Purgatoire

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.

Paul Ramsey (the under-appreciated Gregg Henry) is a musician traveling home to his loving wife Linda (Kay Lenz). When his car breaks down, he's picked up by a rich couple (Tina Louise and William Windom), but soon regrets his luck when a hit and run accident occurs, and the couple railroad their new hitchhiking buddy. Soon Paul is serving time in a hellish desert prison camp run by tough Captain Kinsman (George Kennedy) and his even tougher subordinate, former jarhead Sergeant Wacker (James Wainwright in a truly hiss-worthy performance). What makes Mean Dog Blues such a good film is Henry's ability to portray a character in control of his destiny, even when things seem completely OUT of control. He displays an almost zen-like calm and a dry sense of humor that disarms gay inmate Jesus Gonzalez (Gregory Sierra), and soon insinuates himself into 'trusty' status when 'dog n****r' Mudcat (Scatman Crothers) loses his job--serving as training bait for the prison's hunting dogs, who include a particularly nasty Doberman called Rattler. As his cellmate Tonto (Gene Silva) tells him, it's the worst job in the camp, and he's in for a lot of fresh air and exercise. Meanwhile, newly pregnant Linda is working feverishly to have his conviction overturned. Will Paul taste the sweet fresh air of freedom, or will Rattler rip his throat oat before Sergeant Wacker does? You'll have to watch to find out. Sadly unavailable on home video, Mean Dog Blues recently popped up on Flix in a beautiful widescreen print. Be sure not to miss it next time they air it. Please note that the 'prohibited word' asterisked in this review is lifted directly from the screenplay, and in no way represents my own opinions.