Post by Anonymous Andy on Jul 7, 2018 16:12:12 GMT
By 1983, Stephen King adaptations were popping up left and right across Hollywood. One of the most memorable and instantly recognizable of these is Lewis Teague’s low-key Cujo. Teague, whose most notorious horror credit to date was the tongue-in-cheek Alligator, would tackle Cujo with a considerable amount of seriousness and compassion, both for its characters and its tragic title character. With a carefully condensed screenplay, cinematographer Jan De Bont (who would go on to direct blockbuster action flicks like Speed and Twister) in tow and a strong cast led by Dee Wallace (The Howling, E.T.), all the ingredients seemed in place for one of the most mature and sobering of King’s cinematic adaptations.
In the movie (as in the novel), Cujo is an affable and fun-loving St. Bernard gone bad when a day spent frolicking through fields ends with him being bit by a rabid bat. On the other side of town, a family unit is unfurling, as Donna Trenton (Wallace) is caught two-timing her husband (Daniel Hugh-Kelly) with an old flame (Steve Kemp). Caught in the middle is the Trenton’s young boy, Tad (Danny Pintauro). When a mechanical emergency strands the mother and son out in the middle of nowhere, it becomes a battle against time and elements, as the two are trapped inside of a hot car with an increasingly agitated Cujo looming outside.
For animal lovers, Cujo can be a tough watch. But as legend would have it, the St. Bernard(s) who played the character were so excited, the production team had to tape down their tails or otherwise edit meticulously to mask their enthusiasm. It’s a testament then to the make-up crew, as well as the editing team, that for the last 45 minutes of the film, Cujo is a perpetually slimy and persistent menace. Trapped inside the car, Dee Wallace makes considerable hay with her increasingly impossible scenario. As young Danny fades in and out of consciousness, you can see her slowly going crazy herself, toggling between panic, fear and complete and utter frustration, even going so far as to lash out at her son when he cries out for his dad. It’s all very powerful stuff, and the back half of the movie is packed full of it.
Shame then that the movie asks you to wade through so much dull, borderline soap opera nonsense just to get there. While the second half is a potent blast of unbelievable tension, the first half is a bit of a drag. While the acting is fine, watching the family dynamic torn apart because of a torrid love affair is tepid melodrama at best. Even worse, nothing happens during this stretch to help ratchet up the tension or hint at what is to come. Cujo shifts gears so suddenly halfway through, that you almost feel like you fell asleep and woke up in the middle of a different movie. That’s not to say the first part film is bad overall, but it requires patience, not unlike raising a young puppy who will pee and chew on everything in sight if you let him. OK, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but man, the first half of this film will test you.
With the recent renewed interest in Stephen King properties, thanks in no small part to the smashing success of last year’s It, it’s probably only a matter of time before Cujo is re-visited. While Teague’s adaptation is a hard-working little film, there is considerable room for improvement. Tighten up the family story a bit, and you’d have one of the better King adaptations. Having said that, if you’re looking for claustrophobic tension, don’t sleep on the latter half of this movie. After all, in spite of any shortcomings, Cujo is indeed a good boy.
In the movie (as in the novel), Cujo is an affable and fun-loving St. Bernard gone bad when a day spent frolicking through fields ends with him being bit by a rabid bat. On the other side of town, a family unit is unfurling, as Donna Trenton (Wallace) is caught two-timing her husband (Daniel Hugh-Kelly) with an old flame (Steve Kemp). Caught in the middle is the Trenton’s young boy, Tad (Danny Pintauro). When a mechanical emergency strands the mother and son out in the middle of nowhere, it becomes a battle against time and elements, as the two are trapped inside of a hot car with an increasingly agitated Cujo looming outside.
For animal lovers, Cujo can be a tough watch. But as legend would have it, the St. Bernard(s) who played the character were so excited, the production team had to tape down their tails or otherwise edit meticulously to mask their enthusiasm. It’s a testament then to the make-up crew, as well as the editing team, that for the last 45 minutes of the film, Cujo is a perpetually slimy and persistent menace. Trapped inside the car, Dee Wallace makes considerable hay with her increasingly impossible scenario. As young Danny fades in and out of consciousness, you can see her slowly going crazy herself, toggling between panic, fear and complete and utter frustration, even going so far as to lash out at her son when he cries out for his dad. It’s all very powerful stuff, and the back half of the movie is packed full of it.
Shame then that the movie asks you to wade through so much dull, borderline soap opera nonsense just to get there. While the second half is a potent blast of unbelievable tension, the first half is a bit of a drag. While the acting is fine, watching the family dynamic torn apart because of a torrid love affair is tepid melodrama at best. Even worse, nothing happens during this stretch to help ratchet up the tension or hint at what is to come. Cujo shifts gears so suddenly halfway through, that you almost feel like you fell asleep and woke up in the middle of a different movie. That’s not to say the first part film is bad overall, but it requires patience, not unlike raising a young puppy who will pee and chew on everything in sight if you let him. OK, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but man, the first half of this film will test you.
With the recent renewed interest in Stephen King properties, thanks in no small part to the smashing success of last year’s It, it’s probably only a matter of time before Cujo is re-visited. While Teague’s adaptation is a hard-working little film, there is considerable room for improvement. Tighten up the family story a bit, and you’d have one of the better King adaptations. Having said that, if you’re looking for claustrophobic tension, don’t sleep on the latter half of this movie. After all, in spite of any shortcomings, Cujo is indeed a good boy.
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