Before 'LoTR', Peter Jackson Directed One of the Wildest Horror Comedies Ever Made

To most viewers, Peter Jackson is the director of grandiose epics – the man who gave the world The Lord of the Rings. But long before the hobbits set out on their quest to Mount Doom, the filmmaker was making a very different kind of movie.

In 1987, after four years of work, he released Bad Taste, a trashy splatter film with homemade special effects, gallons of fake blood, and absurd humor.

It's a testament to the transformative power of a love of cinema, ingenuity, and the support of loved ones, turning a completely DIY project into a cult classic.

What Is 'Bad Taste' About?

Aliens have landed in a quiet New Zealand town. They kill the locals and use them to make fast food for their fellow countrymen. Then, they disguise themselves as civilians.

A team of eccentric special agents led by Derek, played by Jackson himself, is sent to combat the cosmic threat. What follows is a bloody, absurd, and hilarious massacre.

'Bad Taste' Was a Survival School for the Independent Director

Jackson started filming Bad Taste in 1983, turning his 20-minute short into a feature-length movie. Over the course of four years, he worked with friends, newspaper colleagues, and his future wife, Fran Walsh. He invested his own money and used whatever resources were available.

To compensate for the lack of actors, Jackson played two roles himself, which were separated by editing and the beard he grew during breaks. The mallet head was made from a sponge and the machete was made from colored cardboard and popsicle sticks.

For the climactic scene in which the house is launched into space, Jackson built miniatures that are almost indistinguishable from the original.

Jackson would return to these same themes with a new perspective in The Lord of the Rings. The support of his parents, who enthusiastically watched their son's creativity, helped him complete what he had begun.

'Bad Taste' Was a Training Session That Would Later Produce a Style That Conquered the World

The violence in Bad Taste is so exaggerated that it's comedic. Jackson never tried to hide the movie's homemade nature – in fact, he turned it into an asset.

In 1987, Bad Taste was selected for the Cannes Film Festival, where it became a moderate hit. It was the director's only film to break even before The Lord of the Rings.

This trashy gem shaped Jackson's key priorities: an emphasis on action and inventive special effects, as well as the ability to turn constraints into creative challenges.

Without Bad Taste, there would be no Middle-earth or King Kong because great cinema always begins with a love of the process. And the ability to turn a sponge into a hammer.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Bad Taste'?

• Bad Taste has 73% from critics and 75% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 6.5/10.

• On Letterboxd, Bad Taste scored 3.3/5.0.