Because I can, I spend a reasonable amount of cyber-ink talking about films beyond the usual Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror.
Simply put, that’s the beauty of running my own shop. While I spend clearly the lion’s share of my time amping up the Daily Citation Pages, penning columns about the nature of fandom and its films, and reviewing a great share of flicks associated with the realms of the Fantastic, I – like so many of you – prefer having a bit of variety in my entertainment diet. As such, I’ll venture outside those lines into occasional critiques of Thrillers, Westerns, Film-Noir and Neo-Noir, and more. It’s good to do not only because it widens my perspective but also because it challenges me to remain fresh in the ways I evaluate storytelling. Not everything need have a droid, you know, and I’m glad you’re all still sharing this wild ride with me.
Today’s delight: a late 1970’s Political Thriller titled A Dog Called … Vengeance.
“Why?” you ask.
Written (in part) and directed by Antonio Isasi-Isasmendi, it’s the story of a man and a dog thrown together across miles and miles of unforgiving terrain as they endure one of the wildest chases on theatrical record. Just so you know, the Walt Disney Company – back in the day – made a good number of pictures about dogs and cats heading against all odds across country in order to find their way home (or achieve some other such goal), but this is – most definitely – not a Walt Disney production. The man and the dog are at odds with one another; and man’s best friend is – if you’ll pardon the expression – understandably out for blood. Thankfully, there’s a good deal of political commentary woven along the way, so this one both is and isn’t about one immortal chase. I’d argue that it’s centrally about the refusal of forces to stop until they achieve noble goals; and sometimes that comes at a consequence … like a life-ending bullet.
Furthermore, Severin reports that this Vengeance has never been given a proper North American disc release; and it’s somewhat easy to see why. The film boasts several action and fight sequences that – while not all that bloody or gruesome – suggest that some liberties could’ve been taken in order to get the animal actors to behave in such a fashion. Thankfully, the flick opens with a title card which states categorically that no harm came to any of the beasts in the making of this story. Assurances accepted, this dog finally gets its day with this pressing from Severin, and I think it’s definitely worth a glance for those who appreciate a bit of politics in their entertainment diet.
Simply put, that’s the beauty of running my own shop. While I spend clearly the lion’s share of my time amping up the Daily Citation Pages, penning columns about the nature of fandom and its films, and reviewing a great share of flicks associated with the realms of the Fantastic, I – like so many of you – prefer having a bit of variety in my entertainment diet. As such, I’ll venture outside those lines into occasional critiques of Thrillers, Westerns, Film-Noir and Neo-Noir, and more. It’s good to do not only because it widens my perspective but also because it challenges me to remain fresh in the ways I evaluate storytelling. Not everything need have a droid, you know, and I’m glad you’re all still sharing this wild ride with me.
Today’s delight: a late 1970’s Political Thriller titled A Dog Called … Vengeance.
“Why?” you ask.
- Because I can.
- Because this wonderfully ditty drew my attention thanks to the fine folks at Severin Films.
Written (in part) and directed by Antonio Isasi-Isasmendi, it’s the story of a man and a dog thrown together across miles and miles of unforgiving terrain as they endure one of the wildest chases on theatrical record. Just so you know, the Walt Disney Company – back in the day – made a good number of pictures about dogs and cats heading against all odds across country in order to find their way home (or achieve some other such goal), but this is – most definitely – not a Walt Disney production. The man and the dog are at odds with one another; and man’s best friend is – if you’ll pardon the expression – understandably out for blood. Thankfully, there’s a good deal of political commentary woven along the way, so this one both is and isn’t about one immortal chase. I’d argue that it’s centrally about the refusal of forces to stop until they achieve noble goals; and sometimes that comes at a consequence … like a life-ending bullet.
Furthermore, Severin reports that this Vengeance has never been given a proper North American disc release; and it’s somewhat easy to see why. The film boasts several action and fight sequences that – while not all that bloody or gruesome – suggest that some liberties could’ve been taken in order to get the animal actors to behave in such a fashion. Thankfully, the flick opens with a title card which states categorically that no harm came to any of the beasts in the making of this story. Assurances accepted, this dog finally gets its day with this pressing from Severin, and I think it’s definitely worth a glance for those who appreciate a bit of politics in their entertainment diet.
(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A political prisoner in a South American dictatorship escapes and is pursued throughout the country by a bloodthirsty dog.”
To my surprise, I don’t see a great deal written about director Isasi-Isasmendi or A Dog Called … Vengeance online. Most of the information dealing with Vengeance clearly comes from the published details from Severin Films (in the build-up to its release), and – for all intents and purposes – Isasi-Isasmendi appears to have been just another cog in the global entertainment machine, albeit working exclusively in the Spanish franchise. The storyteller’s Wikipedia.org summation is about as bland as one you might stumble across in researching any modestly notable name from the past, so I’m somewhat disappointed that I can’t give the man’s perspective greater depth.
