Black Sheep, Mutual Appreciation, & Running on Empty

Black Sheep is very obviously influenced by Bad Taste and Dead Alive. Down to similar shots and gore effects. Of course, it's about as fun, and who can hate on a film that has genetically engineered sheep attacking people and turning them into Sheeple (my preferred term over weresheep, as they aren't really lycanthropes). Who start out by having hair growing out of their wounds, then turning into sheep extremities, and saying things like "baa-a-a-stards". If you liked Dead Alive, it's almost as good, just a lot of insane fun, some terrible acting, and a character named Experience. Of course, for New Zealand, the greater fear is how this would destroy the country due to amount by which sheep outnumber people there. But it's the little touches, like the sheep foot, the "baa-a-a-stards", the sheep phobia: Ovinaphobia, interspecies sex, the scenes of sheep looking very scary by either just standing there or swarming over the hills, and the fact that the special effects were done by Oscar winner Richard Taylor.

Mutual Appreciation is a little too mumblecore-y for me, although I liked the soundtrack (almost if not entirely Bishop Allen tracks). It's pleasant enough, but nothing all too good. I kinda just wanted it to be more of Alan playing shows. Those were the best parts.

Running on Empty just pissed me off. Damn you River Phoenix for dying. He's ridiculously good in this film as the older son of a couple of fugitives who bombed a napalm factory during the Vietnam War. It's not that the other actors aren't good, but River is extremely talented. Also, very attractive. The scene in the woods is amazing acting. And yes, I was a little misty eyed at the ending, even though I knew what was going to happen.