Bad Taste: a retrospective movie review

[danny_galaga]

Been meaning to watch Bad Taste for years. Finally rented it out and watched it this afternoon. For those that don't know, Bad Taste is director Peter Jacksons first feature film (1988). If you don't know who Peter Jackson is, well...

Straight up, i will say this is probably a 2.5/5. But i would also recommend renting it! Why? The story of how this movie came to be is really interesting. Peter started out to make a ten minute film to try out his new (and first) 16mm camera. He enlisted some work colleagues and started in earnest. After some time he sat down to start editing it and realised there was about a 60 minute film there. So he thought he might as well try and add another 30 minutes. After FOUR years, he finally wrapped it up!

The story is something to do with an alien race coming to harvest humans for some galactic fast food joint, and some guys trying to stop them. I say story, but Peter himself admits there was never any script and the story just sort of happened. The very beginning was particularly dire, but you get into some cool gore pretty soon. What i found interesting is the fact that while Peter was a god awful actor, he was a great special effects guy. He also produced and directed of course. There is plenty of gore as you can imagine, from someone getting the top half of his head shot off, to an exploding sheep!

The best part by far is the special features after the movie, because then you see it in a new light. There is a contemporary interview with Peter, and it really highlights his many skills (other than directing! To me there was no discernible direction). He made so many of the props, including many of the machine guns, which look great. Latex masks for the aliens, gore. All his. He even built a half scale model of a mansion once he got some funding from the New Zealand Film Corporation. He also made his own steady cam system and cranes and dollies.

He shopped it around and actually sold it in several countries, and received a prize for Gore at Cannes. I only hope that his friends got some money out of it too.

I have seen his next movie 'Meet the Feebles' many years ago, and it was (in retrospect) a huge improvement. No doubt due to some financing. 'Meet the feebles' was sort of 'The Muppet Show' on LSD, or maybe crack...

So this is probably the only 2.5/5 i'd ever recommend, based on the reasons i've just outlined. Watch it, then watch 'Meet the Feebles' then ponder how on earth he came to be doing LOTR 

my score for recent movies you may have seen:

  5/5 - Michael Clayton, In Bruges, Gran Torino, Mary and Max

4.5/5 - Taken, Iron Man, Reign Over Me

  4/5 - Traitor, Bedtime Stories, Sunshine, pineapple express

3.5/5 - 300, Max Payne, You dont mess with the Zohan, Yes Man

  3/5 - That new Indiana Jones flick, Disturbia, That new TMNT flick,

2.5/5 - Angels and Demons

  2/5 - The Love Guru. Note: My 2 is probably someone elses 1. Just leaving room for worse!

[Flake]

Off topic but just wanted to comment that I thought Jackson needless tinkering with some of the storylines of the LOTR trilogy was a total bummer.  The story is excellent enough on its own and didnt need his add ins that in some cases really distorted the characters as they are portrayed in the books.  However, he nailed the visual landscape.  I too am happy Del Toro is directing the Hobbit but he'll probably feel the need to add his own flavor to the story too and muck it up as well.

[danny_galaga]

Yeah, touches of his poor taste from Meet the Feebles made it into the LOTR movies.  The needless close ups of disgusting creatures roaring at the camera, honestly got a bit tiresome by the third movie.

I enjoyed the trilogy but am delighted to hear del Toro is doing The Hobbit.

Benicio?

[Minwah]

Bad Taste is a classic.

5/5

'I'm coming to get you ---daisies---!'