A Boy and His Dog
Encyclopedia
A Boy and His Dog is a cycle of narratives and films including or stemming from works of science fiction author Harlan Ellison
.
Ellison began the cycle with the 1969 short story
of the same title, and a revised and expanded novella-length version was published in Ellison's story collection The Beast that Shouted Love at the Heart of the World
the same year. Ellison continued the story in Vic and Blood, a graphic novel
illustrated by Richard Corben
, who also illustrated two previously published short stories featuring Vic and Blood: "Eggsucker" and "Run, Spot, Run".
Ellison's expanded novella
was the basis of a film adaptation
in 1974, the post-apocalyptic science fiction film
of the same name, directed by L. Q. Jones
. (The film was also distributed after its initial run under several other titles, including Psycho Boy and His Killer Dog, Mad Don, and Apocalypse: 2024.)
survived the assassination attempt
in 1963. During his terms of office and that of the other Kennedys
, society concentrated on the advancement of technology
instead of on the space race
. Technological progress took place far faster than in our timeline, and quickly surpassed the point we are at now. Androids became common household servants in the United States
before the end of the decade. Extensive research was done in the fields of extra sensory perception, telepathy
, and animal intelligence, which are all proved possible.
This new form of technological race only intensified the Cold War
, which had begun in June 1950 with the Soviet Union
and the People's Republic of China
, eventually becoming an arms race
. The world became divided along the lines of the "Western Bloc" and the "Eastern Bloc". World War III
broke out and was fought by conventional means very similar to World War II
, yet lasting decades, with both sides suffering heavy losses and neither gaining the upper hand. World War III ended in an uneasy truce—the "Vatican
Armistice
"—in March 1983. Tensions continued for the next 25 years and the global economy
never recovered. In 2007, global negotiations finally broke down and World War IV broke out. This time, the war was fought with nuclear weapons and lasted only five days, just long enough for the last nuclear missiles to leave their silos on both sides. Civilization
was almost entirely obliterated, leaving the surface of the Earth
reduced to a desolate, irradiated
, desert
wasteland.
The main character, Vic (played by Don Johnson
in the film), is an 18-year-old boy (15-years-old in the novella) born in the ruins of Phoenix
, Arizona
. In the novella and the film, Vic concentrates on stealing food and fulfilling his sexual needs. He is quite base, because he lost both of his parents in the nuclear war, has no formal education and doesn't understand ethics
or morality
. Satisfying his carnal desires remains Vic's main motivation throughout the story. He is accompanied by a well-read and wise-cracking telepathic
dog named Blood, an "experienced female provider" by his advanced senses of smell
and hearing
. Blood's main motivation is food, notably popcorn
(his favorite) which Vic is able to provide by theft or by purchasing from various vendors in the wastelands. Blood needs Vic because, as a side-effect of the genetic engineering which gave him telepathic abilities, Blood does not have the instincts to forage for food. In the film, Blood is portrayed by Tiger
and voiced by veteran voice actor Tim McIntire
.
Vic and Blood scavenge the desert
s of the Southwestern United States
, stealing for a living and evading bands of marauders
, berserk androids and mutant
s. Vic looks up to Blood as a teacher
and a father figure
, while Blood views Vic with equal fondness as a protégé, even though at times Blood is frustrated by Vic's rebellious nature and unwillingness to learn. Although they argue over trivial matters and threaten each other, nothing ever comes of it, and in the end both agree (reluctantly) that they need each other to survive. They have also been together since Vic was born and Blood a puppy
.
In addition to locating women for Vic to rape, Blood has the unenviable task of trying to educate Vic and keep him safe from harm. Blood is the result of genetic experimentation
, which resulted in an intelligent canine mutation with telepathic abilities. The only human Blood can communicate with is Vic, whom Blood calls "Albert" as a "term of endearment." In the later graphic novel Vic and Blood, Blood explains: "I get such a kick out of calling him Albert – after Albert Payson Terhune
, who wrote all those stupid dog books in which we noble creatures were pets, always being saved by some sappy human - it is my best gambit to make him scream." It is said in the novella that Albert is Vic's real name but Vic doesn't like it.
Blood is a misanthrope - perhaps because he may be the most intelligent and learned being left in the world. Blood has a positive outlook on life in general and believes in a place untouched by nuclear radiation that he heard about from a police dog
. Blood refers to this place at various times as "Over The Hill" and the "Promised Land
", where "deer
and the antelope
play and it's warm and clean and we can relax and have fun and grow food right out of the ground." Blood wants to look for "Over The Hill" with Vic, but Vic won't entertain it. Vic states that this is as good as it gets and there is no "Over The Hill."
