Philippa Campbell Movies
A genetic engineering experiment gone horribly awry turns a large flock of docile sheep into unrelenting killing machines in this rural horror comedy directed by Jonathan King and featuring special effects designed by Weta Workshop. When the death of his father and a stress-induced fear of sheep pushes him toward the edge of a nervous breakdown, skilled farmer Henry Oldfield leaves the family farm behind in a desperate bid to achieve inner peace. Upon returning to the farm following a 15-year absence, Henry discovers that his brother Angus has been performing genetic experiments on the sheep. Unfortunately for both the brothers and the rest of the humble farmers who make their living off of the land, these experiments have produced a strain of sheep that crave human flesh and will stop at nothing to satisfy their diabolical hunger. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nathan Meister, Peter Feeney, (more)
- 2006
A spirited older woman decides to bring her quarrelsome family together for a party in this comedy drama from New Zealand playwright-turned-filmmaker Toa Fraser. Eightysomething Nana Maria (Ruby Dee) was born in Fiji, but has spent most of her life in New Zealand, where she lives in a run-down but beautiful house on Mount Raskil with her fully grown granddaughter Charlene (Mia Blake), Charlene's young daughter, and Erasmus (Rene Naufahu), another adult grandchild who has a drinking problem. One morning, Nama Maria wakes up early and decides the family shall gather for a celebratory feast, complete with a roast pig. However, Charlene and Erasmus understand just how tall an order this is -- Nana has two sons, Percy (Pio Terei) and John (Nathaniel Lees), who can't stand one another and barely tolerate their other relations, while grandson Tyson (Xavier Horan) has made a name for himself in business and would rather spend time with his girlfriend from Holland than see his uncles. But somehow Nana Maria's children, grandchildren, and even some great-grandchildren are rounded up for the occasion, some lured by her promise that she will announce who will inherit her estate after she's gone. No. 2 received its North American premiere at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ruby Dee, Taungaroa Emile, (more)
Television commercial director Christine Jeffs makes her feature debut with this intense family drama about the collapse of a marriage and the dissolution of a mother-daughter relationship. Thirteen-year-old Janey (Alicia Fulford-Wierzbicki) and her younger brother Jim (Aaron Murphy) are largely left alone in their seaside bungalow as their parents try to piece their marriage back together. While Janey's mom Kate (Sarah Peirse) gets blind drunk, flirts with other men, and nurses hangovers, her father Ed recoils in disgust at his wife's dissolute behavior. The family's simmering tensions explode with the appearance of Cady, a rakish freelance photographer. While Kate immediately starts to flirt with the younger man, Janey herself is attracted to him, believing that he is her only ticket out of her dysfunctional family. Soon Kate and Janey find themselves locked in a desperate and despairing battle for Cady. This film was screened at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alicia Fulford-Wierzbicki, Sarah Peirse, (more)
- 1998
Danielle Cormack plays a dual role of twin sisters in this comedy drama from New Zealand. Chrissy Dunn (Cormack) exits the bed of a strange man while her twin sister, Olympic swimmer Carol (also Cormack), wins an major race and prepares to swim for the gold. Back home, TV director Brian Stanning (Brian Sergent) spearheads a local TV station's plan for a satellite hook-up to reunite the entire dysfunctional Dunn family (including the widowed mother and two other sisters). Chrissy states her intention not to cooperate and finds that TV cameraman Paul (Karl Urban) is the stranger she slept with that night. Director Andrew McCarten made his directorial debut with this film, shown at the 1998 Melbourne Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Danielle Cormack, Timothy Balme, (more)
