Horror Fest Day One: Black Sheep

Black Sheep turned out to be the highlight of an already interesting day one of horror movies, mostly because it found ways to be consistently surprising in both its gags and its kills.

If there was any doubt this movie is spiritually kindred to Peter Jackson's Bad Taste, the first sheep attack will clear that right up. This is a shamelessly goofy, gory, and frequently inventive take on the "animal attack" genre, and about as night and day as you can get following up Night of the Lepus (which actually should be more like Several Days of the Lepus, but I digress).

The plot is pretty simple: guy with fear of sheep returns home to find genetically tampered with sheep now have a taste for human flesh and also can mutate people into sheep. Throw in some eco-friendly activists, some random businessmen, and dispensable scientists and you have a horror-comedy of epic proportions.

I really thought Hostel Part II was going to take home the "Best Castration On Film" award this year, but damned if Black Sheep doesn't top it. Black Sheep also manages to make fun of Hippies, Beastiality, genetic mutation, and has the second best sheep explosion scene ever (an obvious nod to Bad Taste, which has the best of all time). Kudos to writer / director Johnathan King for keeping the New Zealand indie horror vibe alive, and I'm really keen to see what he does next.

Off to watch Hellraiser and pass out, as Neil already has. Until the morrow...