Bad Taste (1987)

Director:

Peter Jackson

Writers:

Peter Jackson (written by)
Tony Hiles (additional material) ...
(more)

Release Date:

June 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

One thing the aliens hadn't counted on was Derek, and Dereks don't run!

Plot:

The population of a small town disappears and is replaced by aliens that chase human flesh for their intergalactic fast-food chain.

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Fast Food | New Zealand | Chainsaw | Small Town

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Terry Potter	...	Ozzy / 3rd Class Alien
Pete O'Herne	...	Barry / 3rd Class Alien
Craig Smith	...	Giles / 3rd Class Alien
Mike Minett	...	Frank / 3rd Class Alien
Peter Jackson	...	Derek / Robert
Doug Wren	...	Lord Crumb
Dean Lawrie	...	Lord Crumb SPFX Double / 3rd Class Alien
Peter Vere-Jones	...	Lord Crumb's Voice
Ken Hammon	...	3rd Class Alien
Robin Griggs	...	3rd Class Alien
Michael Gooch	...	3rd Class Alien
Peter Gooch	...	3rd Class Alien
Laurie Yarrall	...	3rd Class Alien
Shane Yarrall	...	3rd Class Alien
Philip Lamey	...	3rd Class Alien
Costa Botes	...	3rd Class Alien
Graham Butcher	...	3rd Class Alien
Bob Haliburton	...	3rd Class Alien
Andrew McKay	...	3rd Class Alien
Clive Haywood	...	3rd Class Alien
John McTavish	...	3rd Class Alien
John Nelson	...	3rd Class Alien
Graham Nesbitt	...	3rd Class Alien
Steven Smith	...	3rd Class Alien
John Logan Jr.	...	3rd Class Alien
Matt Noonan	...	3rd Class Alien
Cameron Chittock	...	3rd Class Alien
Ray Battersby	...	3rd Class Alien
Mike Appleby	...	3rd Class Alien
Peter Appleby	...	3rd Class Alien
Michael Kane	...	3rd Class Alien
Robert Johnston	...	3rd Class Alien
Scott Bradshaw	...	3rd Class Alien
Mark Lamey	...	3rd Class Alien
Giles Forrest	...	3rd Class Alien
Grant Taylor	...	3rd Class Alien
Carol Taylor	...	3rd Class Alien
Dean Taylor	...	3rd Class Alien
Kim Taylor	...	3rd Class Alien
Dave Hamilton	...	3rd Class Alien
Jock Fyfe	...	3rd Class Alien
Tony Hiles	...	Coldfinger
John Ruby	...	3rd Class Alien
Kerry Underhill	...	3rd Class Alien
Robin Watene	...	3rd Class Alien
Garry A. Brown	...	3rd Class Alien
Mark Jackson	...	3rd Class Alien
Peter Henderson	...	3rd Class Alien
Janine Riely	...	3rd Class Alien
Margaret Byford	...	3rd Class Alien

Directed by
Peter Jackson

Writing credits
Peter Jackson		(written by)
Tony Hiles		(additional material) &
Ken Hammon		(additional material)

Produced by
Peter Jackson	....	producer

Original Music by
Michelle Scullion
Jay Snowfield		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Peter Jackson

Film Editing by
Peter Jackson
Jamie Selkirk

Makeup Department
Cameron Chittock	....	makeup effects assistant
Peter Jackson	....	makeup effects

Art Department
Caroline Girdlestone	....	art department

Sound Department
Brent Burge	....	post-production sound recordist
Brent Burge	....	sound mixer
Kit Rollings	....	sound editor
Ken Saville	....	location sound recordist
Ken Saville	....	sound effects recordist
Jamie Selkirk	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Peter Jackson	....	special effects

Editorial Department
Matt Noonan	....	assistant editor
Matt Noonan	....	assistant post-production supervisor

Music Department
Nigel Stone	....	music recording engineer & mixer

Other crew
Grant Campbell	....	car explosion
Ken Hammon	....	film crew
Tony Hiles	....	consultant producer
Bill Jackson	....	special assistant to producer
Joan Jackson	....	special assistant to producer
Arie Ketel	....	graphic artist: titles
Philip Lamey	....	film crew
Dean Lawrie	....	film crew
Mike Minett	....	film crew
Pete O'Herne	....	film crew
Terry Potter	....	film crew
Andy Wickens	....	laboratory technician

Thanks
Henry Jackson	....	special thanks
Ron Jackson	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• New Zealand Film Commission
• WingNut Films

Distributors

• Astro Distribution (2000) (Germany) (theatrical) (limited re-release)
• Blue Dolphin Film Distribution (????) (UK) (theatrical)
• Future Film (1991) (Finland) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• American Producers Associated (????) (France) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Astro Distribution (2000) (Germany) (all media)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (1989) (Australia) (VHS)
• Colourbox (UK)
• Creative Axa Co. Ltd. (????) (Japan) (DVD)
• Evolution Entertainment (2004) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• FilmAnnex (2006) (worldwide) (all media)
• Future Film (1992) (Finland) (VHS)
• Future Film (2002) (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• Gaumont/Columbia TriStar Home Video (GCTHV) (2003) (France) (DVD)
• Hollydan Works (2007) (Serbia and Montenegro) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (1991) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Magnum Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Mill Creek Entertainment (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Movies Select Video (1988) (Belgium) (video)
• PolyGram Video (1993) (UK) (VHS)
• Substance Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Substance Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Synergy Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• UGC Video (1988) (France) (VHS)
• Union Générale Cinématographique (UGC) (????) (France) (VHS)
• Van Blad (2005) (Brazil) (VHS) (VCD)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

91 min | Australia:86 min (1989 video release) | Belgium:98 min (DVD version)

Country:

New Zealand

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Canada:(Banned) (Ontario) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Iceland:Unrated | Italy:VM14 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Singapore:R21 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:Unrated | Argentina:16 (DVD release) | Finland:K-15 (DVD release) | Spain:18 | Australia:(Banned) (queensland only) | Belgium:16 (video rating) | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:18 | USA:R (heavily cut) | Germany:18 (cut) | Germany:12 (heavily cut) | Austria:16 | Germany:Not Rated (uncut DVD version) | Germany:18 (re-rating, uncut) | France:-16 (DVD rating) | Brazil:18 | Chile:18

Filming Locations:

Gear Homestead, Okowai Road, Papakowhai, Porirua, Wellington Region, New Zealand

Company:

New Zealand Film Commission

Trivia:

Peter Jackson constructed his own counterweighted steady-cam device for this film that cost only $15.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Derek hits the rocks, you can see a crew member throw a bucket of blood, and you can see two hands throw the legs over the rocks. You have to use slow motion to see.

Quotes:

Derek:The headshot's the only true stopper.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Gorgon Video Magazine (1989) (V)

Soundtrack:

ROCK LIES

Sick Flick

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