Pa Jonathan Klotz
| Published
The 70s were an amazing time for science fiction movies. On the one hand, the genre broke free from the usual mad scientist/monster movies of the 50s, and a new wave of filmmakers experimented with stories that went beyond the box. On the other hand, these wild experiments sometimes got a little weird. The case is in 1975A boy and his dogwhich follows Vic and his telepathic dog Blood as they roam the post-apocalyptic wasteland in search of food and, more importantly, women. Streaming free on Tubi and Amazon Prime, this unlikely inspiration for Fallout and Mad Maxwhile a time capsule of what science fiction was like before Star Wars changed everything.
A boy and his dog and his libido
A boy and his dog Don Johnson as Vic and Tim McIntyre as the voice of Blood. The two argue constantly, as any two male best friends do. Blood’s ability to sniff out women is incredibly important to the horny and lonely Vic, who, after saving one girl Quila June (Susan Benton) from mutants and finally getting fucked again, decides to follow her to the Downunder, a secret society below the surface that is almost a utopia compared to the nuclear wasteland.
Unfortunately, Crowe remains on the surface, and none of the human characters can match his dry wit. It is there, in an underground version of Topeka, that Vic learns that he will achieve his mating dream thanks to a high “feminine rating”, except that he will be “sent to the farm” after impregnating 35 women. To make matters worse, it’s all done with electrodes, and that’s what motivates Vic more than anything to run from Topeka.
An accurate adaptation of the science fiction legend
It’s an odd plot, but it’s also a fairly accurate adaptation of the novella, A boy and his dog science fiction icon Harlan Ellison. The biggest change was a few lines of dialogue that made the film, according to Ellison, more misogynistic than his novel ever was. That wasn’t enough to keep the film from becoming an instant cult classic. It would never, ever be done today. Johnson’s performance, which makes it pretty clear that Vick can outwit anyone he meets, comes to the point where it starts to flip the script.
Influence A boy and his dog had on Precipitation immediately understood. Vic calls Blood “dog meat,” Downunder is essentially a Vault-Tec experiment, and the complete collapse of the old social order explains why something as mundane as bottle caps has become a volume in gaming. Who knew that a dark sci-fi survivor comedy would influence one of the best post-apocalyptic series of all time?
A boy and his dog bombed in theaters, but once it became a cult classic, work began on a sequel. Instead of Vic, it will follow a female survivor named Spike and of course Blood, the real hero of the series. Nine years after he brought Vic to life, Don Johnson played the title role Miami Vice and changed television forever. If you’ve ever wanted to see Sonny Crockett as a corner garbage man, A boy and his dog your chance.
The boy and his dog is streaming for free on Pipes, Amazon Prime Video, TV Pluto, Plexand YouTube.
