It's everything a low budget production from the 80s could be, especially in a world before CGI but, as a basis for the craft and imagination it nurtured, it should be considered an inspiration for anyone with the imagination and aspiration to venture into original and ground breaking film making and cinema. Plus it includes references to Doctor Who, which can never be a bad thing, and you can also see those references reciprocated by that series the following century with some similar looking characters that appeared one season. Must have been great fun to make.
333 Reviews
It's always the low-budget films that hit that special spot...this is THE BEST!
ZOMBIE-814 January 2002
Being a fan of films high on the gore scale, and reading many reviews for this film, I finally decided to give this film a whirl...to this day, I still don't regret it! If you like gore, this is for you. If you like comedy, this is for you. If you liked the "Evil Dead" series, no doubt you will LOVE this film! For the full-effect, pick up the limited edition DVD. I swear, even if you have to pay 25 or even 40 bucks for this version, it's worth every penny! However, if you hate getting songs stuck in your head, then don't listen to the end theme! It's a cool eighties-style song, really good for a low-budget pic, but IT WILL GET STUCK IN YOUR HEAD!!! The entire film has great pacing, never slowing down for one second! This is also a great film for those, like myself, who want to get into filmmaking. This is one of those few films you never get bored watching, whether it's ten times or a thousand times!!! This is a must have for everybody!!!
Cannibalistic living dead space cretins with bad aim vs secret agent earth morons with good aim
mstomaso19 May 2005
Warning: Spoilers
It's all about the aim in this tongue-in-cheek (or should I say, tongue in cranial cavity) shock-horror gross-out fest from early in Pete Jackson's career. It's hard to imagine how Mr. Jackson went from this to incredibly campy comedy of guts and brain chunks to the brilliant Lord of the Rings Trilogy in 20 years, but, if you take a look at the films he made along the way - Meet the Feebles, Heavenly Creatures, Dead Alive, etc - you will see the common threads.
Like most of Jackson's work, this film sets out to make the best possible use of the available talent, sets and budget, and does so with verve. In this case, Jackson worked with very little of these three elements, and yet managed to pull off a hilarious bit of campy horror-comedy, with remarkable no to low budget special effects and plenty of the slapstick (with cow blood and chicken guts) that characterizes most of his early films.
To describe the plot with more than two or three sentences would require spoilers. In other words, there isn't much of one. The film opens with a group of mulleted New Zealand special agent security guys investigating a massacre of an entire village by aliens which first appear to be extras from a living dead movie, then later somehow become more intelligent, agile, and.... inhuman. The film is decorated with an amazing array of creative gore and slapstick death scenes, and once the bullets start flying, the alien's demonstrate their fatal flaw - they have less talent with guns than the average criminal in a Matt Damon film.
To his credit, Jackson knew what he could get away with considering what he had on hand, and didn't try to make a serious film. The camera work is, as always, excellent, and the make-up compliments the absurdity of the plot quite nicely. The result is hilarious, but only if you grock his sense of humor. I would recommend Dead Alive first, because it's humor is more (literally) in your face and obvious. This is definitely worth an evening, but, unlike the rest of Jackson's repertoire, it is a disposable film - worthy of one or two viewings, max.
Like most of Jackson's work, this film sets out to make the best possible use of the available talent, sets and budget, and does so with verve. In this case, Jackson worked with very little of these three elements, and yet managed to pull off a hilarious bit of campy horror-comedy, with remarkable no to low budget special effects and plenty of the slapstick (with cow blood and chicken guts) that characterizes most of his early films.
To describe the plot with more than two or three sentences would require spoilers. In other words, there isn't much of one. The film opens with a group of mulleted New Zealand special agent security guys investigating a massacre of an entire village by aliens which first appear to be extras from a living dead movie, then later somehow become more intelligent, agile, and.... inhuman. The film is decorated with an amazing array of creative gore and slapstick death scenes, and once the bullets start flying, the alien's demonstrate their fatal flaw - they have less talent with guns than the average criminal in a Matt Damon film.
To his credit, Jackson knew what he could get away with considering what he had on hand, and didn't try to make a serious film. The camera work is, as always, excellent, and the make-up compliments the absurdity of the plot quite nicely. The result is hilarious, but only if you grock his sense of humor. I would recommend Dead Alive first, because it's humor is more (literally) in your face and obvious. This is definitely worth an evening, but, unlike the rest of Jackson's repertoire, it is a disposable film - worthy of one or two viewings, max.
"I'm a Derek, Dereks don't run."
Backlash00724 January 2002
Bad Taste is one of the weirdest, stupidest, most idiotic, b (if that) movies I've ever seen. Why then do I own this movie? Because Peter Jackson has created one of the funniest splatterfests period (especially the hilarious machine gun scene and the pine cone tossing). It takes a while for the hilarity to start but so did Dead Alive (another Jackson great). Enjoy as Derek, Ozzy (wearing a Tales From the Crypt t-shirt), and the rest of the boys take on extra-terrestrial buggers who've come to Earth in search of meat. The plot is also a little hard to follow the first time around. After watching Bad Taste many times however, I have no idea how he was chosen to direct the Lord of the Rings (which rocked). So, Peter Jackson, for that...I salute you.
When you learn about how it was made, it's very impressive....but still gross!
planktonrules1 November 2018
"Bad Taste" is Peter Jackson's first film and it shows. This is because Peter was not a director....just some guy making a film with his friends. In fact, because they had no money it took four years to piece the project together...and they didn't even have a script! But despite this and many other shortcomings (including using a 16mm camera and having ridiculous bloody effects), the film is VERY watchable and even, at times, quite funny.
The story is very simple and there really isn't any context or backstory. It begins with some zombie-like folks trying to kill and eat a group of guys. Later, the guys all don commando outfits and take on a whole house filled with what you've come to realize are blood-thirsty aliens!
