Bad Taste: The Bastards Have Landed!

Title: Bad Taste


Year: 1987


Director: Peter "Kong" Jackson




Long long ago before Peter Jackson was a house hold name among LOTR fans he was a forefather of over the top splatter films and frankly this and Dead Alive (Brain Dead) was hugely important in my film education. Bad Taste was the first feature film by Peter Jackson and he really flexes his creative mind and the end product is an howling funny and gross out film that will give you wanting a second helping! 


ITS STORY TIME:  When I was a younger lad, my sister had dated this punk rocker type guy, he gave me a copy of Bad Taste on VHS from a rental store that he "borrowed" He said it would be something and I quote "dig" I felt so cool that he thought I was hip enough to view it. It was love at first sight and it lead me to another true love Dead-Alive (Brain Dead) and to a lesser degree Meet the Feebes (still cool movie) Well years and years later I still own the vhs ex rental and cherish the memories of my early cinema viewing days. Bad Taste`s poster seems to sum it all up with Lord Crumb giving the audience a middle finger, yes folks this is out law cinema at its sick best!

Two Jacksons for the price of One!!

Bad Taste  is a rare breed of fun over the top comedy gore fests that is in the same catagory as Street Trash Toxic Avenger and Frankenhooker. The whole concept of Aliens harvesting people for a chain of restaurants on there planet is pretty clever and wildly funny,its very tongue in cheek and knows it, never taking itself serious at all.  There are some inspired strange and surreal quality that makes this film really stand apart from the sequel machine Hollywood was churning out at the time.  The vomit scene is something you likely not to forget anytime soon. The humor is no doubt rude crude and nothing like what American audiences might be use too.

Everyone in the cast does a pretty good job with such a far out script. The real fun in the movie is Jackson himself  who not only plays one role but two! Yes you read right TWO! Jackson is actually a really good actor believe it or not, he goes from being a goofy weird whacked Derek he plays the Alien Robert and in a genius scene they fight each other, with some slick editing he pulls it off.


Of course not as grand as LOTR Jackson still commands the screen with good visuals.  The beauty of New Zealand really gives makes a wonderful back drop for this wacky "invasion" Its clear that Peter had an eye for cinema and its evident by nice shots, great editing and sound effects.  The action scenes are not the best, but has a dime store charm and again it plays more for laughs then anything. 

Bloody? You bet your large alien ass there is! Jackson gleefully paints this film with gallons of blood and guts, and unlike the snuff like films of today its mostly done for gross out comedic effect which works brilliantly. For even the most jaded viewer the gore effects are top notch and cleverly done for the small budget that they had to work with.  The Aliens are actually really strange looking and one cant help loving watching huge alien ass`s flop around while they run. An image that's been burnt into my brain. 




Its always interesting to me to see where a huge direct gets his start, and while Peter Jackson may be known for King Kong and LOTR I will always know him as the outlaw filmmaker that really shaped my early horror  education. Bad Taste is from a rare school of rouge film making which is perfectly illustrated by the middle finger to us the audience.  Its PUNK ROCK cinema! For this being his first time its a well crafted sick funny and most importantly entertaining little gem! But don't forget THE BASTARDS HAVE LANDED!! 


Jackson would go on to Meet the Feebles (muppets on acid) and then his epic zombie film Dead-Alive (Brain Dead) which is maybe the best zombie film since Dawn of the dead.