Last of the Dogmen (8-Sep-1995)
Director: Tab Murphy Writer: Tab Murphy Music by: David Arnold Producer: Joel B. Michaels Keywords: Western, Bounty Hunter
CAST Tom Berenger | ... Lewis Gates | Barbara Hershey | ... Lillian Sloan | | Kurtwood Smith | ... Sheriff Deegan | Steve Reevis | ... Yellow Wolf | Andrew Miller | ... Briggs | | Gregory Scott Cummins | ... Sears | Graham Jarvis | ... Pharmacist | Mark Boone Junior | ... Tattoo | | Helen Calahasen | ... Yellow Wolf's Wife | Eugene Blackbear | ... Spotted Elk | Dawn Lavand | ... Indian Girl | Sidel Standing Elk | ... Lean Bear | Hunter Bodine | ... Kid | Parley Baer | ... Mr. Hollis | Georgie Collins | ... Senior Editor | Sherwood Price | ... Tracker | Molly Parker | ... Nurse | Antony Holland | ... Doc Carvey | Robert Donley | ... Old Timer | Brian Stollery | ... Grad Student | Mitchell LaPlante | ... Wild Boy | Zip | ... Zip |
REVIEWS Review by Forevermare (posted on 14-May-2005) Brief synopsis: Lewis Gates (Tom Berenger) encounters something or someone that by rights he shouldn't in a remote area of Montana. He brings a mysterious arrow to anthropologist/archeologist Lillian Sloan. Reluctantly, she goes with him on a journey into the Oxbow. There they discover and befriend a band of Cheyenne Dogmen descended from one that was thought to have been killed off by the White Man long ago. When a posse searching for Lewis threatens to expose their way of life, he must find a way to protect them, even if it means losing everything he has gained.
The storyline may be a little far out, but the main characters are well drawn. I am a sucker for any film that accurately portrays the lifestyle of the American Indian, and this one does (by accurate I mean not over-dramatized or romanticized) The movie has humor, romance, and a wonderful warm and fuzzy ending, which in this day and age can be hard to come by. I read some other reviews that complained that this movie is cliched. Well, most of the movies of the 1940s seem cliched by today's standards, but we still love the good feeling we get from watching them.
Films dealing with this subject always have a certain poignancy, because we know that a way of life that existed for so long is gone because of stupidity, greed, and/or cruelty of European invaders. It seems that somehow a little bit of this lost way of life is being preserved within each frame of film. Maybe it's a kind of penance.
Barbara Hershey is beautiful as always, and Tom Berenger is manly as always, but with a little touch of "Aw, shucks" that is really endearing. However, it may be the adorable little mutt Zip that steals the show. Really, really smart animal!
As for the far-out plot: the recent news that a woodpecker thought to be extinct for more than 60 years has been seen alive in Tennessee makes it seem a little more plausible. Are there places--and things-- in the United States so remote that they have been lost or forgotten? Hmmmm. Only Sasquatch knows for sure.
Review by Desiree (posted on 29-Jul-2009) I thought this was a wonderfully refreshing. I really enjoyed it being a narrative story, it made it seem more believable. Yes, the storyline is a bit unrealistic, but put that aside and let your imagination go a bit, and stop over analyzing it and you find the thought of it intriguing.
I really liked they portrayed the American Indians history and the lifestyle realistically. The movie has romance, but is not gushy, with a good sense of humor and quips between the Tom and Barbara, and even Tom and the Indians. It has a warm heartfelt ending, with each character having their own believable dramas, and each of them growing from their interactive experiences with each other, even the sheriff, which I was happy they included him and he moved on in his journey as well.
With his smarts, humor and looks, Zip, the delightfully entertaining dog takes you from laughter to awe to tears and back to laughter steals the movie many times over and he could have his own movie like Benjie and Lassie did. I loved Zip!
I came across this movie in the middle of the morning when I woke and could not sleep and thought I would go to sleep with it on and I ended up watching the whole thing and will seek it out to rent so I can watch during the evening when I am not so tired.
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