Piranha Reviews

• "Terror, horror, death. Film at eleven."

  
  By A25ZVI6RH1KA5L on 2004-06-17
  Jaws (1975) frightened a whole generation of people out of the water. Why? Because of the very real elements within the film, being that there are sharks in the oceans, and occasionally they do attack people. Do they ever get as large as the one in the film? Possibly...regardless, the fear was real enough...fast forward to 1978...prolific B movie director/producer Roger Corman, in an effort to capitalize on the immense popularity of the film Jaws, released Piranha, directed by Joe Dante (Gremlins, Innerspace, The `burbs) and written by John Sayles (The Howling, Wild Thing), which, while didn't elicit the response anywhere near that of the film it borrows from, still provides us with a great deal of entertainment (genetically altered super fish just didn't come across with the same level of realism as a giant man-eating shark).

  The film stars Branford Dillman, who, along with his extensive television credits, appeared in scores of films like Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971) and The Swarm (1978), to name a couple. Also starring is Heather Menzies, who appeared in films like The Sound of Music (1965), SSSSSSS (1973), along with various television shows throughout the 70's. Rounding out the cast are Kevin McCarthy (Invasion of the Body Snatchers), Paul Bartel, Barbara Steele (Caged Heat and Shivers), Melody Thomas Scott, and character actors Dick Miller and Keenan Wynn.

  The film opens at night with two victims, er...I mean backpackers in a hilly area (somewhere in Texas, as we find out later), who happen to come across a seemingly deserted facility surrounded by a large fence, and signage stating `Military Testing Facility' and `Keep Out' (it seemed pretty clear to me, as I could read it, but these two knuckleheads completely missed it, bringing to mind the old adage, `if it was a snake, it would have bit you'). Anyway, lunkhead number one and lunkhead number two, looking for a place to camp for the night, decide this looks promising, and make their way past the fence to find a large, in-ground cement pool. Do you think it contains piranha? And do you also think said piranha are hungry? I do, on both counts, especially given that it's the title of the film. Anyway, they decide to go swimming and quickly discover the pool contains more than water. We also learn the facility isn't entirely deserted...

  Apparently someone cares about these two now missing backpackers, enough so to hire private investigator Maggie McKeown (Menzies) to look for them. While initiating her search in the general area, she find a shack occupied by Paul Grogan (Dillman), a divorced, reclusive, mass alcohol consuming (every five minutes he's swilling from a canteen, but never actually seems to get drunk) outdoorsman type, who she basically enlists to aid her, despite his protests, in her search. They find the deserted military facility, which was once some sort of breeding farm for fish, and decide to drain the large pool in hopes of finding clues. As they throw the switch, they get attacked by a wily old man (his name is Dr. Robert Hoak, played by McCarthy) as he freaks out learning that the fish have been released into the river system. The manage to subdue him, and he speaks of his experiments, specifically his genetic experiments for the military in creating a super breed of piranha, meant for use during the Vietnam conflict, but since the war ended, the program was terminated, but apparently no one told Dr. Hoak. So now the highly aggressive and carnivorous super fish are in the local river system. And they're hungry...and breeding...

  For a B movie, this tends to one of the better ones I've seen. Even here you can see that Dante has talent in directing, despite what I am sure was probably an extremely tight shooting schedule (Corman always kept this aspect tight). Sayles provides a better than average script for this type of outing, and the actors present enjoyable performances. I do tire of the whole `government and/or big business conspiracy' cliché that is so often used in films of any type to move the plot along, as it tends to indicate a lack of imagination (just look at some Steven Segal movies, specifically On Deadly Ground (1994) and The Patriot (1998), for a couple of examples). I especially liked the scenes with Keenan Wynn speaking of how much the river gives him, and also the scenes with Dick Miller, who plays the sleazy real estate agent and proprietor of Aquarena, an entertainment water park that recently opened along the river. He's got one of the more memorable scenes in the film when his assistant approaches him about piranha in the waters, and he asks, "What about the godd@mn piranha?!", to which the assistant replies, "The piranha...they're EATING the guests, sir". Paul Bartel also makes a great appearance as an uptight director of a summer camp located on the river (do you think a big part of their program involves swimming?). The special effects are quite good (no CGI work here) and there is a good helping of blood and underwater scenes with the fish tearing flesh off hapless victims.

  Presented here is an excellent looking full screen print (Dante claims this is the original aspect ratio of the film, but the titles appear to be in wide screen format). Special features here are copious, including a commentary track by director Dante and producer Jon Davidson, original theatrical trailer, a blooper reel, a short `Making of' documentary, cast biographies, a reproduction of the original Theatrical Marketing Guide, an eight page booklet titled `The History of Roger Corman, and trailers for some of Corman's other films including Grand Theft Auto (1977) and Humanoids from the Deep (1980), among others. If I learned anything from Piranha, it's that if you are warn authorities about mutant piranha loose in a populated waterway, you're better off crying toxic waste, as they not apt to believe the piranha thing.

