Horror Theater Video black sheep 2006 film review

Somewhere is Australia, a filmmaker and his crew are sitting around the office and trying to come up with a concept for their first film. "I know" says one, "How about killer sheep?". "Brilliant" says all, and the director/writer sits down and comes up with "Black Sheep". Is it a straight horror film? Is it a horror comedy? Is it about a man who has sex with a sheep? Well, it's a little of all three, but fails on all counts (even sex with a sheep).

Fifteen years earlier, on his dad's sheep farm, young Henry Oldfield has just finished his day of work and goes to the farm to see his favorite pet lamb. When he arrives, his daft older brother Tucker has slaughtered the lamb and scares young Henry wearing the sheep's skin. This causes Henry to be afraid of sheep (of course).

Skip ahead to today and Henry is returning to the ranch for the first time in fifteen years. Tucker, who has since become an animal scientist(?) is selling the ranch and Henry is coming to collect his check. What he isn't aware of is that his brother has been tampering with nature and has come up with a strain of MUTANT SHEEP!!! (insert menacing music here).

Now we meet two animal activists (a man and woman), who were coming just to take pictures of the events happening in the lab. Instead the male steals a tube marked for destruction, and running thru the forest trips and releases a mutant sheep, that instantly bites him. Soon the mutant sheep makes his way to the flock, and just like any zombie movie, infects the entire flock.

This being Australian writer, director King's first film, you can almost forgive him for the films shortcomings. The cinematography is beautiful, with many wonderful shots of the land of Australia. The actors make the most of the material given to them, and the gore effects are effective, but how gross can it be to watch two sheep fighting over a man's intestines, while he sits and struggles with them himself. And the sheep sex, done off camera of course it was done after Tucker was bitten and became infective. Oh I cannot forget that all humans bitten become motion pictures first "weresheep".

A professional looking job from start to finish doesn't diminish the silly material. It sounds funny on paper, but on film... no so much.

My Rating:

REVIEWED BY TONY BERNARDINI