Plot: Todd (Laurence Mullaney) is working late at the office, as usual and his wife is none too convinced that his overtime is all work related. When he tries to hit on one of the office’s temp workers and is shot down, his night starts to look bleak. This is only made more evident by a mysterious note left on his desk that says “We know what you are,” but doesn’t have any other markings. Todd heads home dejected, only to be accosted and kidnapped by unknown persons in pig masks. When he comes to, he notices the temp from the office and several other people standing around him, while he is tied to a chair. A man named Schafer (Michael Schantz) seems to be leading the situation, making it known he is the brother of a woman Todd was cheating on his wife with. Now his sister is dead and thanks to some research, Schafer is certain Todd is responsible. Not only does Schafer believe Todd is the killer, he also thinks he is a werewolf and plans to end his monstrous ways…

Entertainment Value: Sheep Skin makes a valiant effort to provide an unusual take on the werewolf movie, with a more character driven focus. The bulk of the movie is driven by dialogue, as we meet and get to know this troupe of characters. The concept is solid and sounds insane on paper, as a punk rock band suspects a man of lycanthropy and begins an inquisition. But we end up with a talkative drama for most of the film’s 80 minute duration, coupled with a pace that often runs slow. The movie kicks into high gear toward the conclusion, but those seeking wall to wall horror might be let down, as that isn’t the case. The cast is quite solid, which helps the movie a lot, but there’s just not enough narrative to justify the slow pace and development. I admire the effort, but I was never really pulled into the movie like I hoped. Even so, Sheep Skin is still head and shoulders above most of the genre’s current output. The cast is good and the finale is satisfying, but the slow pace, thin narrative, and basic visual design tend to weigh down the experience.

Aside from Todd’s bare ass, no nakedness in this one. There’s some punch up violence sprinkled throughout the movie, but the blood is minimal and non graphic. Once things heat up, we get a few really nice gore set pieces that are well crafted and fun to watch. I wish the movie had more of that kinetic feel, even if it was less violent and blood soaked, as the finale is a fun ride. The tone of the writing is serious and has no real camp value, so the dialogue is solid, but not that memorable. I love the premise here, of a punk rock band vs. a werewolf, but Sheep Skin doesn’t ramp up the insanity much. The finale and concept do earn a couple points though. I appreciate the attempt to make a more restrained, character driven werewolf movie, but I wasn’t really able to connect with this one most of the time.

Nudity: 1/10

Blood: 3/10

Dialogue: 0/10

Overall Insanity: 2/10

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