ALL the time and you should too if you don't already.
ah yes,"Cujo" and "White Dog" from 1982. Both had their fine share, to mess up some People about puppys. Also reminds me of the producers of that movie, that they wanted something like Jaws with paws... :|
Having seen both on VHS back in the 80's, both are great films. The two different dogs are messed up in totally different ways, and it would be a nice addition to this one to go through "White Dog" for the channel :) Both are great Dog films.
Cool review Alteori. Cujo was both the first horror movie and also first Stephen King adaption i saw as a youngster. Me and some friends rented Cujo and Friday The 13th on VHS around 1986 for a first horror movie night. Even if the Cujo VHS tape wasnt in great shape it was the best of the movies according to all who watched. Later on i started reading all Stephen King books and have watched most of the movies as well.
This film is an underrated classic. BTW, the director of this, Lewis Teague, also would work with Stephen King again in the 1985 anthology film *Cat's Eye.* Would love to see you review that one, Alteori.
Why do people keep saying women never defended themselves in media before- because no one recognizes heroism in anything but its most basic form- the brutal empowerment fantasy. Punching someone to death or beating them with superior weapons and strategy- to win from a place of disadvantage by a stroke of luck is something we no longer recognize. In Dracula, Mina Mallory helps the men directly by supporting, leading and even going with them into the field- she is arguably the reason Dracula dies, but, no, she's rarely listed as a hero in more resent reviews because heaven forbid we recognize heroism and- heroism. No one fights dracula directly, but Van Hellsing comes the closest by killing the guy while he's asleep so- Apparently he's the hero now. So it's not that they don't see what women do in these movies, they just don't care unless its a very specific kind of action.
*The following are the musings of a Salty SEAGULL named EARL who just shows up in my posts whenever he feels like it!* [EARL the Salty SEAGULL:] 2:19 - "Alteori my dear, its probably sweat from studio lighting as those movie sets can get hot cause of the lightning! Or it was a combination of sweat and makeup! Gotta remember TVs and movie screens of the day weren't in HD either thus it probably wasn't as noticeable back then! I mean with HD these days you can see alot of details that you couldn't back in the day!" 14:10 - "Depends on where you lived as regarding national U.S. 9-1-1 coverage, by 1979, 26% of the U.S. population could dial the number. This increased to 50% by 1987 and 93% by 2000. As of March 2022, 98.9% of the U.S. population has access."
It was 1973 before the federal govt recommended that 911 be adopted nationwide but it took a while for every State, County, and town to institute it. Before that each station had its own number like calling someone’s house.
cujo and beethoven were the flims that got me to love St. Bernards when I was a kid, than as a teen my parents got me a rescued St Bernard which eventually went crazy due to kids poking him with sticks and throwing rocks at him because he would go up to the fence and bark at them when they tried sneaking into our yard to go swimming. .
4:20 the reason they didn't seem to care is that a lot of people in the states and canada (which i'm guessing this movie is based in one) has the belief that "animals will deal with it themselves". i.e a scratch or bite..... the dog will just deal with it and heal. because animals are magical and can survive anything, unless they don't, and then that was just unfortunate. Obviously people have gotten better at caring for their pets as people have started to bond with them more and not see them as property or tools as much, but the time this movie was made dogs were not cared for as much. Even with the fact that this is an expensive breed, they clearly didn't get their dog vaccinated against rabies. The first rabies vaccine was invented in 1885, Louis Pasteur was one of the men studying this vaccine and had been vaccinating dogs with it by this time. An improved version of the vaccine was released in 1908..... this movie was made in 1983. Even overestimating the time it took to make the film, lets say 10 years in production.. that still is way after the vaccines. In 1920 something, we were already fine with the idea of making it mandatory to vaccinate children and our understanding of disease was increasing; long before the time of this movie. They just didn't see the value in the dog to actually take care of them. Also, anyone else feel so bad for poor Cujo? Like yeah he killed people but we all know that he literally had no control and it wasn't his fault..... He did need to be put down but i wish there was some medication or something where it brings him back to his right mind for a little bit so that he could be given love and some good treats before he is euthanized.
1885?????????? But that's what I was thinking too lol like..... his owner KNOWS about rabies as he identified him as being rabid. WTH would you not vaccinate him especially when you own or raise other animals, or in their case, HAVE KIDS?? Even if the owner is selfish and doesn't care for his family, what about yourself???
@@Alteori There have been studies that show when we think about ourselves in the future it activates the same parts of our brain when we think about other people then ourselves. This is why we tend to procrastinate and put things off for "future us" because we are (in a way) putting the work onto someone else and we don't have to deal with it. Perhaps this is why they didn't do more to protect themselves... like they know there is a risk but that would affect future "them". Similar to i guess how people go out and get black-out drunk and then regret it the next day... yet they keep doing the same thing no matter how awful they feel... because they aren't getting punished in the moment. I'm just guessing though because i don't get it either.
