10 Peter Jackson Movies You Have to See

Oscar-winner Peter Jackson has a filmography that’s much more than hobbits and orcs. Here are 10 of the filmmaker's films that you have to see. 

Jackson’s first full-length feature, this gorefest tells the story of a town invaded by aliens that chase human flesh for their intergalactic fast-food chain. The movie is as inventive as it is graphic, firmly establishing Jackson's unique sensibilities as a storyteller. 

In his follow-up to ‘Bad Taste,’ Jackson created a film that advertised having “no taste at all!” Mission accomplished. The whacked-out adventures of the film’s all-puppet cast have to be seen to be believed.

Despite a running time of over three hours, Jackson's ‘Kong’ managed to update the classic with tons of modern CG-centric set pieces, while mainting the original's emotional core. The film wasn't quite the box office smash Universal hoped for, but it was successful enough to inspire a state-of-the-art theme park attraction. (More on that later...)

Another cult-classic from early in Jackson’s career, this gory black comedy features rat monkeys, zombie mothers, and outlandish gore -- not to mention a strategically-wielded lawnmower. (Perfect date movie, right?)

Jackson throws us right into the center of the action in this one-of-a-kind 3D experience, shown exclusively at Universal Studios Hollywood. The ride plays out, intentionally, like a short film, depicting Kong battling with a few dinosaurs -- all projected on massive screens that surround a Studio Tour tram full of glad-they-came tourists. 

Going back to where it all began clearly worked well for Jackson and the franchise -- the film took in over a billion dollars worldwide, making it one of the top grossing fantasy films of all time. This time, 'LOTR' fans follow Bilbo Baggins through Middle-earth, on an adventure that includes some of Jackson's most inspired and inventive action scenes yet. This would carryover in the the film's sequel, 'The Desolation of Smaug.'

This supernatural dark comedy was originally planned to be part of the ‘Tales from the Crypt’ film series, but producer Robert Zemeckis liked Jackson’s script so much he decided the writer-director should make it into its own stand-alone feature. The underrated film centers on Michael J. Fox's character, a man who can communicate with the dead. 

Jackson took home a trio of Oscars for his work on the third installment in the ‘LOTR’ franchise -- Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay -- concluding one of the most successful and engaging film trilogies Hollywood has ever made. 

Directing Kate Winslet in her feature film debut, Jackson seamlessly blends elements of drama, science fiction, and romance to tell this true-life tale of obsessive relationships and shocking brutality. The film cemented the director’s status as a gripping storyteller, and also earned him his first Academy Award Nomination for Original Screenplay. 

It took a few decades to get there, but once J.R.R. Tolkien's ‘LOTR’ books finally made their way to theaters, they did so in a big way -- courtesy of Peter Jackson's sure-handed direction. Each film in the franchise is spectacular for sure, but it’s the beginning of Frodo's odyssey that holds a special place in the hearts of audiences.