With the tagline of "Get ready for the violence of the lambs", Black Sheep is an 87 minute long 2006 B-movie style film that is New Zealand's answer to Shaun of the Dead and an American Werewolf in London. Part zombie, part were-sheep movie, it is a darkly comedic horror film with a bit of a political message against genetic modification and other such "Frankenstein" science.

The film features man-eating zombie sheep, were-sheep (who were once human), mad scientists, a sadistic megalomaniac farmer, a traumatised city boy who is afraid of sheep, hippy vegan activists, a gun toting little old lady, a jovial farm hand and bucketloads of blood, intestines and violence. Don't expect an intellectual film, but if you like nasty funny horror films, then give this one a go.

It has a 15 rating in the UK so it's not too extreme in the gore, but don't watch it if you don't like gratuitous violence, frequent swear words or references to indelicate topics like bestiality. Fortunately for me, I love video nasties, so I tracked it down as soon as it came out on DVD in the UK. I was not disappointed - it reminded me of a cross between Dead Meat (an Irish comedy mad-cow zombie film) and Brain Dead (a Kiwi comedy zombie film). My copy of the film is an ex-rental version, so it sadly doesn't have any extras to review - this is for the film only.

The film's premise

The film starts with two young boys, Angus and Henry Oldfield, growing up in a blissful existence on a traditional New Zealand sheep farm. After Angus vindictively slaughters Henry's pet lamb and chases him with its bloody carcase, Henry's happiness is brought to an abrupt and tragic end by the death of their father in an accident. Fifteen years later, Henry (now a city slicker and traumatised by ovinophobia - the fear of sheep) returns to the farm to confront his demons.

His arrival coincides with a press release in honour of of a new breed of super sheep that Angus has been working on using any and all means necessary (including genetic modification and bestiality - it gives a whole new meaning to animal husbandry!). Also there because of the super-sheep are Grant and Experience, a pair of vegan hippy protesters; they break in and steal and accidentally release genetically modified were-sheep, which then go on to infect both sheep and humans alike, turning the sheep into superfast killing zombies and the humans into were-sheep - man sized bipedal sheep-like monsters, who go on to attack every human in sight (well, this is a horror film, after all!).

Needless to say, mayhem, horrible gore and nastiness follows, with Henry and Experience forming an unlikely coalition against the were-sheep and zombie sheep. Can they save the day? Can the infected be saved? Will there be an inevitable and gratuitous romance? Can Experience be cured of her veganism? I wouldn't want to give anything away! Watch the film to find out.

The making of the film

Filmed in the Wairarapa region (near Wellington) of New Zealand, the scenery is so green it makes Ireland look like a barren wasteland in comparison! The greenness of the fields and the light fairy-tale like soundtrack stood out to me as being quite in contrast with the dark feel of the rest of the film. And, yes, the North island of New Zealand really is that green, you don't need to adjust your television set.

Special effects were done by Weta Workshop, now a world-renowned special effects company, thanks to the success of the Lord of the Rings. The main cast of the film are all relative unknowns - pretty rare in a country which has a tendency for recycling its actors in every film or television show made there. The film was written and directed by Jonathan King in his first film (I hope of many!).

My opinions of the film

I love the comedy gore genre, so this film really appealed to me when I heard about it. As well as the grim and violent themes, the Kiwi sense of humour really shines through - after facing a ravening zombie sheep, Henry is asked what his ovinophobia is; his reply is that it is "Just the completely unfounded and irrational fear that one day *this* is going to happen!".

I really needed my hiding-behind cushion for this film - I found the piles of rotting flesh and all the evisceration to be sickening - of course, since this is a horror film, this is a good thing!

My favourite shot is the scene where Henry and Experience escape in a truck with Tucker, the farm manager, only a zombie sheep has got on board, which fights with Tucker and so he leaves it behind the wheel of the truck (not very successfully, as they have to jump before it goes over the cliff) - not particularly intellectual, but a good piece of slapstick style action. Another favourite is the scene where Experience confronts the were-sheep "Have you been eating meat, Grant? Was it even organic?"

I'm not entirely sure that I quite like the subtext of the film that veganism and science are such abnormal things; but, from my visits to New Zealand, I know that, sheep and dairy farming are so important that veganism is practically unpatriotic!

Conclusion

You probably already know if you like zombie and gore films, so I don't need to persuade you either to watch it or steer clear. Don't watch this if you are after an intellectual study on the ethics of genetic modification. You get what you pay for with this - an hour and a half of cheesy comedy gore and Kiwi humour.

Review is cross-posted