14:04 911 was technically invented in 1968, but in 1983 less than half of the USA had implemented it (and that point wouldn't be reached until 1987) and relied on specific numbers for an area's police force. In this scene, Joe is flipping through a phone book in search of the local police department's phone number.
This movie frightened me so much because when I saw this as a kid our neighbor has a saint Bernard named Molly but there were holes in the face and she would try to poke her head through and bark.
I get the feeing they deliberately ended the movie that way just so people could actually go buy the book to see what happened to the wife and her injuries.
Thank you ever so much Alteori for this great Gem of a movie. I deeply agree with you that this is one of The BEST Animal Horror films ever made. On the topic of Rabies in media, the UK made a tv-series in two parts I believe about rabies entering the UK, called "The Mad Death" back in the 80's. It is "slightly" dated but very good movie. As been noted in comments, "White Dog" is another doggy film that is well worth a look. Saints are amazing dogs, not to forget, they are also big dogs too which adds to the tension. Cujo is a film where you have a dog that isn't evil in itself and so you have more sympathy for it.
the reason he is even a saint bernard in the first place is that his breed are gebtle giants with a strong protective instinct they are great with kids very chill dgs so cujo going apeshit because of rabies a not so well at the time documented disease was all the more terrifying
For the foam on the dogs used for the film they used a kind a whipped cream and egg whites mixture which caused some problems on set because the dogs would constantly lick it off their muzzles.
This is a very sad movie to watch, seeing a poor dog infected with rabies! The owners could have at least given him a rabies shot, but they neglected him for a long time. If that were my dog, I would have given him a rabies shot beforehand.
You asked if 911 was the number you always called. The answer is No. Before the time of 911, especially in more rural areas you'd have to call the Sheriff's office and figure out the number usually from the big yellow phone book that was delivered to your house. Every year or so they'd deliver a new book to keep up to date. 911 was a GODSEND! For many types of emergencies. Before then as said you had to look up the local police number or Fire department number. Medical emergencies were in their own thing altogether. In my birthyear of 1989, only 50% of U.S. citizens could dial 911. It's amazing and such a wonderful invention to help people. ❤
During the 80s people didn’t really care about their dogs as much as they do today, it was normal for your dog to roam the streets freely and if your dog got a scratch or a bite it was normal. Also Saint Bernards expensive at 1500 oml you Americans have the best prices on things ours cost 6k when we got him.
Even in THE MUMMY from the 1930s the woman saves herself. Yes, it´s always happened. People just has to adjust their thinking to the time period. Of course the woman in THE MUMMY wasn´t going to be Xena or Wonder Woman (not yet created by the way). So she handles herself in a way according to then.
I hate when people are like “I can’t make like it never happened” I HATE when people make terrible choices and act like it just “happened” to them. People take no responsibility for their own choices. It didn’t “happen” you made a choice.
4:00 thats the reason when i see little kids i will refuse to let my puppy near them, shes a 9 month old golden and she gets very excited when she sees new people or dogs(or old ones) becuse she sees possable friends. My biggest fear is her knocking a little kid over and hurting them.
I wanted a Saint Bernard once because of how they care for people and because the fluff, but now I have a cross breed of a kengal/Anatolian shepherd and a bull Arab which is still as good as a Saint Bernard, my dog is what I have always wanted in a dog, playful, loyal, loveable, cautious, adventurous and she shows symptoms for A.D.H.D and a bit of the tisim, a family member once said i am like my dog, and that they are like their dog
Yeah this book was written in King's dark coked up days, it has a much darker ending than people in today's horror world would even attempt. Also, this idea that the Gen Z'ers or Mellenials created the strong female character is just funny. Any of us over the age of 40 have been reading, watching and being just fine with the kick ass ladies of horror and sci fic for a long ass time. The modern audiences and studios just want to sell controversy so they act like Jennifer Lawrence's dumb ass about female leads. And by the way, it is not funny, but laughing at that kind of thing if very common response, don't let it bother you to much that you laugh at animal attacks.
For some reason, I always think of that scene in Halloween, where the German Shepherd starts barking at Michael Anyone would react with at least being startled He just turned slowly and looks at the dog I would imagine it was at that point the dog realized he really messed up
Fun fact. The Saint Bernards got along well with the people who worked on the film. When the kid started crying, one of the dogs stopped acting and actually became concerned.
Fun Fact: That happen so often they had to dress up a German shepherd to complete some of the scenes.
God that's some wholesome.
