Ani-MAY-tion Month: The Plague Dogs (1982)

I knew this was going to be a tough film to watch. It was from the makers of Watership Down (which I still haven't seen . . . . . . yet), and it was a movie that left an impression on most who saw it. Well, from the very first scene, it soon became apparent that this IS a tough film to watch. Very, very tough.

Not recommended for animal lovers or very young children, The Plague Dogs is a dark adventure story about two dogs who escape from a research lab. Both have endured numerous horrors, all in the name of science, at the hands of "the white coats" and neither dog wants to end up back in that situation. Ever. Not really sure of what to do out in the wild, the two escapees end up receiving guidance from a canny fox. Meanwhile, a search is organised and it looks like time is running out for the furry fugitives.

Based on the novel by Richard Adams, The Plague Dogs was adapted into movie form and directed by Martin Rosen, and the man doesn't pull any punches. It's hard to imagine people thinking of this being pitched to younger viewers, but it's also admirable that the subject matter has been dealt with in a way that will cause all viewers to be upset by what they see, and to consider just how animals are inconsiderately, and sometimes cruelly, treated.

The animals are easy to sympathise with, and easy to root for, without being transformed into anthropomorphic Disney creations. Voiced by John Hurt and Christopher Benjamin, both of the dogs are likable without ever being made cute. The bigger dog, especially, has moments in which it snaps at humans, but with good reason. Anybody/anything would react in the same way after such maltreatment. The fox (voiced by James Bolam) is a bit harder to warm to, seemingly sneaky and selfish on occasion, but as the movie develops it becomes easier to understand him, and to realise that he's just acting according to his nature.

Parents will want to vet this one, no pun intended, before deciding whether or not to let youngsters watch it, but I hope that most people realise how good, how worthwhile, it is. It's the kind of family film that we don't really see any more in the timid, sanitized products that tend to rule the box office nowadays (with one or two exceptions). I encourage families to watch the film together, to deal with the emotional turbulence, and to then discuss it after the end credits roll.

8/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Plague-Dogs-DVD-Martin-Rosen/dp/B000VIRDBA/ref=sr_1_1?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1400214738&sr=1-1&keywords=the+plague+dogs

Straight On Till Morning (1972)

This rather strange, and highly flawed, Hammer movie is all about a young woman, Brenda (Rita Tushingham), who heads to London in search of a man to give her a baby (??) and who ends up meeting beautiful Peter (Shane Briant). Their strange relationship looks like it may work out well for both of them but it also may just be a matter of time before things are revealed that Brenda will not be able to digest.

Directed by Peter Collinson and written by John Peacock, Straight On Till Morning has some interesting material hidden away amongst some terrible performances and amateurish presentation. Briant is actually quite good as the attractive, aloof Peter but Tushingham creeps into self-parody territory with her whining, fragile performance. Annie Ross fares a little better, playing a colleague/friend of Brenda, but ruins any goodwill earned by her godawful rendition of a godawful title song that pops up during the film.

The editing choices here are atrocious, and not for anyone who dislikes any movie that's cut to ribbons. This plays out like a student film, with images intercut that have little to no relevance to each other. Someone obviously thought this would be a better way to make an impact with the material and that it would impress cinema audiences enough to help them through the lame first half. It doesn't. It's the kind of pretentious nonsense easily spoofed and mocked by anyone wishing to urinate from a great height onto anything that can be classed, for better or worse, as "arty".

It's worth seeing if you like curios, and it has some interesting and bizarre little analogous stories contained within it (obviously, there are the Peter Pan references but there are also fairy tales concocted by the characters to explain facets of their own lives), but it could have been much better if put in more capable hands. As it is, fans of the bizarre will still find plenty to enjoy and fans of Hammer will want to view it as one of their more interesting releases.

6/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Ultimate-Hammer-Collection-Disc/dp/B000HN31KQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1370170749&sr=8-1&keywords=hammer+box+set