Many of Peter Jackson’s best movies are easy to find in the streaming era, but some of the director’s deep cuts can be hard to track down. It’s a shame, as Jackson’s early work in horror movies outside of the mainstream Hollywood system are what made him the perfect person to adapt The Lord of the Rings to the big screen. Thankfully, his first movie just became more accessible than ever.
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Jackson’s directorial debut, Bad Taste is streaming now on Tubi. The service is free to use since its ad-supported, and it’s available just about all streaming devices. Now, fans can go back and watch (or rewatch) the bizarre blend of sci-fi, horror, and comedy that put Jackson on the map. The movie was independently produced on a very low budget, yet Jackson’s style and sensibility still comes through in every frame.
Bad Taste is about a small, fictional village in New Zealand called Kaihoro, where a group of extra-terrestrials land to abduct all the inhabitants. Their plan is to harvest humans and turn them into food for their intergalactic fast food franchise. They try to disguise themselves as humans to take the places of their victims, giving us an early look at Jackson’s love for prosthetics and makeup. The invaders face resistance from another group of aliens called the Astro Investigation and Defense Service (AIDS).
The movie is irreverent and gory, and while much of its humor hasn’t aged well, other parts are still genuinely hilarious. It’s also an impressive feat of filmmaking — the movie’s total budget was estimated at $25,000, which would be low even for a grounded drama with no special effects. For an ambitious sci-fi romp like this, it’s incredible. The production received assistance from the New Zealand Film Commission that helped slash costs significantly.
Among fans and critics, Bad Taste remains an indie gem, though many categorize it as a “cult classic” that’s not for everyone. It has a respectable 73% fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes, but surprisingly, that’s based on only 22 reviews from trusted critics. Even after all these years, Jackson’s name has not attracted more movie buffs to this title. The audience score is similar at 75% fresh, with over 25,000 reviews.
Hopefully, new fans will be adding their voices to all these takes now that the movie is so readily available. Bad Taste is streaming now on Tubi. It’s also available on DVD, and Jackson has hinted at plans for a 4K remastered version in the coming years.
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image courtesy of Peacock