The girl turns out to be Quilla June Holmes (portrayed by Susanne Benton
in the film) the scheming and seductive daughter of the head of a large underground vault. Her father, Lou Craddock (portrayed by Jason Robards
in the film), had sent her to the surface to bait Vic into much needed "service." Blood takes an immediate disliking to Quilla, sensing something wrong. He warns Vic, who ignores him. After saving Quilla's life from a band of raiders and then some mutants called "screamers," Vic spends an amorous night with her. In the morning she knocks Vic unconscious and flees. She had told Vic about where she lives and also deliberately left an access card to the vault door so that he could follow her. Vic, taken by the idea of women and sex, leaves Blood despite his pleading and pursues the young lady into "downunder".
Downunder has artificial sunlight
, hydroponic bay
s, biospheres
(with similarities to the Eden Project
) and forests. One underground city, named 'Topeka' after the ruins of the city it lies beneath, is fashioned in a mockery of 1950s rural innocence and brave-new-worldian madness, with all the inhabitants wearing dungarees and mime
makeup. Topeka meets its need for exogamous
reproduction by electroejaculation
(forcibly extracting sperm from men with machines) and artificial insemination
, yet the city with its limited population needs donors. Anybody who refuses to comply or otherwise defies the committee is sent off to "the farm" and never seen again. "Heart attacks" and "farming accidents" are given as reasons for disappearances. Vic soon learns the reality of the authoritarian committee and of its need for his semen
. He is initially elated at the prospect of being used for procreative services, because he assumes that the process will involve him having sex with numerous women, but this initial enthusiasm turns to horror when he is strapped to a table and a machine is used to extract his semen. Vic is told that when his sperm has impregnated 35 women, he will be sent to "the farm."
Quilla June, along with a few other rebellious teenagers, have other plans for Vic. They free him and beg him to kill the committee members and their android enforcer Michael (performed by former Californian boxing champion Hal Baylor in the film), thus leaving Quilla June in power. Vic has no interest in politics or in remaining underground. Nevertheless, before Vic can shoot Lou Craddock, the other rebellious teenagers are captured by Michael and have their skulls crushed by Michael's bare hands. Vic manages to disable Michael after shooting him many times. Knowing that her plan is foiled, her co-conspirators dead and after overhearing her father order her death, Quilla decides Vic is her only chance and decides to escape to the surface with him. She tells Vic that she loves him. (She was also apparently romantically involved with one of her late co-conspirators, although this, too, may have been self-serving.).
Once on the surface, Vic and Quilla discover that Blood is starving and near death. Knowing he will never survive without Blood's guidance, Vic faces a difficult situation, and in a twist ending, it is implied he kills his new love and cooks her to save Blood. The novella ends with Vic remembering her question as Blood eats: "Do you know what love is?" and he concludes, "Sure I know. A boy loves his dog." In the film, the following dialog suggests her fate: Blood states "Well, I'd certainly say she had marvelous judgment, Albert, if not particularly good taste."
of A Boy and His Dog won the Nebula Award for Best Novella
upon its release in 1969.
started the screenplay but encountered writers block, so producer Alvy Moore
and director L.Q. Jones wrote the script, with Wayne Cruseturner, who was uncredited. Jones' own company, LQJaf Productions (L. Q. Jones & Friends), produced the film. They filmed the movie near Coyote Dry Lake
in the Mojave Desert
.
The Firesign Theater was also involved with writing of the script.
James Cagney
's voice was considered as the voice of Blood, but was dropped because it would have been too recognizable and proved a distraction. Eventually, after going through approximately six hundred auditions, they settled on Tim McIntire
, a veteran voice actor who also did most of the music for the film. McIntire was assisted with this by Ray Manzarek
(misspelled in the film credits as Manzarec), formerly of The Doors
. McIntire sang the main theme. Latin American composer Jaime Mendoza-Nava provided the music for the underground segment.
. Ellison has been quoted as saying he did not intend it this way.
. After a retelling of the first story, the final chapter deals with the events immediately afterward. Although Blood is now back on his feet, the pair's situation deteriorates as Vic begins having guilt-ridden hallucinations as a result of an awakening of conscience following the death of Quilla June. Due to his preoccupation, Vic stumbles into a near-fatal encounter with a roving gang, resulting in his getting separated from Blood once again. After the two reunite, Blood finds Vic in a hopeless, almost catatonic state. Despite Blood's appeals and attempts to reawaken Vic's sanity, Vic allows himself to be captured by a giant, mutated spider. Cocooned, poisoned by venom, and beyond any hope of saving, Vic accepts his fate as Blood is left to fend for himself.