There are two thins that really help this film....the sense of humor AND the cheesiness of the guys and blood. If the movie was more realistic (such as Jackson's "Dead Alive" made just a short time later), it would have been repulsive and sick. Instead, you find yourself laughing at the guts, blood and mayhem since it's so obviously fake. Well worth seeing and a great example of cheap filmmaking that works.
The story is very simple and there really isn't any context or backstory. It begins with some zombie-like folks trying to kill and eat a group of guys. Later, the guys all don commando outfits and take on a whole house filled with what you've come to realize are blood-thirsty aliens!
There are two thins that really help this film....the sense of humor AND the cheesiness of the guys and blood. If the movie was more realistic (such as Jackson's "Dead Alive" made just a short time later), it would have been repulsive and sick. Instead, you find yourself laughing at the guts, blood and mayhem since it's so obviously fake. Well worth seeing and a great example of cheap filmmaking that works.
Sick Flick
captain_bungle13 April 2005
It seems fitting that in the wake of the excellent Lord of the Rings films, that we should have a look at just what started director Peter Jackson on the road to being one of the worlds greatest visionaries. Before LOTR's, Jackson's biggest financial hit was the Michael J. Fox horror comedy 'The Frighteners', and his biggest critical success being the haunting 'Heavenly Creatures', starring a then not-so-famous Kate Winslet. But it wasn't an easy ride getting to be the director of the most anticipated trilogy since Star Wars. Jackson started small, very small, and clawed his way up the movie ladder using nothing more than pure determination and a raw talent for film-making.
Jackson's first feature was Bad Taste, a low, low-budget horror comedy movie made over two years about aliens killing humans for their fast-food business back in space. No real plot, no real actors, no real crew. Only an insane imagination and devoted friends willing to help out. There's not even much of a script, because what Jackson sets out to do is sicken his audience with some of the most gruesome deaths ever seen and make them laugh until the back of their heads fall off. And he succeeds.
Narrative and plot structure are not on the vile menu here. Instead, Bad Taste is a testament to sick jokes, low-budget gore and technical brilliance on a shoestring. Jackson made his own steadicam, crane and other camera rigs to create the impression of a bigger-budgeted movie (he fails to do so, unfortunately) and even undertook the task of making all of his own make-up and prosthetic effects, including mechanised masks and realistic machine guns. This is an even greater achievement when you consider just how much gore there is in the film, but the finale, in which a huge mansion is rocketed into space, defies the rules of its low budget and minimal crew.
Even the cast were so minimal that the same aliens can be seen, if you look hard enough, being killed over and over again throughout the film, and Jackson himself takes on two roles; the unstable Derek and a mad alien called Robert. In one scene, Derek and Robert engage in a cliff-top fight with each other, balanced precariously on the edge and with no indication that one is a body double. Jackson's creativity and knowledge of movie trickery is undoubtedly on display here, but the low-rent sickness and bloody gore on display would suggest otherwise. At first it is hard to imagine that Jackson would go on from this to directing one of the best films of all time, but when you look closely, examine just what Jackson could do with no money and no crew, you begin to realise that a true genius was at work here.
Bad Taste is a delirious testament to the 'just-get-out-there-and-do-it' school of film-making, as that is literally what Jackson did. Shooting whenever he had the money for film stock and making props and special effects in his parent's garage. Apparently, one of Jackson's greatest problems was keeping his actors consistent in appearance over the two-year period, making sure haircuts remained the same and that one actor had a permanent five-o'clock shadow. Bad Taste is true to the spirit of independent film-making, one man making the film he wants, when he wants and with whom he wants. In fact, it would never and could never have been made under the supervision of a studio, and even if it had the spirit would have been killed off.
Bad Taste works for me because I admire the way in which it is made. When I first saw it I was in my teens and I liked it because it was a demented, gruesome, funny film, so maybe the teen crowd is the right one for Jackson's brain-eating, vomit-spewing, chuck-up-a-thon, or maybe it's also for twenty-somethings after a night on the lash. Either way, Bad Taste should be seen as an example that if you want to make a movie and know how - there is usually a way
Jackson's first feature was Bad Taste, a low, low-budget horror comedy movie made over two years about aliens killing humans for their fast-food business back in space. No real plot, no real actors, no real crew. Only an insane imagination and devoted friends willing to help out. There's not even much of a script, because what Jackson sets out to do is sicken his audience with some of the most gruesome deaths ever seen and make them laugh until the back of their heads fall off. And he succeeds.
Narrative and plot structure are not on the vile menu here. Instead, Bad Taste is a testament to sick jokes, low-budget gore and technical brilliance on a shoestring. Jackson made his own steadicam, crane and other camera rigs to create the impression of a bigger-budgeted movie (he fails to do so, unfortunately) and even undertook the task of making all of his own make-up and prosthetic effects, including mechanised masks and realistic machine guns. This is an even greater achievement when you consider just how much gore there is in the film, but the finale, in which a huge mansion is rocketed into space, defies the rules of its low budget and minimal crew.
Even the cast were so minimal that the same aliens can be seen, if you look hard enough, being killed over and over again throughout the film, and Jackson himself takes on two roles; the unstable Derek and a mad alien called Robert. In one scene, Derek and Robert engage in a cliff-top fight with each other, balanced precariously on the edge and with no indication that one is a body double. Jackson's creativity and knowledge of movie trickery is undoubtedly on display here, but the low-rent sickness and bloody gore on display would suggest otherwise. At first it is hard to imagine that Jackson would go on from this to directing one of the best films of all time, but when you look closely, examine just what Jackson could do with no money and no crew, you begin to realise that a true genius was at work here.
Bad Taste is a delirious testament to the 'just-get-out-there-and-do-it' school of film-making, as that is literally what Jackson did. Shooting whenever he had the money for film stock and making props and special effects in his parent's garage. Apparently, one of Jackson's greatest problems was keeping his actors consistent in appearance over the two-year period, making sure haircuts remained the same and that one actor had a permanent five-o'clock shadow. Bad Taste is true to the spirit of independent film-making, one man making the film he wants, when he wants and with whom he wants. In fact, it would never and could never have been made under the supervision of a studio, and even if it had the spirit would have been killed off.
