Black Sheep

R4 DVD

Icon Distribution

New Zealand has produced some surprisingly impressive and entertaining films, these range from the cult classics of Bad Taste, Meet to the Feebles and Braindead to the Lord of the Rings trilogy, all produced by Peter Jackson. At the same time they have all offered us a range of thought provoking cinema from the early science fiction classic of Quiet Earth to the highly renowned Once Were Warriors. Black Sheep certainly hastens back to the days of NZ cult cinema and reminds me of early Peter Jackson horror classics but done with a much higher budget, much better special effects yet with the same dry even self deprecating humour.

Dark horror comedy is hard work and Black Sheep is one of the success stories, it really centres on the dangers of genetic engineering while at the same time sending up the excesses of the “green” revolution through one of the main characters who seems to be a parody of the new age “green warrior”. Indeed it is the stupidity of a “green warrior” who drops some experimental waste that sets the whole mutation process into top gear.

The storyline is suitably bizarre. When Nathan and Angus are growing up, Angus resents his brother and killing his favourite sheep (Dudley) gives Nathan a complex. After their father dies in a mysterious accident, Angus begins to genetically engineer the sheep by using his own “genetic material” (here is a prime example of NZ self deprecating humour at its best !).

When Nathan returns things go disastrously wrong, the sheep turn ravenous and begin to attack and devour human flesh. However, and its gets worse, the humans don’t die but turn into giant sheep zombies ! At this stage it becomes a bit like a “Night of the Living Dead” but with sheep rather than humans !

This is an outrageous film jammed packed with dry humour, not so subtle innuendo and lots and lots of blood. The violence and gore is suitably over the top and while certainly part of the humour, there are periods of on the-edge-of-your-seat tension and even more than a few startling surprises.

The transfer is clear and solid, the colours are all too real ! The country side is beautiful, the sheep are cute and it all looks idyllic until, of course, they become mutant flesh eaters.

This will end up being a major cult horror classic and as long as you have a good sense of humour and a stomach for gore, it will be a fun viewing experience !