Ain’t It Cool News
I love a good locked room mystery and while this isn’t exactly that, SHEEP SKIN unfolds like a stage play with one setting, giving the actors involved to show a lot of character and the mystery a chance to breathe.
SHEEP SKIN is a rock solid mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end. Is this a supernatural tale? Or is it just a bunch of hearsay and accusations? The members of a punk rock band who kidnap a business man believe he is a werewolf and they’ve gathered information to back that theory up, as ludicrous as it sounds. The businessman admits to having an affair with the sister of the lead punk, but thinks his kidnappers are nuts for thinking he’s a creature of the night. But the punks don’t believe him and decide to wait the night out until the full moon rises to make sure their theories are true. As soon as the businessman sprouts one hair, tooth, or claw, they have a gun full of silver bullets ready for him.
The thing SHEEP SKIN does well is really keep you guessing up to the final moments of this film as to whether this is a werewolf story or just a story about people paranoid enough to believe in the creatures existing. Writer/director Kurtis Spieler keeps this secret guarded until it is absolutely the last moment as to what the man bound to the chair really is. The answer is provided in the final moments (and I won’t reveal it here), but I will say that the reveal is satisfying and makes sense in regard to the info given to us throughout the film.
The acting here is kind of hit and miss. The two lead punks, played by Michael Schantz and Ria Burns-Wilder are decent actors and deliver their roles effectively. The businessman in peril bound to the chair is played by Laurence Mullaney who has a peculiar delivery which seems perfect for the slimy businessman he plays, but the volume of his voice is so low that it was difficult to understand him at times. Still, Mullaney exuded an untrustworthy vibe which really does play well into the mystery as to whether or not he’s going to wolf out any second or not. The rest of the small cast are decent here as well, but the acting is not the draw or the focus of this film, the one question about whether werewolves exist or not is always front and center.
This isn’t a big film. What effects this film has are pretty modest and there are no expansive sets or elaborate technical aspects to SHEEP SKIN. But it does unfold a mystery with a steady and patient, and most importantly, rather capable hand, so fans of slow burn stories are going to want to seek this one out if it crosses your path.
SHEEP SKIN is a rock solid mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end. Is this a supernatural tale? Or is it just a bunch of hearsay and accusations? The members of a punk rock band who kidnap a business man believe he is a werewolf and they’ve gathered information to back that theory up, as ludicrous as it sounds. The businessman admits to having an affair with the sister of the lead punk, but thinks his kidnappers are nuts for thinking he’s a creature of the night. But the punks don’t believe him and decide to wait the night out until the full moon rises to make sure their theories are true. As soon as the businessman sprouts one hair, tooth, or claw, they have a gun full of silver bullets ready for him.
The thing SHEEP SKIN does well is really keep you guessing up to the final moments of this film as to whether this is a werewolf story or just a story about people paranoid enough to believe in the creatures existing. Writer/director Kurtis Spieler keeps this secret guarded until it is absolutely the last moment as to what the man bound to the chair really is. The answer is provided in the final moments (and I won’t reveal it here), but I will say that the reveal is satisfying and makes sense in regard to the info given to us throughout the film.
The acting here is kind of hit and miss. The two lead punks, played by Michael Schantz and Ria Burns-Wilder are decent actors and deliver their roles effectively. The businessman in peril bound to the chair is played by Laurence Mullaney who has a peculiar delivery which seems perfect for the slimy businessman he plays, but the volume of his voice is so low that it was difficult to understand him at times. Still, Mullaney exuded an untrustworthy vibe which really does play well into the mystery as to whether or not he’s going to wolf out any second or not. The rest of the small cast are decent here as well, but the acting is not the draw or the focus of this film, the one question about whether werewolves exist or not is always front and center.
This isn’t a big film. What effects this film has are pretty modest and there are no expansive sets or elaborate technical aspects to SHEEP SKIN. But it does unfold a mystery with a steady and patient, and most importantly, rather capable hand, so fans of slow burn stories are going to want to seek this one out if it crosses your path.
