JACKSON LIFTS SPLATTER FILMS TO INVENTIVE ART FORM.

Byline: Randy Meyers Knight-Ridder Tribune News Wire

When you think of today's most innovative directors, the name Peter Jackson doesn't usually spring to mind.

Well, it should.

Jackson, a New Zealand director noted for his graphic and macabre splatter films, is one of the most brazen talents working in the movie industry. Sure, his films are grotesque and perverse, but they are equally inventive and daring.

Like George A. Romero (the classic ``Dawn of the Dead'') or Stuart Gordon (the wildly warped ``Re-Animator''), Jackson has the savvy not to take his horror seriously. If he did, his films would lose their vigor and be nothing more than deplorable blood baths.

One of his films, however, is no laughing matter. ``Heavenly Creatures,'' one of 1994's best films, didn't feature rampaging zombies on a quest for extra-lean human flesh. Instead, Jackson, who also co-wrote the film's Oscar-nominated screenplay, concentrated his efforts on a true story about a tragic relationship between two teen-age girls in the '50s.

No, Jackson didn't come down with a case of the warm Disney fuzzies. His lurid little fingerprints are still evident on nearly every frame of ``Creatures.'' The difference is that he has tempered his penchant for bloodshed and is working with a bigger budget.

One of Jackson's standout traits as a director is that he knows how to get a reaction out of his audience. Oliver Stone pompously assumes that he's the undisputed master of this type of filmmaking, and to a certain degree, he is. But for a more visceral punch to the solar plexus, Jackson delivers. If he wants to make you uncomfortable, then be prepared to fidget.

Sometimes, Jackson doesn't know when to quit. While watching the revolting ``Meet the Feebles,'' I felt like I was being pinned to the floor by this onslaught of depravity and wanted to scream ``uncle.''

I'm holding out for Jackson to try his hand at another ``serious'' film like ``Creatures.'' Of course, I'm also looking forward to the film he's currently working on, ``The Frighteners,'' a ``black comedy ghost story'' starring Michael J. Fox.

In the meantime, I'm just going to have to satisfy myself with some of his earlier films:

``Bad Taste'' Three Stars:Many films don't live up to their titles. This one does with relish - and severed arms, legs, heads - OK, you get the picture. A ragtag bunch of aliens plunk themselves down on Earth so they can collect tasty body parts for a new fast-food outlet on their planet. A motley group of soldier-of-fortune types infiltrates their hide-out and proceeds to hack 'em away. Although this film looks like it was made in Jackson's back yard, its gleefully demented nature and darkly funny premise holds it together, even though innards spill all over the screen. (Not rated: graphic violence, language, not for kids.)

``Dead Alive'' Three Stars: Jackson hits his stride in this gentle, touching tale about a young man's mother who becomes enamored of human flesh after receiving a hickey from a rabid monkey at the zoo. Wild and chaotic, ``Alive'' has attained cult status, and rightfully so. It's one of the best horror comedies since ``Re-Animator.'' A classic of the genre. (Not rated: graphic violence, brief nudity, language.)

``Heavenly Creatures'' Four Stars: Two imaginative and troubled teens forge a friendship that leads to the death of one of the girl's mothers. As the teens, Kate Winslet (``Sense and Sensibility'') and Melanie Lynskey are mesmerizing. Jackson shows a sure hand here, especially when he takes the bold step of entering these two girls' fantasy world. Only a top-notch director can make these scenes work, and Jackson does just that. A powerful, gets-under-your-skin film. (R: violence, brief nudity, language.)

``Meet the Feebles'' Two Stars: There's something particularly odious about this raunchy and revolting take on the Muppets. Maybe it's because it destroys my childlike appreciation of the Jim Henson characters. All I know is that the Feebles make Fritz the Cat look like Garfield. There's something to offend everyone in this one, including a fly that likes to spend time in the toilet, a frisky cat who likes group sex, a heroin-addicted rat and a homicidal hippo. Jackson definitely brings all of these characters to life, but I wish they had a short life span - say, 30 minutes.

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Photo: A change of pace from rampaging zombies, director Pe ter Jackson's ``Heavenly Creatures'' focuses on a true story about a tragic teen-age relationship in the '50s.