Black Dog (1998)

User Rating:

4.8/10   

Director:

Kevin Hooks

Writers (WGA):

William Mickelberry (written by) &
Dan Vining (written by)

Release Date:

1 May 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

The only way to stay safe is to stay moving.

Plot:

An ex-con takes a job driving a truck cross country. What he doesn't know is that the truck is filled...

Plot Keywords:

Truck | FBI | Cellular Phone | Convicted Felon | Murder

Cast

Patrick Swayze	...	Jack Crews
Meat Loaf	...	Red
Randy Travis	...	Earl
Gabriel Casseus	...	Sonny
Brian Vincent	...	Wes
Graham Beckel	...	Cutler
Brenda Strong	...	Melanie Crews
Rusty De Wees	...	Junior
Cyril O'Reilly	...	Vince
Erin Broderick	...	Tracy Crews
Charles S. Dutton	...	Agent Alan Ford (as Charles Dutton)
Stephen Tobolowsky	...	ATF Agent McClaren
Lorraine Toussaint	...	Avery, FBI
Hester Hargett	...	FBI Tech
Stuart Greer	...	Weight Station Trooper

Also Known As:

Black Dog (France)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for intense scenes of action violence, and for language.

Runtime:

89 min

Country:

USA | UK | France | Germany | Japan

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS-Stereo

Certification:

South Korea:15 | Philippines:PG-13 | Norway:15 (DVD premiere) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Hong Kong:IIA | Netherlands:16 (video premiere) | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | USA:PG-13 (certificate #35974) | Iceland:16 | UK:12

Filming Locations:

Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Company:

Mutual Film Company

Trivia:

On 6 January 1998, a truck filled with explosives caught fire in downtown Wilmington, North Carolina, USA, as crew members prepared to film a final scene. Three people were injured.

Goofs:

Continuity: Before the final chase, Crews is already holding the envelope that the agents are about to hand him.

Quotes:

Jack Crews: There ain't nothing like a Caterpillar engine.
Earl: Easy up Crews, you're going burn it up.
Jack Crews: Alright watch this.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Blacktop (2000) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Driving My Life Away

Wonderfully cheesy popcorn flick

When this movie came out, the usual pooh-poohers whined and complained about how it had a dumb script, a paper-thin plot, and cardboard characters. I wanted to smack them all upside the head for stating the obvious. Duh! That's the whole point! Patrick Swayze has made some very good dramas (Ghost, City of Joy), and some very cheesy ones (To Wong Foo) and he knows the difference. Anyone who tries to take this movie seriously is missing the point. This one is a terrific guilty pleasure, with over-the-top performances by Swayze and his musician co-stars (Meat Loaf, Randy Travis), and some spectacular chase scenes complete with some truly cheesy touches (every automobile that crashes explodes, regardless of whether the gas tank is actually damaged or not). Trust me, this one's worth checking out, as long as you check your brain at the door.