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Plot Summary

Bad Taste (1989) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
1989 · 91 min · English
Directed by
Peter Jackson
Starring
Craig Smith, Dean Lawrie, Doug Wren, Ken Hammon, Mike Minett, Pete O'Herne

Two trigger-happy brothers, hitmen by trade, return home to New Zealand to find their father has been murdered. They soon discover that aliens have invaded, planning to enslave humanity and use them as ingredients in a grotesque intergalactic feast. What follows is a bizarre and over-the-top battle against the extraterrestrial invaders, filled with outrageous humor, graphic violence, and plenty of bodily fluids as the brothers fight to save their country from a culinary catastrophe.

On this page (5)
  1. 1 What happens: full plot
  2. 2 Plot questions answered
  3. 3 Movie threads
  4. 4 Movies like Bad Taste
  5. 5 Every angle

Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in Bad Taste: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of Bad Taste (1989) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

The New Zealand Astro Investigation and Defence Service (AIDS) dispatches a team comprising Derek, Frank, Ozzy, and Barry to uncover the mystery behind the sudden disappearance of the townsfolk in Kaihoro, located on the North Island of New Zealand. Upon their arrival, they quickly discover that the town is infested with space aliens masquerading as humans. In a shocking turn of events, Barry manages to eliminate one of the aliens, only to be besieged by a gang of others armed with sledgehammers.

As Derek alerts Frank and Ozzy, who are en route to Kaihoro, he resorts to torturing Robert, an alien they had previously captured. The screams of Robert attract more aliens to their location. In a dramatic confrontation, Derek dispatches the reinforcements, but Robert turns against him, causing Derek to tragically tumble over a cliff, seemingly meeting his end.

Meanwhile, Giles, a charity bill collector, inadvertently wanders into Kaihoro, where he is attacked by Robert, who has been feasting on the brains of the alien that Barry killed. In a desperate bid for safety, Giles flees in his car and seeks assistance at a nearby residence. Unfortunately, he is captured by another alien—disguised as a chef—who renders him unconscious with a wooden meat tenderizer mallet. Giles later regains consciousness in a bathtub full of water, where he learns that he is on the menu for a terrifying feast.

Simultaneously, Derek surprisingly awakens in a seagull's nest. Realizing that part of his brain is leaking from the back of his head, he humorously juggles the situation by stuffing it back in and securing it with a hat.

As night descends, Frank, Ozzy, and Barry stealthily infiltrate the aliens' lair, discovering a sinister chamber teeming with bloody cardboard boxes. They manage to capture and kill an alien, after which Frank dons its shirt to blend in at an alien gathering. There, he uncovers the horrifying truth: the residents of Kaihoro have been harvested as part of an alien fast food chain named 'Crum's Country Delights'. In a particularly grotesque moment, Robert vomits into a bowl that the aliens consume from, with a horrified Frank among them. He eventually escapes to relay this disturbing information to his comrades, who plot to rescue Giles while the aliens slumber.

At dawn, their escape attempt goes awry when the aliens attack them, igniting a fierce and explosive gun battle where both sides unleash chaos. Derek joins the fray, only to have his hat shot off, leading him to lose more of his brain. Resourcefully, he fashions a headband from his belt, seizes a chainsaw from his car, and charges toward the alien base. As they make their escape with Giles, they encounter the formidable alien leader, Lord Crumb, who reveals his true form and pursues them.

In the chaos, Ozzy detonates Frank's car, overrun with aliens, using a rocket launcher. Frank and Ozzy return to confront Lord Crumb, taking down numerous aliens along the route. In an intense showdown, Derek, now wielding his chainsaw, kills an alien that was about to shoot Frank and Ozzy, astonishing them with his survival.

As they attempt to flee, Lord Crumb shoots Ozzy in both legs, while Frank's rocket fire goes awry, nearly hitting Derek instead and ultimately obliterating a sheep in a nearby field. In a climactic twist, Derek is knocked out by Lord Crumb, who reveals the aliens' base is a colossal spaceship launching into the cosmos — with Derek inadvertently aboard.