Bad Taste works for me because I admire the way in which it is made. When I first saw it I was in my teens and I liked it because it was a demented, gruesome, funny film, so maybe the teen crowd is the right one for Jackson's brain-eating, vomit-spewing, chuck-up-a-thon, or maybe it's also for twenty-somethings after a night on the lash. Either way, Bad Taste should be seen as an example that if you want to make a movie and know how - there is usually a way
Your stomach will be churning!
lost-in-limbo25 November 2005
Aliens have landed on earth led by Lord Crumb, with the intention of selling mankind as hamburger meat to their intergalactic buddies. So we are now added to their menu, though the earth's government issues a full-scale alert and calls in "The Boys"- Frank, Oz, Barry and Derek to take care of the problem. Can they stop Lord Crumb turning the human race into "Crumb's Country Delights" or will "The Boys" meet the same fate as mankind. In all this leads up to bloody showdown between the two sides, literally.
Peter Jackson's roughly made cult classic "Bad Taste" is purely vulgar trash, but hey that's its charm. A lot blood and guts went into this production, do I need to say more. There's no real purpose, or story behind this shamble or better put madness. It's all about grossing you out with a huge excess of cheesy gore, sick humour and outrageous violence. Yummy! And to think I was going to eat dinner while watching it. Sure it's incredibly dumb and tatty, but this is one of those films that its so bad that its good entertainment. It looked like they had a great time making the film, and it definitely shows on screen. Well, the conviction was there since it took Jackson and his pals four years to make this low-budget splatter and the crew had a whole a lot things to do other than one particular role. Like Peter Jackson who directed, co-written, acted, edited, cinematography and did the special effects. From that it surely does deserve its strong cult status.
Everything about it boarders on farcical, the performances are truly uninspired, or they are just too damn relaxed. It's hard to say if they were mocking themselves as its like they just read the script for the first time and putting no real effort in their lines. Maybe the dialogue was made up on the spot? And those thick accents, well they came across as drongos (excuse the Australian slang) using a lot bad pun and wit. Although, the memorable fashion statements, takes the cake. Camera work is totally sluggish, the soundtrack is pumping for all different moods and there's nice dummy, uh I mean stunt work. The film is filled with a terrible amount of clichés and homage's, but the thrills are top grade. You get over-the-top gung-ho action with brain splattering and body parts flying everywhere! These moments are hilariously set-up in a twisted slapstick way. Although, the winner of this film is the repulsive gore and decent alien make-up and effects. Which is a big contrast to the pleasantly lush New Zealand scenery!
This deliberately idiotic feature mixes gore and comedy to great effect. Highly amusing, but definitely not for the faint hearted or squeamish!
Jackson went onto to make two more wicked cult films after this, the grotesque "Braindead" and the overly filthy "Meet the Feebles". If you dig this film, you might as well check out those films too.
Peter Jackson's roughly made cult classic "Bad Taste" is purely vulgar trash, but hey that's its charm. A lot blood and guts went into this production, do I need to say more. There's no real purpose, or story behind this shamble or better put madness. It's all about grossing you out with a huge excess of cheesy gore, sick humour and outrageous violence. Yummy! And to think I was going to eat dinner while watching it. Sure it's incredibly dumb and tatty, but this is one of those films that its so bad that its good entertainment. It looked like they had a great time making the film, and it definitely shows on screen. Well, the conviction was there since it took Jackson and his pals four years to make this low-budget splatter and the crew had a whole a lot things to do other than one particular role. Like Peter Jackson who directed, co-written, acted, edited, cinematography and did the special effects. From that it surely does deserve its strong cult status.
Everything about it boarders on farcical, the performances are truly uninspired, or they are just too damn relaxed. It's hard to say if they were mocking themselves as its like they just read the script for the first time and putting no real effort in their lines. Maybe the dialogue was made up on the spot? And those thick accents, well they came across as drongos (excuse the Australian slang) using a lot bad pun and wit. Although, the memorable fashion statements, takes the cake. Camera work is totally sluggish, the soundtrack is pumping for all different moods and there's nice dummy, uh I mean stunt work. The film is filled with a terrible amount of clichés and homage's, but the thrills are top grade. You get over-the-top gung-ho action with brain splattering and body parts flying everywhere! These moments are hilariously set-up in a twisted slapstick way. Although, the winner of this film is the repulsive gore and decent alien make-up and effects. Which is a big contrast to the pleasantly lush New Zealand scenery!
This deliberately idiotic feature mixes gore and comedy to great effect. Highly amusing, but definitely not for the faint hearted or squeamish!
Jackson went onto to make two more wicked cult films after this, the grotesque "Braindead" and the overly filthy "Meet the Feebles". If you dig this film, you might as well check out those films too.
Splatter fun for all the family!
Coventry26 April 2004
Warning: Spoilers
Goofy and ridiculously exaggerated horror-comedy, obviously made by a group of unprofessional movie-lovers and friends. Dig this: big potato-headed aliens slice up an entire little town in order to serve them in an intergalactic chain of fast-food restaurants! Four eccentric lowlifes are after them (they form a government agency called A.I.D.S Alien Investigation and Defense Service). Peter Jackson (yes, THE Peter Jackson) desperately tries to hide the fact that he doesn't have the story by showing a whole lot of nasty gunfights and immature butchering. Buy hey
who's complaining? Bad Taste is great fun and one of the most hilarious horror-comedies ever. Nobody in the cast knows how to act, the make-up effects are cheesy and the cinematography is laughable. Jackson himself plays Derek, an obsessive freak that constantly has to re-install his own brain after he lost some cells in a fall of a cliff. There isn't one `scary' moment to detect in Bad Taste, but the vulgarity and nastiness-level is pretty high
Chainsaw dismemberments, crushed skulls
you name it and Peter Jackson shows it! Even drinking someone's fresh vomit is possible in his wicked imagination!
