DEAD DOG Fan Review by Mari

Why should sex, murder and hypocrisy ruin a perfectly good relationship?

OTHER TITLES: THE DOG KILLER (Netherlands); OAMENI SI CAINI (Romanian title); Óvakodj a gazditól! (BEWARE OF OWNER! (Hungary); Perseguição Obsessiva (OBSESSIVE PURSUIT (Brasil); Oameni si caini (HUMANS AND CANINES (Romania)

Fan Review by Mari, April 2004

On the film's official site (Regent Entertainment) the trailer to this film presents it as a suspense/thriller. The trailer's music is very Crimson Tide-ish, really ominous and suggestive of nonstop mystery and maybe some violence.

Nothing could be further from the truth!!! DEAD DOG, which has only really been released overseas, is not a dark, violent thriller with featuring a man with a cold motive. Besides, who can imagine a trailer narrated by an intense voice saying, "DEEEEEEAAAAAD DOOOOOOOOG!!!" and not laugh hysterically???!!! That's what I did. I thought the trailer was silly.

When I watched the film, I was delighted to see that it was NOTHING like the trailer. DEAD DOG, starring Jeremy Sisto, Paige Turco, David Thornton, Christopher Cousins, Jay O. Sanders, Isaac Hayes (hey now!!!), Adrienne Shelley, and Julianne Nicholson, is a most amusing and surprising film!!! Dark comedy??? Perhaps, though I can't quite see it that way. Humorous drama??? I don't know. What I am super certain of is that all through the film, there is a sense of whimsy, playfulness, quirkiness, wackiness, you get the drift??? The music is a delicious blend of piano and lush strings, giving some beauty to the frenetic pace of the New York City streets. It's weird to hear this music in these scenes, but that's what makes it fun too.

Tom Braeburn (Sisto) and Perri Rosenberg (Turco) are a young professional couple living in NYC. He works as an ad exec for a successful radio station featuring Isaac Hayes (himself) a very popular radio personality. Perri is a lawyer who is pretty good at getting her defendants off. She works with a greasy lookin' and in his own mind, charming guy named Stevenson (Thornton). Tom and Perri are in love and have been cohabitating for about 4 years now, with Tom's adorable Golden Retriever, Sophie.

But early on, you notice there are some problems: Tom seems to have a high moral code, and he really doesn't like that Perri is such a good defense lawyer that some of the worst people are free to go back on the streets. Perri believes in her career and doing her job as she was trained to do, and ignores basic moral factors that Tom still hangs on to. Tom isn't fond of Stevenson either, that's apparent early on. Tom doesn't much like the big city either. He is originally from Georgia, and went to school at Georgia Tech or something like that. He misses his home turf, and tries repeatedly to talk Perri into moving to Savannah. Though their love is genuine, Perri cringes at the thought of giving up NYC for the Deep South, and even says smart aleck stuff like, "I've seen DELIVERANCE" when Tom fondly recalls Magnolias, peaches, and slower life. In spite of missing home to the point of unhappiness, Tom loves Perri so much that he just stays on in the city.

One morning, Tom is sick with food poisoning, and Perri takes Sophie the dog out for her morning walk. She lets go of the dog's leash for an instant, but that's all it takes for the dog to dash across the street to her death. The dude who runs over her just checks his Lexus for dents and coldly leaves without even a glance back at the dog.

When Sophie dies, Tom is crushed, like any normal pet owner would be. The trailer for the film showed nothing of Tom's love for his dog, only some creepy guy out to get somebody because a dog was killed. You see Tom looking over pics of the pooch and crying, and you realize, hey, any one of us would be heartbroken over something like this. But Tom isn't just mad, he's angry and insatiably curious. Why did the person just leave without showing the slightest bit of concern for the dog??? "He's an asshole," Perri replies. We all agree. Only a jerk, a mean spirited, uncaring person would just drive away after checking his precious material car for dings. But Tom isn't satisfied to dismiss the incident and move on. His curiosity grows into obsession that begins to annoy and then worry Perri. He accuses her of "not loving Sophie like I did" and she gets very angry and tearful and the relationship is suddenly not as stable as it was before the hit and run event.

After being nagged by Tom into remembering and describing everything she witnessed, Perri realizes Tom is planning something. In my mind, it was a exceedingly clever little scheme, and I find Tom Braeburn one of the best characters Jeremy Sisto has ever played on film.

Something happens and the plan backfires and Tom finds himself terrified by the thought that he might have done more injury than was intended. Two kids are arrested for something they didn't do, and Tom feels his morals in a tug of war. He and Perri have a bitter dispute and break up, and Tom ends up on the run, ending up employed on a hog farm in Mississippi, working alongside a gal named Charity (Nicholson) who is hoping to become a successful chef, and "get out of here". Tom looks like he wants to tell her that once he wanted out of Georgia, and that moving to the big "exciting" city was not all it was cracked up to be. I thought he had a lot more in common with Charity, her being from the South and all, but then again, I could see why Tom loved and missed Perri. Perri is truly a beautiful, intelligent woman, and Tom has been with her too long to just forget her. I thought Turco's performance was excellent throughout the film. More things have happened since Tom fled the city, and now Perri wants to help him as best she can. I will stop here.

Like I said, this is a very offbeat movie. The music is interesting and even weirdly funny, like the church organ sounding off when Stevenson shows his new tattoo to Perri. Weird!!! But funny!!! I also thought Sanders was adorable as the big, ruggedly handsome, sensitive detective who falls for Jean, the sweet natured, mistreated wife of the man who killed Sophie, a man named Marquet (Cousins), who thinks dogs are unimportant, annoying and replaceable, and who never backs down from a chance to score. Little does he know his libido is about to get him in very hot water!!!

If you ever get a chance to see DEAD DOG, do not pass it up. It is really a good film, an excellent film, and it's impossible to describe what genre it is!!! A must for any fan of Sisto!!! I give it an A+!!!

Released in Thailand from Scorpion Home Video

Added 07/09/06: Here Magazine Review

2003 Wine Country Film Festival, CA---Winner Best Actor, Jeremy Sisto

Cast

Jeremy Sisto as TOM BRAEBURN

Paige Turco as PERRI ROSENBERG

David Thornton as STEVENSON NAGEL

Christopher Cousins as HENRY MARQUET

Isaac Hayes as HIMSELF

Adrienne Shelly as JEANNE MARQUET

Jay O. Sanders as DETECTIVE FRANK EDMONDS

Julianne Nicholson as CHARITY

David Little as MR. RUBENSTEIN

Emily Cline as LAINIE NAGEL

Mary Diveny as FAITH (AGOROPHOBIC WOMAN)

Richard Bright as CUNNINGHAM (XYLOPHONE GUY)

Laura Pierce as SOPHIE'S VETERINARIAN

MaryAnn Urbano as MS. LEWIS (PROSECUTING ATTORNEY)

Charles Biggers as THE SHERIFF

and Maxwell and Ollie played SOPHIE

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