That 70’s Movie … ‘A Boy and His Dog’ (1975)

Of all of the post-apocalyptic science-fiction films out there, this has been one of my favorites for many years. A Boy and His Dog (1975) was directed by actor-turned-director L.Q. Jones, who co-wrote this sarcastically humorous film with Harlan Ellison, based on his novella. Once you see this gem, you’ll understand why its become such a popular cult classic.

A Boy and His Dog takes place on Earth in 2024, after the end of World War IV. A young man named Vic, played by Don Johnson (Born Yesterday), must survive on the barren surface of the planet by scavenging for food and avoiding others who would just assume kill you as look at you. Women are scarce and the men often travel in nomadic packs seeking food and sex. Blood serves as an alarm [anytime Blood senses something, a sonar-like ping sounds in his head … funny, but effective] and a detector of females and danger, in exchange for Vic’s providing Blood with food and water.

Vic travels with Blood, his mangy dog that has developed the ability to communicate telepathically as a result of the residual radiation from the war. As it turns out, all dogs have this ability and Blood in particular is quite intelligent. Vic is a selfish and under-educated young man and Blood finds himself constantly pointing this out. Along their journey, the two stumble upon an underground civilization that has preserved the “old” society. Vic sees an opportunity when a beautiful young girl lures him below, against Blood’s better judgment. As it turns out, the girl is actually the daughter of the society’s leader. Vic quickly learns that the men of the underground city are all sterile and they lure men from above to impregnate their women. This is where the movie really gets freaky, as Vic becomes a prisoner to sexless reproduction and must find a way to escape before his captors have had their fill and dispose of him.

A Boy and His Dog is certainly not a masterpiece, but it is an important relic of the 70’s with plenty of laughs, awkward moments and social commentary to carry the film’s 90-minute running time without skipping a beat. The key to enjoying this movie is understanding that the schlock is intended. There was a rumor for a while that a sequel was planned, but Tiger [the dog that played Blood] died and the project was scrapped. Probably for the better, as A Boy and His Dog stands just fine on its own two feet and four paws.