Bad Taste vs Dead Alive

[Scott]

Well, I watched as much as I could of BAD TASTE before I fell asleep. It was a gory bloody mess of a film. A guy eats the brains out of anothers head(well done actually). Its much like DEAD ALIVE in the comedy realm of things. Those aliens weren't very interesting to me except the bloody parts. The quality of the gore is well done, but it lacks every where else. At least DEAD ALIVE had a romantic story behind it. I can see why its under comedy. both of these seem to have been made in Australia or New Zealand. I missed the ending of BAD TASTE, but some how I don't feel like I missed anything, but thanks anyway I'm glad that I at least know what its about.

DEAD ALIVE gets the victory over BAD TASTE.

[Scott Davis]

Both of them were made by the same guy, Peter Jackson. The fellow whos doing Lord of the Rings!

[Abby]

This might seem like blasphemy to some, but I didn't think Bad Taste was 'all that' the first time I saw it. I caught it sometime around 1990 ... I rented it for a party after reading high praise for it in some magazine. I thought it was a solid, low-budget effort, but I thought it dragged in many places ... and the NZ accents were thick to these American ears. I didn't REALLY appreciate it until Heavenly Creatures spurred me to buy a bootleg of the 'Making of Bad Taste/Feebles' documentary. So while I admire the work that went into it, it's still my least favorite PJ flick.

When I saw 'Feebles' in 1992 ... that had an impact. I wasn't aware that PJ made both. But I was so affected by Feebles, I wrote Peter Jackson's name down ... so I'd remember it next I saw it.

I caught Dead Alive on cable in the middle of the night ... the R-rated version ... around 1993 or so. But I missed the beginning (and went to bed as the end credits rolled), so I never knew who made it until a few years later. Heck, I didn't even know the name of it. For a year or so, I asked people if they'd ever seen a crazy zombie flick made in Australia. So yeah, I guess I see 'Dead Alive' as the superior PJ horror entry.

I did recognize PJ's name from my Feeble note upon seeing Heavenly Creatures ... which is the movie that brought all the pieces together.

[Scott]

Really looking forward to LORD OF THE RINGS. I have seen some of the images of the film and it has a look of some of the star wars films.

The effects in both BAD TASTE and DEAD ALIVE are really great I think that if this Jackson fellow gets hold of something like LORD OF THE RINGS with the images already mentioned, its going to be real interesting. Hope it turns out well for him.

Thanks for the info ScottDavis about the two films being made by the same person Peter Jackson. Outside this website I've never heard of either film or Jackson.

[Josh Leman]

Just so we're all on the same level, I'll add that Peter Jackson also directed The Frighteners, starring Michael J. Fox.  While the story is a little weak and the movie is way too long, I would bet a lot of money that Jackson was chosen to direct the Lord of the Rings movies largely on the basis of the incredible mastery of special effects he displays in Frighteners.  That movie could be used to teach an entire course for special effects students.

[Mofo Rising]

But BAD TASTE has such a great ending.  Death from above!

I would say DEAD ALIVE is the superior movie, but only because it's what BAD TASTE would be if Peter Jackson had actually had a budget.

My first taste of DEAD ALIVE was after reading a review that said it lived up to the title of "goriest movie of all time" and gave it a good rating.  The magazine also warned against watching the R-Rated version, "after all, you wouldn't watch a musical without the musical numbers, would you?"

But it was the Kung Fu Priest that put the movie into legendary status for me.  Not since the bicycle duel in QUICK CHANGE has such a hilarious scene come so completely out of left field.

[BadTaste_nz]

replying to scotts first post -

what the hell are you talking about Scott???
Braindead and Bad Taste are equally as good as the other, in fact, Bad Taste is a bloody good film for what money PJ and the boys had to make it with.
Braindead was good for its gore and its humor, but the romance was a small thing in the film. I think you need it site down and watch BT again and try to stay awake fool.

[Vermin Boy]

I'd probably have to go with Dead Alive, because the sheer number of belly laughs is higher. I watched it with a friend (after we were both big Bad Taste fans) and we were literally howling during the Father McGruder scene and the baby scene. However, Bad Taste still has a place in my heart, and Derek remains one of my all-time favorite movie characters. Plus, I can still get certain friends to cringe just by quoting "Ooh, aren't I lucky, I got a chunky bit!"

[Scott]

I'll try BadTaste_nz, but i'll have to rent it again. After all I did miss the ending.