Movie review: Dogman3: Fight to the Finish | Features

5 stars

By Joseph Beyer | Oct 26, 2024

Although the story began in 1887 with a reported attack by a creature “with the head of a dog and the body of a man” in Wexford County, Michigan, the legend of the Dogman lay relatively dormant for 100 years. That was until Traverse City DJ Steve Cook recorded “The Legend of Dogman” for WTCM, a hit that brought the mythology back to life around campfires everywhere.

It got Rich Brauer, a veteran filmmaker and creative from Benzie County, thinking – and he knew a good franchise when he saw one. That's why Brauer Productions brought the monster mutt to the screen for the first time in 2011 in what has since become a cult classic feature film Dog man.

Brauer quickly followed the underground hit Dogman2: The Wrath of the Litter in 2014which was a continuation of the often light-hearted horror. Think “just when you thought it was safe,” and suddenly the same characters are fighting a new generation of Dogman offspring.

B-movie maverick Roger Corman would have loved it.

And for the fans who have been holding their breath ever since (and there are many of them), the wait has been over a decade Dogman3: Fight to the end.

But the time has come. And on October 26th at 7:30 p.m., Brauer and his cast and crew will not only premiere the third part of the now infamous series at the Garden Theater in Frankfurt, but true loyalists can also show the entire marathon in a special trilogy event not far away from where everything was filmed.

Dogman3 will be immediately familiar to fans and will deal with the central character of Hank Purvis: a nature lover who discovers Dogman and has been plagued by the beast ever since. Purvis and his encounters take place in an unnamed Midwestern town where the entire community must band together to understand the demon, fight it and survive. Of course, not everyone will do that, and that's part of the intentional fun.

Once again played by veteran television actor Larry Joe Campbell, Purvis is a kind of Tim Walz-esque everyman who brings the common sense that delights and justifies the hunt for the Dogman.

Campbell is joined by notable performances by Reservation Dogs' Kimberly Guerrero, known as spiritual leader Francis Wellman, Purvis' neighbor who attempts to sense the animal's emotions and motivations. Actress Stacie Mitchell returns as Meg Samels, a wise-cracking heroine who finds herself unwillingly caught up in the Dogman mayhem. The trio fit Brauer's scripts perfectly and appeared in all three films.

Brauer continues his tradition Dogman3 The use of local and professional actors side by side in a tonal mix that ensures the film feels fresh and unexpected throughout. (One of the franchise's enduring mysteries is who plays the Dogman, as the role is uncredited.)

Shot by cinematographer Brett Bowers, the visual style is far from terrible, but is just enough to meet the needs of the genre. And the cinematography uses tension and psychological humor more than gore to create its menacing tone. As for the victims, each will face the Dogman End in a unique and entertaining way.

Writer, director and producer Brauer said this is the final part of the Dogman story, but true to the haunting form: Dogman3 ends with a tiny teaser that can easily be revisited later if the audience wants more.

Known as a mentor to Michigan filmmakers, Brauer and his sets have always been a welcoming sandbox for the next generation of filmmakers to learn from his decades of uniquely independent quality of filmmaking. Maybe one of them will pick up where Brauer left the Dogman… and maybe that was always a plan?

The great thing about this new film is that you don't necessarily need the backstory, but when you know it, you know it. No matter how you get there, Dogman3 is a wild and enchanting experience. Especially with a troupe or audience to enjoy together and cry out loud.

If you pick up this edition of the Express earlier in the week, note that tickets to the Dogman3 ​​premiere on Saturday, October 26 at 7:30 p.m. are $11 for adults. Additional tickets for the entire trilogy marathon are available at gardentheater.org. Dogman and Dogman2 are available to stream on Amazon anytime, with Dogman3 ​​coming later this year.