A pack of vicious dogs who have been abandoned and left to fend for themselves by visiting vacationers terrorize the residents on a small island. Writer/director Robert Clouse relates the gripping story at a brisk pace, generates plenty of tension, stages the canine attack set pieces with skill and flair, and even makes a provocative central statement about mankind's callousness towards and negligence of other animals that we share this planet with. The capable acting by the sturdy cast keeps this picture humming, with especially praiseworthy contributions from Joe Don Baker as tough take-charge marine biologist Jerry, Hope Alexander-Willis as sweet school teacher Millie, Richard B. Schull as jolly lodge owner Hardiman, R.G. Armstrong as the crusty Cobb, Delores V. Smith Jr. as blind hermit McMinnimee, and Paul F. Wilson as pathetic wimp Tommy Dodge. Sherry E. DeBoer supplies some tasty eye candy as sexy secretary Lois. The remote island setting conveys a strong and unsettling sense of isolation and vulnerability while the dogs are quite ferocious and frightening. Ralph Woolsey's crisp cinematography provides an appropriately moody look. Lee Holdridge's robust score does the rousing trick. Well worth seeing.

THE PACK (1977) **1/2 Joe Don Baker, Hope Alexander-Willis, Richard B. Shull, RG Armstrong, Ned Wertimer, Bibi Besch, Delos V. Smith, Jr., Richard O' Brien, Sherry Miles, Paul Willson. Affective old school horror film with a simple premise - isolated island community faces a new danger when a pack of ravenous dogs begins attacking the populace, including a vacationing bunch of bankers (read into that as you will metaphor of dog-eat-dog world) leads to a countdown to a face-off in man vs. nature. Told with efficient economy and low-grade chills the veteran character actor cast led with the dependable lout with gravitas Baker, director Robert Clouse makes the most of his seemingly made-for-TV production values and a serviceable screenplay by Robert Clouse based on a novel by David Fisher.

Thanks to uncaring tourists, a pack of wild dogs has slowly been building on Seal Island. Tired of devouring horses, the dogs decide to wag...er, wage an all-out man vs. beast war against the island's inhabitants led by marine biologist Jerry (Joe Don Baker, who qualifies as both man and beast). A pretty darn exciting horror-action flick from director Robert Clouse that re-teams him with Baker after the equally entertaining GOLDEN NEEDLES (1974). Baker is affable, but the real stars here are the pack of canine characters, led by a mongrel that probably spent his later years terrified of mono filament line. The last 40 minutes is basically NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD with dogs and the attack scenes are well staged with some superior slo-mo. The only thing lacking is a higher body count (a paltry 4 human deaths here). There are also some dopey bits like people always running outside and the characters not being attacked as they carry a dead body out of the house because, as Baker puts it, "we have torches." I'm surprised at how much the recent killer dog flick THE BREED (2006) ripped this one off.

Not bad nature-attacks flick. This one is well made & suspenseful, with great production values and a decent pace. And what a classic final shot! Much better than CUJO or DAY OF THE ANIMALS. 7/10.