Black Sheep
Reviewer: Lee Griffiths
Issue 97 December 2007
(1 votes, average: 6 out of 10)
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You’ve gotta be flocking kidding!
The Lowdown: Henry Oldfield returns to the family farm after a long absence in the city, only to discover that his brother, Angus, has been up to all kinds of unpleasant things with the farm’s sheep. Henry’s nightmares become reality when herds of genetically modified ovine decide to embark on a killer rampage.
Review: Coming from New Zealand and being a purveyor of old-skool splat-shtick comedy, it’s impossible to avoid comparisons with Peter Jackson, and indeed, Jonathan King’s Black Sheep does hark back to Jackson’s riotous early years and echo the same blood-soaked silliness seen in the likes of Bad Taste (1987) and Braindead (1992) (Black Sheep also employs the aid of Jackson’s WETA workshop for the special effects).
Comparisons aside, King made one of the ballsiest moves in recent horror history by opting for such an outrageous premise (seriously, ‘killer sheep’? How do you pitch that to investors?), though the really impressive thing is the fact that he actually pulls it off, and with much gusto. Black Sheep is a laugh out loud riot; an insane and ridiculous gem that’s destined for cult status on DVD, and from the moment the first ominous looking sheep stares down the lens of the camera, you know you’re about to witness something truly special.
The Region 1 disc contains a decent commentary with the director along with actor Nathan Meister, while the ‘Making Of…’ documentary delivers about 30 minutes of interesting behind-the-scenes material. The ‘Early Morning’ ‘exclusive’ scene is merely a throwaway gag, and the blooper reel isn’t exactly bursting with humour, though five deleted scenes have their moments.
FILM: 7 EXTRAS: 7
DVD Info:
Starring: Nathan Meister, Danielle Mason, Peter Feeney, Tammy Davis
US Certificate: Unrated
Director: Jonathan King
Distributor: The Weinstein Company
Original Release: 2006
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
Visuals: 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Running Time: 83 mins
Price: £15.99
Special Features:
Audio Commentary With Writer/Director Jonathan King And Actor Nathan Meister
‘Making Of Black Sheep’ Documentary
Deleted Scenes With Optional Commentary
‘Early Morning’ Exclusive DVD Scene
Blooper Reel
Trailer
Scene Selection
