The Plague Dogs 1982
director: Martin Rosen
Genre
Category
Country
Great Britain, United States
Cast
Synopsis
Richard Adams's best-seller from the team who brought you Watership Down
A fox terrier and a black labrador succeed in escaping from an animal research station in the Lake District where they have been subjected to cruel experiments in the name of science. Out on the rugged fells they attempt to survive, wild and free. But they must run for their lives when it is rumoured that they are carriers of the plague, for a hunt has begun. Once again Martin Rosen brings together the skilled team of animators who made Watership Down, whose unsentimental approach realistically creates the pain of an animal Auschwitz, the beauty of the Lakes, and the smelly; doggy world the "heroes" inhabit. A powerful tale from one of today's best storytellers.
A fox terrier and a black labrador succeed in escaping from an animal research station in the Lake District where they have been subjected to cruel experiments in the name of science. Out on the rugged fells they attempt to survive, wild and free. But they must run for their lives when it is rumoured that they are carriers of the plague, for a hunt has begun. Once again Martin Rosen brings together the skilled team of animators who made Watership Down, whose unsentimental approach realistically creates the pain of an animal Auschwitz, the beauty of the Lakes, and the smelly; doggy world the "heroes" inhabit. A powerful tale from one of today's best storytellers.
Formats
Average User Rating: 1 Vote(s)
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 Not Available | Purchase this movie on DVD! |  Amazon UK |
| Distributor | Thorn EMI |
| Catalogue Number | TVA 901707 2 |
| Release Series | |
| Release Date | December 1983 |
| Duration: | |
| Printed Classification | |
| Notes |
User Reviews:
For years, I referred to this as 'the scary dogs cartoon',
because the pirate copy I owned back in the day had the opening titles and end
credits missing, and I didn't find out until decades later exactly why a terrier
with an unspecified head injury and a bad-tempered black retriever were living
rough on the moors with a smart-arsed Geordie fox. Turns out they're lab dogs
on the run and they're trying to revert back to their wild state as a final 'up
yours' to the human race, be they 'masters' (owners) or 'whitecoats'
(scientists). This was a second stab at a Richard Adams adaptation from Martin
Rosen, the director of [i]Watership Down[/i], and lightning resolutely failed to
strike twice - largely because this is far more depressing than the
aforementioned rabbit-based fable and several steps down the ladder in terms of
artistic achievement - the backgrounds especially. The American version was
trimmed to try and make it more 'family friendly', which was a fool's errand
from the start because this is a bleak, downbeat and troubling bastard of a
film you really only need to watch once.