Bad Taste (1987)

Plot Outline: Aliens arrive on Earth and begin to eat the local population of a small New Zealand town. The government can't risk a massive assault because they don't know their strength so they send in a small hit squad to take them out.

The Review: Everyone has to start somewhere and for Peter Jackson, his humble beginnings lie in this $2,500. What happens next is one of the messiest and most disgusting but hilarious alien massacres you will ever see on film. Jackson took four (or two or five depending on sources) years to make this film and shot footage every time he had the opportunity to. He had to keep actors looking the same for two years, keep continuity right and make sure he had a plan to follow and stick to it so he didn't repeat himself. He made props in his parents' garage. He played numerous roles himself and got a bunch of mates to do the same. There's one great scene where Jackson actually fights himself (playing two characters fighting each other) atop a cliff but because the scene is so well shot, you don't realise it's the same guy. With little budget and professional experience, Jackson had to rely on his own skills in front of and behind the camera. And you can see the amazing results - it's no wonder that it came as no shock to anyone who had seen this film that with a multi-million dollar budget, he could truly make an outstanding film experience (with the Lord of the Rings trilogy). The talent was always there and he didn't really need the dough to prove it. The homemade gore is proof of this - it looks for more realistic than many big budget counterparts. And there's lots of it too, especially towards the end and in an infamous chainsaw moment. Script isn't really the main focus of the film and Jackson throws in a few funny lines to keep the tone light.

Final Verdict: Exploding sheep, sliced heads, chainsaw fests and a whole lot more: if you can stick it, then Bad Taste is worth watching. But don't watch it if you are easily upset or offended.

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