Sometimes, fortunately, I find good cult movies. Last year, I found used video tape's "XYZ murders". Well, I guessed everybody know this, so I skipped about this.

Today, I hung around in Tower Records. Then I found cult movie's DVD. "A boy and his dog". Starring; Don Johnson. Original short story by Harlan Ellison. Yes he is! HARLAN ELLISON! Once I read his short stories, but I didn't know this story and movie. Have you ever seen this movie?

It's a movie of 1976(30 years ago!). But the story is in 2024, after the World War IV(Not WW III). Some survivors are living on the ground. One of survivors, Vic(Don Johnson) is main character. He can speak with his dog(Brad) by telepathy. Brad is very cute lookin' dog, but he's always using his venomous tongue. One day, Vic met a woman. Her name is Quilla June(sp?). But he was trapped by her. And then.....

This last scene was........very shocking! I was dumfounded by Vic's choice. I couldn't believe my eyes. After I saw it, I really wanted to read this short story.

This movie reminded me of "Mad Max2". I guess George Miller saw this movie before he make "Mad Max2". Some of scenes had similarities. It has worth to see anyway. Also it's feels like John Carpenter's movie.

You have indeed found a science fiction cult classic. I first read the story (by Spider Robinson, I believe) way back in the late 60's. He later wrote a prequel that tells of how Vic and Blood first meet. I also believe this was Don Johnson's first movie (and after you've seen "Dead Bang," you might say his best, as well).
Old Spider was working as a night security guard, guarding pipes and sewer fittings that no one really wanted to steal (the black market for such not being as lucrative as it once was), so he was filling those lonely hours by reading and writing science fiction while getting paid to sit around an guard shack all night. He is still somewhat of a maverick and I believe that he had a lot to do with the overall atmosphere of a series called "Babylon 5."

NewYorkjoe

You have indeed found a science fiction cult classic. I first read the story (by Spider Robinson, I believe) way back in the late 60's. He later wrote a prequel that tells of how Vic and Blood first meet. I also believe this was Don Johnson's first movie (and after you've seen "Dead Bang," you might say his best, as well).
Old Spider was working as a night security guard, guarding pipes and sewer fittings that no one really wanted to steal (the black market for such not being as lucrative as it once was), so he was filling those lonely hours by reading and writing science fiction while getting paid to sit around an guard shack all night. He is still somewhat of a maverick and I believe that he had a lot to do with the overall atmosphere of a series called "Babylon 5."

NewYorkjoe

The story is by Harlan Ellison, not Spider Robinson. It was first collected in "The Beast that Shouted Love at the Heart of the World," in 1969, and reprinted several times. Later adapted as a comic book as "Vic and Blood," as well as the movie that bears the story's original title. I have not seen the movie, but am a huge Ellison fan and have read the story. The prequel and sequel stories are in order, "Eggsucker," and "Run, Spot, Run," also by Ellison, viz. Link

The story is by Harlan Ellison, not Spider Robinson. It was first collected in "The Beast that Shouted Love at the Heart of the World," in 1969, and reprinted several times. Later adapted as a comic book as "Vic and Blood," as well as the movie that bears the story's original title. I have not seen the movie, but am a huge Ellison fan and have read the story. The prequel and sequel stories are in order, "Eggsucker," and "Run, Spot, Run," also by Ellison, viz. Link

Oh! The dog's name was Blood?! I thought it's Brad. :o Well, surely he was bloody poor dog. But still, he's cute.

"The Beast that Shouted Love at the Heart of the World".........is it a book's title? Okay, I'll check it out. Thanks for info, Anders.

The story is by Harlan Ellison, not Spider Robinson. It was first collected in "The Beast that Shouted Love at the Heart of the World," in 1969, and reprinted several times. Later adapted as a comic book as "Vic and Blood," as well as the movie that bears the story's original title. I have not seen the movie, but am a huge Ellison fan and have read the story. The prequel and sequel stories are in order, "Eggsucker," and "Run, Spot, Run," also by Ellison, viz. Link

I was curious about that. I am in the middle of the final season of B5 and don't recall seeing Spider Robinson's name anywhere. Harlan Ellison was listed as a conceptual consultant for the show before each episode. I think the only Ellison that I have read is the short story I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream. Disturbing.

Oh! The dog's name was Blood?! I thought it's Brad. :o Well, surely he was bloody poor dog. But still, he's cute.

"The Beast that Shouted Love at the Heart of the World".........is it a book's title? Okay, I'll check it out. Thanks for info, Anders.

Hi Kenji,

Yes, that's the book's title. Like most of Ellison's books, it's a collection of short stories. I also recommend *Shatterday,* another collection. (I should not have put " around the title of the book.)

Anders

I was curious about that. I am in the middle of the final season of B5 and don't recall seeing Spider Robinson's name anywhere. Harlan Ellison was listed as a conceptual consultant for the show before each episode. I think the only Ellison that I have read is the short story I Have No Mouth And I Must Scream. Disturbing.

I also don't recall Robinson involved with B5. By the way, Ellison has a bit role in Season 3 or 4, as one of the Psi Corps agents working with Bester.

The dog who played "Blood", BTW, also was the Brady Bunch's dog..or one of them, actually.

L.Q. Jones, who directed (and I think wrote the screenplay) was an old-time western character actor who appeared in a lot of Sam Peckinpah films.

I enjoyed it, too. I really had a thing for Suzanne Benton, who played Quilla June.

The story is by Harlan Ellison, not Spider Robinson. It was first collected in "The Beast that Shouted Love at the Heart of the World," in 1969, and reprinted several times. Later adapted as a comic book as "Vic and Blood," as well as the movie that bears the story's original title. I have not seen the movie, but am a huge Ellison fan and have read the story. The prequel and sequel stories are in order, "Eggsucker," and "Run, Spot, Run," also by Ellison, viz. Link

I knew that it wasn't Spider Robinson almost as soon as I posted. It was Harlan who was involved with Babylon 5, I can see his face in my mind's eye on the show SCIFI Buzz. Now, I'm not sure whether it was Harlan or Spider who was the plumbing guard (still believe it was Spider, though).
Good Catch,
NewYorkjoe

I knew that it wasn't Spider Robinson almost as soon as I posted. It was Harlan who was involved with Babylon 5, I can see his face in my mind's eye on the show SCIFI Buzz. Now, I'm not sure whether it was Harlan or Spider who was the plumbing guard (still believe it was Spider, though).
Good Catch,
NewYorkjoe

Hmm, the plumbing guard. I'll have to check. I know Ellison had a small part on an episode. Did not know if Spider appeared.