Inside the ship, Derek gazes out the window, witnessing Earth shrink away. Suddenly, a loud commotion captures Lord Crumb's attention, allowing Derek to launch a surprise attack, slicing the alien in half with his chainsaw. In a triumphant moment, he declares into his phone: > "I'm born again! I'm coming to get you bastards!" He then puts on the skin of the alien leader, laughing maniacally as he propels himself toward the alien planet with only his chainsaw in hand, undoubtedly intent on annihilating the alien race.

The film concludes with a heartwarming scene of Frank, Ozzy, Giles, and Barry driving into the sunset in Derek's car, leaving behind the chaos of Kaihoro.

Last updated: November 03, 2024 at 23:17

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Plot questions answered

Bad Taste Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about Bad Taste (1989): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

How does Derek survive after falling off the cliff?

Derek survives his fall by landing in a seagull's nest. When he awakens, he discovers part of his brain is leaking from the back of his head. He humorously stuffs it back in and secures it with a hat, then continues fighting the aliens despite his injury.

  • derek
  • cliff fall
  • brain injury
  • survival
Q2

What is Crum's Country Delights?

Crum's Country Delights is an alien fast food chain operating from the spaceship base in Kaihoro. The aliens harvest the town's human residents and process them into food for their intergalactic restaurant business. Frank uncovers this horrifying operation when he infiltrates an alien gathering.

  • crums country delights
  • fast food
  • alien restaurant
  • human harvest
Q3

Why was Giles in the bathtub about to be eaten?

Giles, a charity bill collector, wandered into Kaihoro and was captured by an alien disguised as a chef. He was rendered unconscious with a meat tenderizer and placed in a bathtub full of water, prepared as the main course for an alien feast.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, the team discovers bloody cardboard boxes in the alien lair, hinting at the harvesting operation.

  • giles
  • bathtub
  • chef alien
  • being eaten
Q4

How does Derek end up on the alien spaceship at the end?

During the final battle, Lord Crumb reveals the alien base is actually a colossal spaceship preparing to launch. Derek is knocked unconscious by Lord Crumb and inadvertently ends up aboard as it launches into space. Inside the ship, he regains consciousness, sees Earth shrinking through the window, and launches a surprise attack on Lord Crumb.

  • derek
  • spaceship
  • lord crumb
  • final battle
Q5

What happens to Lord Crumb in the ending?

Lord Crumb is sliced in half by Derek during the spaceship confrontation. After Derek boards the alien vessel and catches Lord Crumb distracted by a commotion, he attacks with his chainsaw and kills the alien leader. Derek then puts on Lord Crumb's skin and uses the chainsaw to propel himself toward the alien planet for revenge.

  • lord crumb
  • chainsaw
  • killed
  • alien leader
Q6

Why do the aliens harvest humans in Kaihoro?

The aliens harvest humans as ingredients for their fast food business called Crum's Country Delights. The residents of Kaihoro have been murdered and processed into food for the alien intergalactic restaurant chain.

  • aliens
  • harvest
  • humans
  • food
  • crums country delights
Q7

How does Derek function with his brain leaking out?

After falling from the cliff, Derek wakes up with part of his brain leaking from the back of his head. He simply stuffs the brain matter back into his skull and wears his hat to keep it in place. He continues fighting the aliens, even fashioning a headband from his belt to hold his remaining brain in place during the dawn battle.

  • derek
  • brain
  • injury
  • chainsaw
  • survival
Q8

What is the New Zealand Astro Investigation and Defence Service?

The New Zealand Astro Investigation and Defence Service (AIDS) is the government agency that assembles the team of Derek, Frank, Ozzy, and Barry to investigate the mysterious disappearances in Kaihoro. They represent New Zealand's response to the alien invasion.

