Those familiar with writer/director Peter Jackson's more recent work - the epic "Lord of the Rings" - will be in for a big shock when they see some of his early work. The fast-pacing and rambunctious camera movements are readily evident in his first feature-length film, "Bad Taste," but those with weak stomachs should beware. Embedded with sick, lowbrow humour, "Bad Taste" is a very wet film. The organic gore is pretty over the top, and Jackson assaults the viewer with spewing viscera and sloshing muck, communal green upchuck, and a chainsaw dive that has to be seen to be believed.

Originally shot on 16mm film, "Bad Taste" has never looked very good on older video releases. Washed out and grainy, some effort was made to clean up the film on DVD, but it's still a nasty looking film. Persistent grain and heavy chroma boosting are the main flaws, though one would suspect the original source - likely an old and worn 3/4" master tape - was already suffering from weak and imperfect colour phasing.

The original mono soundtrack has been tweaked, adding slightly more range, particularly during the action scenes; it's an okay simulation of a surround field, and the overall audio mix is acceptable, but fans should stick with the remastered edition from Anchor Bay, released in 2001.

© 2002 Mark R. Hasan