When most people think of Peter Jackson, the mind goes straight to The Lord of the Rings. And why not? His early 2000s adaptation of Tolkien’s masterpiece is one of the greatest cinematic achievements in history, but Jackson certainly did not start there. In fact, most people likely would not have been able to guess that this Kiwi director would reach the heights he has today based on his first film, 1987’s Bad Taste. This slapstick, splatter comedy is very different fare than a sprawling fantasy epic, with a wacky plot and delightfully disgusting effects. But different as it may be from Lord of the Rings, Bad Taste showcases Jackson’s burgeoning talent as a filmmaker, his ineffable creativity, and it is simply a fun and hilarious movie, too.
What Is ‘Bad Taste’ About?
Jackson’s freshman effort has a plot just as wild as the effects the film has become known for, revolving centrally around, of course, aliens! But Bad Taste’s aliens are not mindless carnivores, nor are they enlightened technophiles. Instead, these aliens are fast food moguls, looking to restock their most popular ingredient: humans. The heroes of Bad Taste are four members of the Astro Investigation and Defense Service (one of whom is played by Jackson himself, one of his two roles in the film), sent to investigate the mysterious disappearance of an entire town’s population. The apparent culprits appear to be regular people at first, but soon, “the boys” reveal they are actually hideous aliens in disguise. It turns out that the aliens harvested the town’s residents to supply their intergalactic fast food franchise. Though they are too late to save the whole town, the boys have to fight to rescue a charity collector named Giles (Craig Smith), and stop the aliens from escaping earth.
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Throughout this wacky story, Jackson treats viewers to some really impressive DIY gore effects. There is an exploded half of a head, an extremely unfortunate meeting between a sheep and a rocket, and a certain character that just cannot keep their brain in their skull. The dismemberments and squibs are all over the top, sometimes nauseating, and always done with a comedic bent. Between the cannibalistic aliens and the rough and ready paramilitary protagonists, there is comedic, gory violence to spare in this movie, making it a must-watch for fans of the splatter genre.
‘Bad Taste’ Demonstrates Jackson’s Promise as a Film Maker
Bad Taste is certainly not the multi-Oscar winning masterpiece that The Lord of the Rings is, but this does not mean one cannot see Jackson’s talent on full display. Many B-movies of similar pedigree are rife with ugly camera work and continuity errors, but Bad Taste shows a director with an eye for cinema, and a clever mind to boot. Jackson manages to pull off a scene in which he plays both characters, dangling from a cliff and fighting each other, all through careful framing and editing. Bad Taste is also proof of Jackson’s drive and passion for movies, having been made for only $25,000, with Jackson spending his weekends filming over the course of four years. Many of the weapons and costumes were homemade by Jackson himself, with the hideous alien masks having been baked in his mother’s oven. The movie is full of clever effects and fun gags, and even though it certainly has that veneer of “cheapness”, there is nothing stingy about Peter Jackson’s commitment to this horror comedy classic.
Peter Jackson is a certified success in the cinematic canon, with one of the most celebrated and awarded series in history to his credit. But everyone has to start somewhere, and the horror world should be forever thankful that he made his start with splatter films. Bad Taste is more than just the first effort of a promising director, and his other early efforts, Dead Alive and Meet the Feebles, are likewise worth tracking down. Bad Taste is a hilarious, over-the-top B-Horror that definitely shows its low budget, but that also shows some serious talent and promise from its devoted director. It is a symposium on clever, DIY film making, a crazy fun first entry from a legendary director, and a great horror comedy.
Bad Taste
- Release Date
- June 21, 1989
- Cast
- Terry Potter , Peter O’Herne , Craig Smith , Mike Minett , Peter Jackson , Doug Wren , Peter Vere-Jones , Ken Hammon
- Runtime
- 92 Minutes
Bad Taste is available to rent on Prime Video in the US.
