2. Bad Taste (1987)
Peter Jackson's directorial debut set in his native New Zealand, Bad Taste concerns the alien invasion of a small town called Kaihoro. The aliens have killed all of the inhabitants to use as meat in their intergalactic fast food chain. The government sends in the 'Boys' - a four man paramilitary team to investigate. Bad Taste is an hilarious film. It uses splatter and grossness for brilliant comic effect - whether it is the demented Derek's head constantly threatening to explode (he falls off a cliff and loses a section of his skull) or one of the boys being forced to drink alien vomit (and enjoying it!). The special effects reflect the low budget, but it just makes the film even funnier - giving it a cartoonish appeal. The characters in the film are great and there are little touches to make you laugh out loud. My favourite one is when the aliens attack one of the Boys and an alien trips. One of his comrades gives him a hand up. I cracked up laughing at that even though it's a very minor thing. You would have to be totally devoid of humour if you didn't chuckle once during Bad Taste. Jackson would go on to direct two more comedy-horror hybrids in his native country - Meet the Feebles and Brain Dead. Much mirth can be derived from them.