Review by Coventry

Hey kids, if nothing else, at least let this film be the ultimate reminder for you to never step into a car with a driver who has been drinking! You always end up paying for his/her mistakes and stupidities, one way or another!

In "Mean Dog Blues", the poor aspiring musician Paul Ramsey even sees his life turning into a living hell, as he takes the blame for a hit-and-run accident he didn't cause and gets sentenced to a rural prison farm that answers to every possible cliché or stereotype you can think of; - including sadistic wardens, viciously hungry Dobermann guard dogs, and rapist fellow inmates! While the production values are good, the basic plot is compelling, and the film benefices from several strong performances, the typical prison drama situations are overly familiar. There are too many dull and repetitive sequences, and I honestly think the film would have been more impactful if it was 15-20 minutes shorter. George Kennedy is a fantastic actor, and I'm a big fan, but his character of obsessive doggie-loving head-warden certainly isn't the highlight of his career.