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Dom Robinson reviews
Icon Home Entertainment
DVD: 
Blu-Ray:
- Cert:
- Cat.no: ICON 10130
- Running time: 84 minutes
- Year: 2006
- Pressing: 2008
- Region(s): 2, PAL
- Chapters: 16 plus extras
- Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
- Languages: English
- Subtitles: English for the hearing impaired
- Widescreen: 2.35:1
- 16:9-Enhanced: Yes
- Macrovision: Yes
- Disc Format: DVD 9
- Price: £19.99
- Extras: Audio Commentary, The Making of Black Sheep, Deleted Scenes, Blooper Reel, Trailer
Director:
- Jonathan King
(Black Sheep)
Producer:
- Phillips Campbell
Screenplay:
- Jonathan King
Music:
- Victoria Kelly
Cast :
- Henry Oldfield: Nathan Meister
Angus Oldfield: Peter Feeney
Experience: Danielle Mason
Tucker: Tammy Davis
Mrs Mac: Glenis Levestam
Grant: Oliver Driver
Doctor Rush: Tandi Wright
Muldoon: Richard Chapman
Winston: Louis Sutherland
Mike: Mick Rose
Filmed in New Zealand where it’s claimed there are 40 million sheep and 4 million people, the premise of Black Sheepis that Henry (Nathan Meister, right) has always been at loggerheads with his older brother Angus (Peter Feeney, below-right) and,returning to the farm 15 years after trying to get over the time when Angus killed his pet sheep in the most gross way possible,he gets his share of the farm after his father died around the same time.
However, you know he’s not just going to pocket the cheque and go home, otherwise it would make for a very short film,and the farm is broken into by a couple of environmental protestors, one of whom, Grant (Oliver Driver), inadvertently*causes* the problem that brings about the zombie sheep, while the female half of the duo, Experience(Danielle Mason, right) becomes the heroine of the day.
However, it all turns out to be connected with Angus’ plans to genetically modify the way sheep are and how they behave,but he seriously gets more than he bargained for.
Clearly made on a small budget, the direction of all the set pieces, and the landscape shots of the countryside, throughoutthe film are fantastic. The cast work together very well, including support from Tammy Davis as farm-hand Tucker andGlenis Levestam as token old woman Mrs Mac.
The film paces itself brilliantly and, overall, while it’s certainly noShaun of the Dead, it’s a good laugh and well worth a look.
The DVD box and even the IMDB state that this film was shot in 2.35:1,but presented here in 1.85:1 it shows no sign of cropping and with great attention to detail in each frame, as well as withregard to directional sound. Checking the technical side of things on the latter, it states the film process as Super 35,one from which a decent 16:9 print can be struck, so that explains that although it’s going to confuse the average punterwho’s not familiar with such things nor explain why Icon went with the open-matte version. Still, it doesn’t detractfrom the overall enjoyment of the film at all.
Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1, Black Sheep brings you fantastic surround sound FX for sheep bleating all over theplace, plus a shocking moment in the opening scenes In fact, such great sonic moments are dropped in throughout the movie.
The Extras consist of a feature-length Audio Commentary with writer/director Jonathan King and Nathan Meister(Henry) and a Making Of Black Sheet (31:32) in anamorphic 16:9. Expect soundbites from key cast and crew members,plus lots of on-set footage, anamatronics and mentions of genetic engineering.
There are also five short deleted scenes, totalling around four minutes, and all with optional audio commentary. Presentedin 2.35:1 letterbox format, I wouldn’t rush to put any of these scenes back in the main feature as they’re so short that theybarely have any substance to them.
Finally, these are rounded off with a Blooper Reel (2:27) – again with 2.35:1 letterbox clips, which is worth a quicklook but isn’t essential, and a Trailer (1:59) in anamorphic 1.85:1.
Pre-DVD letterboxed trailers for Hot Tomale, Brooklyn Rules, Unearthed and 30 Days of Night are also includedbut these should only be in the extras menu, not before the main DVD menu.
The film contains 16 chapters, which is fine given how short it is, subtitles are available in English for the hearing-impairedand the main menu has some subtle animation and is scored with a looped piece of music from the film.
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS
OVERALL
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.