Wholesome dogs 🥺
They also had to tape down their tails because they were wagging them so much, just the goodest of boys and/or girls.🙂
That is
If you think this movie is heartbreaking, the novel is way worse especially for Cujo. In the book you can basically know his thoughts and he's like "am I bad dog?" and other thoughts going with the poor doggo.
He wasn't a bad dog or an evil one, rabies messed with his mind.
Never gotten round to read the book, but as pointed out, many things like the dog's thoughhts and such are hard to put into movie format. I think the book may make you feel worse than the movie. He wasn't evil as such, as many have pointed out, just very unwell.
Wasn't it implied that the killer's spirit from The Dead Zone was in Tadd's closet and in Cujo.
Evan as someone who doesn't like dogs I always felt sad seeing the scene with him being covered with pus and blood and looking a mess. When I heard rabies victims can't evan eat or drink water properly my heart broke so much more
@@max666tallI don't remember but I think so. Because the cop who Cujo kills was the chief of Castle Rock Chief Bannerman ..Dodd was his deputy..Oh had edit. Chief Bannerman was from the Dead Zone and Dodd was the killer..
@@Aeon2Flux one of these days I need to read those books again. It's been so long I really can't remember anything like how King has no memory of writing Cujo
My mom is a vet, and when i showed her this movie she said "every dog owner should watch to see the importance of rabbies vaccines", her main problem with the movie was that in the end the mother doesn't go to a hospital to clean the wound and get a vaccine herself
In the book she does go to the hospital to get treated
Wake up she does the cake is not a lie
Say no to the Rabbies vaccine..it turns you into a Jew..
I agree with your mom big time
Another fun fact: The Saint Bernards had to have their tails pinned down, this was accomplished by using a light strap and they made sure that the dogs weren't hurt. The reason for having to do this was because the dog actors kept wagging their tails to much.
Heh heh, might have hit differently looking at a savage, foamy, blood-oozing dog ripping a fat man to shreds and wagging his tail while he does it.
Most acting dogs need to have their tails strapped down or CGI'd out for that exact reason! They're just so happy and excited 💖🥺💖
I think in the book Tad ended up dying from heatstroke and dehydration, poor kid. Cujo was a good dog too and it was never his fault that this whole thing happened. I never watched the movie nor read the book, but seeing this now makes me want to watch it.
yup, in the book he dies from heatstroke and dehydration, and a combination of the affair and the death of Tad sees his parents divorcing, so in a classic Stephen King moment it wasn't a happy ending at all
@@knightbane3752 They didn't divorce though..
The author Stephen King said he really regretted killing Tad at the end, and the ending of the book was also heavily criticised for this. So I guess in a way the film was King’s way of undoing that decision as he was one of the screenwriters for the film.
They cleverly edited the scene where she hits cujo with the bat, so you never see the bat actually hit cujo. because they assumed (correctly I think) that people would not want to see a dog being beaten to near death, even a rabid one that is actively trying to murder a person.
💯💯💯💯 I still felt bad for him.
It's a relief in the book though. She beats it with that bat for ages and ages, long after her son and Cujo are both dead, until she finally passes out from exhaustion.
@@zufgh and is taken to the hospital
@@zufghfor wound healing
@@Alteori you it really funny how the bats are never appear again in the movie it odd
As someone who has owned a St Benard this was really hard to watch even as a hardcore horror fan
It must be hard to look at your dog the same way again huh?
This review was hard for me to watch as a mom to a toddler. I cried mainly for her son and yes I felt bad for the Dog, but my heart was torn apart by the son crying and trying to help his mom.
@@ladyofnoxus6733 A toddler crying for his mom is a heart-breaking thing to hear, it certainly triggers my mama-bear mode
This is true horror after learning about how lethal rabies can be and without a cure only few people have survived the brain eating thing :(
When I was little I was sad after reading/ watching Old Yeller too and wondered why he couldn't live either. Then learning about how rabies affects mammals taught me why.
Ah yes, one of the few horror movies that actually scared me when I was a kid. Absolutely classic. Glad to see you finally covered Cujo.
Fun fact: when I watch this movie with my grandmother, she always wanted Cujo to eat the kid. I can't remember exactly why but I think she just really wanted to see Cujo kill the kid. Yeah, my grandmother was messed up.
Carnosaur(1993) scared the hell out of me as a kid.
@@sjc5411 I can see why.
@@treyrex5987 are you calling them a pussy?🤨
Sorry but, that's just twisted
Plenty of people like seeing the annoying kids in movies die.
The real villain of this movie wasn’t Cujo or the Bat that bit him
It was the Rabies.
Damn rabies.
Rabie was like: imã end this dog
Nah, it was who let cujo run around and do whatever while nobody watches him
Nature being a hypocrite. Why do we worship her if she's such an ass?
