News reporter/animal rights advocate Lori Tanner (Ally Sheedy), who’s shoulder pads could be considered a character of their own, decides to take home (read: steal) a massive dog named Max from Ye Olde Animal Test Labbe run by your (not) so friendly neighborhood mad scientist Dr. Jarret (the legendary Lance Henriksen). Really, what could go wrong there? Sure that pooch could be riddled with Mega-A.I.D.S., or some other horrendous disease, but not to worry; the fact he’s comprised of the genetic material of all sorts of dangerous animals will ensure that most who cross his path will end up torn to pieces long before any disease sets in (owing to the fact he begins to rapidly turn into a four-legged lunatic if he’s away from the lab and his meds). Will Lori become a victim of her own good deed or will the powers that be “hound” ol’ Max until he’s neutralized?
I could talk about how this film is well acted and shot…but holy hell is Man’s Best Friend a huge, dripping slice of prime ’90’s fright flick cheese. For the price of admission you get: crumby fashions, unintentionally hilarious computer programs, corny one-liners, kids talking about farts (a must in any tale of terror), preposterously fake (yet totally rad in their own way) dog head effects, dog sex (with another dog thankfully…hey, with the shit I’m sent you never know) that leads to “wacky” howls of canine ecstasy (or is it pain), corrosive dog piss (What animal was that from?!!), hamburger being flushed down a toilet (trust me, you’ll be rolling with laughter on that one), and oh so very much more…but the pièce de résistance has to be when Max jumps over some police cars…you better make sure you are sitting down and have an oxygen tank nearby…
Now for most folks that shit above would be negatives…but this is a Dan XIII review, so you know each and every one of those points gets your’s cruelly’s seal of absolute approval! Man’s Best Friend is as delightfully ridiculous a horror film as you will ever lay your putrid peepers on and don’t think for a moment that it doesn’t know it!
The only negative is that the scenes featuring William Sanderson’s serial animal abuser character are hard to watch…but there’s a suitable pay off for sure.
Along with the madness previously mentioned, Scream Factory have included a few extras on this Blu-ray release which include the film’s theatrical trailers and TV spots, and an audio commentary with Writer/Director John Lafia, that while informative definitely suffers from spots where he seems to be watching the film rather than talking about it.
Ludicrous and completely entertaining, Man’s Best Friend is a creature feature worth putting your eerie eyeballs on; it’s full of practical effects, nonsense, and early ’90’s nostalgia…you know, a damn good time in the horror biz!
For how my life was (very) tangentially tangled up in Man’s Best Friend you can watch a documentary I worked on titled My Name is Jonah, for free right here!
