This double feature proves that man’s best friend isn’t always the loyal and cuddly companion they’re assumed to be.

In Man’s Best Friend, a journalist breaks into a research facility where various experiments are being conducted on animals. She rescues Max, a seemingly gentle Tibetan Mastiff, and takes him home. What she doesn’t know is that the dog has been genetically modified to become the perfect killing machine. Soon, no paperboy, mailman, or neighborhood cat is safe. Director John Lafia’s entertaining and wildly absurd blend of sci-fi techno-thriller and animal attack film is highly effective, boasting some impressive animatronic effects.

Cujo is a somewhat underrated adaptation of Stephen King’s novel of the same name. The New England setting, the theme of wild animals, and the subplot of marital infidelity are reminiscent of Jaws. However, the monster here isn’t a naturally vicious predator but a loyal dog with the friendly face of a Saint Bernard. After being bitten by a rabid bat, this lovable giant turns into a rampaging beast that terrorizes a small town, mauls a few unlucky passersby, and ultimately targets his owner—a five-year-old boy trapped with his mother in a broken-down Ford Pinto. Director Lewis Teague pulls out all the stops to build tension and terror to a boiling point, successfully making primal fear almost palpable.