The reasons given by Ellison for this abrupt ending have differed over the years. One relates to his anger over the L.Q. Jones ending of the film, as detailed above. The other is, according to Ellison, essentially a desire to stop his fans from requesting more stories about the two characters. Ellison claimed at the time of the film's release that he had said all he wanted to say about Vic and Blood, and that there would be no more sequels.
However, in the introduction to the graphic novel "Vic and Blood", dated 25 March 2003, Ellison mentions:
"And I've written the rest of the book, BLOOD'S A ROVER. The final, longest section is in screenplay form - and they're bidding here in Hollywood, once again, for the feature film and TV rights - and one of these days before I go through that final door, I'll translate it into elegant prose, and the full novel will appear."
According to Cult Movies 2, Jones had a sequel planned called A Girl And Her Dog, but the plan was scrapped when Tiger
died. In a December 2003 interview, Jones claimed that he is approached by a different group wanting to make a sequel approximately every 30 days, but funding is always an issue.
. The film ranked #96 on Rotten Tomatoes
"Journey Through Sci-Fi" (100 Best-Reviewed Sci-Fi Movies.)
Harlan Ellison
Harlan Jay Ellison is an American writer. His principal genre is speculative fiction.His published works include over 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, essays, a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media...
.
Ellison began the cycle with the 1969 short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
of the same title, and a revised and expanded novella-length version was published in Ellison's story collection The Beast that Shouted Love at the Heart of the World
The Beast that Shouted Love at the Heart of the World
The Beast that Shouted Love at the Heart of the World is a short story collection by Harlan Ellison published in 1969. It contains one of the author's most famous stories, "A Boy and His Dog", adapted into a film of the same name...
the same year. Ellison continued the story in Vic and Blood, a graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
illustrated by Richard Corben
Richard Corben
Richard Corben is an American illustrator and comic book artist best known for his comics featured in Heavy Metal magazine...
, who also illustrated two previously published short stories featuring Vic and Blood: "Eggsucker" and "Run, Spot, Run".
Ellison's expanded novella
Novella
A novella is a written, fictional, prose narrative usually longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000...
was the basis of a film adaptation
Film adaptation
Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work.A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film, but film adaptation includes the use of non-fiction , autobiography, comic book, scripture, plays, and even...
in 1974, the post-apocalyptic science fiction film
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
of the same name, directed by L. Q. Jones
L. Q. Jones
L.Q. Jones is an American character actor and film director, known for his work in the films of Sam Peckinpah.-Life and career:...
. (The film was also distributed after its initial run under several other titles, including Psycho Boy and His Killer Dog, Mad Don, and Apocalypse: 2024.)
Setting
The novella and the film adaptation have the same alternate timeline setting. In this, President John F. KennedyJohn F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
survived the assassination attempt
Assassination of John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, was assassinated at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas...
in 1963. During his terms of office and that of the other Kennedys
Kennedy family
In the United States, the phrase Kennedy family commonly refers to the family descending from the marriage of the Irish-Americans Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. and Rose Elizabeth Fitzgerald that was prominent in American politics and government. Their political involvement has revolved around the...
, society concentrated on the advancement of technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
instead of on the space race
Space Race
The Space Race was a mid-to-late 20th century competition between the Soviet Union and the United States for supremacy in space exploration. Between 1957 and 1975, Cold War rivalry between the two nations focused on attaining firsts in space exploration, which were seen as necessary for national...
. Technological progress took place far faster than in our timeline, and quickly surpassed the point we are at now. Androids became common household servants in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
before the end of the decade. Extensive research was done in the fields of extra sensory perception, telepathy
Telepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
, and animal intelligence, which are all proved possible.
This new form of technological race only intensified the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, which had begun in June 1950 with the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
and the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, eventually becoming an arms race
Arms race
The term arms race, in its original usage, describes a competition between two or more parties for the best armed forces. Each party competes to produce larger numbers of weapons, greater armies, or superior military technology in a technological escalation...
. The world became divided along the lines of the "Western Bloc" and the "Eastern Bloc". World War III
World War III
World War III denotes a successor to World War II that would be on a global scale, with common speculation that it would be likely nuclear and devastating in nature....
broke out and was fought by conventional means very similar to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, yet lasting decades, with both sides suffering heavy losses and neither gaining the upper hand. World War III ended in an uneasy truce—the "Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
Armistice
Armistice
An armistice is a situation in a war where the warring parties agree to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, but may be just a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace...
