Man Bites Dog (film)
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| Man Bites Dog | |
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 Criterion Collection DVD cover |
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| Directed by | Rémy Belvaux |
| Produced by | Rémy Belvaux André Bonzel Benoît Poelvoorde |
| Written by | Rémy Belvaux André Bonzel Benoît Poelvoorde Vincent Tavier |
| Starring | Benoît Poelvoorde |
| Cinematography | André Bonzel |
| Editing by | Rémy Belvaux Eric Dardill |
| Release date(s) |  May, 1992 September 12, 1992 January 15, 1993 |
| Running time | 95 min |
| Country | Belgium |
| Language | French |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Man Bites Dog is a satirical, Belgian, black comedy mockumentary starring Benoît Poelvoorde. Released in 1992, its original French language title is C'est arrivé près de chez vous (It Happened Close to Your House), which derives from the former title of the local daily news report in Belgian newspaper Le Soir.[citation needed] In the film, a crew of filmmakers follow a spree killer, recording his crimes and grotesquely candid commentary for a documentary they are producing. At first dispassionate observers, they find themselves caught up in the increasingly chaotic violence. The film is shot in black and white and was produced on a shoe-string budget by four student filmmakers, led by director Rémy Belvaux. The genesis of the idea came from shooting a documentary without any money. As the filming went on, the students were able to garner more support and ultimately find a distributor.[citation needed] This film had been rated NC-17 by the Motion Picture Association of America for strong graphic violence, but the rating was later overturned. It is currently unrated in the United States.[1]
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[edit] Plot
Benoit is a charming and charismatic young man who maintains a healthy relationship with his parents, plays the piano and discusses at length whatever comes to mind, be it architecture, philosophy, or classical music (such as the chamber group his lady friend plays the flute in). He is also a spree killer who goes on murderous rampages for money as well as for his own enjoyment. A film crew made up of three men join Benoit on his sadistic adventures, recording the sickening actions as a fly on the wall documentary. Benoit takes them to meet his family and friends, while explaining at length the "craft" of his work.
[edit] Censorship
For foreign release (not including the Region 4/Australian release), the baby's pacifier was changed to a set of human teeth on the poster.