Horror Society
I’m sure most of you are aware of the phrase “Beware the wolf in sheep’s clothing.” It’s a fable of Biblical origin and has been passed down from generation to generation, changing very little over the ages. Metaphorically, it means under a sheep’s skin often hides a wolfish mind or those playing a role contrary to their real character. From the Bible, the phrase has come to mean, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s skin, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” – Wikipedia
Writer and director Kurtis Spieler uses this idiom as the basis for his independent horror film Sheep Skin. The feature length film is based upon Spieler’s 2007 short film of the same name. Spieler has taken his short and expanded upon it.
The storyline is simple, Nathan (Michael Schantz) and his punk rock bandmates, Clive (Zach Gillette), Dylan (Ria Burns-Wilder) and Marcus (Bryan Manley Davis) kidnap Todd (Laurence Mullaney), a businessman who they believe is responsible for the murder of Nathan’s sister and other women. Nathan’s sister was having an affair with Todd at the time of her murder.
The real kicker is that Nathan’s sister and other murder victims were all killed and torn to pieces by what the police say is a bear or other animal of substantial size. Nathan begins digging and discovers that not only were the victims all murdered by some large animal, but all the attacks happened during a full moon. Nathan realizes that to his horror, his sister had to be murdered by a werewolf and he suspects Todd of being the beast. Nathan convinces his bandmates that this guy really is a werewolf and they have to kidnap him to find out for sure. Is Todd really a werewolf or is Nathan just delusional from his grief. He has to find out while they have Todd held captive, but they have to hurry because the full moon is on the rise.
Even with the simplicity of the premise, I found myself really enjoying this film. The opening bloody crime scene montage really sets the tone for the rest of the movie. The film almost entirely takes place in a warehouse where they take the suspected werewolf Todd after they kidnap and interrogate him. With the brisk 80 minute run time, the film never gets boring. The filmmakers do a great job of keeping the viewer’s interest, even with the limited location. The story keeps you guessing right up until the very end about whether Todd really is a werewolf.
The acting performances in Sheep Skin far surpassed my expectations for a film of such a limited budget. I was thoroughly impressed by the main cast in this film. They all proved to be outstanding in their roles. I really enjoyed Michael Schantz’s performance in the lead role. He played a man determined to seek revenge for his sister’s death but also having to accept the nightmarish scenario that a werewolf may have been responsible. His character struggles with what he has to do and Schantz pulls it off marvelously. Also, the secondary character of Marcus, played by Bryan Manley Davis is one to watch. He plays the role of the lone unsure and reluctant participant in the operation to perfection.
Unfortunately, when you have a limited budget such as this one something usually is lacking and in this case it’s the audio. There were multiple scenes in the warehouse when the group is interrogating Todd that his dialogue is so low you can barely hear it. I really had to struggle at times to make out what he was saying, even with the volume turned up.
This film has some blood and gore but not a lot. The makeup effects are very well done, all seemed to be practical and not CGI, so that’s a plus. Kudos to the makeup department for what they were able to pull off with the limited budget.
The end result is quite a good film with a solid story and cast. Sheep Skin is not your run-of-the-mill werewolf flick. The dialogue is the real star here. If you look deeper, the film is a metaphor for what some of us are hiding underneath. We all look normal on the outside but under the surface lies a beast covered in Sheep Skin.
Writer and director Kurtis Spieler uses this idiom as the basis for his independent horror film Sheep Skin. The feature length film is based upon Spieler’s 2007 short film of the same name. Spieler has taken his short and expanded upon it.
The storyline is simple, Nathan (Michael Schantz) and his punk rock bandmates, Clive (Zach Gillette), Dylan (Ria Burns-Wilder) and Marcus (Bryan Manley Davis) kidnap Todd (Laurence Mullaney), a businessman who they believe is responsible for the murder of Nathan’s sister and other women. Nathan’s sister was having an affair with Todd at the time of her murder.
