Imagine AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON set in New Zealand and that will give you some idea of what to expect from BLACK SHEEP. Yes, it is a werewolf in sheep’s clothing movie.
Traumatised as a young boy, Henry Oldfield (Nathan Meister) leaves the family farm for the city with a phobia of sheep, but is forced to return to sign over his share of the farm to his brother unaware of the genetic engineering going on in the big shed. When a pair of hilariously inept green activists steals one of the canisters destined for destruction they inadvertently release what can only be called a weresheep. What is Henry’s worst nightmare is fantastic entertainment for us.
The beauty of this film is that it never takes it self seriously even though there are serious amounts of blood and guts. With Weta Workshop doing the effects it is a real treat that harks back to the aforementioned AMERICAN WEREWOLF, there is even a nod to Rick Baker’s iconic transformation effect, but with more wool than fur.
Greenie girl Experience (Danielle Mason) is a fabulous parody of everything new age, which is not actually that far from reality. And although the film may be making comments on the dangers of genetic engineering its intentions are more aimed at broad comedy, which it does very successfully. And if you understand the antipodean and/or rural mindset then there are even more laughs to be had.
For a great night out of humour and fantastic horror special effects you won’t beat BLACK SHEEP. A word of warning: there is a German film of the same name due for release around the same time which is not funny or scary or really very interesting at all, unless you are into Teutonic existentialist drama/comedy (they call it comedy but there aren’t too many laughs).
BLACK SHEEP (the good one) is in cinemas now from Icon.
Visit the website www.blacksheep-themovie.com, which has some bad/great sheep jokes such as:
Where does virgin wool come from?
Really ugly sheep.