It was the friends we made along the way
This movie/book is one of the most frightening things I have ever seen and I have seen almost every horror story there is.
My respect to king and Teague.
Scariest King book is Cujo.
Most depressing is Pet Sematary
Most well written is IT
@@PanzerShrek94 how was the cujo book scarier?
As a child of the 80s, yes, we were very aware of the dangers of rabies. When I was in school, one of the teachers found a raccoon with rabies on school grounds. We missed recess because they wouldn't let any of the students outside until they made sure there wasn't any more rabid animals around.
I know it's not necessary but I can't help but imagine what a remake of cujo would look like now (like cgi-ing in the terrifying spasmodic movements of an actual rabid animal). It would be terrifying
There's a 2013 one but I don't think it's any good
@@allykingston4429 where can I watch that at?
@@shaehollins5233 God knows anymore mate. Used to be Soap2Day but that got shut down by the company cunts
You do not at all need to be like all those other recap channels.
Hearing you go "bitch...BITCH..WHAT THE HELL?"
Is one of the highlights of coming to this channel.
Always grow, never change.
LOL Thanks so much. I get passionate 🤣🤣🤣🤣
...so she gets her bitch-ass back in the car. XD
St Bernards are cute and friendly and would be used for rescue dogs.
Are they the dogs with the barrels on their necks.
@@seanrosenau2088 yep they are those kind of dogs
Criminally underrated movie.
80s at its finest. Nothing that modern horror come even close to.
You don't watch enough horror, my guy.
@@lex_rodriguez Give some examples of modern horror that comes close to this, or other classic horror movies from the 80s and 90s.
@@hissatsu4937 would black phone be considered horror? I found it amazing
@@Ilovecrystals922 Nah. It's more of a thriller.
@@hissatsu4937 I love when people get up their own ass in opinion lol, that all this is an opinion
My four-year-old sister saw this on TV one time, and now she’s completely obsessed with it. Not exactly sure why, but she’s watched that movie more times in the past few days than I can count. 😅
Even at 4 years of age she has good taste! 😂
"It looks like she just drank a cup of milk...well technically she did." OMG I cracked up hysterically at that.
Ya, I watched this movie with my grandma she was like this is awful
and I was like
this is such a good movie
But Saint Bernard's are actually quite gentle dogs and are usually nick named nanny dogs
However, if I saw my dog with a giant hole in his nose like that, I would be absolutely terrified because I love my dog
I looked it up the monster is called langolier
@@Clown234-k1p wait, really? He wrote a novella with the same title.
I’d recommend a Saint Bernard for anyone who wants a family dog. They’re absolutely beautiful in temperament and also very large so if you want a dog that will scare off unaware intruders you got one
I just feel so bad for Cujo he was just so innocent.
if i recall right, it was pretty hard to film the movie kujo since the dog licked the makeup that was made with scrambled eggs and needed to be trained specifically for the scenes of the car by hiding toys inside as he plays searching for them, basically the dog actor was having a surprisingly fun time, ironic
Dee Wallace has always been one of my favorite actresses.
Yep I can definitely seen the resemblance between Cujo and the Plague of Madness episode from Primal, you should do like a pov video on Cujo one day.
i looked up if any of the animals in cujo were harmed apparently one of the dogs "stunt doubles" was a guy in a dog suit
Why did this make me laugh 😂
@@RainyDays2790 yup they had to use the guy in the dog suit for the vicious parts because the dogs wouldn't act that way
@@nunyabusiness5468 that is adorable lol
man I remember watching this movie as a little toddler. I think it was one of the reasons I'm terrified of big dogs
dog is such a good actor in this movie
also : back in the 80's you could afford a house and a family, a car and a purebred dog while having an office or blue collar job , single income household! it'd be like a 29$ min wage adjusted for inflation
dogs, plural.
the dog did a great job, but still that dog from John Carpenter's The Thing was the Al Pacino of Acting Animals
Saint Bernards are large but absolute sweethearts. I had one a few years back before I got my first Caucasian shepherd and I gotta say I miss the Saint Bernards goofy and loving temperament. But my caucasians larger and also a lot better for guarding so I’m glad someone’s around the house when I’m not.
I have a Newfoundland and they are big sweet babies too
The book was so sad. The dog’s inner monologue really showed how much of a good dog he was before the rabies got em.
Cujo was just like that poor sauropod from that episode of Primal.😰
Cujo is one of my all time favorites, it's a horror classic. Dee Wallace is smokin' hot, and she plays the role perfectly. Personally, I don't understand why Dee isn't considered a "Scream Queen". Danny P, (Tad), also did a fantastic job even as a young actor.
