Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11787 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-11-01
• Rating: Suitable for 18 years and over
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 87 minutes

Special Features
English
Region 2

Synopsis
After working on this movie for more than four years on an extremely tight budget (and with a cast and crew consisting only of himself and a group of close friends), filmmaker Peter Jackson eventually completed it with the help of the New Zealand Film Commission, who were very impressed with what they'd seen so far of Jackson's first cinematic effort. In BAD TASTE, a small New Zealand coastal town is taken over by the extraterrestrial Lord Crumb and his army of alien invaders, who are planning to harvest the inhabitants for an intergalactic chain of fast-food restaurants. But Derek (Jackson) and his mates from AIDS (the Astro Investigation and Defense Service) are sent in by the government to destroy the enemy at all costs and ensure the survival of mankind. With plenty of gross-out shock effects, grotesque humanoid aliens, and high camp value, it's easy to see why this film became a cult favorite and a big hit on the midnight-movie scene. Jackson would go on to direct the ultragory DEAD ALIVE, the acclaimed drama HEAVENLY CREATURES, and one of the greatest trilogies in cinema history THE LORD OF THE RINGS.

Customer Reviews

Bad movie winner
I saw this movie when it reached my country, a few years after it was made, maybe it was 1990. Peter Jackson was an unknown then, but I was attracted by the ads: "Winner of Garbage Movie Festival". The reviews in the papers were unanimously bad: "Atrocious", "Why they made films like this?" And yet, I find this movie about alien fast food entrepreneurs invading a small town in New Zealand in order to start an invasion to Earth that will harvest humanity into burgers fresh and hilarious. Peter Jackson (who directed it, write it, did the special effects and makeup, etc.) acts in two roles here: as one of the members of the government team send to defeat the aliens and as one of the meaner extraterrestrials. The movie is gross out alright, but the gore is so inventive and over the top that it's kind of hilarious. The old bald guy playing the chief of the aliens is a riot. I don't know whether Jackson has make a better film after this (maybe his great version of King Kong), but the freshness of this remains unsurpassed.

A funny exercise in filming, but not much more.
I bought this DVD, and returned it because HE AS NOT ANY KIND OF SUBTITLES. Now, about the quality of the film, I don't understand exactly the excitment from other reviewers. The film it's a good example and case study - for and - about the not at all easy task of making a movie with very looooow budget, and if we consider it a parody to sci-fi-horror movies, then it's ok. Filmed at weekends with the help of friends, the "actors" never warm up their interpretations, the talked jokes are almost inexistents (most of the time just plain stupid), and some scenes are way too long and can be boring.It's interesting to see how basic are some tricks to avoid the lack of budget and technical sources, but: the sound is bad, some sequences needed other tipe of filming lenses, sometimes the light used is not enough, the editing doesn't cut the exact moments of the beggining of the action by the actors, etc. The real funny parts of the film are the more gruesome and of real, real, real, bad taste, as you can read in the descriptions by some other reviewers. This film can be shown in film classes for two reasons: 1) to show what to avoid when doing a film (there's lots of examples); 2) to show what can be made with a very low budget (there's also lots of good examples). For the funny real bad taste demonstrated in some scenes, the two stars given, but overall, it doesn't deserves the stupid prices tha some sellers ask for it.

open season on ETs
yes you know all about peter jackson and how's he's gone on to cgi masterpieces (though i haven't seen 'king kong'). and no doubt you have some idea of the plot; new zealand's answer to aliens' marines ("i wish we'd change that name") find there are aliens amongst them, and deal with them accordingly.
so what about it then? well it's silly, gory and incredibly good fun - defo one done made specifically for (and starring) him and his mates. as well as the gore (though not to the same extent as 'braindead', which i found tough to stomach at first sitting) there's some incredibly banal and funny civil-service type dialogue as our four heroes muddle their way through things - "that's elevator music for headbangers". its the little touches that make this film so special - the aliens in the car, the numerous amusing deaths and gung-ho dialogue ("i know, and i've got another one right here"). and of course it features one of my favourite scenes as an alien realises that a) he's out of ammo and b) he's very shortly going to be out of luck, but c) he still has a few handy pine cones lying around. brilliant change in facial expressions if nothing else. ah, the things we find funny...
the acting was for me never much of an issue, but one bad thing about the film is derek's character being just plain irritating before he has his accident. and while i appreciate a certain reviewer's comments about the package quality, there's no way this is getting less than 5 stars. and yes, one day i do intend to get a clapped out ford capri with that car stereo setup...