The real kicker is that Nathan’s sister and other murder victims were all killed and torn to pieces by what the police say is a bear or other animal of substantial size. Nathan begins digging and discovers that not only were the victims all murdered by some large animal, but all the attacks happened during a full moon. Nathan realizes that to his horror, his sister had to be murdered by a werewolf and he suspects Todd of being the beast. Nathan convinces his bandmates that this guy really is a werewolf and they have to kidnap him to find out for sure. Is Todd really a werewolf or is Nathan just delusional from his grief. He has to find out while they have Todd held captive, but they have to hurry because the full moon is on the rise.
Even with the simplicity of the premise, I found myself really enjoying this film. The opening bloody crime scene montage really sets the tone for the rest of the movie. The film almost entirely takes place in a warehouse where they take the suspected werewolf Todd after they kidnap and interrogate him. With the brisk 80 minute run time, the film never gets boring. The filmmakers do a great job of keeping the viewer’s interest, even with the limited location. The story keeps you guessing right up until the very end about whether Todd really is a werewolf.
The acting performances in Sheep Skin far surpassed my expectations for a film of such a limited budget. I was thoroughly impressed by the main cast in this film. They all proved to be outstanding in their roles. I really enjoyed Michael Schantz’s performance in the lead role. He played a man determined to seek revenge for his sister’s death but also having to accept the nightmarish scenario that a werewolf may have been responsible. His character struggles with what he has to do and Schantz pulls it off marvelously. Also, the secondary character of Marcus, played by Bryan Manley Davis is one to watch. He plays the role of the lone unsure and reluctant participant in the operation to perfection.
Unfortunately, when you have a limited budget such as this one something usually is lacking and in this case it’s the audio. There were multiple scenes in the warehouse when the group is interrogating Todd that his dialogue is so low you can barely hear it. I really had to struggle at times to make out what he was saying, even with the volume turned up.
This film has some blood and gore but not a lot. The makeup effects are very well done, all seemed to be practical and not CGI, so that’s a plus. Kudos to the makeup department for what they were able to pull off with the limited budget.
The end result is quite a good film with a solid story and cast. Sheep Skin is not your run-of-the-mill werewolf flick. The dialogue is the real star here. If you look deeper, the film is a metaphor for what some of us are hiding underneath. We all look normal on the outside but under the surface lies a beast covered in Sheep Skin.
4 out of 5
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zombies dont run
The film centers around a group of friends in a punk rock band, who kidnap a businessman because they believe he is actually a werewolf hiding in plain sight. The group takes the man to a nearby warehouse, where they have one night to prove that their suspicions are true. As the night goes on, tensions mount and the group begins to question their own motives. Are they right about the man’s true identity, or have they made a terrible and deadly mistake?
Sheep Skin is a very surprising movie coming to DVD from Unearthed Films. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into it and I usually never read the back, so I went in blind to it and I’m kind of happy I did. But as I’m sure you’ve seen from the synopsis above, we have a story of a punk band kidnapping a very shady guy who is cheating on his wife after one woman he cheated on her with turns up dead. Of course, she was the sister of one of the band members and the kicker of it all comes from not knowing if they are right on wrong regarding the guy being a werewolf. Sometimes you think they may be on to something. Other times you think they may be all wrong about the entire thing. The being unsure part of it is what really keeps us watching and interested. This really has a bit of an old school feel to it and you can’t help but be interested in just where everything is going and how it will all turn out in the end. The movie is well acted, has some cool effects from time to time, and manages to keep you held to the screen along the way without hardly even leaving the warehouse setting that they have the guy held up in. That is making the best use of your surroundings and it is done as well or better than most indie films I’ve seen come out lately.