  • aids
  • new zealand
  • government
  • team
  • investigation
Q9

Why does Derek put on Lord Crumb's skin at the end?

After killing Lord Crumb with his chainsaw, Derek puts on the alien leader's skin as a form of psychological warfare and intimidation. He then laughs maniacally and propels himself toward the alien planet, intent on annihilating the entire alien race in what appears to be a solo revenge mission.

  • derek
  • lord crumb
  • skin
  • revenge
  • alien planet
Q10

Why does Robert the alien turn against Derek?

Robert, the captured alien that Derek was torturing to extract information, ultimately turns against him during the confrontation with alien reinforcements. Robert's screams had already attracted more aliens to their location, and in the chaos of the battle, Robert betrays Derek, causing him to tumble over the cliff.

  • robert
  • alien
  • betrayal
  • torture
  • cliff
Q11

What happens to the sheep during the final battle?

During the final battle, Frank's rocket launcher misfires and nearly hits Derek instead. The rocket misses its target and lands in a nearby field, obliterating a sheep. This absurd moment exemplifies the film's darkly comedic tone.

  • sheep
  • rocket launcher
  • frank
  • comedic moment
Q12

How does Ozzy get shot in the legs?

Ozzy is shot in both legs by Lord Crumb during the climactic confrontation as the team attempts to flee. Despite his injuries, Ozzy continues fighting alongside Frank and later joins the team in driving away at the film's conclusion.

  • ozzy
  • lord crumb
  • shot
  • legs
  • injured

Movie threads

More Movies Like Bad Taste, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes Bad Taste tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Gloriously Grotesque Sci-Fi Horror Comedies like Bad Taste

Movies that mix alien scares with disgusting gore and absurd laughs. If you liked the outrageous mix of alien invasion and body horror comedy in Bad Taste, you'll love these movies. This collection features similar low-budget, high-energy films where the gore is extreme, the humor is dark, and the sci-fi premises are utterly absurd.

  • campy
  • gory
  • darkly humorous
  • chaotic
  • grungy
  • absurd
  • Tone: dark, absurd, campy
  • Pacing: fast, chaotic
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories in this thread typically involve a straightforward, high-stakes confrontation with a bizarre threat, often extraterrestrial. The narrative is a vehicle for escalating chaos, focusing on visceral, over-the-top action and survival against grotesque odds, with character development taking a backseat to the next inventive set piece of carnage.

Why they belong together: These films are grouped by their unique tonal blend of high-intensity horror and intentional, often self-aware, comedy. They share a grungy, energetic aesthetic, a focus on practical effects for maximum gore, and a pace that rarely lets up, creating a cohesive experience of absurd, violent fun.

Chaotic Underdog Battles Against Overwhelming Odds like in Bad Taste

Ragtag groups facing bizarre, world-ending threats with chaotic energy. For viewers who enjoyed the frantic, messy battle against the aliens in Bad Taste, this list finds similar movies. These films feature ragtag protagonists using whatever means necessary to survive against bizarre, powerful enemies, resulting in chaotic and entertaining conflicts.

  • chaotic
  • energetic
  • underdog
  • violent
  • absurd
  • thrilling
  • Tone: dark, energetic, hopeful
  • Pacing: fast, frantic
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern follows a simple escalation: a strange threat emerges, and a motley crew of protagonists, ill-prepared for the task, must rise to the occasion. The journey is defined by a series of frantic, often improvised confrontations where success is measured in survival and causing maximum chaos for the enemy.

Why they belong together: These movies share a core experience of high-stakes, disorganized conflict. The similarity comes from the fast pacing, the focus on unpolished, energetic action, and the emotional tone of defiant, darkly humorous struggle against impossible odds, making the victories feel earned through sheer grit and chaos.

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Movies Like Bad Taste

Similar movies to Bad Taste: the same genre, themes or kind of story. Each one comes with its own plot summary, timeline and ending explained.

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Every angle

Bad Taste (1989) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about Bad Taste in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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