Looks like the blissful juggernaut that is Lord of the Rings has opened the New Zealand floodgates, not only as a location that Hollywood covets, but also as a launching pad for a whole bunch of hard-working (yet entirely insane) kiwi filmmakers. In just the last month I've been treated to three great indies from New Zealand: the romantic comedy Eagle vs. Shark, the dizzyingly entertaining horror farce Black Sheep, and now this: a completely scrappy, wonderfully twisted, and adorably scruffy little import called The Devil Dared Me To.

The flick's got the same basic set-up as your average Will Ferrell or Adam Sandler sports comedy: Randy Cambell comes from a long line of (now-dead) New Zealand stuntmen, and he'll stop at nothing to follow in those freaky footsteps, regardless of how much suffering he must withstand at the hands of current stunt-king Dick Johansonson. With the help from a few loyal lunatics (and his one-legged girlfriend Tracy "Tragedy" Jones), can Randy rise from porta-potty duty to become New Zealand's premiere stunt-maniac? Doesn't really matter, because there's lots of crazy fun along the way.

If I described a film as "Napoleon Dynamite meets When Harry Met Sally," would that be enough to pique your interest? How about if I added that it was an oddball and off-kilter little indie from the fine folks down in New Zealand; would that make the idea seem more palatable? Well, to be honest, if you threw those descriptions at me as I was sitting down to watch Eagle vs. Shark, I'd probably roll my eyes, stifle a sigh and prepare myself for a film as familiar as it is unnecessary.

But like I always say: That's why we watch the movies. Because despite some over-quirky trappings and a fairly familiar sense of weird humor, Eagle vs. Shark is (in some ways) even better than Napoleon Dynamite -- the film which Eagle vs. Shark will be compared with most frequently. (I definitely enjoyed Napoleon, but it seemed to harbor a mild contempt for its characters, whereas Eagle most definitely does not.) Both films are set in exotically bland locales that are populated by humorously askew denizens who spew some seriously arcane conversations at one another. But there's a real sense of sweetness to this Kiwi import that elevates it beyond many of its ilk -- and the actors are really good.

Kimmy V. and I saw Jonathan King's Black Sheep at a rather raucous and enthusiastic midnight screening during last September's Toronto Film Festival, and we were both pretty sure that the comedy/horror confection would be purchased by the end of the week. Well, it took a little longer than that, but IFC and Los Weinsteins both enjoyed the flick enough to invest some cash in it.

Now comes an all-new trailer for Black Sheep, and trust me on this: If the trailer does nothing for you, then you probably won't like the movie. If, on the other hand, the trailer had you chuckling a little, odds are you'll have a good time with King's "sheep gone psycho" exploits. The New Zealand import opens in its native land on March 22, and I've no idea when IFC plans to release it in North America, but since the Weinsteins have DVD rights for Black Sheep, expect some sort of theatrical release this year. (Probably fairly limited.)

Ah, and in case you forgot: Black Sheep is about a scientific experiment gone horribly wrong, a massive flock of rabidly infected quadripeds, and some well-intentioned (but stupid) hippie-types who end up as sheep zombie mega-monsters. It's all very insane, trust me.