In early 90’s much was coming to light about animal product testing and the levels to which many companies were employing it. It was a very hot button issue for my generation. This was in the days before cruelty free products were everywhere. This was also a time when science was making strides in genetic engineering. These two topics were discussed over dinner tables, on talk shows, and around water coolers across the country. So it’s no wonder that in 1993 a sci/fi horror comedy about these subjects would be released.
If you grew up in the 80’s and came of age in the 90’s as I did, the name Ally Sheedy will mean a great deal to you. She was part of what was known as the Brat Pack back in the day and most folks under the age of 30 at the time of this film’s release had a soft spot for her. She stars as Lori Tanner, a reporter that’s sick and tired of being handed puff pieces and decides to take matters into her own hands. She offers to pay off a lab worker at a company called EMAX where they are performing genetic experiments on animals. She enlists the help of her camera woman and they set off to capture what has been going on at these labs after hours. Unfortunately the worker she is supposed to pay was killed by the dog Max the night before. This leads the two women to sneak in and start snooping around. It’s not long, of course, before they find Max in his cage and start cameras rolling. Soon after, a security guard finds them and they make a run for it, with Max close behind. Before they know what’s happening he’s in the car with them as they make their escape.
After deciding to keep the dog, Lori stops at the store to get food and is attacked by a mugger and would-be rapist. In comes Max to the rescue. He chases the man down and comes back with her purse. It’s not until later that we see what max actually did to the mugger. It’s at this point a bond is formed and Lori swears to protect him at any cost.
She brings him home much to the chagrin of her douchebag boyfriend Perry, Fredric Lehne (Supernatural, Lost, American Horror Story). It’s very clear from the start that Max doesn’t intend to share Lori’s affections and he goes out of his way to come between them, even going so far as to chew through the brake line on Perry’s Jeep.
During this time the man that engineered Max, Dr. Jarret, perennial horror fave Lance Henrikson, has contacted the police in an attempt to get his creation back. He explains to the detectives on the case that Max has been spliced with a number of other animals, allowing him to have abilities that a dog never would. These abilities include being able to climb, acidic urine, and even the ability to camouflage himself when feeling cornered. All of these come into play during the course of the film.
There are so many fun scenes here, from the attack on a mailman to the hilarious breeding scene with a neighbor’s dog. We even witness Max chase a cat up a tree, then proceed to climb said tree and swallow the cat whole. Oh and let’s not forget about the foulmouthed parrot that also resides in Lori’s house.
Before long, with the cops and Dr. Jarret closing in, Lori decides she must give Max to someone where he will be safe. This leads her to a junkyard and a man named Ray, William Sanderson (Savage Weekend, Blade Runner, Mirror Mirror, Sometimes They Come Back) in a fun cameo. Ray manipulates Lori into giving him the dog. Soon after she leaves we discover Ray’s abusive and miserable intentions. Needless to say things don’t end well for old Ray.
After escaping the junkyard, Max heads back to Lori’s only to find her in an embrace with Perry and the new puppy he bought her. This is where he really comes unhinged. From here on we get acid urine in someone’s face, a chase sequence that ends with a car accident, and finally the climax back at the labs that anyone could have seen coming. While the climax feels a bit rushed, it does work well and doesn’t detract from the rest of the film. This movie is essentially Cujo on steroids. So if you like a killer canine flick….sit….stay… and give this one a watch.
P.S. This film was written and directed by John Lafia , the man that co-wrote Child’s Play and directed Child’s Play 2. He also did a couple episodes of the short lived Freddy’s Nightmares series back in the day.
The Savage Cinephile 