"—in March 1983. Tensions continued for the next 25 years and the global economy
World economy
The world economy, or global economy, generally refers to the economy, which is based on economies of all of the world's countries, national economies. Also global economy can be seen as the economy of global society and national economies – as economies of local societies, making the global one....
never recovered. In 2007, global negotiations finally broke down and World War IV broke out. This time, the war was fought with nuclear weapons and lasted only five days, just long enough for the last nuclear missiles to leave their silos on both sides. Civilization
Civilization
Civilization is a sometimes controversial term that has been used in several related ways. Primarily, the term has been used to refer to the material and instrumental side of human cultures that are complex in terms of technology, science, and division of labor. Such civilizations are generally...
was almost entirely obliterated, leaving the surface of the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
reduced to a desolate, irradiated
Nuclear fallout
Fallout is the residual radioactive material propelled into the upper atmosphere following a nuclear blast, so called because it "falls out" of the sky after the explosion and shock wave have passed. It commonly refers to the radioactive dust and ash created when a nuclear weapon explodes...
, desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
wasteland.
Central characters
The year in which the novella and the film take place is 2024. The few survivors who remain above ground must forage and fight for food, clean water, clothes, weapons, ammunition and women. Of these necessities, women are the rarest; most survivors are male because while the males were off fighting in the wars, their enemies bombed and destroyed their homes. Among these survivors it has become a rule of dog eat dog.The main character, Vic (played by Don Johnson
Don Johnson
Donnie Wayne "Don" Johnson is an American actor known for his work in television and film. He played the lead role of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s TV cop series, Miami Vice, which led him to huge success. He also played the lead role in the 1990s cop series, Nash Bridges...
in the film), is an 18-year-old boy (15-years-old in the novella) born in the ruins of Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. In the novella and the film, Vic concentrates on stealing food and fulfilling his sexual needs. He is quite base, because he lost both of his parents in the nuclear war, has no formal education and doesn't understand ethics
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
or morality
Morality
Morality is the differentiation among intentions, decisions, and actions between those that are good and bad . A moral code is a system of morality and a moral is any one practice or teaching within a moral code...
. Satisfying his carnal desires remains Vic's main motivation throughout the story. He is accompanied by a well-read and wise-cracking telepathic
Telepathy
Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...
dog named Blood, an "experienced female provider" by his advanced senses of smell
Olfaction
Olfaction is the sense of smell. This sense is mediated by specialized sensory cells of the nasal cavity of vertebrates, and, by analogy, sensory cells of the antennae of invertebrates...
and hearing
Hearing (sense)
Hearing is the ability to perceive sound by detecting vibrations through an organ such as the ear. It is one of the traditional five senses...
. Blood's main motivation is food, notably popcorn
Popcorn
Popcorn, or popping corn, is corn which expands from the kernel and puffs up when heated. Corn is able to pop because, like sorghum, quinoa and millet, its kernels have a hard moisture-sealed hull and a dense starchy interior. This allows pressure to build inside the kernel until an explosive...
(his favorite) which Vic is able to provide by theft or by purchasing from various vendors in the wastelands. Blood needs Vic because, as a side-effect of the genetic engineering which gave him telepathic abilities, Blood does not have the instincts to forage for food. In the film, Blood is portrayed by Tiger
Tiger (dog actor)
Tiger was a mixed-breed dog and animal actor owned by Lou Schumacher and trained by Joe Hornok.-Career:Tiger appeared in one episode of the American television situation comedy The Brady Bunch, produced by ABC. During the taping of the episode "Katchoo" during the first season, the dog actor who...
and voiced by veteran voice actor Tim McIntire
Tim McIntire
Tim McIntire was an American character actor, probably most famous for his portrayal of disc jockey Alan Freed in the film American Hot Wax...
.
Vic and Blood scavenge the desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
s of the Southwestern United States
Southwestern United States
The Southwestern United States is a region defined in different ways by different sources. Broad definitions include nearly a quarter of the United States, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah...
, stealing for a living and evading bands of marauders
Marauders
- Entertainment :* Marauders , henchmen in the Marvel Comics universe* Marauders , antagonists in the role-playing game Mage: The Ascension* Midnight Marauders, a 1993 album by rap group A Tribe Called Quest...
, berserk androids and mutant
Mutant
In biology and especially genetics, a mutant is an individual, organism, or new genetic character, arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is a base-pair sequence change within the DNA of a gene or chromosome of an organism resulting in the creation of a new character or trait not...
s. Vic looks up to Blood as a teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
and a father figure
Father Figure
"Father Figure" is the U.S. number-one song written and performed by George Michael and released on Columbia Records in 1988 as the third single from the album Faith.-History:...