As Jackson's budget slowly increased, so did his filmmaking skills. He continued to make fresh New-Zealand horror with `Meet The Feebles' (brilliant and imaginative puppet adventure) and `Braindead' (perhaps the goriest film ever). When you see him here in Bad Taste, you'd never say he'll win an Oscar for best director once but it only gives more cult-value to the film. This is an ideal motion picture to watch with a group of friends, with lots and lots of alcohol and pizza. You're not missing out on anything if you haven't seen it yet, except for a real good time.
As Jackson's budget slowly increased, so did his filmmaking skills. He continued to make fresh New-Zealand horror with `Meet The Feebles' (brilliant and imaginative puppet adventure) and `Braindead' (perhaps the goriest film ever). When you see him here in Bad Taste, you'd never say he'll win an Oscar for best director once but it only gives more cult-value to the film. This is an ideal motion picture to watch with a group of friends, with lots and lots of alcohol and pizza. You're not missing out on anything if you haven't seen it yet, except for a real good time.
One of the funniest movies I've seen in a long time.
HumanoidOfFlesh7 June 2001
This extremely bloody and hilariously funny gore comedy from the director of "Braindead" and "Meet the Feebles" is about some aliens,who gather in a small New Zealand town to harvest human beings as a food source for their struggling intergalactic fast food.Four agents of the Alien Investigation and Defense Sector(A.I.D.S)are called on to stop them."Bad Taste" was filmed on a shoestring budget over a period of four years,using second hand equipment,and produced by and starring all Jackson's friends and work colleagues.The amount of bloodshed in this film is really high,but the gore is presented in such a way that it just makes you laugh hysterically.There's vomit eating,brain eating,exploding heads,flying guts and even exploding sheep.A must see for horror,splatter and gore fans!
Human meat for intergalactic hamburgers
Lady_Targaryen23 January 2006
Warning: Spoilers
'Bad Taste' is the first movie made by Peter Jackson. We can see that he didn't have many experience in that time, because I could see many of the errors from the script or from the ' production', (if we can call that a production, because it is very very simple)being the most notable one the toy guns, that we can clearly see that is plastic. The only thing I don't understand, is why the movie was banned in the Australian state of Queensland.
The plot is very simple: An intergalactic team of a fast food chain 'Crumb's Crunchy Delights' comes to Earth, because they want to popularize the human flesh in the space. They arrive in New Zeland and the the country's Astro-Investigation and Defense Service is called in to deal with the problem. The things stays complicated because of an aid worker who comes to Kaihoro the same day to collect change from the residents. The aid worker called Giles is captured by the aliens, and some complications starts to begin,specially because are many, many of them.
The plot is very simple: An intergalactic team of a fast food chain 'Crumb's Crunchy Delights' comes to Earth, because they want to popularize the human flesh in the space. They arrive in New Zeland and the the country's Astro-Investigation and Defense Service is called in to deal with the problem. The things stays complicated because of an aid worker who comes to Kaihoro the same day to collect change from the residents. The aid worker called Giles is captured by the aliens, and some complications starts to begin,specially because are many, many of them.
For low budget enthusiasts only
uselesswarrior27 July 2006
This movie is defiantly an oddity. I've sat through a lot of "b-movies" and mst3k episodes in my time, and this pushed my limits. Amateurish and crude, funny at times, incomprehensible at others, I can't say it has enough to recommend it. The plot and characters are paper thin even for this type of movie, the inspired moments are few and far between, and the script feels like it doesn't know when to end. It's obvious that this movie was made for next to nothing and by an inexperienced but ambitious filmmaker who had a preoccupation for gore and crude humor (Part Sam Rami, part Monty Python, part just plain gross). To put it in the same category of films like Dead Alive and Evil Dead (both of which I love) seems a bit unfair to the term B-Movie, this feels more like a C-Movie. It's not Manos the Hands of Fate or anything, but it's still extremely crude film making wise. Years ago this would have been available to film enthusiasts who spent money and time track down a bootleg copy, but now, thanks to Jackson's current success, the film has been released to mass audience on DVD. It's nice that it's available, but unless you're a Peter Jackson completist or a very forgiving genre fan , stay away, this probably should have been left in the world of bootleg VHS.
Those who are interested in Jackson would be better served by checking out movies like Heavenly Creatures, and the Frighteners. If you think you would like to see this movie, perform this test; first rent Dead Alive (which looks like Oscar material compared to this movie), if you can stomach that and want more then next you want to go rent Meet the Feebles. If you still feel the need to go back to Jackson's roots, by all means go check out this movie but be warned, these people giving this movie 10 stars are obviously hardcore low budget genre enthusiasts or insane, possibly both.
Those who are interested in Jackson would be better served by checking out movies like Heavenly Creatures, and the Frighteners. If you think you would like to see this movie, perform this test; first rent Dead Alive (which looks like Oscar material compared to this movie), if you can stomach that and want more then next you want to go rent Meet the Feebles. If you still feel the need to go back to Jackson's roots, by all means go check out this movie but be warned, these people giving this movie 10 stars are obviously hardcore low budget genre enthusiasts or insane, possibly both.
Great low budget horror
Sergiodave1 October 2020
Once upon a time in the days before Middle Earth, Peter Jackson didn't have a cauldron to urinate in; so he made this brilliant little gem in New Zealand for a paltry $11,000. A great fun horror movie about aliens wanting to harvest human flesh for an intergalactic food company. Far better than 90% of Blumhouse's productions at less than a 1,000th of the cost.
Gore showcase with bad humour and worse acting
Leofwine_draca16 October 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Nowadays he's one of the world's most famous directors after his incredible success with the LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, but everyone has to start somewhere and BAD TASTE is Peter Jackson's beginning. Shot over a period of 4 years as an amateur film and clearly inspired by the likes of THE EVIL DEAD, Jackson's film is equally inventive although totally different in tone. Instead of being a horror film, this is a comedy out and out, with the emphasis on dumb humour. Not really my cup of tea, but at least I could enjoy all the effort that went into this – especially the large-scale climax, with the flying house, which must have taken some doing!
