- For other meanings, see Bad taste
Bad Taste is a low-budget 1987 cult film, one of the first directed by Peter Jackson, in which aliens invade the fictional New Zealand village of Kaihoro (population 78) in order to harvest human beings for their intergalactic fast food franchise but are repelled by a four-man paramilitary force.
| Bad Taste | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Peter Jackson |
| Written by | Ken Hammon, Tony Hiles, Peter Jackson |
| Produced by | Peter Jackson |
| Starring | Terry Potter, Pete O'Herne, Peter Jackson, Mike Minett, Craig Smith |
| Edited by | Jamie Selkirk, Peter Jackson |
| Music by | Michelle Scullion |
| Distributed by | New Zealand Film Commission |
Release date | 1987 |
Running time | 91 mins |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $11,000 |
Part of the film was shot in Jackson's home town of Pukerua Bay, north of Wellington, New Zealand. It was shot primarily on weekends over the course of four years, at a total cost of around $11,000 (toward the end of the shoot the New Zealand Film Commission invested around $250,000 into the pic to ensure its completion), and Jackson himself plays at least two roles. Careful editing, from shots taken months apart, makes it possible in one scene for one character played by Jackson to torture the other character played by Jackson.
The rest of the roles are filled by friends and family of Jackson's many of whom who were co-workers of his at the time. Jackson also created the over-the-top gory make-up effects, which emphasized absurdity. The film secured international distribution (quite unexpected even by its director) after playing at the Cannes Film Festival.
The weapons used in the movie were made using aluminum tubing and the actors had to shake them to simulate a shot going off. A flash and sound effect was added later.
This film may have established the exploding sheep concept in the computer gaming subculture.
Kaihoro, the name of the village, is a Māori word made up by Jackson and his crew early in the shooting of the film. It has two parts - "kai" which means food and "horo" which means town or village.
Main Cast
- Terry Potter - Ozzy/3rd Class Alien
- Pete O'Herne - Barry/3rd Class Alien
- Craig Smith - Giles/3rd Class Alien
- Mike Minett - Frank/3rd Class Alien
- Peter Jackson - Derek/Robert
- Doug Wren - Lord Crumb
- Dean Lawrie - Lord Crumb SPFX Double/3rd Class Alien
- Peter Vere-Jones - Lord Crumb's Voice