Cujo (1983)

'Now There's A New Name For Terror' and his name is Cujo! He is a gigantic St.Bernard dog and he is vicious! This movie is based on the novel by a favourite of mine, Stephen King.

This movie begins with a young boy called Brett Camber(Billy Jayne)whose only companion is a St. Bernard dog called Cujo. They are the best of friends and Cujo is a lovable dog. Brett's mother and father, Joe, don't get on very well and he spends most of his time with the dog. His mother decides to take him away for a holiday. Unfortunately, Cujo gets bitten by a rabid bat and contracts rabies. This is the beginning of the terror. Joe's neighbour is killed by the rabid dog and before he can get help, he is killed too.

Meanwhile, Donna Trenton(Dee Wallace)and Vic Trenton(Daniel Hugh Kelly) have problems of their own. She has been caught having an affair and they argue. Vic has to leave and go on a business trip, leaving Donna and her son, Tad(Danny Pintauro) on their own. As Joe was a mechanic, Donna takes her car to his farm for repairs but she can't find him anywhere. The car won't start and they see Cujo coming towards them. Instead of the usually friendly dog is a monster who wants to attack them. They flee into the car and this begins a siege which lasts for days.

Tad and Donna are trapped in the heat inside the car and Tad gets very ill. Donna tries to escape but the dog won't let her. The sheriff comes to help them, but Cujo kills him too. Vic calls Donna and he is very worried when she doesn't answer the phone so he comes home and tracks them down to the farm where they are trapped in the car. He tries to help them. Donna eventually kills Cujo with a baseball bat and they escape. In the book, Tad dies, but in the movie, he survives after his mother gives him CPR.

I love this movie as it is full of suspense and horror as the dog begins to deteriorate. It is a good story and I like the fact that the dog is the killer. It's a twist on the usual killer- stalks-victims story. I will give this film a 9/10.