The simple story of an alien invasion is handled well on what is a very low budget. For much of the movie, the aliens look human, only changing into their rubbery true forms near the climax. The heroes facing them are men of action, so there's plenty of shooting and fight scenes, some heavily in debt to Schwarzenegger's COMMANDO, although this time around Jackson amps up the gore to unbelievable levels. Brains are splattered everywhere, blood fountains through the air, bodies are chainsawed and torn into pieces – it's all very nasty stuff, although thoroughly unbelievable and played for laughs at all times.
One scene, the infamous vomit-drinking moment, is specifically designed to make the viewer be sick, and is pretty hard to watch (because of the sound effects, for the most part). This film's biggest detraction is the quality of the acting, which unsurprisingly sucks – particularly Jackson himself, who proves to be an intensely irritating screen star. Thank God then that his directing is good, showing promise even here. While I can't ever see myself sitting through BAD TASTE again, far preferring BRAINDEAD, fans of horror and gore flicks will no doubt have a ball with this silly outing that just goes to show what you can do with special effects and passion.
The simple story of an alien invasion is handled well on what is a very low budget. For much of the movie, the aliens look human, only changing into their rubbery true forms near the climax. The heroes facing them are men of action, so there's plenty of shooting and fight scenes, some heavily in debt to Schwarzenegger's COMMANDO, although this time around Jackson amps up the gore to unbelievable levels. Brains are splattered everywhere, blood fountains through the air, bodies are chainsawed and torn into pieces – it's all very nasty stuff, although thoroughly unbelievable and played for laughs at all times.
One scene, the infamous vomit-drinking moment, is specifically designed to make the viewer be sick, and is pretty hard to watch (because of the sound effects, for the most part). This film's biggest detraction is the quality of the acting, which unsurprisingly sucks – particularly Jackson himself, who proves to be an intensely irritating screen star. Thank God then that his directing is good, showing promise even here. While I can't ever see myself sitting through BAD TASTE again, far preferring BRAINDEAD, fans of horror and gore flicks will no doubt have a ball with this silly outing that just goes to show what you can do with special effects and passion.
Truly amazing no-budget splatterfest.
Cowman14 November 2002
BAD TASTE, the worldwide cult hero Peter Jackson's first picture, concerns four bumbling government agents whose job it is to rid scenic New Zealand of any alien scum that may be invading their otherwise peaceful country. After being called upon to explore an entire town that has been mysteriously deserted, the men fall upon a shocking discovery: aliens from outer space have abducted much of the human race and are planning on using their flesh for intergalactic hamburger meat! It seems humanoids are the newest taste sensation all throughout the galaxy. Now, our heroes, with the aid of the city's one surviving human, are on a mission to save Earth from these extraterrestrials' fiendish plot--in the bloodiest, slapstick-iest, most outlandish ways imaginable.
BAD TASTE took four years, a shoestring budget, and a tiny devoted cast and crew to complete. Shooting took place mainly on weekends, while the amateurs tended to their daily lives the rest of the week. The unmitigated commitment the crew had towards the production of the film really shows, as they all must've given their utmost towards not just getting the movie complete, but making it look spectacular. Jackson's camera-work and special effects are nothing short of mind-blowing, and the fast-paced editing really gives this 16mm wonder a big-budget, professional look while still maintaining a goofy, campy feel.
Sure, the acting may be a bit over-the-top, and the meandering script does seem largely improvised, but these "shortcomings" only add to the picture's fun, crazy atmosphere, helping to make it even funnier. The soundtrack is oftentimes a little overbearing and awkward as well, but again, it doesn't in any way detract from the overall enjoyment of the film. All in all, if you're a fan of gore movies, alien romps, or just good ol' fashioned black comedy, then you don't want to miss BAD TASTE. Just make sure you have the stomach for it, or it might just get torn out and eaten!
BAD TASTE took four years, a shoestring budget, and a tiny devoted cast and crew to complete. Shooting took place mainly on weekends, while the amateurs tended to their daily lives the rest of the week. The unmitigated commitment the crew had towards the production of the film really shows, as they all must've given their utmost towards not just getting the movie complete, but making it look spectacular. Jackson's camera-work and special effects are nothing short of mind-blowing, and the fast-paced editing really gives this 16mm wonder a big-budget, professional look while still maintaining a goofy, campy feel.
Sure, the acting may be a bit over-the-top, and the meandering script does seem largely improvised, but these "shortcomings" only add to the picture's fun, crazy atmosphere, helping to make it even funnier. The soundtrack is oftentimes a little overbearing and awkward as well, but again, it doesn't in any way detract from the overall enjoyment of the film. All in all, if you're a fan of gore movies, alien romps, or just good ol' fashioned black comedy, then you don't want to miss BAD TASTE. Just make sure you have the stomach for it, or it might just get torn out and eaten!
Peter Jackson's First.
Amyth4730 December 2018
My Rating : 7/10
I am a Peter Jackson fan and 'Bad Taste' is his first film. He made it over 4 years with his friends over the weekends. It's a low-budget comedy-horror with ample gore and buckets of blood. There's literally a guy with a bucket of blood throwing it over the mountain in a blink and miss scene, you'll need to watch it in slow motion.
It was made without a script, just his friends helping out and Peter Jackson using the power of his awesome imagination. Really funny and in...bad taste. LOL. 😂 😂 😂 😂
I am a Peter Jackson fan and 'Bad Taste' is his first film. He made it over 4 years with his friends over the weekends. It's a low-budget comedy-horror with ample gore and buckets of blood. There's literally a guy with a bucket of blood throwing it over the mountain in a blink and miss scene, you'll need to watch it in slow motion.
It was made without a script, just his friends helping out and Peter Jackson using the power of his awesome imagination. Really funny and in...bad taste. LOL. 😂 😂 😂 😂
I'm a Derek...Derek's DON'T run!
