This Day in Horror History: DOG SOLDIERS Was Released in 2002
On this day in 2002, Dog Soldiers was released in the UK. It’s the directorial feature debut for Neil Marshall, who would go on to helm The Descent, Doomsday, and 2019’s Hell Boy. The film is still widely regarded as the best werewolf horror movie of the 21st Century. If it’s been a while, or if you’ve never seen it, check out the trailer and synopsis for Dog Soldiers below.
Synopsis:
During a routine nighttime training mission in the Scottish Highlands, a small squad of British soldiers expected to rendezvous with a special ops unit instead find a bloody massacre with a sole survivor. The savage attackers of the special ops team return, and the men are rescued by Megan (Emma Cleasby), a zoologist who identifies what hunts them as werewolves. Without transport or communications, the group is forced to retreat to a farmhouse to wait for the full moon to disappear at dawn.
Trivia:
Simon Pegg was offered a part in the film, but turned it down after Edgar Wright asked him to save his first horror role for Shaun of the Dead (2004). (Source)
There is very little CGI used in the movie because the people involved in the filming believed that CGI was being over-used at the time and that it would take viewers out of the movie because they would be focused on how the special effects looked rather than the story, thus the werewolves are animatronics and bodysuits with stilts. (Source)
Are you a fan of Dog Soldiers? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram! You can also carry on the convo with me personally on Twitter @josh_millican.
Categorized:News This Day in Horror
