Project-Blu Cujo, by M. Enois Duarte

Cujo

By: M. Enois Duarte, 1.2.2010

The Movie Itself:
Part of what makes 'Cujo' so enjoyably unique as a horror movie is the sheer sense of reality which imbues the entire production. At its fundamental basis - for both the Stephen King novel and this film adaptation - is an idea that something like this really could happen to just about anyone. It's not a far-stretch of the imagination to possibly read or hear of a rabid dog terrorizing the public. But in this manufactured universe from the dark, macabre imagination of Stephen King, the once-loving household pet isn't simply burning with rage. It's also a violent and intelligent killer with a patience that's just as terrifying as the dog's menacing and snarling approach. Today, the name Cujo is synonymous with vicious and ferocious animals.

Another unique aspect is the story itself and a script which traveled between three writers before director Lewis Teague ('Alligator', 'The Jewel of the Nile') was finally happy. The version which King penned apparently strayed too far from the book's concept, so Lauren Currier used many of those original elements to add a strong emotional arc. Half of the entire picture is spent familiarizing the audience with the troubled marriage of Donna (Dee Wallace) and Vic (Daniel Hugh Kelly). Their son, Tad (Danny Pintauro) is the unfortunate witness of their damaged suburban life. When Vic leaves for an important business meeting, Donna and Tad travel to a local mechanic's farm to fix the family car. But what they find is a large, rabid St. Bernard.

With cinematographer Jan de Bont's help, Teague gives 'Cujo' an interesting visual style that alludes to the novel's single-page opening line. The fantasy dream-like appearance is an ironic tease to the true nightmare in store for the mother and child. There is a sense that the dog should be feared, and that even within its intensely angered state of mind, the dog is somehow methodical and sadistic. Adding to the commotion is Cujo forcing Donna and Tad to remain in the compact car while the blistering heat of summer bears down on them. Being trapped inside the car creates an anxious and claustrophobic atmosphere and made all the more terrifying by the excellent editing work of Neil Travis.

In the end, the movie is more fun than it is scary. And it's also nowhere near the quality or as frightening as other film adaptations from the legendary horror scribe. In fact, fans and genre buffs are more prone to watching other movies taken from the King canon before revisiting this showdown of the crazed family pet versus the two-timing wife. Still, 'Cujo' stands out for being dissimilar from those others and creating a scenario that's feasible rather than supernatural. At least, it's not 'Dreamcatcher' or 'Sleepwalkers'. Teague does the interesting thing of allowing the narrative to build up to the situation involving the dog, almost as if to make the whole event a tangible metaphor for the harm and injury Donna's betrayal brings to her husband and child.

Although the film's ending is sadly generic and even clichéd, 'Cujo' brings an interesting plot with a tale of terror and suspense - despite not being all that scary either. The ending is also completely different and more upbeat than the novel's version, but it still follows the book somewhat closely. Horror fans are likely to give this Stephen King classic another spin while neophytes of scary movies should give it a chance.
Rating: 7/10

The Presentation:
'Cujo' snarls its way onto Blu-ray, looking exactly as the filmmakers intended - drool, foam, blood, and all. The AVC MPEG-4 encode in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio renders Jan de Bont's soft-focus photography with great results. The use of diffusers take away some sharp detailing, but it's a deliberate approach to reflect the fairytale beginning of the original novel. Fortunately, it's nothing too detrimental as this is the best the movie has ever looked. There's plenty of visibility and clarity of the finer textures. Contrast is noticeably toned down, but whites bloom slightly as a result of the intentional dream-like look. Blacks are accurately deep, and the thin veil of film grain is consistent throughout. Colors display strong, clean saturation levels, especially in the bold primaries. Overall, it's a good picture quality of a Stephen King classic.
Rating: 7.2/10

Lionsgate also throws in an enjoyable DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack which is a pretty good improvement from previous versions. It may not compete with newer releases or even other catalog titles, but the mix does a fine job at establishing just the right tone and excitement. Atmospherics are all located in the front channels and never truly move in the surround speakers. In fact, the original design doesn't really allow for much action with the rears mostly silent, no real low-frequency activity to speak of, and an obvious lack of ambiance. It does, however, exhibit decent channel separation creating pleasant imaging and a dynamic range which is surprisingly wide and stable. Dialogue, too, is cleanly rendered and intelligible while the musical score fills the soundstage and lightly penetrates the room. While not altogether impressive, 'Cujo' still makes for an attractive lossless stereo presentation.
Rating: 6.6/10

Overall Presentation: 7/10

** 9 - 10 = Reference / 8 = Excellent / 7 = Good /
6 = Satisfactory / 5 = Average / 4 & under = Below Average **

The Extras:
Lionsgate Home Entertainment unleashes 'Cujo' onto Blu-ray with a very small supplemental package that doesn't really add much to the overall package.

Audio Commentary with director Lewis Teague.
Dog Days: The Making of 'Cujo' (SD, 43 min)
Trailers (HD)
Interactive Bookmarks

Rating: 3/10

Final Thoughts:
'Cujo' is not exactly the kind of horror movie you watch to scare the bejesus out of someone. It's a Stephen King classic which strays from the horror scribe's tales of the macabre and supernatural. With Lewis Teague's direction and Jan de Bont's photography, the movie is a fun watch and one of the better adaptations compared to some of the worst from the King canon. This 25th Anniversary Blu-ray edition arrives with a good picture quality and an enjoyable audio presentation, but the bonus material is surprisingly underwhelming. Nonetheless, fans will want to pick this up immediately while others should give it a rent.
Rating: 6/10