Black Sheep
Director: Jonathan King
Rated: MA 15+
Now screening


This is the film New Zealand debut writer/director Jonathan King just had to make and the premise is an extremely simple, almost too predictable.

Thanks to genetic engineering gone wrong, a farm full of sheep turn baaaad and begin ripping apart everyone in their path with anyone 'lucky' enough to survive this unthinkable horror instantly being transformed into flesh eating weresheep... 'Violence Of The Lambs' is one tagline that being bandied about, and while I could easily sit here and get intellectual with arguments associated with GE farming - nah!

This latest bloodbath feature from the land of the long white cloud and forty-million sheep carries on along the same vein as early Peter 'Lord Of The Rings' Jackson cult-classics: 'Braindead', 'Meet The Feebles' and 'Bad Taste' by going straight for the jugular, entrails, and crunching the funny bone. Unashamedly capitalising on stereotype human characters and pun-filled dialogue, 'Black Sheep' could easily have turned out as dumb as it's normally docile livestock subjects. But, thanks to a lot of quick and clever development of both plot and personalities that continues to escalate at a killer pace, there's nary a dull moment and plenty of laughs to be had, allowing no time to chew the fat in seeking any serious messages.

As a youngster, and on the same day as their father's accidental death, Henry Oldfield (Nathan Meister) falls victim to a cruel prank by his older brother, Angus (Peter Feeney), therefore permanently traumatising and rendering him ovine-phobic. Fifteen years on, Henry returns to the family property to sell his share to Angus and it's during this visit that environmental 'terrorists', Grant (Oliver Driver) and Experience (Danielle Mason) invade the clandestine laboratory led by the mannishly evil, Dr Rush (Tandi Wright), and snatch a canister containing a hideously deformed sheep foetus, unknowingly unleashing the horror. It's also on this day that Angus is ready to unveil his new breed of super sheep with rich farming dignitaries from all around the world set to attend, thus allowing open season to typecast a whole host other nationalities beyond the obvious sheep-shagging Kiwis.

It goes without saying that this film is far from politically correct with no baaaas-hold and the action soon turns wild and woolly as Henry and Experience are joined by the station's foreman, the wonderfully laid back Tucker (Tammy Davis) and farm cook, Mrs Mac (Glenis Levestam) and begin to tote shotguns, chainsaws and Zippo lighters in order to restore order. For a fun night out, this is one film that you and your mates should flock together and go see.

Steve Jones