I think Donna might be one of the best Stephen King female protagonists.
What’s funny is my dog Nibbler a standard Boston Terrier (Rest in peace nutcase) was super aggressive towards people, men especially earned the nickname Cujo by out mailmen
Fun Fact: Donna is played by the same actress who played the mom on E.T. the previous year.
This movie made me very cautious of big dogs when I was little. Didn't help that one of my aunts had a big dog that really disliked me in particular. Like, growling at me on sight.
But yeah, this movie is an underrated animal horror. It's more believable because this can and could happen to people with rabied-up animals.
I'd say that was a good thing. Too many people are a little TOO comfortable around dogs, specifically ones they don't know...
Back then 911 didn't exist yet, although he could have called the operator
*Spoiler*
If I recall correctly the book was much darker since she fights the dog but the kid dies from thirst by the time she kills it.
The dogs featured in the film would often have their tails tied down to their legs because the dogs would be enjoying themselves so much that they would wag their tails during filming. This tactic was missed once in the editing where they show Cujo from behind ready to attack and his tail is wagging energetically.
Five St. Bernards were used, one mechanical head and a man in a dog costume.
To make the St. Bernards attack the car, animal trainers put the dog's favorite toys inside the car so the dogs would try to get them.
The foam around Cujo's mouth was made of a concoction of egg whites and sugar. The dogs caused problems on the set by constantly licking off the tasty mixture.
Danny Pintauro actually bit Dee Wallace's fingers during his seizure scenes. Dee's reactions in the scene were quite real.
Stephen King has admitted several times that he was so deep into his alcohol addiction at the time that he does not remember writing the book.
Stephen King was inspired to write the story when he met his mechanic's intimidating dog while having his motorcycle repaired one day.
After the film Dee Wallace went on record saying she hoped she'd never see another Pinto in her life.
The fog in the scene where Brett encounters a sick Cujo was created by a naval fog machine. The smoke brought out the local fire department who feared the woods were burning.
Young star Danny Pintauro was only six years old at the time of the movie and had not learned how to read yet. He would often have to memorize his lines from the script with the help of his mother who was always close by on location.
A Rottweiller was used for some of the scenes because they couldn't get the St. Bernard to look mean enough.
Karo syrup dyed red was used for fake blood.
In the original Stephen King novel, Tad Trenton dies of dehydration while Donna contracts rabies from her fight with Cujo. There was a rabies scare following the incident, not mentioned in the film. The outcome of the Sharp account was not mentioned, in the book he had saved it.
Stephen King said that if he could go back and change anything from one of his books it would be letting Tad live. This is why he survives in this film.
Stephen King cites this film as having the most effective scare of any of the movies based on his works, referring to the jolting scare where Cujo first leaps at the passenger window of the car.
Sheriff Bannerman's death is the reason that Castle Rock has a new sheriff in subsequent films and shows. The new Sheriff, Alan Pangborn, appears in The Dark Half (1993) (played by Michael Rooker), Needful Things (1993) (played by Ed Harris), and the streaming television series Castle Rock (played by Scott Glenn).
This is one of those movies where I just kept hearing things along the lines of "it's way too scary to watch" 😅
If Joe Camber was a responsible pet owner, he would've gotten Cujo vaccinated for rabies and this could've been prevented.
Out of all the dogs Stephen King chose the dog from Beethoven. I mean I get it such a cute looking dog becoming a monster is pretty scary. Like when in the og pet cemetery Gabe was pretty scary
Yeh, just wait a few years. Someone will turn out a 'Doge' horror flick with a Shiba.
St bernards were actually pretty cheap back in the day. I remeber getting a pup for free on a farm when i was a kid. St bernards were super common on farms and used as guard dogs to guard the livestock. The old saying that you couldnt give em away the same for rottweilers they were super cheap to. It wasnt until the 90s or perhaps 2000s that people started paying crazy money for purebreds. Unless it was some champion liniage they were cheap
I remember watching this with my mom and crying my eyes out, yelling at the screen for the mother to save her son. I was an emotional wreck when this movie ended.
If you like werewolf movies you should watch Bad Moon. One of the protagonists is a German shepherd named Thor. It's actually a really good movie
I love how when in the book Cujo attacks Gary he is really fired up because Gary is scared.But when he starts to yell at him to come and kill him then Cujo gets confused and is unsure if he wants to attack or not anymore
So glad you reviewed this! I saw this as a kid when I wasn't supposed to and it scared the crap out of me! It's funny to hear at the beginning when they are calling Cujo's name sweetly since now anytime you hear Cujo you think of this. Kind of like if you named your kid Damien. Also, yeah 9-1-1 wasn't as prevalent in the early 80's as it is now, so you had to look up the police stations phone number in the phone book, which also coincidentally had everyone with a phone, number and home address. Ah, simpler times.
