Cujo (25th Anniversary Edition)
by Lewis Teague
List Price:
Our Price: $5.62
You Save: $9.36 (62%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $4.93 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD releases
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD Cover Information
Actor: Christopher Stone, Daniel Hugh Kelly, Danny Pintauro, Dee Wallace, Jerry HardinDirector: Lewis Teague
Brand: Lions Gate
Cinematographer: Jan de Bont
Composer: Charles Bernstein
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 95 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-09-25
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Lions Gate
Movie Reviews of Cujo (25th Anniversary Edition)
Movie Review: Stephen King Review #1
Summary: 5 Stars
This film's story is simplicity itself. It's the same as any old monster movie or Night Of The Living Dead. Characters are stuck somewhere and the impending terror wants in, and they have to figure a way out. Totally simple. What this film does that makes it horror royalty and one of the good adaptions of King's work is that it keeps the main theme of irrational fears confronted with real fears from the novel. Yes, we actually get to know the characters and understand them before they're thrust into the horror scenario.
The film focus on a family of three, a father, mother and son. All three are set up to have irrational fears as the film starts. Monther is afraid of becoming old and cheats on her husband, who is a decent man, because she is bored with her new and more rural life. Husband fears not being able to properly provide for his family, and that he'll lose his job. Son fears the things that go bump in the night, living in his closet and under his bed. It's not until mother and son are faced with a rabid dog by the name of Cujo does life fully come into perspective for them. The killer dog is like a personification of all their fears shoving itself in their faces to wake them up into reality. Of course to appreciate this new revelation they will have to survive....
The acting in this film is all top notch. Dee Wallace has always been one of my favorite actors. She is really good at amping up the emotions and even making them big without becoming melodramatic. Despite her adultery, adultery for no good reason(if there could be such a thing), you like her. You understand her. You appreciate her maternal instincts when it comes to protecting her son. That is if you're not narrow minded or judgemental about fictional people that don't really exist or travel in your social circles. I've always smiled when seeing other people judge those around them from a high horse, but I laugh violently when I see them judge fictional characters.
The new special edition DVD is superb in picture quality and sound. Finally, we get a widescreen transfer of this beautifully and horrifyingly shot film. The last crappy editon was, for reasons unknown to me(does anyone in this day in age still actually prefer fullscreen?)a full frame release and was loaded with grain and a horrible audio track. This new edition goes even further beyond upgrading the picture by providing new and interesting special features. The making of Doc runs about an hour long and covers all the bases from everyone's perspective, from the actors, director, cinenatographer, and Stephen king himself. There's also an audio commentary by the director, Lewis Teague(Alligator, Jewel of the Nile, Cat's Eye). He doesn't just stick to going over what's playing on the screen but also goes into anecdotes and the history of the project in Hollyweird. The only problem I have with this track is that Teague does repeat some info that was covered in the documentary, but it's sparse.
Besides Teague's swift direction, some accolades must go to Jan De Bont, the director of photography for this movie. I wish he had stayed a D.P. because he was much more interesting and talented in that field then he is as a director(The Haunting 1999,Tomb Raider:Cradle of Life, Speed 1&2). But we have a bunch of old Verhoeven films and various other movies from the 70's and 80's that brandish his name as their D.P. The camera moves are all natural, stylish and effective in further telling this story without blowhard expouses from the characters.
Teague was and probably is still a wonderful filmmaker. I'm not sure what he's done since the 80's, but I haven't heard from him in a while. I would LOVE, if I had the power, to get this man back in the director's chair of a modern big budget film. He's a lost talent.
The only gripe I have with this addition is the cover artwork. I'm a real movie nerd and I love cool poster artwork. The original poster for Cujo's theatrical run was really cool. It was almost a sepia toned image of the old delapitated house with the picket fence and mailbox in the foreground. The blood red lettered 'Cujo' appeared over this simple and basic image. It was creepy and intriguing. It gave no hints that this was about a killer dog. The new DVD artwork is an improvement over the abomination that was the last DVD, but still isn't that good. It's just an extreme close up of snarling, drool-encrusted dog death with a name tage reading the film's title.
SIDENOTE: A lot of King fans complained about the ending of this film. ###MILD BOOK SPOILER### In the book Tad dies. His death leads the mother to take out her rage for survival against the infected dog. It works in the book, but is kind of a downer. It punishes the mother for her adultery in a very major way. You end up sympathizing with her and even liking her towards the end of the story, so when Tad bites it, it's a real downer. The film changed that by letting Tad live. Many were upset. There's actually folks who don't like this film just because of that. On the documentary for the new DVD Stephen King declares the film's ending better and if he could, he would rewrite the ending to have Tad live. Even the King himself thought it was too much. Interesting. Go figure.
Summary of Cujo (25th Anniversary Edition)
CUJO 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION - DVD MovieSimilar DVD Movies
Stephen King: 4 Film Favorites (Dreamcatcher/ Dolores Claiborne/ Cat's Eye/ Creepshow)WHV; Release date: 2007-11-06; DVD
Best price: $5.93
Price in other shops:
Children of the CornIMG; Release date: 2011-09-06; DVD
Best price: $4.95
Price in other shops:
Stephen King DVD Collector Set (Misery / The Dark Half / Needful Things / Carrie)Sony; Release date: 2003-08-26; DVD
Best price: $15.87
Price in other shops:
Firestarter: Two-Movie CollectionMCA; Release date: 2004-06-01; DVD
Best price: $5.36
Price in other shops:
Maximum OverdriveTrinity; Release date: 2006-11-07; DVD
Best price: $2.16
Price in other shops:
Christine (Special Edition)GORDON,KEITH; Release date: 2004-09-28; Published: 2004-09-01; DVD
Best price: $7.88
Price in other shops:
Poltergeist (25th Anniversary Edition)Warner Brothers; Release date: 2007-10-09; DVD
Best price: $5.86
Price in other shops:
Carrie (Special Edition)SPACEK,SISSY; Release date: 2001-08-28; DVD
Best price: $5.98
Price in other shops:
Stephen King's ItWarner Brothers; Release date: 2002-10-01; Published: 2002-10-01; DVD
Best price: $3.04
Price in other shops:
Pet Sematary (Special Collector's Edition)PARAMOUNT HOME VIDEO; Release date: 2006-09-26; DVD
Best price: $5.83
Price in other shops: