The Pack

Horror movie about a pack of neglected dogs who go wild and start attacking people on an island. It starts out well enough but kind of drags on and, as a result, loses most of its impact. The movie stars Joe Don Baker and a cast of somewhat familiar faces like R.G. Armstrong and the guy who played Paul on Cheers. What works best is the location filming and the use of real dogs. I know that might sound weird but today everything is CGI fakery so I always find the use of "real" refreshing when watching older movies like this. Anyway, there are no standout scenes and you'll probably forget this a week after you watched it. Worth a look once though.

"The Pack" is perhaps the best Killer Dog movie ever made. At first glance, it appears to be a simple enough story that we've seen a hundred times before. Assorted people trapped in a house, locking doors to keep something out. The Killer Shrews, Savage Harvest, Day of the Triffids, and a hundred other films all used this same premise, some with greater results than others.

"The Pack" is one of the better ones. The people are believable characters with lives that are interesting, not just cardboard cutouts with interchangeable dialogue whom the audience will remember only by their violent deaths. In fact, there's little blood in this film. But lots of menace, as a pack of dogs terrorize people on an island.

What makes "The Pack" a cut above other films in its genre is that the dogs aren't played as blood-thirsty monsters. They're simply pets who have been abandoned on an island, and they're just looking for food. In addition to a few genuine scares, this movie also has heart, and last scene will make you cry.

Joe Don Baker, Richard B. Shull, R.G. Armstrong and Bibi Besch are among the cast, and the performances are good, but the scene stealer is the lead dog, who's manic, vicious, lethal, and still an animal, a living creature, not just a monster.

"The Pack" was directed by Robert Clouse, who directed Bruce Lee in "Enter The Dragon.".

On a small tourist island, a handful of people is besieged by a pack of wild dogs. What may at first appear to be a TV movie is actually an R-rated bloodfest, as the hungry canines tear into the folks and rack up an impressive body count. The movie has its share of scary moments, and is surprisingly exciting with carefully choreographed sequences of man versus beast. There is no hesitation on veteran action director Robert Clouse's part to show the dogs being killed in equal measure. One great scene has the hero mowing down several of the pack with his truck. Great musical score to boot. Joe Don Baker stars, and several familiar faces, among them Richard Schull, Bibe Besch and R.G. Armstrong, provide strong support. A must-see for action horror fans. Considering the film was made in the 1970s, it feels like it was shot yesterday.

I'd really like to have given The Pack a higher rating, but unfortunately; too many little niggles prevented me from doing so. There have been a few films depicting "man's best friend" attacking man, but in general the idea doesn't seem to be capitalised upon too often. The Pack is certainly the only film I've seen about a pack of wild dogs terrorising a group of humans. The film takes place on a small island, which is a positive element in itself as it brings an element of claustrophobia to the nightmare premise. However, in general; Robert Clouse's film just doesn't capitalise on its positive elements, which leaves it all feeling more than a little bit flat. The plot centres on a group of people on Seal Island, whose serene existence is interrupted by a pack of wild dogs. The dogs have come about, apparently, thanks to people going to the pound to buy a dog to take to the island, and then leaving it there. These dogs are, naturally, very hungry; and it's not long before they realise that the island features a plentiful food supply, and unfortunately for the people there - they are it.

The film is at its best when the dogs are on the attack and the director delights in showing them looking rabid and hungry...but unfortunately, they never really look too threatening when they're not tearing into soft-top cars or breaking through windows. Much of the film is really quite boring, and unfortunately there isn't enough in reserve where the characters are concerned to make the film interesting. Veteran actor Joe Don Baker takes the lead role, and does well in providing the offbeat hero as the man doesn't particularly look like someone who you would expect to be fighting off a pack of hungry dogs. The plot hinges a little too much on its set-pieces also, which is unfortunate as there's not much to string them together. It has to be said also that the film is a little too long, and could have done with a tighter editing job. The island location provides a good setting for a film like this, though, and the way that the characters are isolated adds a little extra terror. The ending is strong, and provides a good wrap-up to a sadly merely worthwhile film.

Greetings and salutations, and welcome to my review of 1977s The Pack.

Before I get into the review, here are my ratings for the movie.

