The Dog Who Stopped the War

(1984)

EN | FR

As the Christmas holidays begin, a group of 10 war-obsessed kids have a wave of inspiration: What if they spend the next two weeks engaged in a simulated war, armed only with shields, wooden swords, snowballs, and a fierce sense of competition? With a bounty chest waiting for the winners, the two sides gradually grow in size, and the war grows in importance, taking over all aspects of their lives. But the sense of fun and excitement soon turns to something far darker, culminating in a tragic event that ensures this war will never be forgotten.

One of Canada’s most beloved and unusual family films, Andre Melançon’s The Dog Who Stopped the War launched Tales for All, the career-spanning series that made producer Rock Demers (The Peanut Butter Solution) a legend. Featuring battle sequences both playful and harrowing, this film brings the imaginative world of children vividly to life with a genre movie sense of urgency, thanks in part to the memorable synth score by Germain Gauthier (Pinball Summer). Recalling the kid-centric world of Charlie Brown while anticipating the mischief and melancholy of Home Alone, The Dog Who Stopped the War is festive family filmmaking at its best.

Special Features:

• Scanned and restored in 2K from the original 35mm camera negative by Éléphant - mémoire du cinéma québécois

• Includes the theatrical cut and the extended cut in both French and English

• Audio commentary featuring author/film historian Kier-La Janisse, writer/film critic Ralph Elawani, and special guests

• The Dog Who Stopped the War… As Time Goes On (2009, 81 min.) – Feature-length documentary celebrating the film’s 25th anniversary with a new introduction by director Marie-Hélène Copti (2023, 4 min.)

• Love and War (2023, 37 min.) – New interviews with stars Marie-Pierre A. D'Amour and Cédric Jourde

• An Important Message (2023, 12 min.) – New interview with screenwriter Roger Cantin

• New audio interview with composer Germain Gauthier (2023, 16 min.)

• Archival interview with producer Rock Demers (1999, 8 min.)

• Archival interviews with Melançon and 10 members of the cast (8 min.)

• Deleted scenes in French and English (2 min.)

• Theatrical trailers for The Dog Who Stopped the War and four other Melançon films (10 min.)

• English theatrical trailer

• Theatrical trailer for Cantin's The Hidden Fortress (2001)

• Booklet featuring a new essay on producer Nicole Robert by Fantasia programmer Marc Lamothe, plus an extended interview with D'Amour and Jourde

• Reversible cover artwork

• English SDH subtitles