Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell
Encyclopedia
Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell is a 1978 television movie
directed by Curtis Harrington
. The story centers around a suburban family and the harrowing experiences they endure from a possessed dog they innocently adopt. The film stars Richard Crenna
as Mike Barry, the father, Yvette Mimieux
as Betty, the mother, and Kim Richards
and Ike Eisenmann
as Bonnie and Charlie, their children.
, causing it to be possessed
. They sell the dog to wreak havoc in the hope Satan
will overcome good once and for all. The dog acts very strangely when they bring it home, leading the father and the family maid
to believe there is something wrong with the dog. The dad believes so after the maid is killed in a fire
while she was watching the dog, and the dad being forced to stick his arm into a lawnmower while the dog is present. The father barely avoids having his arm chopped off and soon, the dog begins to exhibit mental control that allows him to kill, injure, or control many victims. Nobody thinks much of this, until his family's souls are possessed by the hound. The possession makes the family act very strangely, including his son framing a student by stealing a watch and planting it in a classmate's locker, allowing him to win the student election. Dad decides the dog has overstayed his welcome when he finds a secret shrine to Satan in the attic. Dad tries to shoot the demonic beast to put an end to the hardships, but it is unharmed. Realizing the dog is not alive, and that it is possessed, the father finally makes a special trip to Ecuador
to determine how to destroy the animal. Unfortunately, there is no way to kill it, but if you hold a holy symbol to its eye, you can imprison it in Hell
for 5,000 years. He takes it to a showdown at his work plant, but there the dog turns into a demon
and begins to wreak havoc. When he is cornered by the monster, he holds the sign he made on his hand right up to the beast's eye. This causes the beast to be engulfed in fire and be imprisoned, getting his family's souls back. The final scene shows the family loading the family car for a vacation, and one of the children mentioning there were several more puppies the vendor was selling, suggesting there are more satanic dogs and that it is not over yet.
recently released the film on DVD
.
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
directed by Curtis Harrington
Curtis Harrington
Curtis Harrington was an American film and television director whose work included experimental films, horror films, and episodic television.-Biography:...
. The story centers around a suburban family and the harrowing experiences they endure from a possessed dog they innocently adopt. The film stars Richard Crenna
Richard Crenna
Richard Donald Crenna was an American motion picture, television, and radio actor and occasional television director. He starred in such motion pictures as The Sand Pebbles, Wait Until Dark, Body Heat, the first three Rambo movies, Hot Shots! Part Deux, and The Flamingo Kid...
as Mike Barry, the father, Yvette Mimieux
Yvette Mimieux
Yvette Carmen Mimieux is a retired American movie and television actress.-Early life and career:Yvette Mimieux was born in Los Angeles, California, to a French father and Mexican mother, Carmen Montemayor...
as Betty, the mother, and Kim Richards
Kim Richards
Kimberly "Kim" Richards is an American actress, former child actress, and television personality. She had roles in several Disney movies in the 1970s and later TV shows in the late 1970s and early 80s before returning to the screen with her sister Kyle Richards on Bravo's The Real Housewives of...
and Ike Eisenmann
Ike Eisenmann
Ike Eisenmann is an American actor, voice actor, producer, and sound-effects specialist who has been active in the entertainment industry since he was a preteen.-Career:...
as Bonnie and Charlie, their children.
Plot summary
The Barry family acquire a new puppy after their old one dies in an accident. They buy the puppy from a seemingly friendly fruit vendor who is actually a satanist who bred the dog to a chantChant
Chant is the rhythmic speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of notes to highly complex musical structures Chant (from French chanter) is the rhythmic speaking or singing...
, causing it to be possessed
Possession
In law, possession is the control a person intentionally exercises toward a thing. In all cases, to possess something, a person must have an intention to possess it. A person may be in possession of some property...
. They sell the dog to wreak havoc in the hope Satan
Satan
Satan , "the opposer", is the title of various entities, both human and divine, who challenge the faith of humans in the Hebrew Bible...
will overcome good once and for all. The dog acts very strangely when they bring it home, leading the father and the family maid
Maid
A maidservant or in current usage housemaid or maid is a female employed in domestic service.-Description:Once part of an elaborate hierarchy in great houses, today a single maid may be the only domestic worker that upper and even middle-income households can afford, as was historically the case...
to believe there is something wrong with the dog. The dad believes so after the maid is killed in a fire
Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition....
while she was watching the dog, and the dad being forced to stick his arm into a lawnmower while the dog is present. The father barely avoids having his arm chopped off and soon, the dog begins to exhibit mental control that allows him to kill, injure, or control many victims. Nobody thinks much of this, until his family's souls are possessed by the hound. The possession makes the family act very strangely, including his son framing a student by stealing a watch and planting it in a classmate's locker, allowing him to win the student election. Dad decides the dog has overstayed his welcome when he finds a secret shrine to Satan in the attic. Dad tries to shoot the demonic beast to put an end to the hardships, but it is unharmed. Realizing the dog is not alive, and that it is possessed, the father finally makes a special trip to Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
to determine how to destroy the animal. Unfortunately, there is no way to kill it, but if you hold a holy symbol to its eye, you can imprison it in Hell
Hell
In many religious traditions, a hell is a place of suffering and punishment in the afterlife. Religions with a linear divine history often depict hells as endless. Religions with a cyclic history often depict a hell as an intermediary period between incarnations...
for 5,000 years. He takes it to a showdown at his work plant, but there the dog turns into a demon
Demon
call - 1347 531 7769 for more infoIn Ancient Near Eastern religions as well as in the Abrahamic traditions, including ancient and medieval Christian demonology, a demon is considered an "unclean spirit" which may cause demonic possession, to be addressed with an act of exorcism...
and begins to wreak havoc. When he is cornered by the monster, he holds the sign he made on his hand right up to the beast's eye. This causes the beast to be engulfed in fire and be imprisoned, getting his family's souls back. The final scene shows the family loading the family car for a vacation, and one of the children mentioning there were several more puppies the vendor was selling, suggesting there are more satanic dogs and that it is not over yet.
Home Video Release
Despite being a television movie originally, Shriek Show EntertainmentMedia Blasters
Media Blasters is an entertainment corporation founded by John Sirabella and Sam Liebowitz, based in New York City. They are in the business of licensing, translating, and releasing to the North American market manga compilations and anime and live-action movies and television series to home-video...
recently released the film on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
.