Benji: Off the Leash!
Release Date:
August 20, 2004
The world's most heroic stray dog, Benji, is promising a return to movie theaters in 2004. The adorable pooch has not been seen since he was stranded in the wilderness and being hunted by nature's predators in 1987, but he still remains near and dear to the hearts of people alive in the mid-'70s. This spunky pup overcame all odds in 1974 and saved two kidnapped children from evil-doers and found himself adopted into a family that would make Donna Reed insecure.
Thanks to the unique direction of Joe Camp and a stubbornly family tone, Benji carved a niche for itself in 1970s cinema. The camera work was often shot with the intention of putting viewers in the predicament with the dog so that they would experience all the thrills, challenges and dangers he faced. The results were staggeringly effective, as audiences across North America fell in love with the sweetest do-gooder canine since Lassie.
The original film became a popular franchise, with two more movie installments and a television special being made between 1977 and 1980. During this period, America's most huggable hero (Joe Camp's words, not mine) was dognapped on vacation in Greece, implanted with a secret code, forced to save Christmas when a broken foot had whiny ol' Santa Claus on the disabled list, and then stuck inhabiting a body with Chevy Chase. This begs a simple question: Where was ASPCA during all of this?
With the disappointing box-office performance of Benji the Hunted following the Chevy Chase disaster, the film franchise was mothballed till now. After witnessing the recent rebirth of the true family film in Hollywood and receiving renewed interest in the pup thanks to an article in Reader's Digest in 2001, Joe Camp has decided the time is right to re-launch the film for a new generation of kids and animal lovers.
Now that the legal hurdles have been cleared regarding the rights of the franchise, nothing stands in the way of Benji's return to movie theaters. The film was originally scheduled to be a holiday-themed Christmas 2002 release but was pushed to summer 2004 and eventually placed in late summer 2004.(David Mumpower/BOP)
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