by Anthony O'Connor
Worth: Discs: 2, The Film: 3.5/5, The Extras: 4/5, Overall: 7.5/10
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Oliver Driver, Nathan Meister, Tammy Davis, Peter Feeney, Danielle Mason, Tandi Wright
Intro:
… if ewes take a gander, ewes won’t be sorry.
The Film:
It’s a universal experience for Australians that, at some point in their development (usually primary school), some grubby wanker will lob up and share the information that New Zealanders enjoy having sexual congress with sheep. It’s usually delivered completely straight faced, the breaking news having allegedly come from someone’s sister’s cousin’s mate – surely, the most reliable of sources – and embellished over time to include witness accounts, off-colour jokes and bawdy limericks. As time goes on, you become more jaded to schoolyard gossip and begin to suspect the initial allegation may, in fact, not be entirely accurate. Then, later on, you meet some actual New Zealanders and realise that, no, these people don’t have weird relationships with sheep. That’s crazy talk.
And then a movie like Black Sheep comes along, and it makes you start to wonder all over again.
Black Sheep tells the tale of Henry Oldfield (Nathan Meister), a young man who suffers from ovinophobia – the irrational fear of sheep. Henry returns home to sell his half of the family farm to his cruel, smug wanker of a brother, Angus (Peter Feeney), and intends to take the money and run. However, a diabolical plot involving Angus, mad scientist Dr. Astrid Rush (Tandi Wright) and well-intentioned but maddening stupid, greenie Experience (Danielle Mason) manages to unleash a flock of genetically altered killer sheep, trapping Henry and a handful of ill-fated locals. As the body count mounts, it begins to look like Henry’s phobia wasn’t quite so irrational after all.
First and foremost, Black Sheep is a comedy horror flick. It’s not trying to reinvent the woolly wheel or change the face of the sub-genre that was arguably formalised in 1987 with Sam Raimi’s masterpiece, Evil Dead 2. So, don’t go expecting startling revelations or mind-blowing innovations here. However, this is a bloody charming film. Brimming with wry New Zealand wit, great characters like Tucker (played to perfection by the hilarious Tammy Davis) and surprisingly robust practical creature effects thanks to some sterling creations from Wētā Workshop. Seriously, the elaborate sheep/human hybrid monsters are outrageously well made and add a lot to the film, especially when paired with genuinely amusing gore. There’s also a running gag about one of the characters being a sheep shagger which, while well executed, isn’t going to help put the kibosh on those schoolyard rumours, guys.
With its emphasis on having a good time, Black Sheep makes a perfect viewing experience paired with a few mates and a couple of drinks (or herbal intoxicants). It’s unlikely to change your life or have you reevaluating your top five all time movies, but nor is it mutton dressed as lamb.
Extras:
A surprisingly robust sack of extras here. There are two audio commentaries, one with writer/director Jonathan King and actor Nathan Meister and another with critics Matt Donato and Rob Hunter. There’s a brand spanking new interview with King as well as a great little featurette, From Bad Taste to Black Sheep: Mapping the Gory History of New Zealand Splatstick with Dr Alfio Leotta – which is a must watch for fans of genre offerings from the land of the long white cloud.
There are multiple making-of featurettes, a fun little make-up test, a good piece from David Michael Brown – Genetic Experiments Gone Wrong in Film, as well as deleted scenes, a blooper reel and older cast and crew interviews.
Also, if you pony (or lamb) up for the fancy edition, you get a 100-page booklet and a gorgeous bloody woolly outer rigid slipcase so soft you’ll want to kill it, cook it and cover it in mint sauce. Seriously, this is one of the best covers released this year, very creative work.
Verdict:
Brisk, amusing and fitfully deranged, Black Sheep is a fun little comedy horror that never takes itself too seriously but delivers modest thrills, spills and cool-looking sheep monsters.
Perfect for fans of black comedy, silly horror and nature-gone-amok yarns. Put it this way, if ewes take a gander, ewes won’t be sorry.
