Good start, but then it gets ruined

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

This movie is pretty good, only it seemed more like a made-for-TV movie than something you'd expect to see in a theater. The acting is just mediocre at best. The only thing I can see that would keep this off of TV is the language. There are a few G.D.'s in it, which was not something you heard regularly on TV back in the early 80s. Also, it isn't as graphic as it should be, which also goes along with TV-movie standards from back then. Whenever someone is attacked and/or mauled, the victim is never shown - only the dog with blood all over it. I would say this movie is worth watching once or twice, if nothing else, for the historical aspect of it. It supposedly was banned for 25 years or so until Criterion was licensed to release it on DVD, in 2008. I was surprised to see Paul Bartel, of "Eating Raoul" fame, make a cameo in this movie, and, of course, Marshall Thompson, who played in countless 50's B horror movies.

Join the debate at filmdebate.wordpress.com THE PROFESSIONAL: I hadn't heard of this movie before I was browsing the Criterion Collection collection at my local independent video store. With such great cover art and a curious synopsis, I couldn't NOT rent it. "Kristy McNichol stars as a young actress who adopts a lost German shepherd, only to discover through a series of horrifying incidents that the dog has been trained to attack black people, and Paul Winfield plays the animal trainer who tries to cure him." THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE: It felt like a movie of the week, in the most non-pejorative way possible. The soundtrack by Ennio Morricone was my favorite aspect of the movie.THE PROFESSIONAL: I came away much more impressed. I felt it was Jaws with a dog instead of a shark and The Exorcist with racism instead of some evil spirit. Now there were some definite flaws, but you'd have to say it easily tops Cujo.THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE: There needs to be a term like the "uncanny valley" for movies from the 80s and early 90s. It's recent enough that it feels current and identifiable, but old enough to feel cheesy and dated. Whereas movies much older, from the 40s and 50s for example, are so old that they are a completely separate era, and thus it's easier to accept that their styles were just the way they did things back then. The idea and execution were competent, but it was hard to take seriously. I will say it's the best animal acting/directing I've seen this side of "Homeward Bound".THE PROFESSIONAL: Somebody get that dog an Oscar! Postdogously. Yes, there is that 'gee whiz' acting quality of some of the characters / actors – but that is another similarity I see with The Exorcist. The story starts off quietly enough, with some naive individuals who become unknowingly entangled with a very dangerous situation, the true nature of which they become slowly aware of as the situation becomes increasingly more... CONTINUED AT FILMDEBATE.WORDPRESS.COM

White Dog should not have been banned for the reason of being racist! As an African American, I saw no sign of racism in this movie. Actually, I wish this movie had made the big screen for all Americans to see. The truth of how bigots actually train their pets and children to be racist should be shown around the world.Coming from the south east I can understand to great details on how this works! As professor Carrasco pointed out that the final turning point for the dog is turning on his master and then on the owner of the zoo because he smelled his previous owner. A dog's sense of smell (mainly German Sheppards) and taste contributed to his old user's tactics of attacking black people. Once a German Sheppard taste blood, he/ she will crave it, especially from anything or anyone whom it consider a threat!Just as all racist people, because they fear what they do not understand, animals and children are subjected to attack things they do not understand for fear of disappointing their masters or parents. How do we stop this form of terrorism in our country? As much as it makes me sick to watch movies like this and Rosewood, it keeps me sound as to the truth of how racism started and how it is still permeated!!

This movie really spoke to me. Although many would think it's a controversial movie, it really isn't; the movie is based on healing living organisms. The dog in this movie was doomed from his birth; the unfortunate tale of his life was very cruel and was not his fault, throughout the movie the audience learns that he is an attack dog, which progresses to a "white dog," a dog trained to attack black people. Once his true colors are announced Julie wants to heal him, she doesn't think its fair he has been subdued to such treatment and doesn't have a chance. Keys, the trainer, has many aspects to his character; the first impression is he seems to be this loving trainer who believes in healing, but we find out he has had a couple opportunities to fix the demented dog. Keys knows the risk in what the dog has done before and what he could do to him, but takes the risk anyway. In the end, the dog has been reconditioned but still not deemed safe by Keys, which is unfortunate because the dog didn't know any better.