It is a well known fact that deserted places can at first seem like paradise but eventually make inhabitants go crazy. And while NZ may look close to Australia on the map, it is actually a long way off from any real civilization. Many resort to talking to sheep (who outnumber people 40:1) and many others appear normal on the outside but have a sick and twisted inner psyche as a result of their environment. Thus if you pick up some of New Zealands favourite local films, you shouldn't be surprised to find it's not all hobbits on quests or giant apes, but an array of strange and often violent cult classic type films.
Peter Jackson was a local favourite even before he became a Hollywood star, gathering a following for films such as bad taste; involving aliens, the special police forces, and cannabalism. So you can imagine both my fear and delight when I realized I would be staying right next to the town that PJ (as his close friends call him) both grew up in and used as a backdrop for his earliest films.
While the green cliffs and rugged coastlines so close to the city would be appealing to most visitors, I could only see aliens dressed like they had grown up in the 80's.
 |
| view from my home near Pukera Bay |
The town brought together a gathering of eclectic people, and each trip to the fish and chip shop left me wondering who was alien and who was human, or if the "Greeks" running the shop were indeed on the hunt for the next piece of fish on land. Sadly the fush n' chups (as kiwis pronounce it) was so good it probably would not have mattered to most, but still it would have been good to know.
My investigations began unintentionally, when I was attacked by a dog. Out for my usual evening jog, I looked behind me to the sight of a growling dog chasing after me, "STAY" I firmly said, but he disagreed and began tearing at my pant leg. To my rescue came a hefty man with a great big beard, checkered shorts, and an old looking striped shirt. He calmed the dog with a stick, "the dog's deaf" he explained, "I keep these sticks around here for walkers and joggers to carry with them". Of course, I should have known. I picked up a stick eyeing both the man and the dog carefully. Would one of these turn out to be the alien in our mist? The man retreated back into his home before I could offer my thanks and the dog darted quickly in the other direction looking for his next victim. I walked carefully back home with my stick, never losing site of the dog just in case.
Everyone knows the best movie action sequences are characters fighting on and falling off of cliffs (think Lion King),and Bad Taste is no exception to this rule. Peter Jackson's many characters (he literally plays several of them) chase each other around on cliffs, knocking each other off, somehow miraculously surviving and other times falling to a gory death, thus I felt it was either a very brave or foolish decision when I decided to explore the area upwards for my next journey. As I gazed out to the water, forgetting my fears, a friendly old lady approached me, "did you know there is a theatre in town?" "no, I'm new here" She continued along, "never knew it existed, right next to the chip shop". "great" I said, "thanks, I'll definitely check it out." I knew I had to get away from these weirdos, they were starting to seem more alien as the days continued and I did not want the trouble that exposing them would bring.
Several days later I moved into the city only to be shown another local film by a 'friend' this time about mutant sheep gone murderous. Black Sheep is a recent edition to the New Zealand family but it will not disappoint. The sheep will leave no survivors. Which is also great for sleeping at night because you know you are never very far from a sheep!
 |
| I don't know who this guy is, but he better watch his back |
I don't know if it's because they are cut off from the rest of the world that their imaginations run wild, or that they have no real animals in their country to fear so they must invent new folklore, but if you're not afraid of a little gore, it is worth checking out some of the darker films the Kiwis have made. It may leave you wondering how such a kind and friendly people could hold such gruesome ideas in their head, but I wouldn't worry too much, I'm sure they're just as friendly as they seem...
No comments:
Post a Comment