  Cookieman108
  
  

• Camp Classic Deserves a Look

  
  By A1GB1Q193DNFGR on 2000-05-31
  Joe Dante's Piranha is a very humorous spoof and a fine homage to Steven Spielberg's classic Jaws. Though plagued with poor acting from Bradford Dillman, Heather Menzies, and Keenan Wynn, this is definitely not the type of film that you would ever take seriously. The inside film jokes and cinema references add a lot of intelligent spice to the film's proceedings, but it is the cheesy yet effective special effects by Phil Tippett (Robocop) that make Piranha a must see for mosnter movie buffs. Watch out for the obviously fake piranha as they make a spectacular bloddy debacle of a children's summer camp. The DVD edition of Piranha has many elaborate features including a Joe Dante commenty, a making-of-documentary, film bloppers, and other theatrical trailers of Corman films. P.S. Joe Dante would later go on to direct such horror classics as The Howling and Gremlins.
  
  

• Okay, SOME of the Piranha scenes looked okay, I guess

  
  By A3GRN6J64F2C3X on 2001-12-04
  Yes, I know John Sayles wrote this, and there ARE some good moments both in the action and characterization areas, but in the end, I'm afraid "Piranha" isn't a very good film. Way too many opportunities are missed that could have resulted in good scenes and interesting situations-- and, no, I'm not just talking about the goofy camp counselor interrupting his two nubile young employees just as they were about to disrobe for an impromptu midnight swim! But I'm recommending this DVD for two reasons: 1) Though the movie isn't very good, it certainly isn't boring, and 2) Joe Dante & Jon Davison's commentary track is terrific, loaded with anecdotes and inside information about Roger Corman's world of low-budget film making. This is yet another DVD (see also "Battle Beyond the Stars" and "Humanoids From The Deep") where the movie itself is one of the smaller attractions of a very entertaining disc!
  
  

• Get out of the water!

  
  By A2V3P1XE33NYC3 on 2005-10-09
  Where would we be without the venerable Roger Corman? Lovers of B-movie madness would likely have a lot more time on their hands to read books, interact with family, or take part in generally otherwise fulfilling life experiences had old Rog chosen a different career path. Fortunately, or unfortunately as the case may be, Corman sat out in Hollywood for three or four decades making low budget exploitation films. He also tried to cash in on every movie fad in modern cinema. And I do mean EVERY fad. You see, Roger had a dream to take an idea and make a profitable picture out of it that would entertain the masses. The problem was that someone else invariably had the idea first. Thus Lucas's "Star Wars" allowed Corman to unleash "Battle Beyond the Stars" on an unsuspecting public. Car chase movies saw Roger replying with "Grand Theft Auto" and "Eat My Dust." I could go on and on. There wasn't anything Corman couldn't do with someone else's idea. Perhaps the best example is "Piranha," a 1978 ripoff of Spielberg's "Jaws." This film made our man a lot of money, which allowed him to make even more spectacular ripoffs for years to come.
  
  The flick starts with a couple of kids breaking into some sort of rundown fish hatchery for an evening swim. Something in the water kills them. End of movie. Seriously, something rather nasty does do away with the two idiots. We then see an insurance investigator by the name of Maggie McKeown (Heather Menzies on loan from Julie Andrews) heading out to discover what happened to these two dolts. She rather quickly hooks up with an embittered alcoholic with a penchant for flannel named Paul Grogan (Bradford Dillman channeling Grizzly Adams) who lives in a cabin down by the river. Somehow or other Maggie convinces Paul to head over to the fish hatchery with her. Sure enough they discover that something sinister has been going on there under the aegis of Dr. Robert Hoak (Kevin McCarthy). How do we know this? Because there's lots of nasty looking scientific stuff lying around all over the place. Anyway, Hoak eventually lets our two heroes in on a little secret: the government paid him a bunch of money to create a breed of piranha as part of some weapons program. Personally, I'm for anything that keeps communists out of our swimming pools, lakes, and rivers.
  
  While all this nonsense goes on we know the piranha have escaped from the hatchery (thanks Maggie and Paul!) and are preparing a full-scale assault on the human race. A few locals fall prey first, but the real threat is the summer camp and an aquatic park downriver. Just to ratchet up the emotional element of the film a bit, we also learn that Paul's daughter is currently attending the camp. Oh dear! It's a race against time as Paul and Maggie set out with the twitchy Dr. Hoak in tow to stop the madness. As for the folks at the camp and the park, they haven't a clue as to what's about to happen. The only concern at the camp is the fascistic machinations of Mr. Dumont (Paul Bartel), a guy who takes great joy in ordering kids into the water and snooping on the foxy female counselors. At the water park, the owner plans on making a bundle on opening day and couldn't care less if a battleship full of exposed nuclear waste sailed into harbor. You can pretty much guess what happens in the last part of the film. Screaming, blood in the water, and a lot of out of shape Americans in unflattering bathing suits thrashing around on the beach in agonies. Fun!
  