, while Blood views Vic with equal fondness as a protégé, even though at times Blood is frustrated by Vic's rebellious nature and unwillingness to learn. Although they argue over trivial matters and threaten each other, nothing ever comes of it, and in the end both agree (reluctantly) that they need each other to survive. They have also been together since Vic was born and Blood a puppy
Puppy
A puppy is a juvenile dog. Some puppies may weigh , while larger ones can weigh up to . All healthy puppies grow quickly after birth. A puppy's coat color may change as the puppy grows older, as is commonly seen in breeds such as the Yorkshire Terrier...
.
In addition to locating women for Vic to rape, Blood has the unenviable task of trying to educate Vic and keep him safe from harm. Blood is the result of genetic experimentation
Genetic engineering
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...
, which resulted in an intelligent canine mutation with telepathic abilities. The only human Blood can communicate with is Vic, whom Blood calls "Albert" as a "term of endearment." In the later graphic novel Vic and Blood, Blood explains: "I get such a kick out of calling him Albert – after Albert Payson Terhune
Albert Payson Terhune
Albert Payson Terhune was an American author, dog breeder, and journalist. The public knows him best for his novels relating the adventures of his beloved collies and as a breeder of collies at his Sunnybank Kennels, the lines of which still exist in today's Rough Collies.-Biography:Albert Payson...
, who wrote all those stupid dog books in which we noble creatures were pets, always being saved by some sappy human - it is my best gambit to make him scream." It is said in the novella that Albert is Vic's real name but Vic doesn't like it.
Blood is a misanthrope - perhaps because he may be the most intelligent and learned being left in the world. Blood has a positive outlook on life in general and believes in a place untouched by nuclear radiation that he heard about from a police dog
Police dog
A police dog, often referred to as a "K-9 dog" in some areas , is a dog that is trained specifically to assist police and other law-enforcement personnel in their work...
. Blood refers to this place at various times as "Over The Hill" and the "Promised Land
Promised land
The Promised Land is a term used to describe the land promised or given by God, according to the Hebrew Bible, to the Israelites, the descendants of Jacob. The promise is firstly made to Abraham and then renewed to his son Isaac, and to Isaac's son Jacob , Abraham's grandson...
", where "deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
and the antelope
Antelope
Antelope is a term referring to many even-toed ungulate species indigenous to various regions in Africa and Eurasia. Antelopes comprise a miscellaneous group within the family Bovidae, encompassing those old-world species that are neither cattle, sheep, buffalo, bison, nor goats...
play and it's warm and clean and we can relax and have fun and grow food right out of the ground." Blood wants to look for "Over The Hill" with Vic, but Vic won't entertain it. Vic states that this is as good as it gets and there is no "Over The Hill."
Plot
The film begins with Vic sneaking through foothills in search of a bunker. An unseen voice is heard advising Vic, which is soon revealed to be his telepathic dog, Blood. When he reaches the bunker, he finds his quarry, a woman, severely mutilated and raped. He is angry and disappointed, because he is unwilling to have sex with a dead body that is so disheveled. In his sexual frustration, Blood and Vic get into several arguments, and the quirks of their relationship are revealed. Blood and Vic continue their travels and stumble upon a slave driver who's heading an excavation into another bunker. His slaves begin to pull out cans of food, and when no one is paying attention, Vic runs up and steals several cans and runs away. With their new found wealth, Blood and Vic travel to a makeshift settlement with a working movie projector and permanent residents - a rarity in the wasteland. While there, Blood claims to smell a woman, which excites Vic. The pair track her to a large underground warehouse.The girl turns out to be Quilla June Holmes (portrayed by Susanne Benton
Susanne Benton
Susanne Benton is an American actress known for her film roles as General Dreedle's WAC in Catch-22 and Quilla June Holmes in A Boy and His Dog...
in the film) the scheming and seductive daughter of the head of a large underground vault. Her father, Lou Craddock (portrayed by Jason Robards
Jason Robards
Jason Nelson Robards, Jr. was an American actor on stage, and in film and television, and a winner of the Tony Award , two Academy Awards and the Emmy Award...
in the film), had sent her to the surface to bait Vic into much needed "service." Blood takes an immediate disliking to Quilla, sensing something wrong. He warns Vic, who ignores him. After saving Quilla's life from a band of raiders and then some mutants called "screamers," Vic spends an amorous night with her. In the morning she knocks Vic unconscious and flees. She had told Vic about where she lives and also deliberately left an access card to the vault door so that he could follow her. Vic, taken by the idea of women and sex, leaves Blood despite his pleading and pursues the young lady into "downunder".
