Black Sheep (1996)

Black Sheep (1996): Dir: Penelope Spheeris / Cast: Chris Farley, David Spade, Tim Matheson, Gary Busey, Christine Ebersole: Chris Farley and David Spade reunite under a false or sense of error in one's lifestyle. This is their second pairing, after starring in the dreadful Tommy Boy. One can say that their followup is strike two. Farley attempts to help his brother's campaign but he messes up constantly. Spade is assigned to keep him out of trouble and together they uncover a conspiracy. Routine comedy with little plot. Director Penelope Spheeris does her best particularly during scene in a cabin, but after directing Wayne's World this is a big step down. Farley is still doing the nightclub act although not as annoying as he is in Tommy Boy. Spade is stranded with a deadpan role just as he was in Tommy Boy. This is also a major waste of time for Tim Matheson as Farley's brother, especially after his sheer hilarity as a fraternity brother in National Lampoon's Animal House. Also featured is Gary Busey much to his dismay, and Christine Ebersole who has the misfortune of being stuck under a thrashing Farley. One can only hope their career will outlast decisions to appear in films as stupid as this one. This film exists for stupid humour setups such as Farley thrashing atop a woman after being immobilized on top of her. Very forced and not worth the time of day. Score: 3 / 10

Black SheepThe hardest part of life on the campaign trail for most candidates must be keeping themselves from forcing the media bus into a ravine.However that scene is a possibility with the simpleton sibling of a governor hopeful in this comedy.To keep his blundering brother Mike (Chris Farley) from ruining his candidacy, Al (Tim Matheson) assigns low-level aide Steve (David Spade) to baby-sit him on his canvassing duties.Meanwhile the incumbent Governor Tracy (Christine Ebersole) releases photos implementing Mike in an arson case.Costing his brother the election, Mike makes amends by discovering inconsistencies in Tracy's vote count.A feeble attempt to build on Spade and Farley's comedic chemistry, Black Sheep fails to capture their previous magic: the characters are hollow, the script is clichéd and the jokes are abysmal.Besides, every politician already knows to simply appoint any possibly embarrassing relatives to the position of official food taster. (Red Light)vidiotreviews.blogspot.ca

In his famous TV show, At The Movies, film critic Gene Siskel said that this was the first film he walked out on in 26 years of reviewing movies. Well, maybe he was having intestinal problem at the moment ! When an important critic says that, it doesn't mean necessarily that he's right. Originally, you are the one who can make Siskel's reviews, or else's, look right or not. Because, any film critic is speaking his own mind, not yours. Sometimes it's the same thing. And sometimes it isn't. This time, obviously for me, it isn't ! Simply this is not a bad movie. The word "intolerable" got no relation with it whatsoever. It's a light and sweet slapstick. Nothing is too goofy or too zany. No one showed ridiculous performance. It reminded me with the work of Laurel & Hardy, yet in colors and with somehow thrilling plot. Chris Farley is doing his routine, and the chemistry between him and David Spade is working.The actual problem is that this movie came after (Tommy Boy – 1995) which's a better movie. So the disappointment must be powerful. And yes, you've got to ask yourself; why after a comic detailed breakthrough such as (Tommy..) the new dual goes and make something which's clearly not better, or as good ?! I believe the studio didn't know how to deal with the newly born star. So, they handled him any script just to exploit his success. But that wasn't for the sake of his career, us, and them; since the movie didn't hit the mark as its precedent.The easy plan to invest Farley this time was by the reoccurrence of (Tommy..)'s factors. And sorrowfully Farley accepted it. Therefore some gags from the original (Tommy Boy) were recycled however on a poor level with not much to support it either (the idea of idiot Farley and rational Spade, the problem of their sleep, even David Spade got nothing new to show this round; he was repeating the whole thing yet weakly. And for some it was hard to believe that the tongue-in-cheek was the movie's main, or only, goods ! Though, Black Sheep isn't really a Black Sheep. It is relaxingly uncomplicated, and has its moments. Just imagine that it was made before (Tommy..) and they had to release it later, and everything will be fine. I loved its innocent cartoonish sense, its running gags, the character of the old lunatic veteran (Oh God, so Gary Busey CAN do comedy !! WAW as long as you live, as along as you see and be surprised !) and the whole wacky time of it, where I didn't feel a single second of cheesiness or repulsiveness or bore.Dear late Gene Siskel. I admire many of your opinions. But, you were totally unfair towards this one. 1996 got some of the real agonizing comedies. Kingpin, The Cable Guy, Larger Than Life are little examples. Sometimes the critic, even the ordinary viewer, stands many movies good or bad one after another, to have no patience for more. So walking out on a movie could mean that one critic is being tortured by one movie. Or that one critic just, for a reason out of the movie, can't have a good time.

I have been reading some of the comments about the movie "Black Sheep" that people have put up, praising this movie and saying that its funny and Good for civics classes and after careful deliberation I am forced to the conclusion to ask anyone that thinks along these lines, as delicately and dispasionately as possible....You can not be serious. Black Sheep was one of the worst so-called comedies I have ever had the misfortune of witnessing! Let me set you guys straight. Nothing, Repeat, NOTHING funny came out of this movie. The jokes were stale as two week old bread, the directing was uneven and cockeyed, the writing was painfully inept, and the performances, if you can call them that, were a complete waste of time. David Spade is dull and uninteresting as the campaign manager assistant, or whatever he was, to the point were he just seems to standing around in a stupor of some kind. Tim Matheson and The rest of the cast bring absolutely nothing to the table. However, I have saved the Worst for last, Chris Farley. Oh..My...GAAAWWWDD!!!! His acting, If you can call it that, is so over-the-top, overdone, overwrought, overacted, overweight, that it boggles the mind. Now, I now Farley whole shtick on SNL and in his movies his his wild, boisterous personality and to be fair, It worked, to a certain degree in his other movies like "Tommy Boy". However, Tommy Boy, was Oscar worthy material compared to this Craptacular eye-sore of a movie. Here he is not funny at all, he is not even acting bad enough to make fun of! It gets real old real fast and you start to get more and more angry at his ridiculous outbursts.One final observation, There was a point in the movie where they go up to a cabin in the woods were presumably, Comedic Wackieness will ensue, It doesn't. In fact, I actually wondered if the writers had a brief moment of clarity and realized the disaster they were creating and went on strike. So the director and actors tried to improvise around the cabin scenario. In any event, The point in the movie showed, the utter desperation these performers must have been feeling. I say they new what they were doing, but either they didn't know how to salvage it or they just didn't care. Shame on all of them.