However, that doesn’t diminish the efficiency of Vengeance.
Aristides Ungria (played by The Exorcist’s Jason Miller) is a political prisoner whose impeccable memory of names, dates, and places makes him a high value target for Central American dictator Leonides Arevalo (Vicente Bañó). Rather than have the dissident killed, Arevalo keeps his adversaries locked away in the event that their knowledge might be useful to his regime at some point in the future. But a surprise opportunity develops for Ungria when his prison transport breaks down and nearly topples off the side of a cliff, so the man seizes the rare opportunity and runs for the hills and valleys.
It isn’t long before a deadly tracker and his vicious dog – the very one from the title – closes in on Ungria; and the former educator has no other choice but surrender or be mauled for his efforts. While he’s held captive in the wild, Ungria manages to distract his hunter long enough to accidentally trigger a weapon’s discharge that cuts the man down. Before he succumbs to his wound, the tracker instructs his faithful canine to kill … and thus the chase begins.
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A political prisoner in a South American dictatorship escapes and is pursued throughout the country by a bloodthirsty dog.”
To my surprise, I don’t see a great deal written about director Isasi-Isasmendi or A Dog Called … Vengeance online. Most of the information dealing with Vengeance clearly comes from the published details from Severin Films (in the build-up to its release), and – for all intents and purposes – Isasi-Isasmendi appears to have been just another cog in the global entertainment machine, albeit working exclusively in the Spanish franchise. The storyteller’s Wikipedia.org summation is about as bland as one you might stumble across in researching any modestly notable name from the past, so I’m somewhat disappointed that I can’t give the man’s perspective greater depth.
However, that doesn’t diminish the efficiency of Vengeance.
Aristides Ungria (played by The Exorcist’s Jason Miller) is a political prisoner whose impeccable memory of names, dates, and places makes him a high value target for Central American dictator Leonides Arevalo (Vicente Bañó). Rather than have the dissident killed, Arevalo keeps his adversaries locked away in the event that their knowledge might be useful to his regime at some point in the future. But a surprise opportunity develops for Ungria when his prison transport breaks down and nearly topples off the side of a cliff, so the man seizes the rare opportunity and runs for the hills and valleys.
It isn’t long before a deadly tracker and his vicious dog – the very one from the title – closes in on Ungria; and the former educator has no other choice but surrender or be mauled for his efforts. While he’s held captive in the wild, Ungria manages to distract his hunter long enough to accidentally trigger a weapon’s discharge that cuts the man down. Before he succumbs to his wound, the tracker instructs his faithful canine to kill … and thus the chase begins.
And, effectively, that’s really all the set-up that’s required to make for an effective thriller that’s equal parts ‘chase film’ and ‘political commentary.’ No matter how far Ungria makes it on foot or even eventually by auto, you guessed it! That damned dog isn’t far behind! Like a shadow, it follows him everywhere, nearly sinking its fangs into the man’s hide on several occasions in its quest to avenge the fall of its master. Yes, the last reel truly stretches the bounds of credibility when Vengeance manages to cross an entire metropolitan city by scent alone to track Ungria to the exact floor and room within an expansive hotel, but you get the drift. What matters is the suspense, and – despite a bit a goofiness here and there – what emerges is a reasonably effective thrill ride that deserves some modest approval.
From what I’ve read, Vengeance can out only a year or two following the last days of an authentically oppressive regime in Spain; and knowing this one simple fact does elevate the political elements of the picture. Isasi-Isasmendi punctuates his story with occasional title card inserts with little reminders and/or suggestions of what life was like under such a government, and this theme definitely elevates the dire tone needed for a few key sequences. Though I’ll admit I didn’t quite understand the particulars of what is happening once Ungria is reunited both with his former love and the leaders of the rebellion, it’s still clear that all involved are risking their lives and futures on a mission of mercy to bring about a revolution. The fact that Ungria himself is relentlessly pursued by a beast who takes the shape of ‘man’s best friend’ is obviously symbolic of the level of treachery faced by those who only want the best for themselves and their fellow men, women, and children. Naturally, one has to face a villain with force sufficiently enough to achieve lasting change; and this is why it ultimately takes something stronger than a human being to save the day in the closing moments. Suffice it to say, this town isn’t big enough for the man and the dog, and neither are willing to go quietly into the night.
That said, Vengeance works as a solid thriller on just about every conceivable level. The cinematography is quite good, and that’s saying something considering how much time is spent in the wild terrain. It’s hard to make open territory look as compelling as it does in this case, so Isasi-Isasmendi and the technical wizards should be commended. Furthermore, Vengeance maintains a fairly aggressive pace consistently throughout; while it slows down here and there for the purpose of shifting gears – a curious love tryst insertion appears quite literally out of nowhere and really might be the only awkward and non-essential development in here – the pace pushes forward from one part to the next. Others might see Ungria’s time in the outback as being a bit bloated, but I thought it all worked quite nicely.
