‘I’m a Derek and Dereks don’t run…’
As with James Cameron and Sam Raimi, Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson started out making low-budget horror movies. DIY splatterfest Bad Taste was Jackson’s debut feature and its anarchic, care-free charm is about as far from the Lord of the Rings movies as it’s possible to get…
When a group of aliens descend on Earth intending to use the flesh of human beings for their intergalactic fast-food chain it is up to a ragtag bunch of Kiwi nutcases to save the day. Jackson himself plays two different roles which is a good indicator of the considerable budgetary constraints that the New Zealand director had to overcome.
Filmed on weekends over four years, Bad Taste is a goofy and breathless alien invasion body horror that sees Jackson throw everything at the wall (including blood, guts and brains) to force a reaction and there is no doubt that the film packs a visceral punch. Worth it for the sensational practical effects alone, Bad Taste offers a glimpse into the kind of inventiveness and ingenuity that Jackson would employ on his more prestigious projects later in his career. That being said, aside from the visual aspect of things, there isn’t much else going on here. The characters are interchangeable. The plot predictable and repetitive. But just when things start to become dull, Jackson does something like blowing up a sheep with a rocket launcher. Marvellous.
Bad Taste is more than a little rough around the edges but as a signpost to what Jackson would later become it is pretty essential.