Downunder has artificial sunlight
Artificial sunlight
Artificial sunlight is the use of a light source to simulate sunlight where the unique benefits of sunlight are needed, but where sufficient natural sunlight is not available or is not feasible...
, hydroponic bay
Hydroponics
Hydroponics is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions, in water, without soil. Terrestrial plants may be grown with their roots in the mineral nutrient solution only or in an inert medium, such as perlite, gravel, mineral wool, or coconut husk.Researchers discovered in the 18th...
s, biospheres
Biosphere 2
Biosphere 2 is a structure originally built to be an artificial, materially-closed ecological system in Oracle, Arizona by Space Biosphere Ventures, a joint venture whose principal officers were John P. Allen, inventor and Executive Director, and Margret Augustine, CEO...
(with similarities to the Eden Project
Eden Project
The Eden Project is a visitor attraction in Cornwall in the United Kingdom, including the world's largest greenhouse. Inside the artificial biomes are plants that are collected from all around the world....
) and forests. One underground city, named 'Topeka' after the ruins of the city it lies beneath, is fashioned in a mockery of 1950s rural innocence and brave-new-worldian madness, with all the inhabitants wearing dungarees and mime
Mime
The word mime is used to refer to a mime artist who uses a theatrical medium or performance art involving the acting out of a story through body motions without use of speech.Mime may also refer to:* Mime, an alternative word for lip sync...
makeup. Topeka meets its need for exogamous
Exogamy
Exogamy is a social arrangement where marriage is allowed only outside of a social group. The social groups define the scope and extent of exogamy, and the rules and enforcement mechanisms that ensure its continuity. In social studies, exogamy is viewed as a combination of two related aspects:...
reproduction by electroejaculation
Electroejaculation
Electroejaculation is a procedure used to obtain semen samples from sexually mature male mammals. The procedure is applied for breeding programs and research purposes in various species, as well as in the treatment of an ejaculatory dysfunction in human males....
(forcibly extracting sperm from men with machines) and artificial insemination
Artificial insemination
Artificial insemination, or AI, is the process by which sperm is placed into the reproductive tract of a female for the purpose of impregnating the female by using means other than sexual intercourse or natural insemination...
, yet the city with its limited population needs donors. Anybody who refuses to comply or otherwise defies the committee is sent off to "the farm" and never seen again. "Heart attacks" and "farming accidents" are given as reasons for disappearances. Vic soon learns the reality of the authoritarian committee and of its need for his semen
Semen
Semen is an organic fluid, also known as seminal fluid, that may contain spermatozoa. It is secreted by the gonads and other sexual organs of male or hermaphroditic animals and can fertilize female ova...
. He is initially elated at the prospect of being used for procreative services, because he assumes that the process will involve him having sex with numerous women, but this initial enthusiasm turns to horror when he is strapped to a table and a machine is used to extract his semen. Vic is told that when his sperm has impregnated 35 women, he will be sent to "the farm."
Quilla June, along with a few other rebellious teenagers, have other plans for Vic. They free him and beg him to kill the committee members and their android enforcer Michael (performed by former Californian boxing champion Hal Baylor in the film), thus leaving Quilla June in power. Vic has no interest in politics or in remaining underground. Nevertheless, before Vic can shoot Lou Craddock, the other rebellious teenagers are captured by Michael and have their skulls crushed by Michael's bare hands. Vic manages to disable Michael after shooting him many times. Knowing that her plan is foiled, her co-conspirators dead and after overhearing her father order her death, Quilla decides Vic is her only chance and decides to escape to the surface with him. She tells Vic that she loves him. (She was also apparently romantically involved with one of her late co-conspirators, although this, too, may have been self-serving.).
Once on the surface, Vic and Quilla discover that Blood is starving and near death. Knowing he will never survive without Blood's guidance, Vic faces a difficult situation, and in a twist ending, it is implied he kills his new love and cooks her to save Blood. The novella ends with Vic remembering her question as Blood eats: "Do you know what love is?" and he concludes, "Sure I know. A boy loves his dog." In the film, the following dialog suggests her fate: Blood states "Well, I'd certainly say she had marvelous judgment, Albert, if not particularly good taste."
Novella
The novellaNovella
A novella is a written, fictional, prose narrative usually longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000...
of A Boy and His Dog won the Nebula Award for Best Novella
Nebula Award
The Nebula Award is given each year by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America , for the best science fiction/fantasy fiction published in the United States during the previous year...
upon its release in 1969.
Film
- In 1976, the film adaptation won the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic PresentationHugo Award for Best Dramatic PresentationThe Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially...