KillMe66612 October 2001
Directed by the New Zealand king of low-budget gore - Peter Jackson, who also takes the starring role in his debut film as 'Derek', the leader of the alien prevention group 'Alien Investigation and Defence Service' - A.I.D.S(!), who are called into action when a group of aliens land on earth with the intention of kidnapping humans and using them as the main ingredient for their fast food restaurants! Naturally Derek and his crew are none too happy about this and set about stopping them in the only way they know how - violently.
As you can imagine with a plot like this and with Peter Jackson involved you can expect extreme gore mixed with extreme cheese, for example there is this one part where an alien has been severed in two from being hit by a car, his remaining top half fends off Jackson's attacks with a chainsaw by throwing pine cones at him! Also throughout the film Derek becomes increasingly demented after having a particularly nasty fall off a 90ft cliff, although miraculously surviving this, he has a nasty crack on the back of his head which keeps flapping open and letting bits of brain fall out (nice) and at one point he replaces his emptying skull with an alien's intestines who he has just slaughtered! As you can probably tell from these examples this film is pretty gross and if your like me you will find it very funny as well.
Watch this film even if it is only to see one of Derek's compadres' rip off an aliens head with his bare hands and drop-kick it successfully out of a window to which he casually comments "The old magic is still there."
As you can imagine with a plot like this and with Peter Jackson involved you can expect extreme gore mixed with extreme cheese, for example there is this one part where an alien has been severed in two from being hit by a car, his remaining top half fends off Jackson's attacks with a chainsaw by throwing pine cones at him! Also throughout the film Derek becomes increasingly demented after having a particularly nasty fall off a 90ft cliff, although miraculously surviving this, he has a nasty crack on the back of his head which keeps flapping open and letting bits of brain fall out (nice) and at one point he replaces his emptying skull with an alien's intestines who he has just slaughtered! As you can probably tell from these examples this film is pretty gross and if your like me you will find it very funny as well.
Watch this film even if it is only to see one of Derek's compadres' rip off an aliens head with his bare hands and drop-kick it successfully out of a window to which he casually comments "The old magic is still there."
Awfully gory film leaves a bad taste in our mouths!
emm3 November 1998
Peter Jackson's strange (and graphically violent) movies are far beyond the limits of Troma (THE TOXIC AVENGER) and Herschell Gordon Lewis (BLOOD FEAST), so it's simple to see why BAD TASTE excels much further in its gruesome detail, but it's way too overdone. It's absolutely notorious for all its disgusting glory, making controversial and realistic films like CANNIBAL FEROX pale in comparison. Every scene in this 85-minute long movie doesn't bore and manages to keep you entertained for a long time, despite a pointless plot. The insane comedy is a nice touch to the mega-splatter genre, and it's downright painfully WEIRD! Jackson steals the show as Derek, who yells "MOMMY!!" while falling down the cliff hitting the rocks below, as well as keeping his head up and going. He also gives us the most sickening finish...EVER!!! Sure, any buff who watches movies like BAD TASTE would rate a perfect "10" on the scale, but that isn't always a good thing. While it is a seldomly fun time, it's nothing more but a mind loser that stands in your way. A "6" would be more appropriate.
Be aware that this movie is for schlock fans only
TheRedDeath3013 July 2014
I am simply astounded by the 9 and 10 star reviews for this movie. Surely, we all have our own opinions and tastes, but are we really putting this movie on a par with Halloween, Elm Street, Frankenstein? What scale are these people really using to judge movies?
I first came to Peter Jackson's work through The Frighteners, which I actually saw in a theater. I am a big fan of that movie as well as Jackson's work in Dead Alive, both of which I'd consider to be among the Top 100 horror movies of all time. So, this opinion is not coming from someone who is simply not a fan of Jackson's earlier work, or from someone expecting LOTR.
I, also, watch hundreds of low budget horror films, so do not disregard this opinion as that of someone who has been "tainted" by big budget Hollywood horror because, in general, I do not prefer the big budget films, but tend to lean more towards indie and underground horror.
All that said because I know the lovers of this film are just going to discount my opinion, but so be it. I used to make movies with friends when I was a teenager and we'd show them to our friends for fun. This movie is not much better than any of those were and they were NOT GOOD.
The only positive going for this movie is a good level of copious gore and fun splatter. There are certainly plenty of moments of candy- colored blood and guts galore, which does have a certain charm. They aren't enough to save this movie, though, which I barely made it through.
I've been trying to come up with some verbose way to explain this movie, but in reality it boils down to STUPID. This movie is stupid. Plenty of reviews will talk to you of the humor, but it's just not there. It's not broad humor. It's not sophomoric humor. It's just dumb humor. The kind of gags that the people making this movie probably thought were hilarious, yet failed to bring even a slight chuckle out of me. If you feel that driving a car with Beatles cut-outs in the window is laugh out loud, then you may find humor. The rest of you will just roll your eyes.
There is no plot, no acting, nothing that actually makes this movie worth its' reputation. Can I credit for imagination? Sure, but there are plenty of people on Kickstarter right now with plenty of imagination and that won't make their movies any more watchable than this one is.
If you like Troma films, then this movie is probably right up your alley. For those of us looking for something a little more cinematic in our horror, don't be tempted by the underground rep of this movie. You will be sorely disappointed.
I first came to Peter Jackson's work through The Frighteners, which I actually saw in a theater. I am a big fan of that movie as well as Jackson's work in Dead Alive, both of which I'd consider to be among the Top 100 horror movies of all time. So, this opinion is not coming from someone who is simply not a fan of Jackson's earlier work, or from someone expecting LOTR.
I, also, watch hundreds of low budget horror films, so do not disregard this opinion as that of someone who has been "tainted" by big budget Hollywood horror because, in general, I do not prefer the big budget films, but tend to lean more towards indie and underground horror.
