Peter Jackson’s Meet the Feebles was released in 1989.
The film is a New Zealand black comedy that uses puppets to parody variety shows and backstage entertainment. It was Jackson’s second feature film, following the low-budget science-fiction comedy Bad Taste.
Meet the Feebles is often confused with Jackson’s later horror comedy Braindead, which was released in 1992 and marketed internationally as Dead Alive. Unlike Braindead, Meet the Feebles centers on a troupe of performing puppets.
The film helped establish Jackson’s early reputation for combining handmade effects, outrageous comedy, and deliberately extreme material. It was made long before he became internationally known for The Lord of the Rings trilogy.