The sixth in the ultrascreen series of anthologies celebrates the worlds created by one New Zealander in his pastoral homeland. From low-budget splatterfests to a world-conquering Hollywood franchise, Peter Jackson has relied as much on imagination as on technical ability. From the Pythonish splatter of the no-budget Bad Taste and the uproarious Muppets parody Meet the Feebles to zombie movie Braindead, Jackson cornered the market in Antipodean gore.
But there were new worlds to conquer. His acclaimed Heavenly Creatures told the story of two teenaged girls fatally enmeshed in a world of make-believe. It put Jackson on the road to realising Tolkien’s mythological worlds in The Lord of the Rings, and creating the jungle hell of King Kong. Peter Jackson: From Gore to Mordor details his eccentric career path, from the days when his films were only covered in horror fanzines to their debating by Tolkien societies.