. - The lead actor, Don JohnsonDon JohnsonDonnie Wayne "Don" Johnson is an American actor known for his work in television and film. He played the lead role of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s TV cop series, Miami Vice, which led him to huge success. He also played the lead role in the 1990s cop series, Nash Bridges...
, won Golden Scroll for Best Actor, which was shared with James Caan for his performance in RollerballRollerball (1975 film)Rollerball is a 1975 American dystopian fiction film directed by Norman Jewison from a screenplay by William Harrison, who adapted his own short story "Roller Ball Murder", which first appeared in 1973 in Esquire magazine.-The Game:...
.
Film production
Harlan EllisonHarlan Ellison
Harlan Jay Ellison is an American writer. His principal genre is speculative fiction.His published works include over 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, essays, a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media...
started the screenplay but encountered writers block, so producer Alvy Moore
Alvy Moore
Jack Alvin "Alvy" Moore was an American light comic actor best known for his role as scatterbrained county agricultural agent "Hank Kimball" on the television series Green Acres....
and director L.Q. Jones wrote the script, with Wayne Cruseturner, who was uncredited. Jones' own company, LQJaf Productions (L. Q. Jones & Friends), produced the film. They filmed the movie near Coyote Dry Lake
Coyote Dry Lake
Coyote Dry Lake is a dry lake bed in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, California, northeast of Barstow. The lake is approximately by at its widest point....
in the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
.
The Firesign Theater was also involved with writing of the script.
James Cagney
James Cagney
James Francis Cagney, Jr. was an American actor, first on stage, then in film, where he had his greatest impact. Although he won acclaim and major awards for a wide variety of performances, he is best remembered for playing "tough guys." In 1999, the American Film Institute ranked him eighth...
's voice was considered as the voice of Blood, but was dropped because it would have been too recognizable and proved a distraction. Eventually, after going through approximately six hundred auditions, they settled on Tim McIntire
Tim McIntire
Tim McIntire was an American character actor, probably most famous for his portrayal of disc jockey Alan Freed in the film American Hot Wax...
, a veteran voice actor who also did most of the music for the film. McIntire was assisted with this by Ray Manzarek
Ray Manzarek
Raymond Daniel Manzarek, Jr., better known as Ray Manzarek , is an American musician, singer, producer, film director, writer, co-founder and keyboardist of The Doors from 1965 to 1973, Nite City from 1977–1978 and Manzarek-Krieger since 2001.Manzarek is listed #4 on Digital Dreamdoor's "100...
(misspelled in the film credits as Manzarec), formerly of The Doors
The Doors
The Doors were an American rock band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, with vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger...
. McIntire sang the main theme. Latin American composer Jaime Mendoza-Nava provided the music for the underground segment.
Differences between the novella and film
- In the novella, nuclear falloutNuclear falloutFallout is the residual radioactive material propelled into the upper atmosphere following a nuclear blast, so called because it "falls out" of the sky after the explosion and shock wave have passed. It commonly refers to the radioactive dust and ash created when a nuclear weapon explodes...
had created horrific genetic mutations. One such group is referred to as "burnpit screamers" because of the noise they make. The screamers are widely feared by the survivors of the nuclear holocaustNuclear holocaustNuclear holocaust refers to the possibility of the near complete annihilation of human civilization by nuclear warfare. Under such a scenario, all or most of the Earth is made uninhabitable by nuclear weapons in future world wars....
, and references are occasionally made to them in the novella. Screamers feature in the film, although only in one scene, and are not actually seen, but only their screams are heard, and their green bio-luminescence seen through a wall. The screamers have blue dots on their skin.
- In the novella, Blood is a mixed-breed dogMixed-breed dogA mixed-breed dog, also known as a mutt or mongrel, is a dog whose ancestry is generally unknown and that has characteristics of two or more types of breeds. A mixed-breed may be a cross-breed dog, a random-bred dog, or a descendant of feral or pariah dog populations...
, half German Shepherd and half PuliPuliThe Puli is a medium-big breed of Hungarian herding and livestock guarding dog known for its long, corded coat. The tight curls of the coat, similar to dreadlocks, make it virtually waterproof. A similar looking, but much larger Hungarian dog breed is called Komondor.- Appearance :The Puli is a...
, genetically alteredGenetic engineeringGenetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...
with enhanced dolphinDolphinDolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in 17 genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating...
spinal fluid injected in him. In the film, this was not mentioned, except for a brief bit of dialogue explaining that Blood was the "result of an experiment". In the film, Blood was portrayed by TigerTiger (dog actor)Tiger was a mixed-breed dog and animal actor owned by Lou Schumacher and trained by Joe Hornok.-Career:Tiger appeared in one episode of the American television situation comedy The Brady Bunch, produced by ABC. During the taping of the episode "Katchoo" during the first season, the dog actor who...