Cujo was the only Stephen King novel I read back in school
I really enjoyed this review. I just read the book for the first time and was blown away (and left heartbroken, yeah if you thought the movie was sad... this good boy deserved so much better). I thought it was incredible, and while the movie differs from the book in several areas, I still think it's a great and somewhat underrated film. It's scary, very well directed and acted, retains most of the book's feel and story, and has great effects and trickery to hide what a hilarious clusterfuck it was to try and make the Saint Bernards they used scary. The dogs they used were big fun-loving galoots whose tails had to be taped down to keep them from wagging and were tempted into attacking the car because their favorite toys were inside. And that nasty looking foam, pus and snot on Cujo's face? The concoction they used for the effect was really tasty and the dogs kept licking it off!
I really can't call her a hero, mainly because it feels like karma. I feel more for Cujo simply because in the end he wasn't a bad dog.
Yeah, and because Donna didn’t care that Cujo got bit on the nose and she saw it. Cujo probably hated her when he was rabid and attacked her for it since cujo probably remembered she didn’t tell Brett when she saw the bite wound.
ALSO RIP David Jason Frank, Tommy Oliver, the Green Ranger, passed away last night at age 49.
Wait what?
Bet he is triple boosted
@@Clown234-k1p Yeah, he committed suicide after his second wife divorced him
Saint Bernard sits at the TOP OF THE DRIVEWAY.
This reminds me of this song lol.
Yeah Any time I see any wound on a dog of someone i know I always show the owner for a lot of reasons. I feel for the poor saint bernard. My grandparents had one and he was the biggest sweetest boy you've ever met.
unrelated but my mom got to meet the actress who played Donna in this movie. Dee Wallace is the actress's name and she also starred in E.T. as the mother. Dee appeared at a Rob Zombie event selling hand-made bracelets and no one was really around her talking to her so my mom took that chance and hung out with her the whole time! Pretty cool thing I like to bring up sometimes
Immediately had to click, my 5 year old and I watch this atleast once a week and he MADE me get a saint Bernard. 5 stars great movie
(Also tad really does have a monster in his closet it's another creature from Steven King's other book I forget the name of there's so many.)
Is the monster in the closet "It"
@@Passions5555 I saw someone in another comment say it's a langolier...
which makes more sense since pennywise doesn't seem to leave the city he is in.
@@BlackavarWD idk. I never read either book. But pennywise doesn't work either so... maybe it was christine, who knows?
@@BlackavarWD I know.
It’s the lingering presence or ghost of Frank Dodd, the serial killer from Dead Zone. Tad has the Shine and gets glimpses of his fate with Cujo as well as of Dodd’s crimes.
I saw this when I was just a baby. And I always wanted her to do some horror movies like this one
I think it’s so scary because it is so realistic. We have all seen dog maulings on tv.
That's the power of verisimilitude
This is true. However, you don't have to be afraid if you are prepared in advance with weapons. I carry weapons with me ALL the time and you should too if you don't already.
ah yes,"Cujo" and "White Dog" from 1982. Both had their fine share, to mess up some People about puppys. Also reminds me of the producers of that movie, that they wanted something like Jaws with paws... :|
Having seen both on VHS back in the 80's, both are great films. The two different dogs are messed up in totally different ways, and it would be a nice addition to this one to go through "White Dog" for the channel :) Both are great Dog films.
Cool review Alteori. Cujo was both the first horror movie and also first Stephen King adaption i saw as a youngster. Me and some friends rented Cujo and Friday The 13th on VHS around 1986 for a first horror movie night. Even if the Cujo VHS tape wasnt in great shape it was the best of the movies according to all who watched. Later on i started reading all Stephen King books and have watched most of the movies as well.
This film is an underrated classic. BTW, the director of this, Lewis Teague, also would work with Stephen King again in the 1985 anthology film *Cat's Eye.* Would love to see you review that one, Alteori.
Why do people keep saying women never defended themselves in media before- because no one recognizes heroism in anything but its most basic form- the brutal empowerment fantasy. Punching someone to death or beating them with superior weapons and strategy- to win from a place of disadvantage by a stroke of luck is something we no longer recognize. In Dracula, Mina Mallory helps the men directly by supporting, leading and even going with them into the field- she is arguably the reason Dracula dies, but, no, she's rarely listed as a hero in more resent reviews because heaven forbid we recognize heroism and- heroism. No one fights dracula directly, but Van Hellsing comes the closest by killing the guy while he's asleep so- Apparently he's the hero now.
So it's not that they don't see what women do in these movies, they just don't care unless its a very specific kind of action.