All that said because I know the lovers of this film are just going to discount my opinion, but so be it. I used to make movies with friends when I was a teenager and we'd show them to our friends for fun. This movie is not much better than any of those were and they were NOT GOOD.
The only positive going for this movie is a good level of copious gore and fun splatter. There are certainly plenty of moments of candy- colored blood and guts galore, which does have a certain charm. They aren't enough to save this movie, though, which I barely made it through.
I've been trying to come up with some verbose way to explain this movie, but in reality it boils down to STUPID. This movie is stupid. Plenty of reviews will talk to you of the humor, but it's just not there. It's not broad humor. It's not sophomoric humor. It's just dumb humor. The kind of gags that the people making this movie probably thought were hilarious, yet failed to bring even a slight chuckle out of me. If you feel that driving a car with Beatles cut-outs in the window is laugh out loud, then you may find humor. The rest of you will just roll your eyes.
There is no plot, no acting, nothing that actually makes this movie worth its' reputation. Can I credit for imagination? Sure, but there are plenty of people on Kickstarter right now with plenty of imagination and that won't make their movies any more watchable than this one is.
If you like Troma films, then this movie is probably right up your alley. For those of us looking for something a little more cinematic in our horror, don't be tempted by the underground rep of this movie. You will be sorely disappointed.
The vhs box artwork is a perfect gesture for haters.
Fella_shibby30 July 2016
I first saw this in the late 80s on a vhs which i used to own. Revisited it recently on a dvd which I own.
This is a movie which shud be definitely seen with a bunch of friends. The first time itself I found it to b hilarious. The gore is so over-the-top that you can't help but find it hilarious. The cheesy effects are sometimes nauseating and disgusting, but always hilarious and never even nearly shocking or disturbing. The famous disgusting vomit-eating scene n the brain popping out scene stayed with me since i first saw this in the late 80s. It proves that there is no limits to low budget filmmaking when you're as good as Peter Jackson. The filming locations, such as the cliff side, are all of outstanding natural beauty. The film has an amazing cinematography n the editing crispy. Check out the sheep scene. This one is definitely not for the week stomach. I laughed n rolled on the floor while watching this n Jackson's Braindead.
This is a movie which shud be definitely seen with a bunch of friends. The first time itself I found it to b hilarious. The gore is so over-the-top that you can't help but find it hilarious. The cheesy effects are sometimes nauseating and disgusting, but always hilarious and never even nearly shocking or disturbing. The famous disgusting vomit-eating scene n the brain popping out scene stayed with me since i first saw this in the late 80s. It proves that there is no limits to low budget filmmaking when you're as good as Peter Jackson. The filming locations, such as the cliff side, are all of outstanding natural beauty. The film has an amazing cinematography n the editing crispy. Check out the sheep scene. This one is definitely not for the week stomach. I laughed n rolled on the floor while watching this n Jackson's Braindead.
Good taste for low budget
AdrenalinDragon22 March 2021
More than meets the eye, Bad Taste is Peter Jackson's very first film that seems crappy at first glance, but once you learn how low budget it is and what Peter Jackson did to pull off some of the stunts and special effects behind the scenes, it's actually fairly good for what is essentially a Student Film. You can tell there was a lot of heart and effort put into it and they were having a good time on set.
True, there's almost no plot if little any. Jackson had no script and was planning it on the days of shooting, so it might seem a bit incoherent and messy, but also less predictable. It basically boils down to a couple of blokes shooting down some aliens, but Jackson keeps things interesting by changing the scenery and action at a fairly quick pace. It even manages to pull off some interesting shots and techniques in small doses.
Yes the acting is a bit iffy and the camera quality is very low, but there's still a certain charm and appeal to it that's hard to replicate. You can even see small nuggets of Jackson's later genius with his humour and style. Some of the music isn't that half-bad either. Considering how many great directors start off with a weak debut, if you take the factors I mention in above, then Bad Taste is a pretty decent way to put your foot in the door with a very low budget movie.
6.5/10
True, there's almost no plot if little any. Jackson had no script and was planning it on the days of shooting, so it might seem a bit incoherent and messy, but also less predictable. It basically boils down to a couple of blokes shooting down some aliens, but Jackson keeps things interesting by changing the scenery and action at a fairly quick pace. It even manages to pull off some interesting shots and techniques in small doses.
Yes the acting is a bit iffy and the camera quality is very low, but there's still a certain charm and appeal to it that's hard to replicate. You can even see small nuggets of Jackson's later genius with his humour and style. Some of the music isn't that half-bad either. Considering how many great directors start off with a weak debut, if you take the factors I mention in above, then Bad Taste is a pretty decent way to put your foot in the door with a very low budget movie.
6.5/10
Cheap, sloppy, amateur-like movie, without a story.
Boba_Fett113813 September 2010
What's the deal about people always loving this no-budget, amateurish horror-flicks so much. Movies like "Undead", "Feast" and this one always get highly praised, like it's the most awesome movie ever made, while in fact they are nothing more than some sloppy, cheap made movies that are lacking at about every department. Sure, it's a real accomplishment from the film-makers, considering the resources they had at hands but this really doesn't make these any good movies to watch.
And that goes for this movie more than any different one really. This movie got literally made with no budget and just got shot by Peter Jackson and a couple of his friends, during their free time. It's the reason why it took them many years to finally complete this movie. But that can't really be seen back in the end result. It's a movie that got shot without a script, without a storyboard or without any regard for cinematography or anything of that sort. They just shot away and then very sloppily put things together during the editing process. The 'story' doesn't progress very naturally and the one moment it's being very slow, with needless dialog, then it turns into a zombie and then later on it becomes a shooter and even a science-fiction movie. No, this is far from a consistent or well done movie.
But of course this movie deserves some credit as well. Next to the fact that this movie was a real great accomplishment to finish, from Peter Jackson and his Kiwi friends but the movie also does some things very well. They obviously were some special-effects and make-up freaks, so this movie shows off plenty of times with its nice looking gore and also great looking alien costumes. But really, this was all that made this movie still a bit interesting to watch, for me.