So, from where I’m sitting now, I think Sheep Skin may be the best horror movie of 2016. I know we have a while to go and that is a bold statement after seeing the movie for the first time, but I do think it is really that well made and good. The movie keeps building and building to a boiling point and I do think by the time it ends it reaches a satisfying end and you certainly don’t regret any of your time you invested in watching the film. It has a cool story, some cool effects, and it isn’t the same thing we’ve seen a million times over, which might be the best part of it. In the extras of the DVD you will also find a cool version of the movie in black and white. That is there for even more of a throwback feel and while most of you might enjoy the colored version just because the blood pops more when you get it, I can still appreciate the black and white being used for the alternative look of the movie. All in all, if you love indie horror films you’ll want to seek out and see Sheep Skin for yourself. Like I said, it is still early, but I feel this could be the best horror film we get in 2016.
Sheep Skin is a very surprising movie coming to DVD from Unearthed Films. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into it and I usually never read the back, so I went in blind to it and I’m kind of happy I did. But as I’m sure you’ve seen from the synopsis above, we have a story of a punk band kidnapping a very shady guy who is cheating on his wife after one woman he cheated on her with turns up dead. Of course, she was the sister of one of the band members and the kicker of it all comes from not knowing if they are right on wrong regarding the guy being a werewolf. Sometimes you think they may be on to something. Other times you think they may be all wrong about the entire thing. The being unsure part of it is what really keeps us watching and interested. This really has a bit of an old school feel to it and you can’t help but be interested in just where everything is going and how it will all turn out in the end. The movie is well acted, has some cool effects from time to time, and manages to keep you held to the screen along the way without hardly even leaving the warehouse setting that they have the guy held up in. That is making the best use of your surroundings and it is done as well or better than most indie films I’ve seen come out lately.
So, from where I’m sitting now, I think Sheep Skin may be the best horror movie of 2016. I know we have a while to go and that is a bold statement after seeing the movie for the first time, but I do think it is really that well made and good. The movie keeps building and building to a boiling point and I do think by the time it ends it reaches a satisfying end and you certainly don’t regret any of your time you invested in watching the film. It has a cool story, some cool effects, and it isn’t the same thing we’ve seen a million times over, which might be the best part of it. In the extras of the DVD you will also find a cool version of the movie in black and white. That is there for even more of a throwback feel and while most of you might enjoy the colored version just because the blood pops more when you get it, I can still appreciate the black and white being used for the alternative look of the movie. All in all, if you love indie horror films you’ll want to seek out and see Sheep Skin for yourself. Like I said, it is still early, but I feel this could be the best horror film we get in 2016.
4 out of 5
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Horror movies uncut
The very mention of werewolf films still sparks an interest all over the horror genre as many feel its the only sub never to gets its full due. For as many takes on zombie and vampire films that exist today there are few filmmakers willing to look outside of the box on our beloved furry creatures. Luckily for us Kurtis M Spieler is up for the challenge and he delivers on his indie crime thriller werewolf flick SHEEP SKIN.
Image from SHEEP SKIN courtesy of INVASIVE IMAGES.
A riveting and nerve racking crime thriller wrapped up in a good old fashion monster movie. These are a few ways to explain SHEEP SKIN but the true beauty of the film lies with it’s exceptional cast and stellar writing. Off the bat I will be honest and say, it takes a while to get there but once things pick up SHEEP SKIN will have you hooked. The story follows Todd (Laurence Malleny) a sleazy businessman who seems to enjoy spending time with everyone except his wife. On a normal night of making excuses not to come home he is approached by a new temp whom he instantly hits on. Once leaving the building he is kidnapped by a group of individuals hell bent on discovering the truth. The want to know if Todd has killed someone and the only reasons they have not went to the cops is because they believe is is not human.
Flawless work by the cast who turn a mere torture film into a worthwhile commentary. The boldness of SHEEP SKIN will blow you away as deep into the film you start to make your own assumptions on if Todd is the creature they claim him to be. SHEEP SKIN has an insane ending you will never forget! SHEEP SKIN along with a few other titles released in the past few years allows me to feel like the werewolf genre is good hands. There is a certain charm to this movie that could also engage an avid CSI watcher to enjoy many portions of this film. Sneaky and relentless SHEEP SKIN surprises in more ways than you can ever imagine!