Bad Taste (1987)

 

Nowadays, Peter Jackson is well known for being the man who tackled the Lord of the Rings and made it into a series that is almost universally loved for sticking so close to the spirit of the source material. He deserves the praise. 

A little less known is that he started his career making outrageously gory films of which this one is the very first. It already shows a lot of promise, but this is a far cry from his Oscar winning achievements, believe you me.

Shot for a measly budget over a period of several years, it's a miracle this one is as coherent as it is. Not only that, but they sure had every penny count and despite the obvious low budget nature of the footage, it looks and feels pretty good for a first film. 

The plot is as ridiculous as the title: aliens have come to Earth in order to exploit human meat. To that end, they kill off a small town in New Zealand. This attracts the attention of the government, who sends the guys from the Astro Defense and Investigation Squad to check on what is happening.

Yes, the organisation spells 'Aids'. Of course that is intentional.

From then on it is a free for all, as brains get hammered, someone drops from a cliff and survives, even though his brain tends to leave the premises, bodyparts get dismembered, a group of people drink alien vomit (yes, that is correct), aliens get shot to bits, a sheep gets blown up in a brief yet hilarious scene and a chainsaw is taken to several parts of the anatomy. 

Yes, shenanigans galore. It is like poetry.

There are several things to consider, though. The acting can be horribly uneven or sometimes downright horrendous. Some of the actors do a decent enough job, but you can't expect amateurs to be award-winning, can you? So there's that to consider. Also, if you are just a little squeamish, this is not the film for you. I mean, most deaths are displayed in all their gory details and everything looks and feels particularly squishy. 

Don't say I didn't warn you. 

Is this essential fodder? No. Maybe gorehounds and those looking for something different will have a blast with this one (as do I), but it is not a great film. It does however show what's in store for the future, which will become one of the all time great goreflicks: 'Braindead'. But if you're curious to find out what Peter Jackson was up to in his formative years, this is a fun watch.