The story or any of its characters are just never good enough to get you involved with anything that is happening in this movie. It doesn't help much that never gets explained or really developed and the movie can get all real crazy and all over the place. It's often made all the worse by some lame comedy attempts. This seems to be the only way these type of movies can get away with things; having some good humor. Unfortunately this movie really hasn't got any. It doesn't mean though that the movie is not quite pleasant and entertaining to watch at times. It helps to make the movie only slightly watchable though but it really doesn't make this a great must-see movie.
Obviously Peter Jackson's later work improved over the years, so we can only thank movie like this for that. In that regard this movie was perhaps not being a bad test-case for him and it's also a good thing that he never gave up. he just kept on making the movies that he liked, until he eventually got noticed more and more and therefor got better material to work with and more money to spend on it. I'll bet he is still proud of this movie and thankful for the entire experience.
Far too lacking, cheap looking and random to really regard and like this at all as a good movie.
4/10
http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
And that goes for this movie more than any different one really. This movie got literally made with no budget and just got shot by Peter Jackson and a couple of his friends, during their free time. It's the reason why it took them many years to finally complete this movie. But that can't really be seen back in the end result. It's a movie that got shot without a script, without a storyboard or without any regard for cinematography or anything of that sort. They just shot away and then very sloppily put things together during the editing process. The 'story' doesn't progress very naturally and the one moment it's being very slow, with needless dialog, then it turns into a zombie and then later on it becomes a shooter and even a science-fiction movie. No, this is far from a consistent or well done movie.
But of course this movie deserves some credit as well. Next to the fact that this movie was a real great accomplishment to finish, from Peter Jackson and his Kiwi friends but the movie also does some things very well. They obviously were some special-effects and make-up freaks, so this movie shows off plenty of times with its nice looking gore and also great looking alien costumes. But really, this was all that made this movie still a bit interesting to watch, for me.
The story or any of its characters are just never good enough to get you involved with anything that is happening in this movie. It doesn't help much that never gets explained or really developed and the movie can get all real crazy and all over the place. It's often made all the worse by some lame comedy attempts. This seems to be the only way these type of movies can get away with things; having some good humor. Unfortunately this movie really hasn't got any. It doesn't mean though that the movie is not quite pleasant and entertaining to watch at times. It helps to make the movie only slightly watchable though but it really doesn't make this a great must-see movie.
Obviously Peter Jackson's later work improved over the years, so we can only thank movie like this for that. In that regard this movie was perhaps not being a bad test-case for him and it's also a good thing that he never gave up. he just kept on making the movies that he liked, until he eventually got noticed more and more and therefor got better material to work with and more money to spend on it. I'll bet he is still proud of this movie and thankful for the entire experience.
Far too lacking, cheap looking and random to really regard and like this at all as a good movie.
4/10
http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/
Ha ha ha
Betelgeuse-1929 May 2002
Cult as it, it's best
Gunnar_Runar_Ingibjargarson17 June 2008
Could a title be any more direct? New Zealand maverick Peter Jackson made a splash (well, more of a splatter) with this film debut, a slapstick gross-out comedy about an alien fast-food franchise that turns a small town into a cheap source of meat. All that stands in the extraterrestrials' way is the Alien Investigation Defense Service (yes, it's a tasteless gag), a bunch of would-be Rambos who take on the aliens with axes, rocket launchers, and chainsaws. Jackson mines vomit jokes, dismembered corpses, and brain-spattering gore for over-the-top laughs and succeeds with inventive low-budget effects, crack timing, and sheer exuberance. Not bad for a film made on weekends with homemade props and a bunch of energetic mates. Jackson topped himself a few years later with the even more outrageous and hilarious bloody gut-buster Dead Alive. The limited-edition two-disc set also includes the documentary featurette "Good Taste Made Bad Taste," a revealing "making of" shot at the time of production and featuring behind-the-scenes footage of Jackson's home-made special effects, and a 16-page booklet with cast interviews.
No such a big deal, until the bullets start flying
Lomedin10 August 2010
I heard about this film a couple of times, people told me how great it was, that it was a classic. I was introduced to Jackson with Braindead I believe, followed by The Frighteners. I watched some other films directed by him afterwards and found them quite decent (except for King Kong). So I said, why not? I used to enjoy guts the more the better, and found Jackson inspiring enough.
Well, after 10-15 min of Bad Taste, I was wondering if I'm too old for that kind of stuff, because I couldn't find anything interesting about this film. The jokes seemed too simple or stupid, the gore was nowhere to be seen really and the general feeling was of, let's say, disarray.
Then, towards the middle of the movie, the real action gets started. Forget any sense, plot or logical arguments here: when you have heads exploding, guys drinking vomit and bodies being chopped in half, you don't need anything else.
I must say that the FX's are impressive, old school and very, erm, "nice".
Alas, taking in consideration the resources and the date this was released, you have to give Jackson his credit.
Add +1 to my vote if you worship gore. Another +1 if you are into classic stuff. And one more +1 if you like to see Peter Jackson acting.
If you want to watch this just because you loved Lord Of The Rings or Heavenly Creatures, run away, fast.
Well, after 10-15 min of Bad Taste, I was wondering if I'm too old for that kind of stuff, because I couldn't find anything interesting about this film. The jokes seemed too simple or stupid, the gore was nowhere to be seen really and the general feeling was of, let's say, disarray.
Then, towards the middle of the movie, the real action gets started. Forget any sense, plot or logical arguments here: when you have heads exploding, guys drinking vomit and bodies being chopped in half, you don't need anything else.
I must say that the FX's are impressive, old school and very, erm, "nice".
Alas, taking in consideration the resources and the date this was released, you have to give Jackson his credit.
Add +1 to my vote if you worship gore. Another +1 if you are into classic stuff. And one more +1 if you like to see Peter Jackson acting.
If you want to watch this just because you loved Lord Of The Rings or Heavenly Creatures, run away, fast.
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