The Ron’s review published on Letterboxd:
Film 7 in my Re-watch Wednesday Project.
Cujo is the first movie I ever saw in theaters (at least as far as I can remember). I saw it with my mom (a life long horror fan) in 1983 the year it was released. I would have been 6 or 7 years old. I always remembered liking it, and gave it credit for being one of the films that turned me into a horror fan just like my mother. It was probably a little much for a kid my age but hey I turned out alright. For the most part anyway.
Cujo is a friendly St. Bernard until he contracts rabies from a bat and reigns terror on an unexpected mother and her young child.
I was worried about how well this film would hold up. I loved it when I saw it in theaters all those years ago, but I was a lot more forgiving of bad horror films when I was younger. Back in the day I just loved horror and tried to see every horror film that existed. Now that I've re-watched Cujo all these years later I won't say it's a bad film, but it's not very good either. Certainly not as good as I remembered. The acting isn't very good at all, and main protagonist Donna's (Dee Wallace) cheating whore side story was completely unnecessary. Plus the body count Cujo (a rabid dog) racks up is a little ridiculous. I'm no expert on rabid animals, but I think grown ass men should be able to over power a dog. Even one as big as a St. Bernard. Seeing this film now it just comes across as silly and it's not scary at all. I'd say it's definitely one of the weaker Stephen King adaptations. 2.5 stars is probably a little generous, but I had to give it some credit for being part of my fond childhood horror memories.