Cujo (1983)
Unleash the terror.
- The bunny doesn't get ate.
- I'm sure back when rabies was a big thing, this would have been terrifying.
- Massive bear of a dog is still frightening when angry face is on.
- Realistic simulator of what everyone who's afraid of the dark or monsters in the dark of any age goes through before going to bed.
- Very slow start, focusing on human issues like cheating wives.
- Goopy rabid Cujo looks a bit... slimey. Like, booger-face the beardog.
- Some of the terror has fled for modern times, which could leave a more modern audience getting bored over "trapped" scenarios.
A huge dog would be a terrifying thing, and if you take yourself out of your role as a watcher and pretend you are the kid (specifically, the kid) then it really can amp up the horror levels of the film. That being said, there is the whole social commentary on cheating wives you could spin out on if you wanted to try and go deeper than the terror of a giant rabid dog wanting to eat you and your kid's face. It's a bit slow on the horror side, mainly due to waiting a good deal of the way to turn into something scary as opposed to a life-picture, but fans of King should be used to the occasional slow burn from other pictures he's done (The Shining or Rose Red for example). It's far less gimmicky than some King movies (Maximum Overdrive) and less frightening than some (It), but I'd wager I enjoyed it more than Children of the Corn.