Bad Taste (1987)

Director:

Peter Jackson

Writers:

Ken Hammon (additional material)
Tony Hiles (additional material)
(more)

Release Date:

June 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

One thing the aliens hadn't counted on was Derek, and Dereks don't run!

Plot:

The population of a small town disappears and is replaced by aliens that chase human flesh for their intergalactic fast-food chain.

Plot Keywords:

Alien | Fast Food | New Zealand | Chainsaw | Small Town

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

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
Ken Hammon	...	3rd Class Alien
Robin Griggs	...	3rd Class Alien
Michael Gooch	...	3rd Class Alien
Peter Gooch	...	3rd Class Alien
Laurie Yarrall	...	3rd Class Alien
Shane Yarrall	...	3rd Class Alien
Philip Lamey	...	3rd Class Alien
Costa Botes	...	3rd Class Alien
Graham Butcher	...	3rd Class Alien
Bob Haliburton	...	3rd Class Alien
Andrew McKay	...	3rd Class Alien
Clive Haywood	...	3rd Class Alien
John McTavish	...	3rd Class Alien
John Nelson	...	3rd Class Alien
Graham Nesbitt	...	3rd Class Alien
Steven Smith	...	3rd Class Alien
John Logan Jr.	...	3rd Class Alien
Matt Noonan	...	3rd Class Alien
Cameron Chittock	...	3rd Class Alien
Ray Battersby	...	3rd Class Alien
Mike Appleby	...	3rd Class Alien
Peter Appleby	...	3rd Class Alien
Michael Kane	...	3rd Class Alien
Robert Johnston	...	3rd Class Alien
Scott Bradshaw	...	3rd Class Alien
Mark Lamey	...	3rd Class Alien
Giles Forrest	...	3rd Class Alien
Grant Taylor	...	3rd Class Alien
Carol Taylor	...	3rd Class Alien
Dean Taylor	...	3rd Class Alien
Kim Taylor	...	3rd Class Alien
Dave Hamilton	...	3rd Class Alien
Jock Fyfe	...	3rd Class Alien
Tony Hiles	...	Coldfinger
John Ruby	...	3rd Class Alien
Kerry Underhill	...	3rd Class Alien
Robin Watene	...	3rd Class Alien
Garry A. Brown	...	3rd Class Alien
Mark Jackson	...	3rd Class Alien
Peter Henderson	...	3rd Class Alien
Janine Riely	...	3rd Class Alien
Margaret Byford	...	3rd Class Alien

Directed by
Peter Jackson

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ken Hammon		additional material
Tony Hiles		additional material
Peter Jackson		writer

Produced by
Peter Jackson	....	producer

Original Music by
Michelle Scullion
Jay Snowfield

Cinematography by
Peter Jackson

Film Editing by
Peter Jackson
Jamie Selkirk

Makeup Department
Cameron Chittock	....	makeup effects assistant
Peter Jackson	....	makeup effects

Art Department
Caroline Girdlestone	....	art department

Sound Department
Brent Burge	....	post-production sound recordist
Brent Burge	....	sound mixer
Kit Rollings	....	sound editor
Ken Saville	....	location sound recordist
Ken Saville	....	sound effects recordist
Jamie Selkirk	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Peter Jackson	....	special effects

Editorial Department
Matt Noonan	....	assistant editor
Matt Noonan	....	assistant post-production supervisor

Music Department
Nigel Stone	....	music recording engineer & mixer

Other crew
Grant Campbell	....	car explosion
Ken Hammon	....	film crew
Tony Hiles	....	consultant producer
Bill Jackson	....	special assistant to producer
Joan Jackson	....	special assistant to producer
Arie Ketel	....	graphic artist: titles
Philip Lamey	....	film crew
Dean Lawrie	....	film crew
Mike Minett	....	film crew
Pete O'Herne	....	film crew
Terry Potter	....	film crew