The story gets 1.5 out of 2: The Direction a 1.5: The Pacing receives a 1.25: While the Acting gets 1.25: And my Enjoyment level earns a 1.5 out of 2: The Pack, therefore, receives a total of 7 out of 10.

If you enjoyed Stephen Kings Cujo, either the book or the film adaptation, then The Pack will be for you. In all honesty, The Pack is a smidgen better than Cujo. Robert Clouse, who directed, also wrote the screenplay based on David Fisher's novel. And, since I enjoyed the movie, I am now on the lookout for the book.

Fisher and Clouse provide the audience with a fictional tale based on an all too real problem. What happens when people discard their pets like trash? The trash bites back. It's drawing to the end of the holiday season on Seal Island, and the last vacationers have arrived for their fishing hols. However, something isn't right. When Jerry and his family stumble across the remains of a horse, he notes the bones show bite marks. He quickly concludes the island has a problem with feral dogs. And, it's not long before his notion is confirmed, and the island's residents and last holidayers become dog food.

What is nice is the fact that all the characters are different. There is a broad and fascinating mixture: From the ditsy blonde to the domineering father. But it's not only the conflicts these people have, it's their changes in personalities that add depth to the story. When the father loses his son, he suddenly reveals a caring side: One that is willing to lay his life on the line. There's a crabby old bugger who hates holidaymakers. However, he likewise becomes a hero when he decides to aid them in the only way he can. You feel for them and can relate to them.

But the most dynamic thing about the story is that you equally feel for the canines. None of this is their fault. All they are seeking to do is survive. Whose determination and cunning will win out?

Clouse keeps up the excellent work with the direction. The Pack is superbly constructed and flows effortlessly. He uses everything in his arsenal to deliver the best picture he can. There are iconic shots. The one of the eaten horse is both striking and shocking. In part, this is due to the low camera shot. It shows the partially devoured head centre-screen; its lips are gone, only the teeth and gums are visible. To its rear, we can see the bloodied stripped ribs slightly out of focus. It's an image that stays with you. He's adept at employing shadows to build up the tense atmosphere. The lighting is witnessed best in the sequence where the ditsy blonde stumbles on the packs' roost. She is seeking shelter from the rain and enters the gloomy barn, and promptly falls asleep. A noise arouses her, and she awakens to discover the dogs in front of her, blocking any escape. The alpha dog at the head, growling menacingly and hungrily at her. Some modern directors would have produced this scene in almost darkness as they appear to believe the darker it is, the scarier it is. Wrong. Seeing the front row of the pack well lit is ominous. You can see the saliva dripping from their incisors. The deeper shadows behind them and blackness behind them make it hard to figure out how many dogs there are. There could be ten. There could be a hundred and ten. Way scarier.

But Clouse doesn't stop there. Two later scenes involve trucks, and both are choreographed and filmed expertly. The end credits state no animals were harmed in the filming, though watching the scenes made me wonder otherwise.

And still, Clouse adds more. The Pack delivers one of the most striking images of a war-torn, sick, and half-starved dog that I've ever seen in a film. The close-ups of the leader of the pack add so much. You feel sympathetic for the abuse this dog has received, but you're weary too because you know he's both a clever and dangerous killing machine.

Presently we arrive at the cast and thank god that they were all tremendous in their roles. Each one of them nailed their performances. I'm not a fan of Joe Don Baker. I find he can be heavy-handed in his portrayals. The Pack represents the best role I've seen him in to date. Jake possesses two caring sides. One is gentle, and the other is a tad more rugged. Baker pulls these off beautifully. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed his performance.

The one thing I can fault with the story and the film is the depiction of the kids. It would have been enjoyable to observe more interaction between the two boys as they were best friends and soon to be step-brothers. Clouse could have used this to add a reminiscent feel to the film. The "I remember when I was a kid" effect. Truthfully, the two lads are the only characters who aren't well constructed. They're a wasted opportunity. And I believe the two actors could have handled the extra depth.

The Pack is a delightfully entertaining, thought-provoking, and moralistic tale about being kind and considerate to animals. I genuinely enjoyed it and would recommend for everyone to at least check it out once.

Get in that rowing boat and start oaring your way over to my Killer Thriller Chiller, Monstrous, and Dramatisation lists to see where The Pack finally rested in my rankings.

Take Care & Stay Well. Get Inoculated.