, also a mongrelMixed-breed dogA mixed-breed dog, also known as a mutt or mongrel, is a dog whose ancestry is generally unknown and that has characteristics of two or more types of breeds. A mixed-breed may be a cross-breed dog, a random-bred dog, or a descendant of feral or pariah dog populations...
, but who was a cross between a Bearded CollieBearded CollieThe Bearded Collie, or Beardie, is a herding breed of dog once used primarily by Scottish shepherds, but now mostly a popular family companion....
and West Highland White TerrierWest Highland White TerrierThe West Highland White Terrier, commonly known as the Westie, is a Scottish breed of dog with a distinctive white coat. The modern breed is descended from a number of breeding programes of white terriers in Scotland prior to the 20th century...
.
Criticism of the film
On the film's DVD audio commentary, L.Q. Jones states that Harlan Ellison was generally pleased with the movie, with the exception of the final line of dialog. In the introduction of the Vic and Blood anthology, Ellison criticized the film's "moronic, hateful chauvinist last line, which I despise." The final line occurs after Vic had to choose between saving the life of his faithful guide or running off with Quilla June. A shot of cooking meat followed by the line from Blood, "Well, I'd say she certainly had marvelous judgment, Albert, if not particularly good taste", ends the movie. The movie and short story are widely attacked for being misogynisticMisogyny
Misogyny is the hatred or dislike of women or girls. Philogyny, meaning fondness, love or admiration towards women, is the antonym of misogyny. The term misandry is the term for men that is parallel to misogyny...
. Ellison has been quoted as saying he did not intend it this way.
Graphic novel
Ellison later continued the story in the graphic novel Vic and Blood, illustrated by Richard CorbenRichard Corben
Richard Corben is an American illustrator and comic book artist best known for his comics featured in Heavy Metal magazine...
. After a retelling of the first story, the final chapter deals with the events immediately afterward. Although Blood is now back on his feet, the pair's situation deteriorates as Vic begins having guilt-ridden hallucinations as a result of an awakening of conscience following the death of Quilla June. Due to his preoccupation, Vic stumbles into a near-fatal encounter with a roving gang, resulting in his getting separated from Blood once again. After the two reunite, Blood finds Vic in a hopeless, almost catatonic state. Despite Blood's appeals and attempts to reawaken Vic's sanity, Vic allows himself to be captured by a giant, mutated spider. Cocooned, poisoned by venom, and beyond any hope of saving, Vic accepts his fate as Blood is left to fend for himself.
The reasons given by Ellison for this abrupt ending have differed over the years. One relates to his anger over the L.Q. Jones ending of the film, as detailed above. The other is, according to Ellison, essentially a desire to stop his fans from requesting more stories about the two characters. Ellison claimed at the time of the film's release that he had said all he wanted to say about Vic and Blood, and that there would be no more sequels.
However, in the introduction to the graphic novel "Vic and Blood", dated 25 March 2003, Ellison mentions:
"And I've written the rest of the book, BLOOD'S A ROVER. The final, longest section is in screenplay form - and they're bidding here in Hollywood, once again, for the feature film and TV rights - and one of these days before I go through that final door, I'll translate it into elegant prose, and the full novel will appear."
Sequel to the film
Rumors have abounded over the years regarding a movie sequel, but it has never materialized. On the film's DVD audio commentary, L.Q. Jones states that he had started to write a script sequel to the film that would have picked up right where the first film ended and featured a female warrior named Spike, and we would have seen this world through the eyes of a female instead of a male. Jones and Ellison collaborated on this short-lived effort. Ellison, however, has denied that development went beyond a short "what if?" conversation, and that any efforts were solely that of Jones.According to Cult Movies 2, Jones had a sequel planned called A Girl And Her Dog, but the plan was scrapped when Tiger
Tiger (dog actor)
Tiger was a mixed-breed dog and animal actor owned by Lou Schumacher and trained by Joe Hornok.-Career:Tiger appeared in one episode of the American television situation comedy The Brady Bunch, produced by ABC. During the taping of the episode "Katchoo" during the first season, the dog actor who...
died. In a December 2003 interview, Jones claimed that he is approached by a different group wanting to make a sequel approximately every 30 days, but funding is always an issue.
Legacy
The film was not successful at the time, however it has since developed a cult followingCult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
. The film ranked #96 on Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
"Journey Through Sci-Fi" (100 Best-Reviewed Sci-Fi Movies.)