*The following are the musings of a Salty SEAGULL named EARL who just shows up in my posts whenever he feels like it!*
[EARL the Salty SEAGULL:] 2:19 - "Alteori my dear, its probably sweat from studio lighting as those movie sets can get hot cause of the lightning! Or it was a combination of sweat and makeup! Gotta remember TVs and movie screens of the day weren't in HD either thus it probably wasn't as noticeable back then! I mean with HD these days you can see alot of details that you couldn't back in the day!" 14:10 - "Depends on where you lived as regarding national U.S. 9-1-1 coverage, by 1979, 26% of the U.S. population could dial the number. This increased to 50% by 1987 and 93% by 2000. As of March 2022, 98.9% of the U.S. population has access."
Fun fact: in the book you get coju pov of the first kill and he just realized "Hes a bad dog."
It was 1973 before the federal govt recommended that 911 be adopted nationwide but it took a while for every State, County, and town to institute it. Before that each station had its own number like calling someone’s house.
I think if this were a SyFy movie it would've featured a giant bat-dog monster.
cujo and beethoven were the flims that got me to love St. Bernards when I was a kid, than as a teen my parents got me a rescued St Bernard which eventually went crazy due to kids poking him with sticks and throwing rocks at him because he would go up to the fence and bark at them when they tried sneaking into our yard to go swimming. .
4:20 the reason they didn't seem to care is that a lot of people in the states and canada (which i'm guessing this movie is based in one) has the belief that "animals will deal with it themselves". i.e a scratch or bite..... the dog will just deal with it and heal. because animals are magical and can survive anything, unless they don't, and then that was just unfortunate.
Obviously people have gotten better at caring for their pets as people have started to bond with them more and not see them as property or tools as much, but the time this movie was made dogs were not cared for as much.
Even with the fact that this is an expensive breed, they clearly didn't get their dog vaccinated against rabies. The first rabies vaccine was invented in 1885, Louis Pasteur was one of the men studying this vaccine and had been vaccinating dogs with it by this time. An improved version of the vaccine was released in 1908..... this movie was made in 1983. Even overestimating the time it took to make the film, lets say 10 years in production.. that still is way after the vaccines.
In 1920 something, we were already fine with the idea of making it mandatory to vaccinate children and our understanding of disease was increasing; long before the time of this movie. They just didn't see the value in the dog to actually take care of them.
Also, anyone else feel so bad for poor Cujo? Like yeah he killed people but we all know that he literally had no control and it wasn't his fault..... He did need to be put down but i wish there was some medication or something where it brings him back to his right mind for a little bit so that he could be given love and some good treats before he is euthanized.
1885?????????? But that's what I was thinking too lol like..... his owner KNOWS about rabies as he identified him as being rabid. WTH would you not vaccinate him especially when you own or raise other animals, or in their case, HAVE KIDS?? Even if the owner is selfish and doesn't care for his family, what about yourself???
@@Alteori There have been studies that show when we think about ourselves in the future it activates the same parts of our brain when we think about other people then ourselves.
This is why we tend to procrastinate and put things off for "future us" because we are (in a way) putting the work onto someone else and we don't have to deal with it. Perhaps this is why they didn't do more to protect themselves... like they know there is a risk but that would affect future "them". Similar to i guess how people go out and get black-out drunk and then regret it the next day... yet they keep doing the same thing no matter how awful they feel... because they aren't getting punished in the moment.
I'm just guessing though because i don't get it either.
The late 1970s/early 1980s were a very moist period in film history. Even the scenery was sweating.
14:04
911 was technically invented in 1968, but in 1983 less than half of the USA had implemented it (and that point wouldn't be reached until 1987) and relied on specific numbers for an area's police force.
In this scene, Joe is flipping through a phone book in search of the local police department's phone number.
This was the only movie I was scared of it’s an amazing horror movie
This movie frightened me so much because when I saw this as a kid our neighbor has a saint Bernard named Molly but there were holes in the face and she would try to poke her head through and bark.
The kids acting was SO GOOD! I wanted to hug him!
I get the feeing they deliberately ended the movie that way just so people could actually go buy the book to see what happened to the wife and her injuries.
4:10 no way any good pet owners let something like that slide. Even my whole family will give an uproar about it until we know the puppy is safe.
Thank you ever so much Alteori for this great Gem of a movie. I deeply agree with you that this is one of The BEST Animal Horror films ever made. On the topic of Rabies in media, the UK made a tv-series in two parts I believe about rabies entering the UK, called "The Mad Death" back in the 80's. It is "slightly" dated but very good movie.
As been noted in comments, "White Dog" is another doggy film that is well worth a look. Saints are amazing dogs, not to forget, they are also big dogs too which adds to the tension. Cujo is a film where you have a dog that isn't evil in itself and so you have more sympathy for it.
