Movie: Black Sheep (U.S. 2007)

You know how people have a favorite animal? Rosemarie has always been partial to sheep. She’s got sheep books, sheep notepaper, stuffed sheep, ceramic sheep. The fluffy little critters are all over Chez K. Not in a creepy spinster lady way. More in a “this marriage has snuffed out my dreams and this is my only means of expressing myself” way.

Anywho, when Rosemarie heard there was a new movie from New Zealand in which mutated ruminants go on a killing spree, she had to see it at once.

There’s a plot, involving an evil agricultural scientist and his brother with a lifelong sheep phobia. But it’s mainly a set-up for jokes and gore. The latter is provided by Peter Jackson’s Weta Studios. The former comes with a twisted Kiwi bent. The movie’s reaction to the old saw that New Zealand is a place where the men are men and the sheep are nervous is, “Yeah, and?” Plus it joins 28 Days Later on the short list of films where sanctimonious animal rights activists are to blame for everything. It’s good fun all around.

The movie is in theaters now, but also available via IFC On Demand. It still seems odd, watching a brand new movie in the comfort of your own home. It feels like the wool’s being pulled over my eyes. But if it shepherds more people to this film, I say what the flock.

I’m sorry. That was baaaad.

Miscellaneous: Links

AFI released a new list of the 100 best American films. I didn’t watch the accompanying TV special. Not many people did. But why bother with AFI when you’ve got IGS? As in Ivan G. Shreve, Jr., the mastermind at Thrilling Days of Yesteryear. He’s assembled his own list of the 100 best American films, and it’s one that I could scarcely improve upon. Well, I might put Death To Smoochy on there, but I’m not about to leg-wrestle him over it.