Cujo [1983]

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1983
Running Times: 91 mins
Format: colour 35mm
Ratio: 1.85:1
Sound:

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Taft Entertainment Company / Sunn Classic Pictures
Producer: Daniel H. Blatt, Robert Singer
Associate Producer: Neil A. Machlis
Executive Production Manager: George Goodman
Unit Production Manager: Neil A. Machlis
Production Supervisor: Elliot Friedgen
Production Co-Ordinator: Chriss Strauss
Assistant Co-Ordinator: Dan Phillips

SCRIPT
Script: Don Carlos Dunaway, Lauren Currier
Novel: Stephen King

DIRECTION
Director: Lewis Teague
1st Assistant Director: Jerry Grandey
2nd Assistant Director: Michael Green

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Jan De Bont
Steadicam Operator: David Pringle
1st Assistant Camera: Alexander Witt
2nd Assistant Camera: Vern Nobles, Rick Osborn
Lamp Operators: Ian Kincaid, Jay Schumann, Jon Tilton, Garland Wylde
Key Grip: Bruce Hamme
Grips: Rick Mitchell, Popcorn Simmons
Dolly Grip: Arly Thomsen
Gaffer: Dennis Petersen
Best Boys: Pat Reddish, Todd Smith
Generator Operator: Chester Sohn
Stills: Gale Adler, John Bush
Cameras: Panavision Cameras and Lenses
Labs: CFI, Hollywood, California, USA

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: Neil Travis
Assistant Editor: Steve Potter

MUSIC
Music: Charles Bernstein
Music Supervisor: Don Perry
Music Editor: Richard Stone
Music Editing: La Da Productions Inc

SOUND
Sound: Mark Ulano
Sound Mixer: Mark Ulano
Re-Recording Mixers: Robert Glass, David J. Hudson, Ray West
Supervising Sound Editor: Michael Milkene
Sound Editors: Brian Courcier, David Elliott, Fred Judkins, John Kline, Russ Tinsley
Sound Editing: Echo Film Services Inc
Boom Operator: Patrushkha Mierzwa

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Robin Neal
Hair: Julie Purcell
Costume Designer: Jack Buehler
Assistant Costumer: Nancy Fox
Wardrobe Assistant: Leslie Morales

SPECIAL MAKE UP
Special Make Up Effects: Peter Knowlton
Assistant Special Make Up: Michael Lavalley

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Rick Josephson
Assistant Special Effects: G. Lynn Maughan
Visual Effects Assistants: Bob Clark, Kathy Clark, David Nelson
Title and Opticals: Modern Film Effects

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Guy Comtois
Set Designer: Joseph Garrity
Main Title Graphics: Cimarron Productions Inc
Set Decorator: John Bergman
Set Dressers: Bob Andrews, Elsie Rowland, Bob Ziembicki
Property Master: Roger Crandall
Assistant Props: Wayne Iversen
Construction Co-Ordinator: Dean Brown
Carpenter: Richard Hochschild
Set Painter: Michael Berdick

MISCELLANEOUS
Script Supervisor: Jacqueline Saunders
Special Consultant: Mamie Goldstein
Assistant Accountant: Celia Cadena
Location Auditor: Paul Kovlachum
Accounting Secretary: Pat Borri
Animal Action: Karl Lewis Miller
Animal Handlers: Glen Garner, Jackie Martin
Transporation Co-Ordinator: Eddie Lee Voelker
Drivers: Blackie Bissonnetti, Jim Campbell, Pam Daniels, Jim Huffey, Marty Huffey, Jim Mason, Jim O'Keefe
Unit Publicist: Boots Lebaron
Catering: Michael Schultz Enterprises Inc
Assistant Cooks: Desmond Giffen, Mark Moelter
Labourers: Roger Graham, James McElroy
Craft Service: Perry Husman
Production Assistants: Pixie Lamppu, Chris Medak, Tom Zapata
Production Associate: Mario Iscovich
Welfare Worker: Aileen Ronloff
First Aid: Phil Strauss

LOCATIONS
Locations: Mendocino, California, USA; Petaluma, California, USA; Santa Rosa, California, USA
Location Manager: Deborah Lawson

STUNTS
Stunt Co-Ordinator: Conrad E. Palmisano
Stunts: Jeannie Coulter, Bob Herron, Chris Howell, Jackie Martin, Roxana Whitfield, Walter Wyatt

CASTING
Casting: Judith Holstra, Marcia S. Ross
Extra Casting: Panda Talent Agency

CAST
Dee Wallace [Donna Trenton]
Daniel Hugh-Kelly [Vic Trenton]
Danny Pintauro [Tad Trenton]
Christopher Stone [Steve Kemp]
Ed Lauter [Joe Camber]
Kaiulani Lee [Charity Camber]
Billy Jacoby [Brett Camber]
Mills Watson [Gary Previer]
Sandy Ward [Sheriff Bannerman]
Jerry Hardin [Masen]
Merritt Olsen [Professor]
Arthur Rosenberg [Roger Breakstone]
Harry Donovan-Smith [Harry]
Robert Elross [Meara]
Robert Behling [Fournier]
Claire Nono [lady reporter]
Daniel H. Blatt [Dr Merkatz]

Donna Trenton is having a bad day - her husband has found out about her affair and now her car has broken down. She and her young son Tad are trapped in the very small vehicle while Cujo, a huge Saint Bernard who has been bitten by a rabid bat, circles around outside...

A rather dull novel is translated into a rather dull film. There's a certain amount of sentimental sympathy generated for poor Cujo, but the plight of the trapped mother and child never really engages and the back story is so dull and predictable that the half hour or so it takes to set it up at the beginning effectively ruins the whole venture.

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Warner Brothers
Video Distributors: Republic Pictures Corporation; Warner Brothers Home Video
DVD Distributor: Artisan Entertainment [10000 - Horror Collector's Pack #2 (also includes The Langoliers [1995] and Thinner [1996]), 1999]

Australia
Rating: M

Finland
Rating: K-18

France
Rating: -12

Norway
Rating: 18

Sweden
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: 18

USA
Rating: R

1984
Young Artist Awards
Young Artist Award: Best Young Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture [Danny Pintauro] - nominated

1987
Fantasporto
Audience Jury Award [Lewis Teague] - winner
International Fantasy Film Award: Best Film [Lewis Teague] - nominated

1983
August
3: USA - theatrical release
10: France - theatrical release
19: West Germany - theatrical release

1984
April
6: Sweden - theatrical release

September
21: Finland - theatrical release

November
8: Norway - theatrical release

1987
February
Day Unknown: Portugal - shown at the Fantasporto Film Festival

1999
October
26: USA - DVD release [Artisan Entertainment [10000 - Horror Collector's Pack #2 (also includes The Langoliers [1995] and Thinner [1996]), 1999]]

Please God Get me out of here

A new name for terror

Now there is a new name for terror

SEE ALSO
Cat's Eye [1985]
The Dark Half [1993]
The Dead Zone [1983]
House [1986]
Monkeybone [2001]
Needful Things [1993]
Scrooged [1988]

INCLUDES FOOTAGE FROM
Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? [1969]

BOOKS

The Films of Stephen King pp.24-27
illustrated credits, review

dogs; animals; rabies; bats; book into film; cars; fog; sieges; infidelity; mutants; police