From what I’ve read, Vengeance can out only a year or two following the last days of an authentically oppressive regime in Spain; and knowing this one simple fact does elevate the political elements of the picture. Isasi-Isasmendi punctuates his story with occasional title card inserts with little reminders and/or suggestions of what life was like under such a government, and this theme definitely elevates the dire tone needed for a few key sequences. Though I’ll admit I didn’t quite understand the particulars of what is happening once Ungria is reunited both with his former love and the leaders of the rebellion, it’s still clear that all involved are risking their lives and futures on a mission of mercy to bring about a revolution. The fact that Ungria himself is relentlessly pursued by a beast who takes the shape of ‘man’s best friend’ is obviously symbolic of the level of treachery faced by those who only want the best for themselves and their fellow men, women, and children. Naturally, one has to face a villain with force sufficiently enough to achieve lasting change; and this is why it ultimately takes something stronger than a human being to save the day in the closing moments. Suffice it to say, this town isn’t big enough for the man and the dog, and neither are willing to go quietly into the night.
That said, Vengeance works as a solid thriller on just about every conceivable level. The cinematography is quite good, and that’s saying something considering how much time is spent in the wild terrain. It’s hard to make open territory look as compelling as it does in this case, so Isasi-Isasmendi and the technical wizards should be commended. Furthermore, Vengeance maintains a fairly aggressive pace consistently throughout; while it slows down here and there for the purpose of shifting gears – a curious love tryst insertion appears quite literally out of nowhere and really might be the only awkward and non-essential development in here – the pace pushes forward from one part to the next. Others might see Ungria’s time in the outback as being a bit bloated, but I thought it all worked quite nicely.
If anything, I struggled to really get a hold on the main character, Ungria himself. Miller does a good enough job conveying what I’d say is a baseline performance; the truth is that the script never quite gives any expansive details on Ungria’s past because – quite frankly – all that matters is that he’s amongst the opposition, and they ‘deserve’ to be imprisoned. For those of us who appreciate a bit more human drama, it might’ve been nice to get a bit more into the weeds of the man’s life before he was politically incarcerated: as is, the script has some suggestions tying the man’s love almost miraculously to the regime’s military leader, and it felt a bit … erm … too convenient. A tad more information could’ve easily been inserted into the second half, but that doesn’t happen, and I have to live with suggestions alone.
A Dog Called … Vengeance (1977) was produced by Deva Cinematografica. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Severin Films. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert … wowza. I was honestly a bit flabbergasted how well this one looked with what’s reported to have been a 2K restoration. Some colors really pop here and there, and the entire production retains a surprising crispness that’s to be commended. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? There’s a trio of shorts examining the director and the film against the backdrop of history: they get a bit chatty here and there, but they’re still very good if you want to spend time understanding those particulars. I found them a bit light on movie-specific information, but that could be just me.
Recommended.
As I said above, I find it frequently refreshing to spend time on productions that are a bit outside of what both genre has to offer as well as mainstream flicks, and A Dog Called … Vengeance (1977) really surprisingly stuck on the palate. It’s a tightly-woven chase film with an undercurrent of politics that goes down easily mostly because you don’t have to think all that much about either of them; in fact, if you do spend too much time evaluating those angles then the magic just doesn’t work as well. Like I suggested, it’s highly unlikely that in this short a time one dog could find one single man in an urban mecca, so don’t over-analyze the proposition. Let it flow. Let it be. The story will carry you to the finish; and on that level the dog both has its day … and it doesn’t.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Severin Films provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of A Dog Called … Vengeance (1977) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
A Dog Called … Vengeance (1977) was produced by Deva Cinematografica. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Severin Films. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert … wowza. I was honestly a bit flabbergasted how well this one looked with what’s reported to have been a 2K restoration. Some colors really pop here and there, and the entire production retains a surprising crispness that’s to be commended. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? There’s a trio of shorts examining the director and the film against the backdrop of history: they get a bit chatty here and there, but they’re still very good if you want to spend time understanding those particulars. I found them a bit light on movie-specific information, but that could be just me.
Recommended.
As I said above, I find it frequently refreshing to spend time on productions that are a bit outside of what both genre has to offer as well as mainstream flicks, and A Dog Called … Vengeance (1977) really surprisingly stuck on the palate. It’s a tightly-woven chase film with an undercurrent of politics that goes down easily mostly because you don’t have to think all that much about either of them; in fact, if you do spend too much time evaluating those angles then the magic just doesn’t work as well. Like I suggested, it’s highly unlikely that in this short a time one dog could find one single man in an urban mecca, so don’t over-analyze the proposition. Let it flow. Let it be. The story will carry you to the finish; and on that level the dog both has its day … and it doesn’t.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Severin Films provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray of A Dog Called … Vengeance (1977) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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