Ok couldn't get more obscure I guess. This movie is probably 70's but I saw it so long ago I can't remember much, but whenever I see a doberman it reminds me of it. All I can really remember are dobermans, and I don't know if it was two or more. But it wasn't those cheesy "doberman gang" movies or magnum PI, this one had a darker undertone, perhaps something to do with satan. Like they were the devils dogs or something and were trying to kill someone in some scene.
And I do not remember if the dogs were the focal point of the movie or just a part of it. maybe there's some painting..but that may be my imagination. Ring a bell for anyone? I just happened to see a doberman today and it never fails to rekindle some faint memory of a movie i saw years ago.
If I'm not mistaken, you're describing Devil Dog: The Hound of Hell (http://imdb.com/title/tt0077429/combined). As I recall there was a painting that the wife and possibly kids painted in an upper room/the attic.
This might be a miss, but check out Dracula's Dog (http://imdb.com/title/tt0077470/). Zoltan, the title character, looks a bit like a doberman
It might also be Monster Dog (http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0087616/) which, according to this review (http://www.geocities.com/tyrannorabbit/monsterdog.html) has attacking dogs as well as the painting in the house you seem to remember.
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Post Edited (10-08-03 02:50)
I have ZOLTAN: HOUND OF DRACULA (aka DRACULA'S DOG) on DVD. I only watched it once so far (several months ago). It may be the movie you are thinking of . . . but I'm not sure if there was a painting in it. I'll have to watch it again.
Maybe I'm mixing up the "painting" thing with another dog movie, which is all possible. There aren't really that many movies with dobermans being associated with evil or satan. I saw on imd "they only kill their masters" but i couldn't get a good sense of what kind of movie this was.
Maybe i'm dreaming. I keep getting the scene of a woman in my head and it's daytime at a house. Perhaps the dogs could read minds or nobody knew they were evil or protecting something evil. I do remember it was a 70's feel, and it's probably been that long since I saw it as a kid which is probably why I can't remember much. I appreciate the suggestions, I think to be positive i'd have to find a really good review of those films that might respark something in my memory.
Was dracula actually IN that movie? seems like the vampire would be more memorable than the dogs...
"They Only KIll Their Masters" is more of a seedy murder mystery involving a doberman belonging to the victim, So it's probably not the satan/evil dog movie you're looking for.
ASYLUM OF SATAN?