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The Dog

Play trailer Poster for The Dog 2014 1h 41m Documentary LGBTQ+ Play Trailer Watchlist
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93% Tomatometer 57 Reviews 68% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
A documentary about John Wojtowicz shows the man who tried to rob a Brooklyn bank to pay for his male lover's sex-reassignment surgery, a robbery that prompted the film "Dog Day Afternoon."

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The Dog

The Dog

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Critics Consensus

Fascinating, evocative, and as unconventional as its subject, The Dog offers a colorful window into the real-life story behind a classic film.

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Critics Reviews

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J. R. Jones Chicago Reader 10/02/2014
3/4
Questions of identity reverberate through The Dog, a documentary by Allison Berg and Frank Keraudren that chronicles Wojtowicz's storied and terribly sad life. Go to Full Review
Wesley Morris Grantland 08/21/2014
There's a brashness to this documentary that sneaks up on you. Go to Full Review
Steve Davis Austin Chronicle 08/21/2014
3/5
Try as you may, however, you can't turn away from this obscure footnote in pop culture history, even at his most aggravating. It's that twisted thing we call celebrity. Go to Full Review
Nicholas Bell IONCINEMA.com 08/30/2019
3/5
There's a rich wealth of archival footage, but there's more power in the amount of genuine warmth the filmmakers were able to cull from Wojtowicz and his fiercely loyal mother. Go to Full Review
Paul Freitag-Fey Daily Grindhouse 08/02/2019
An expertly-crafted documentary on a riveting subject, and one that leaves you only wanting more than its 105 minutes could show. Go to Full Review
Josh Goller Spectrum Culture 07/18/2019
3.75/5
The Dog is a fascinating character study of a hapless man who lived for decades in the shadow of his own myth. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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01/05/2022 At some point during this movie your mouth will open and it will stay there. See more 02/22/2016 The true story behind Dog Day Afternoon is way crazier than you imagine. John Wjtowicz was a dirty old man, a self-aggrandizer, and a gay rights pioneer (who knew?). This documentary is a hair too long, but always entertaining. See more 06/29/2015 The documentary "The Dog" tails the tale of the late John Wojtowicz; the real life homosexual bank robber who the hit 70's film "Dog Day Afternoon" is based on. As presented in "Dog Day Afternoon", Wojtowicz' committed a bank robbery in early 70's in New York, along with two amateurs, to pay for his boyfriend's sex change operation. In the doc "The Dog", Wojtowicz is presented as an outlandish, outspoken New Yorkan who had no regrets about his crime; and also does not restraint himself on telling all the ins & outs of his homosexual lifestyle. Directors Allison Berg and Frank Keraudren had a bit of bark in the making of the documentary but not enough bite. Sure, they do interview plenty of players involved in that infamous bank robbery including Wojtowicz's ex-boyfriends, his ex- wife, and the amateur would-be robber who chickened out. But somehow, I felt "The Dog" tried to bite more than it could chew by stating too many mundane happenings. Nevertheless, you attica check it out if you are going through one of those dog days; just beware of some of "The Dog" drawbacks I warned you about. *** Average See more 06/16/2015 John Wojtowicz, the bank robber whose story was told in "Dog Day Afternoon", tells his story ... a much bigger story than the one told in the Lumet flm. Wojtowicz takes us through his discovery of his homosexuality while serving in the army, his first marriage and first divorce, his involvement in the early gay rights movement, his involvement in one of the first same-sex marriages to be performed in NYC, and the events that drove him to rob the bank. He's the center of the film, and his unbelievably entertaining in a manner that only a New Yorker can be. He's also unbelievably frank ... at one point he nonchalantly tells us that his nickname was due to his really small penis. Watch this film. See more 03/02/2015 This is probably the most f*cked up documentary I have ever watched. See more 01/29/2015 'The Dog' is a very entertaining documentary about the man and the story behind the iconic 70s movie 'Dog Day Afternoon'. I like following the aftermath of the real life robbery like this is an unofficial sequel. 'Dog Day', one of my all time favorites, is so great that the documentary can't reach the greatness of the 70s classic but this documentary is still fascinating. See more Read all reviews
The Dog

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Movie Info

Synopsis A documentary about John Wojtowicz shows the man who tried to rob a Brooklyn bank to pay for his male lover's sex-reassignment surgery, a robbery that prompted the film "Dog Day Afternoon."
Director
Allison Berg, Frank Keraudren
Producer
Allison Berg, Frank Keraudren
Screenwriter
Frank Keraudren, Allison Berg
Distributor
Drafthouse Films
Production Co
Unleashed Films
Genre
Documentary, LGBTQ+
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 8, 2014, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$44.6K
Runtime
1h 41m
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