Bad Taste Budget
Updated
Synopsis
A team from the intergalactic fast food chain Crumb's Crunchy Delights descends on Earth, planning to make human flesh the newest taste sensation. After they wipe out the New Zealand town Kaihoro, the country’s Astro-Investigation and Defense Service (AIaDS) is called in to deal with the problem. Things are complicated due to Giles, an aid worker who comes to Kaihoro the same day to collect change from the residents. He is captured by the aliens, and AIaDS stages a rescue mission that quickly becomes an all-out assault on the aliens’ headquarters.
What is the budget of Bad Taste?
"Bad Taste," an action released in 1987, was directed by Peter Jackson and stars Terry Potter, Pete O'Herne. The production budget was $150,000, placing it in the micro-budget range for action productions of the 1980s.
Key Budget Allocation Categories
While specific budget breakdowns are not publicly available, typical cost drivers for an action production like this include:
- Stunts, Action Sequences & Visual Effects: Action films allocate a substantial portion of their budget to choreographing and executing practical stunts, pyrotechnics, and CGI-heavy sequences.
- Above-the-Line Talent (Cast & Director): A-list talent commands significant upfront fees plus backend participation.
- Production Design, Sets & Locations: Action films frequently require multiple international shooting locations, large-scale set construction, vehicle acquisitions and modifications, and specialized equipment , all of which drive production costs well above those of dialogue-driven genres.
- Production: Much of the film was shot in and around Jackson's home suburb of Pukerua Bay in northern Wellington, using a 25-year-old 16mm Bolex camera.
What were the major cost factors in Bad Taste?
Several factors contributed to the overall production costs of "Bad Taste."
- Stunts: Stunts, Action Sequences & Visual Effects is one of the primary cost drivers in action productions of this scale.
- Above-the-Line Talent (Cast: Above-the-Line Talent (Cast & Director) is one of the primary cost drivers in action productions of this scale.
- Production Design: Production Design, Sets & Locations is one of the primary cost drivers in action productions of this scale.
How Does Bad Taste's Budget Compare to Similar Films?
At $150,000, Bad Taste sits in the micro-budget range. Here is how it compares to productions with a similar budget:
- The Seventh Seal (1957): Budget $150,000, Worldwide Gross $311,212
- Hundreds of Beavers (2024): Budget $150,000, Worldwide Gross $1,267,995
- Kaili Blues (2016): Budget $150,000, Worldwide Gross $646
- Chungking Express (1994): Budget $160,000
- The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974): Budget $140,000, Worldwide Gross $30,922,680
The median budget for wide-release action films in the era ranges from $30 to 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles.
Critical Reception
Kim Newman of Empire gave the film three stars out of five, with praise being directed to the special effects. For AllMovie, Jason Buchanan wrote that Bad Taste was "amazingly resourceful," but that it moves at such a "hyperactive" pace that "it's nearly impossible to draw a breath, much less take a moment to laugh at the revoltingly hilarious exploits." In a much less positive review, Time Out summarised that although "the film had its moments," it was not a worthwhile watch.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much did it cost to make Bad Taste (1987)?
The production budget was $150,000, covering principal photography, visual effects, cast and crew salaries, locations, sets, post-production, and music. Marketing and distribution (P&A) costs are estimated at an additional $75,000 - $120,000, bringing the total studio investment to approximately $225,000 - $270,000.
How much did Bad Taste (1987) earn at the box office?
Box office figures are not publicly available.
Was Bad Taste (1987) profitable?
Insufficient data for a profitability assessment.
What were the biggest costs in producing Bad Taste?
The primary cost drivers were above-the-line talent (Terry Potter, Pete O'Herne, Craig Smith); visual effects, practical stunts, and A-list talent compensation.
How does Bad Taste's budget compare to similar action films?
At $150,000, Bad Taste is classified as a ultra-low-budget production. The median budget for wide-release action films in the era ranges from $30 - 80M for mid-budget to $150M+ for tentpoles. Comparable budgets: The Seventh Seal (1957, $150,000); Hundreds of Beavers (2024, $150,000); Kaili Blues (2016, $150,000).
Did Bad Taste (1987) go over budget?
There are no widely reported accounts of significant budget overruns for this production. However, studios rarely disclose precise budget overrun figures publicly. The reported production budget reflects the final estimated cost.
Who directed Bad Taste and who were the key crew members?
Directed by Peter Jackson, written by Peter Jackson, shot by Peter Jackson, with music by Michelle Scullion, edited by Jamie Selkirk, Peter Jackson.
Where was Bad Taste filmed?
Bad Taste was filmed in New Zealand. ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Filmmakers
Bad Taste
Official Trailer
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