A long time horror favorite of many from the mid 80's, Bad Taste, long out of print has officially surfaced on DVD. I say officially, because there has been a Canadian bootleg available for some time, but more on that later. Anchor Bay has given us a definitive version of this gore-hound favorite and I am here to say that Peter Jackson fans should not be disappointed.

Long before Peter Jackson was green lit to bring us Lord of The Rings he made a little film called Bad Taste. With his spare change and buddies, Jackson shot this film on weekends over the course of nearly four years, until he was ultimately given some funding from the New Zealand Film Commission to complete it. Bad Taste tells the tale of an eclectic group of government operatives brought in to thwart the plans of some "hungry" aliens. Basically the aliens want to turn the earth into the ultimate intergalactic fast food chain. It may not sound like much but Bad Taste is ultra sick and gory and even the most jaded viewer should be sickened at some point during the course of the film. Some of the effects/makeup seem a bit outdated by todays standards, however for the most part the effects are extremely effective and disgusting.

Long out of print, we haven't seen Bad Taste on video since the days of the old Magnum releases on VHS and Laser Disc. Last year, a company called Substance released Bad Taste on DVD in Canada. This release was nothing more than a straight transfer of the old Magnum Pre-Record, complete with dropouts and glitches. It was good enough to hold us over, until now. Anchor Bay's DVD of Bad Taste is a revelation, in every sense of the word. The picture is incredibly detailed with not a hint of print damage. Colors are extremely vibrant for a film shot on 16mm almost 15 years ago. Since the film was shot on 16mm and blown up to 35mm, there is a lot of grain present, especially in scenes shot early on in the project. It's evident when they got their funding because the picture quality does improve. Take my word for it, this is the best Bad Taste has ever looked. We couldn't, or should I say shouldn't expect any more. The ratio is listed to be 1.66:1, but it does seem a bit tighter, perhaps, 1.77:1. We are definitely gaining more info on the sides over previous pan and scan editions, and not losing any pertinent info on the top. It's framed quite comfortably, and finally Bad Taste looks like a real film.

Sound is presented in both 5.1 Dolby Digital and DTS 6.1 EX and is quite impressive to say the least. Dialogue is crisp and clear, and the surrounds are used sparingly, but effectively. It's quite bizarre actually, listening to Bad Taste in a souped up 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround track, things like this just shouldn't happen, but I sure am glad they do!

There are 2 versions of Bad Taste available from Anchor Bay. A 2 disc "special" edition, and a standard single disc. I say "special" becuase the only differences between the two are a 25 minute documentary from the mid 80's, fold out packaging and a $20 MSRP price difference. I picked up the standard edition myself. I couldn't see paying an additional $20 for a 20 minute featurette. Apparently Anchor Bay had planned a much larger special edition, but things fell through and they already had the double disc fold out jackets printed up. I suspect Peter Jackson was supposed to be involved as well, but couldn't because of his Lord of the Rings commitment. Regardless, Anchor Bay should have dropped the price of the special edition, it just doesn't seem all that special. Both versions have a trailer (also lbx) and a short Peter Jackson Bio.

Anchor Bay has done a fine job bringing Bad Taste to the DVD format. Sound and picture quality is top notch. Extras are light, but the standard edition can be found for under $15. If you haven't already, grab this disc, and pray we get similar editions of Meet The Feebles and Dead Alive.

Note: The packaging is double sided. Turn the insert over to see the original poster art with the alien holding up his middle finger, rather than the peace sign.