Dir: Peter Jackson
Cast: Pete O'Herne, Terry Potter, Craig Smith,
Mike Minett, Peter Jackson, Doug Wren
Unrated, Approx: 91 Minutes
Anchor Bay DVD
Landed!"
lives up to its name and then
some!!!
Jackson's filmography is probably the most tangible evidence though, that the budget of the film in no way
reflects the overall quality. I will stake the claim that Bad Taste is every bit as good as Fellowship of the Ring.
Like every single film thusfar in Jackson's career, Bad Taste is at first a highly entertaining story, but also stands
up to an astounding amount of repeated viewings. The film is layered with so many clever touches and subtleties
that I doubt that it will ever get old. This is the kind of raw and dedicated storytelling that is a testament to the art
of low budget film making.
the cast and crew wore multiple hats on this production, not the least of which being Jackson himself. Jackson
had his hands in just about every aspect of the film, from his obvious position in the director's chair, to the crude
but brilliant special effects, to cinematography, and not to mention playing two of the more prominent roles in the
film (even more impressive is a scene that pits his two characters against each other on a steep cliff). I won't go
into too much detail about the making of the film here, if you're a fan of the movie you probably know more than I
can summarize here, if you're not a fan it will probably be even less interesting to you than the rest of this review,
and it's widely available on the Internet.
little interest. The plot follows a renegade alien task force (the Astral Investigation and Defense Service - AIDS)
as they investigate a town that has apparently gone missing. It turns out that Lord Crumb and a bunch of his
alien cohorts have been collecting human specimens as they are the latest taste craze in the fast food industry.
Unfortunately for them, the boys are on the case! The boys are the previously mentioned task force and are
composed of four colorful characters. Frank and Ozzy are two level headed and very capable headbangers.
Barry is another cool cat that somehow got partnered with Derek (played by Jackson), who is one deranged bird
loving sadist (matters only get worse when his skull is cracked open and he has to keep reinserting his brains).
Together they attempt to save a tax collector, who's to be the main course that night, and the rest of the world
while they're at it.
shootout that lasts for the remainder of the run time (or should I say fun time? okay, run time...). There was never
any formal script, they just sort of made it up as the went along, so basically all the scenes play out like set pieces
and skits strung out together. Although the film is repetitive at times, it is never boring. The homegrown effects
are cheap and crude but are one of the major factors contributing to the film's success. When I say 'cheap and
crude' I don't mean to in any way insinuate that they are subpar, far from it. In fact, I think these effects are pretty
brilliant. Equally responsible for their effectiveness are the excellent make up jobs and to top notch camera work.
The illusion is never shattered by clunky editing and the such. We get to see heads yanked from bodies
(complete with dangly spinal chords and football style punt to top it all off), arms shot off of bodies, bodies ripped
in half (by both cars and chainsaws), sledge hammers sunk into skulls, dog crap (not sure if this is an effect or
not), and so much more to make this experience completely worthwhile.
straightforward, and most importantly, always effective. Scullion's score is mixed together with a couple of terribly
dated songs. Again, I hope that no one will read this as a complaint, the songs in question (Rock Lies by
Madlight and Bad Taste by the Remnants) are absolutely perfect here and I could not imagine seeing the film
without them. Rock Lies is typical big sounding 80s heavy metal and "Bad Taste" is more of a new wave type of
rock song. Neither of these songs ever fail to bring a smile to my face, mostly just because they remind me of
this outstanding movie.
sum of these particular parts would make a strong film in their own right, I see Bad Taste as even more. Not only
is it a great party movie with buckets of blood and a punch bowl full of puke (or chuck), it's a landmark film in so
many respects. It's an important splatter film, it's an important 80s film, it's an important film in the context of the
career of my favorite director, and most importantly - it's a superb film that I feel a rare connection with that I feel
for only a precious few films (Dellamorte Dellamore comes to mind for completely different reasons). I can't say
enough good things about this movie, I hold it near and dear to my heart and I am honestly baffled when I hear
that someone didn't care for it.
a cool cover. Oddly enough, video stores were given and extra finger with the video release that they could stick
on the package to prevent Lord Crumb from flipping off every customer that walked by. The video has an
undeniable nostalgic feel to it, but the few dark scenes were difficult to make out. Eventually the movie got a new
life through Substance, who released it on both DVD and video in Canada. The DVD was nothing to brag about,
but compared to most of the old beat up videos, this was something special. Eventually, the inevitable
happened, and Anchor Bay Entertainment got ahold of Bad Taste. This is, without a doubt, one of my most
prized DVDs. The beautiful packaging is the gatefold style that folds open like a menu. The cover is a hologram
that alternates between the one finger and the two. There is also an interview with several cast members
included that has been floating around the net for a while. There are two discs included, one contains the film
and trailer and the other has the documentary Good Taste Made Bad. The documentary is short but
entertaining and informative (not to mention Peter Jackson's kickin' Mickey Mouse shirt!). The trailer is cool to
see. The real showstopper here though, is the presentation of the movie! The picture and the sound are
unbelievable. I would have never thought the movie could look and sound this good, but there it is right in front
of me. If you're concerned that such a sharp picture and soundtrack will detract from the charm of the movie, let
me assure you that they don't. Seeing this disc was like watching the movie again for the first time, and
cemented my belief that this is one of the most enjoyable and timeless films ever created. The film is also
available on a video and single disc set from Anchor Bay. The single disc is just the first disc from the two disc
set minus the fancy packaging. One interesting note is that the sleeve is two sided and can be turned around to
show Lord Crumb's glorious middle finger. The soundtrack is available in an import version in vinyl. I've never
seen it in any other for, but if you have please drop me an email!
Review by Dr. Spector 7.7.02
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