Plot: What’s it about?
Depending on your perspective, the success of Wayne’s World in 1992 was either a really good or bad thing. On one hand, it showed that a five minute SNL skit could, in fact, be turned into a feature-length film (and a successful one at that). The bad is that it opened the floodgates for SNL cast members to start making movies. Don’t get me wrong, they’ve been entertaining me for years – I’m just trying to make a point. Enter Tommy Boy. The film, released in 1995, pitted Chris Farley and his antics against a more straight-laced David Spade. And it worked. Tommy Boy was successful enough that Paramount wanted to strike while the iron was hot. The result: we got Black Sheep. The film was evidently turned into Paramount with a mere 15 minutes until Chris Farley’s contract expired and Farley was being considered for the lead in The Cable Guy which, as we all know, went to a more bankable star in Jim Carrey. So a lackluster script, a director (Spheeris) with a proven track record but also one that didn’t get along with one of the stars (David Spade) trying to cash in on the success of a film released nine months prior. What could go wrong? Or, perhaps, what could go right?
Mike Donnelly (Chris Farley) has the best intentions, but he tends to screw things up. All the time. His brother, Al (Tim Matheson) is running for Governor of Washington state against the incumbent, Gov. Tracy (Christine Ebersole). Al’s concern is that his brother and his antics might cost him the election. He appoints a member of his staff, Steve Dodds (David Spade) to keep an eye on him and out of harm’s way and also very, very far away. Things, as we might imagine, don’t go according to plan. Despite Steve’s efforts, Mike manages to mess things up drawing even more negative publicity to his brother’s campaign. And, in a nutshell, that’s it. The rest is an excuse to use Farley for his physical comedy (evidently he did a majority of his own stunts) that work from time to time. The rest is trying to make us think that we’re watching Tommy Boy but after a few minutes in, it’s clear we’re not.
Noted film critic Gene Siskel announced that this was the first movie he’s walked out of in over 25 years. While I don’t think it was quite that bad, I can see the logic. There are only so many times you can see Farley’s character slam his hands into a car or get his clothing stuck in a plane before it’s simply not funny. And, for reference, I do have somewhat of a connection to this film as it’s one I watched in college. Still, that can only go so far. Sadly, as we all know, Farley’s larger than life persona would get the best of him and on Dec. 17, 1997 he’d be found dead in a Chicago apartment. There’s not a lot to say about this film that hasn’t been said, though I do have to tip my hat as they included not one, but two cast members from National Lampoon’s Animal House – Tim Matheson who played “Otter” and Bruce McGill who played “D-Day” though, unfortunately, the two never share a scene. The film came out in 1996, so by now you either know what you’re in for or your life has been fine without it. The choice is yours.
Video: How’s it look?
I’ve always felt that this movie has looked good in any format I’ve seen it on. This new 4K offering by Kino has given it a bit more “pop” than I recall in the past. It’s a bright and colorful movie. Detail has been improved and thanks to the new HDR/Dolby Vision master, we get an improved color spectrum. Truthfully, for a film that’s nearly three decades old (as of this writing), it looks pretty amazing. There’s a scene with Gary Busey in which I swear his teeth were going to come out of the screen and eat me. OK, maybe that’s a bit extreme but it’s a good-looking picture and one that fans will truly appreciate.
Audio: How’s it sound?
I still have no idea why the previously-released Blu-ray had a Dolby TrueHD 5.0 track, but if you’ve been waiting (and waiting) well…that wait is over. We get a DTS HD Master Audio track that has a .1 channel. Yes, finally that scene of a 50,000 lb. boulder rolling down a mountain to crush a log cabin will finally sound as it should have in the first place! All kidding aside, that LFE channel doens’t really add too much to the overall soundtrack. The film is dialogue-driven (not good dialogue, but dialogue nonetheless) with some ambient effects throw in here and there. It’s a nice, passable mix that includes a 2.0 option as well.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Audio Commentary – You’d figure that director Penelope Spheeris would want to distance herself as much as she could from this film. Then again, maybe 25+ years is enough time that the dust has finally settled. Nevertheless, Spheeris does a pretty decent track that’s “moderated” by Film Critic and Author Simon Abrams. There’s nothing mind-blowing in this new track, but it’s always nice to have something, anything new for a film on disc. Even this one.
- Theatrical Trailer
The Bottom Line
Black Sheep was no Tommy Boy, much to the chagrin of the Paramount executives. And it’s a shame that this the second and final pairing of Chris Farley and David Spade. I chucked a few times, but this one has not aged well. But it’s got a cult following, so to that I say the film has never looked and sounded better than it does here and the addition of a new commentary track should please die hard fans.
