Mary Shelley Symposium: Bad Dog!

Domestic dogs regularly earn the affectionate adjective “faithful” in tribute to the numerous ways in which they complement and enrich human lives: as companions, guardians, workmates, friends. However, horror cinema provides multiple instances of dogs turned treacherous, canines who fiercely reject our attribution of fidelity and who abuse the special status we afford them in our culture.

With attention to several films, including Suspiria (1977), The Thing (1982), and Cujo (1983), this illustrated presentation takes a stern yet understanding look at these “bad dogs,” considering the terror and allure of imagining the fearsome rebellion of our furry friends.

Dominic Lennard is a writer and academic; he is the author of Bad Seeds and Holy Terrors: The Child Villains of Horror Film (SUNY Press, 2014).