Imagine an animated version of this movie lol.
I would definitely watch that. 😁
*I was just talking about him 2 hours before you posted this video.*
I like the movie ending more than the book ending BECAUSE THE KID DOESN'T DIE!! Neither he nor the dog deserves what happens to them.
the reason he is even a saint bernard in the first place is that his breed are gebtle giants with a strong protective instinct they are great with kids very chill dgs so cujo going apeshit because of rabies a not so well at the time documented disease was all the more terrifying
For the foam on the dogs used for the film
they used a kind a whipped cream and egg whites mixture which caused some problems on set because the dogs would constantly lick it off their muzzles.
15:23 apparently bears just rarely get infected by rabies extremely rarely in fact
Such a classic. It’s an honor to have seen this movie as a child.
I have the DVD of this movie it's my favorite animal horror movies
Alternative Opening Scene: "I love you, Mr. Bubz. Do you love me too? No?? Oh no!!" **RAaEeAeEHh!!**
This is a very sad movie to watch, seeing a poor dog infected with rabies! The owners could have at least given him a rabies shot, but they neglected him for a long time.
If that were my dog, I would have given him a rabies shot beforehand.
The book is really incredible because you get to hear the internal thoughts of Cujo
It’s really sad
I glad you reviewing this it's still scaring me 35 years later since I was three I got two DVDs of the movie
Funny and good review as always. I watched this movie one time and it’s one of those that has stuck with me since.
I'm old enough to remember when the police, fire department and paramedics had to be dialed separately. I imagine it was more so in rural areas.
You asked if 911 was the number you always called.
The answer is No. Before the time of 911, especially in more rural areas you'd have to call the Sheriff's office and figure out the number usually from the big yellow phone book that was delivered to your house. Every year or so they'd deliver a new book to keep up to date.
911 was a GODSEND! For many types of emergencies. Before then as said you had to look up the local police number or Fire department number. Medical emergencies were in their own thing altogether. In my birthyear of 1989, only 50% of U.S. citizens could dial 911. It's amazing and such a wonderful invention to help people. ❤
During the 80s people didn’t really care about their dogs as much as they do today, it was normal for your dog to roam the streets freely and if your dog got a scratch or a bite it was normal. Also Saint Bernards expensive at 1500 oml you Americans have the best prices on things ours cost 6k when we got him.
Even in THE MUMMY from the 1930s the woman saves herself.
Yes, it´s always happened. People just has to adjust their thinking to the time period. Of course the woman in THE MUMMY wasn´t going to be Xena or Wonder Woman (not yet created by the way). So she handles herself in a way according to then.
Get yo a** in the car I'm 💀 lmao from the afterlife with god 😂🤣👀 great review alteori.
The man milk gets me every time I hear it now
I hate when people are like “I can’t make like it never happened” I HATE when people make terrible choices and act like it just “happened” to them. People take no responsibility for their own choices. It didn’t “happen” you made a choice.
In case you were curious, 9-1-1 was started in 1968, but even by the late 1980s, only 50% of the country could access it.
Love your videos A+ keep them rolling!
The Alt light in the car terrified me for years
4:00 thats the reason when i see little kids i will refuse to let my puppy near them, shes a 9 month old golden and she gets very excited when she sees new people or dogs(or old ones) becuse she sees possable friends. My biggest fear is her knocking a little kid over and hurting them.
Alteori, there’s a cool show called paw patrol. After all these dog horror movies you’re going through, you’re gonna need it in your system
I wanted a Saint Bernard once because of how they care for people and because the fluff, but now I have a cross breed of a kengal/Anatolian shepherd and a bull Arab which is still as good as a Saint Bernard, my dog is what I have always wanted in a dog, playful, loyal, loveable, cautious, adventurous and she shows symptoms for A.D.H.D and a bit of the tisim, a family member once said i am like my dog, and that they are like their dog
Yeah this book was written in King's dark coked up days, it has a much darker ending than people in today's horror world would even attempt. Also, this idea that the Gen Z'ers or Mellenials created the strong female character is just funny. Any of us over the age of 40 have been reading, watching and being just fine with the kick ass ladies of horror and sci fic for a long ass time. The modern audiences and studios just want to sell controversy so they act like Jennifer Lawrence's dumb ass about female leads.
And by the way, it is not funny, but laughing at that kind of thing if very common response, don't let it bother you to much that you laugh at animal attacks.
For some reason, I always think of that scene in Halloween, where the German Shepherd starts barking at Michael
Anyone would react with at least being startled
He just turned slowly and looks at the dog
I would imagine it was at that point the dog realized he really messed up