Bad Taste (1987): The Mayhem That Launched Peter Jackson
Before The Lord of the Rings defined modern fantasy filmmaking, Peter Jackson was a young New Zealander with a 16mm camera, a group of friends, and a taste for outrageous splatter comedy. Bad Taste (1987), his debut feature, is the result: a crude, chaotic, and strangely inspiring cult film about aliens harvesting humans for an intergalactic fast-food chain.
Shot over four years, mostly on weekends, with a minuscule budget, the film feels less like a conventional production and more like a backyard experiment that spiraled into something bigger. And that raw, homemade quality is exactly what gives it its cult reputation.
Plot: Aliens, Bureaucrats, and Buckets of Blood
The story is deliberately absurd. Aliens land in a small New Zealand town, take on human disguises, and begin processing the local population into food for their cosmic restaurant chain. A government unit with the unfortunate acronym A.I.D.S. (Astro Investigation and Defence Service) arrives to stop them.
There’s little interest in character development or emotional stakes. Instead, the film focuses on escalating slapstick violence: brains leaking from skulls, chainsaw fights, and improvised weapons. The narrative is more of a loose framework for a series of outrageous gags.
The DIY Spirit
What stands out most is how the film was made. This film is a lesson in low-budget film production
Shot on weekends while Jackson worked a day job.
Filmed on an old 16mm camera.
Effects built in kitchens, garages, and ovens.
Cast largely composed of friends.
Jackson himself plays multiple roles, including the deranged hero Derek.
This is not just a low-budget film-it’s a truly homemade one. And that energy shows in every frame. The rough acting, visible dubbing, and uneven pacing don’t feel like flaws as much as part of the film’s personality.
Many viewers describe it as the kind of movie every film-obsessed teenager dreams of making with their friends—except Jackson actually did it.
Gore as Creativity
The film’s reputation rests largely on its practical effects. Despite the tiny budget, the movie is packed with inventive splatter moments:
A skull flap opening to reveal exposed brains.
Blood pouring into cups from gunshot wounds.
A recurring gag involving a character’s brain falling out.
Over-the-top chainsaw and rocket-launcher chaos.
The effects are crude, but also imaginative. There’s a sense of playful experimentation behind them, as if the film is constantly asking, “What’s the craziest thing we can do next?”
For many viewers, these effects are the most memorable part of the film—and the clearest sign of Jackson’s future as a large-scale visual storyteller.
Derek: The Maniac Hero
Jackson’s performance as Derek is a highlight. The character is technically the hero, but behaves like an unhinged lunatic. He delivers lines with total conviction, even when the situation is completely ridiculous.
This blend of sincerity and absurdity defines the film’s tone. Derek is both the joke and the engine driving it forward.
Tone: Horror, Comedy, or Something Else?
Although often labeled as horror, Bad Taste plays more like a grotesque action-comedy. The violence is so exaggerated that it becomes slapstick. The film never takes itself seriously, and the audience isn’t expected to either.
Some viewers find the amateur quality charming. Others find it off-putting. The film tends to divide audiences along those lines.
But even critics usually admit one thing: the ambition is undeniable.
From Backyard Splatter to Middle-earth
Watching Bad Taste, it’s hard to imagine that the same filmmaker would later direct The Lord of the Rings. Yet the seeds of that career are visible here:
Big ideas, even when the budget can’t support them.
A fascination with practical effects.
A willingness to take creative risks.
An ability to build memorable visual moments.
Many fans see Bad Taste as proof of Jackson’s determination. It took four years to finish, but it got him noticed. From there, he moved to films like Braindead and The Frighteners, eventually leading to his Oscar-winning fantasy epics.
Why It Became a Cult Film
Bad Taste survives because of its attitude more than its polish.
Fans appreciate:
The outrageous gore and humor.
The DIY, homemade aesthetic.
The sense of fun and experimentation.
Its place in Peter Jackson’s origin story.
It’s the kind of movie that inspires filmmakers, not because it’s perfect, but because it proves what’s possible with creativity and persistence.
Final Thoughts
Bad Taste is messy, crude, and often ridiculous. But it’s also energetic, inventive, and unmistakably personal. It feels like the work of someone who just wanted to make a movie—no matter how long it took or how little money he had.
And in that sense, it’s not just a cult splatter comedy. It’s a blueprint for the do-it-yourself filmmaker.
From leaking brains to Oscar-winning fantasy, the journey starts here.