Dogs (1976 film)

Plot

Harlan Thompson (David McCallum) is the head of the biology department at Southwestern University, which seems to be a small school located in an isolated southern California town. Though he dresses casually and socializes with the students, he is frequently at odds with his fellow professors and the administrators, viewing them as shallow, elitist snobs who are more interested in status than education. However, he takes a semi-liking to a young and newly hired biology professor, Michael Fitzgerald (George Wyner), and tries to stop him from being sucked into the system. The only other SU employee who Harlan seems to have any use for is his ex-girlfriend Caroline Donaghue (Sandra McCabe). The two have recently broken up, but remain on good terms and haven't closed the door on the possibility of reconciliation.

Recently, several cows belonging to local rancher Larry Ludecky (Larry Gene Darnell) have been found dead. Harlan suspects that they've been killed by coyotes, but rules that out upon examining the cows. Larry says that he is going to wait with a rifle and shoot the animals who've been killing his cows if they return. Disregarding a warning from Harlan, Larry goes ahead with his plan, and is killed by a pack of dogs. Shortly afterward, dogs also kill a SU student and an elderly lady who walks outside to investigate the ruckus.

Harlan and Michael discuss the evidence and conclude that the killings were committed by dogs, who've packed via Michael's theory that pheromones cause animals of a particular species to unite and act as one. It's possible that the pheromones are coming from a top secret government experiment being conducted at a linear accelerator near the school. Harlan and Michael share their conclusion with the SU president, Dr. Maritn Koppelman (Sterling Swanson), and ask him to warn people to keep their dogs home at night. Koppelman, believing that Harlan and Michael are wrong, declines their request. Harlan says he'll give them warning himself, and Koppelman threatens him with firing if he does.

However, at the same time, a local kindergarten class is having a dog show, at which the dogs pack and attack the people. While no one is seriously injured, the town now becomes aware of the dog packing. Several men form a posse to hunt the dogs. Sheriff Jimmy Goodman (Eric Server) discourages them, but they insist, and he ends up joining them.

Harlan and Michael attempt to perform a pheromone experiment on a dog inside a plastic encasement. If it works, they plan to have a stronger pheromone sprayed into the area to stop the packing. But as they're about to start the experiment, the dog breaks through the plastic amid a nearby packing. Meanwhile, the posse is attacked by a pack, killing everyone but Jimmy, who flees the scene. But before he gets to his car, he is attacked also, dropping his gun. After suffering severe injuries, he stops the attack by picking up his gun and shooting the dog, but collapses and dies upon reaching his car.

Harlan and Michael arrive at the police station and find a man dead. They call Jimmy on the radio. Getting no response, they each grab a rifle and leave. As they pass Koppelman's house, they see him being attacked by a dog. Seeing Harlan and Michael, Koppelman asks them to shoot the dog. Michael shoots, but accidentally shoots and kills Koppelman. Harlan then shoots and kills the dog. Michael is traumatized upon realizing that he killed Koppelman, but Harlan calms Michael down. The two then find Mrs. Koppelman (Holly Harris) dead in the swimming pool.

Michael says that he'll warn the students and tells Harlan to check on Caroline, and that Harlan and Michael will later meet at the dorm. Harlan tells Michael to take Koppelman's car, which he does.

Meanwhile, SU professor Dr. Cory Aintry (Dean Santoro), brings fellow professor Charlotte Ingle (Linda Gray) home from a date. He asks to go inside, but she declines, and he expresses suspicion that she doesn't want to see him anymore. She implies that she's not romantically interested in him and goes inside, while he leaves, feeling dejected. Then, while taking a shower, she's killed by a dog.

Harlan arrives at Caroline's house and tells her that they need to evacuate. A few seconds later, as howling of dogs is heard in the far distance, her dog begins trembling.

Back at SU, Michael gathers the students in the lobby of the dorm. He tells them about the dog attacks, that he will walk them over to the library in five minutes, and that the campus will be evacuated in the morning. The students don't take Michael seriously, but grudgingly agree to his orders. One of the students tells Michael that the student's roommate, the overweight Howard Kaplan (Barry Greenberg), was hungry and went to the cafeteria. There, Howard finds milk and rolls, but is quickly confronted by two barking dogs. Michael arrives and tells the panicked Howard to throw the food to the dogs, which he does. One of the dogs goes after the food and Michael attempts to shoot the other. He turns out to be out of bullets, but he disables the dog by striking it with the rifle. He and Howard leave and head for the dorm.

Back at the dorm, the students having concluded that Michael has forgotten about them, they walk to the library themselves.

Back at Caroline's house, as Caroline goes to get dressed, she screams. A dog walks into the living room, and is quickly shot and killed by Harlan. However, several more dogs enter within a few seconds. Harlan and Caroline, holding her dog, exit the house.

Michael and Howard arrive back at the dorm, finding it abandoned. Meanwhile, the other students are attacked by a pack of dogs and barely escape into the library.

In Caroline's garage, Harlan and Caroline board the door into the house. As they get into Caroline's car to leave, along with her dog, Caroline realizes that she left the keys in the house. Harlan tries to hot wire the car, but before he succeeds, the sound of the dogs stop. Harlan and Caroline go to the door from the garage to the house, but Harlan then decides that they shouldn't go in. A few seconds later, a dog starts to enter through a doggy door. Harlan boards it, but then dogs try to enter through another doggy door. One of the dogs grabs Harlan by the leg and starts to pull on him, but he's rescued by Caroline and the two take refuge in the car. One of the dogs then tears through the wall and the pack enters.

Back at SU, Michael and Howard are close to the library when they find two more dead people. Howard panics and runs toward the library. Michael warns him to watch out. Seeing a pack coming at him, Howard desperately begs the students to let him in. However, a large dog jumps on him, knocking him through the glass door, and allowing the pack to enter. They presumably killed all the students. After the dogs leave, Michael finds the dead students in and near the library and looks resigned.

The next morning, amid silence, Harlan unboards the door into the house, believing that the dogs are gone. He tells Caroline to pack some things, but upon entering the house, she sees that the dogs are still there. Harlan and Caroline, holding her dog, run to Harlan's car, which is parked outside. Chased by the dogs, they barely get away in time. On their way out of town, they notice an abandoned police car off of the road and two dead people lying nearby in the grass, one of whom is Michael. As they drive away, apparently the only two survivors in the town, they listen to a news report on the radio about the dog attacks. The announcer says that dogs are the only animal known to be involved in the attacks. The movie then ends with a cat wickedly meowing.

Home video releases

Dogs was released on VHS in 1988 under the alternate title Slaughter. Probably because Linda Gray was then well known for her starring role on the TV series Dallas, she is misleadingly given second billing on the box behind only David McCallum. Gray actually has only about five minutes of screen time in the film.

In 2006, Dogs was released on DVD under its original title, with Gray this time receiving third billing on the box, behind McCallum and George Wyner. The DVD also includes a newly filmed 19 minute documentary on the film, including interviews with director Burt Brinckerhoff and actors George Wyner and Eric Server. Also included are the theatrical trailer and TV spot.

The film was released on Blu-ray in 2014 with the same bonus materials as the 2006 DVD release.