Thanks
Henry Jackson	....	special thanks
Ron Jackson	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• New Zealand Film Commission
• WingNut Films

Distributors

• Astro Distribution (2000) (Germany) (theatrical) (limited re-release)
• Blue Dolphin Film Distribution (????) (UK) (theatrical)
• Future Film (1991) (Finland) (theatrical)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• American Producers Associated (????) (France) (VHS)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Astro Distribution (2000) (Germany) (all media)
• CBS/Fox Home Video (1989) (Australia) (VHS)
• Colourbox (UK)
• Creative Axa Co. Ltd. (????) (Japan) (DVD)
• Evolution Entertainment (2004) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• Future Film (1992) (Finland) (VHS)
• Future Film (2002) (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• Gaumont/Columbia TriStar Home Video (GCTHV) (2003) (France) (DVD)
• Hollydan Works (2007) (Serbia and Montenegro) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (1991) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Magnum Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Movies Select Video (1988) (Belgium) (video)
• PolyGram Video (1993) (UK) (VHS)
• Substance Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Union Générale Cinématographique (UGC) (????) (France) (VHS)
• Van Blad (2005) (Brazil) (VHS) (VCD)

Also Known As:

Roast of the Day (New Zealand: English title) (working title)

Runtime:

91 min | Australia:86 min (1989 video release) | Belgium:98 min (DVD version)

Country:

New Zealand

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:16 (DVD release) | Finland:K-15 (DVD release) | Spain:18 | Australia:(Banned) (queensland only) | Belgium:16 (video rating) | Portugal:M/16 | South Korea:18 | USA:R (heavily cut) | Germany:18 (cut) | Germany:12 (heavily cut) | Austria:16 | Germany:Not Rated (uncut DVD version) | Germany:18 (re-rating, uncut) | France:-16 (DVD rating) | Brazil:16 | Chile:18 | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Canada:(Banned) (Ontario) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Iceland:Unrated | Italy:VM14 | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Singapore:R21 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Gear Homestead, Okowai Road, Papakowhai, Porirua, Wellington Region, New Zealand

Company:

New Zealand Film Commission

Trivia:

Craig Smith was part of the original cast and was married and then divorced within the four-year time frame it took to make the film. Because most of the filming took place on weekends, he found himself written out because his new wife - a devout Christian - objected to him working on Sundays. Smith was written back into the film when he got divorced.

Goofs:

Continuity: The cast's hairstyles, and the color of the socks change from scene to scene due to the sporadic four-year shoot.

Quotes:

Ozzy: Gee, they come to bits easy!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Meet the Feebles (1989)

Soundtrack:

ROCK LIES

I'm a Derek...Derek's DON'T run!

Directed by the New Zealand king of low-budget gore - Peter Jackson, who also takes the starring role in his debut film as 'Derek', the leader of the alien prevention group 'Alien Investigation and Defence Service' - A.I.D.S(!), who are called into action when a group of aliens land on earth with the intention of kidnapping humans and using them as the main ingredient for their fast food restaurants! Naturally Derek and his crew are none too happy about this and set about stopping them in the only way they know how - violently.

As you can imagine with a plot like this and with Peter Jackson involved you can expect extreme gore mixed with extreme cheese, for example there is this one part where an alien has been severed in two from being hit by a car, his remaining top half fends off Jackson's attacks with a chainsaw by throwing pine cones at him! Also throughout the film Derek becomes increasingly demented after having a particularly nasty fall off a 90ft cliff, although miraculously surviving this, he has a nasty crack on the back of his head which keeps flapping open and letting bits of brain fall out (nice) and at one point he replaces his emptying skull with an alien's intestines who he has just slaughtered! As you can probably tell from these examples this film is pretty gross and if your like me you will find it very funny as well.

Watch this film even if it is only to see one of Derek's compadres' rip off an aliens head with his bare hands and drop-kick it successfully out of a window to which he casually comments "The old magic is still there."