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Friday, October 19, 2007

The Black Sheep of Werewolf-dom










A few nights ago I rented and watched a new release called "The Black Sleep." This New Zealand-based black comedy was filmed in New Zealand, featuring actors (and sheep) from that country. A black comedy? Absolutely. The sheep ain't black; the reason they are outside of the realm of normal sheep is due to a deliberate genetic mutation by a mad scientist (who else?) which turns them into something akin to a woolly were-sheep.





I kid you not.



Those who get bitten by one of these freaks (which escaped from a lab when no one was looking, of course) will slowly turn into sheep with an attitude. This film is a meld of The Howling and Scary Movie and is fairly careful to not push the humor to where it appears to be forced. Those victims who are not eaten by the manical were-sheep, just bitten, will see a foot turn into a sheep's hoove, wool start to sprout on their body and their hand will turn into a nasty looking hoove. The transformation is not unlike what we saw in An American Werewolf in London but whereas you felt sorry for the unfortunate American in AAW, watching someone transform into a sheep is more amusing. You are not supposed to take it seriously. This spoof works because the writer and director made a decision as to whether or not this is a horror movie or a comedy. It is more of a horror movie because the material is played straight and the humor is reeled in so as to not get in the way of the story.

I don't want to tell you the story. Go out and rent this movie! It's entertaining on all fronts.

2 comments:

Lugosi said...

Is this really a movie, or are you just trying to pull the "wool" over our eyes?

Unknown said...

Ewe are too funny.:)