Masterpiece Cinema - Bad Taste

‘Bad Taste’

Starring Terry Potter, Pete O’Herne, Craig Smith, Mike Minett, Peter Jackson.

Written & Directed by Peter Jackson.

Genre: Comedy / Horror / Sci-Fi

Released: 1987

Running time: 91 mins.

Rated: R (American rating for comic gore, violence and some language).

IMDb link: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0092610/

So last week I said I’d be getting away from puppets with this week’s column. Well, that’s what I’m kind of doing. Kind of.

Peter Jackson is pretty much a household name these days with the success of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy, a series of films that will inarguably became a major part of cinematic history in time to come. It’s kind of funny; this short, hairy, dumpy, quirky little man has achieved what so few directors in



Hollywood have – he’s ascended to the rank of ‘celebrity director’. The celebrity director is one of those few people behind the camera who are just as recognizable as those in front of it. It’s a lofty position, and one that many filmmakers aspire to, but very few manage to achieve. This strange little guy from New Zealand, however, has managed it, and what’s more, he actually deserves it.

You’ve no doubt heard that Jackson is following up the success of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ with a big-budget remake of ‘King Kong’. You may have even heard how his next project after that will be an adaptation of the novel ‘The Lovely Bones’. If you’ve heard both those things…well, stuff you. Nobody likes a smart arse, and thanks ever so much for taking the wind out of my sails. And if you’re such a smarty pants, lemme ask you this; have you ever seen ‘Bad Taste’? [BB]

‘Bad Taste’ is Jackson’s very first feature film (though it’s the eleventh film he’s made over the course of his life). Released in 1987, it took four years to make, filmed entirely on weekends and with a next-to-nothing budget. It’s basically the definition of guerrilla filmmaking.



The story revolves around the efforts of a small platoon of amateur soldiers known as “the boys”, who the New Zealand Prime Minister hires to rid the countryside of invading, shape-shifting aliens. What follows is ninety minutes of gory mayhem that involves everything from dissections with chainsaws to the eating of vomit. When Jackson decided to call this movie ‘Bad Taste’, it was more than just an apt description; it was a public safety warning.

There’s a number of things that make this movie worth watching. First of all, it’s amazing to see what one can do on a nothing budget. Jackson made all the prosthetics and special effects pieces himself, which is impressive when you consider all the aliens and explosions the movie is rife with (this is where the earlier mentioned puppets come in).

Then there’s also the fact that Jackson plays not one, but two characters himself, and is almost unrecognisable in both. As Derek, one of the alien-fighting Kiwis, he leaps to and fro, spraying the countryside with machine gun fire and screaming like a stabbed cat. As Robert, one of the aliens, he gets the opportunity to fight himself, and does so in glorious, zombie-esque fashion.

But really, the reason to watch this movie is just how much dumb fun it is. You’ll laugh, you’ll squeal, you’ll feel a little nauseous. If you’re a fan of low-budget, high-fun fare, check this out. I doubt we’ll be seeing Jackson make anything like it again anytime soon…

Next week: Wait and see!

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