  I don't know whether to laugh or cry with this one, folks. Lots of people adore this film, and I probably would to if I'd seen it as a wee lad. I didn't, and I'm not that impressed. The swarms of piranha zipping through the water look so like the pieces of plastic they are that it's tough not to snicker. It's even worse when we see them up close chattering away on an exposed leg or belly. We're definitely looking at cheesefest central on a buck and a half budget here. At the same time, I did find a lot to like about the film. Seeing veteran horror babe Barbara Steele popping up from time to time as a government scientist named Dr. Mengers was a nice surprise, although she's largely wasted in the role. Kevin McCarthy plays frazzled well, and the script requires him to morph into a sniveling wimp for most of his screen time. Heck, we even see Richard Deacon (Mel from "The Dick Van Dyke Show") in a small role as Maggie's boss. Can't beat that. The talent behind the camera is moderately impressive too considering the budget. Joe Dante directed this flick, and John Sayles wrote the script. Both men went on to greater success, Dante with "Gremlins" and Sayles with "Eight Men Out," "The Howling," and several other mainstream movies.
  
  Extras on the disc include a commentary track, extra footage, bloopers, and a few other odds and ends. Corman apparently took this film, or at least a similar concept, to television in the mid-1990s. If so, I haven't seen that version and thus cannot make a comparison. If the remake, or retread, or whatever it is looks and sounds like this movie, more laughs await us. Corman continues to churn out pap at an alarming rate, and has even recently inked a deal with Disney that will release his entire catalogue on DVD and keep it in circulation until the sun burns out. I've dogged on Corman quite a bit, but I do appreciate his films. If nothing else they are entertaining, and this one definitely works most of the time.
  
  
  

• Tim Correll's Review for Piranha

  
  By on 2000-02-24
  Piranha is one of my absolute favorite movies ever. It is in the same league as Jaws. There are a lot of Jaws ripoffs; Piranha is the best. The remake was surprisingly entertaining. The sequel to the original Piranha (dubbed Piranha 2: The Spawining; also dubbed Piranha 2: Flying Killers) is one of the worst movies I will ever see. Anybody who likes humor in their horror movies should definately see the original version as well as the remake of this top notch classic "creature feature" sci-fi/horror movie.
  
  
• THE PIRANHAS ARE EATING THE GUESTS
  By A3LZGLA88K0LA0 on 2005-06-16
  A justifiable cult classic, PIRANHA boasts an impressive pedigree. Oscar nominated screenwriter John Sayles; director Joe Dante (Gremlins); and some fine character actors: Bradford Dillman, Keenan Wynn, Dick Miller, Paul Bartel, Barbara Steele. The attacks are vicious and quickly paced so you don't pay too much attention to the cheesy special effects. There's satire about the military as well. There are some good suspense sequences, and I almost forgot: Body Snatcher's Kevin McCarthy is on board as the misguided scientist. The best of the subsequent spinoffs, PIRANHA is a great little horror classic.
  
  
• Great fun!
  By A29R4FCO6RFX4K on 2005-06-18
  One of the directors that suffered through Roger Corman's shamelessly cheesy horror film school to make a break in Hollywood, Joe Dante has directed some scary and fantastic movies (The Howling, Gremlins etc) but in my opinion, PIRANHA is his best work. And this is Steven Spielberg's favourite JAWS ripoff, not bad for a film like this, and high praise for the genre. The music is just fantastic too, slowly creeping towards a full-blown finale. A moderate success when first released, this has become a cult classic perfect for over-the-top Saturday night fun. A must-have on DVD. Ignore James Cameron's dissapointing sequel and relish the original in all its feindishly warped glory.
  
  
• Surprisingly outstanding!
  By on 2002-02-09
  Wow! This movie is even BETTER than Jaws! There are more beautiful, young women in skimpy bikinis, there's more blood and guts, and it's far less ambitious in trying to be "good." The piranha attack scenes were nothing short of spine-tingling, and they are even startling enough to make some folks puke. (I didn't puke, but you get the idea.) All in all, this a fantastic movie, especially if you're drunk.
  
  
• Piranha is a classic!!!
  By A3FNOMJG1MKQYG on 2003-10-03
  i never would have thought that they would release the 20th anniversary edition of Piranha, but they did! and it's GREAT!

  if you thought you were safe in the water by swimming in rivers, think again! Piranha's might be near you.

  they actually did a very good, two thumbs up job on cleaning and sharpening up the movie for your DVD viewing pleasure.

  when shown on TBS, it tends to be very blurry, but WOW, they really did an excellent job in sharpening the image and quality of the this all time cult classic.

  i haven't seen all of the special features, but it has plenty.

  for those who grew up in the late 70s or early 80s and liked cheesy horror films, or grew up to the films shown on TBS, then Piranha is your film!!!
  
  

• One of my all-time favorite cult horror films!
  By A5DIAZ5GT3MC on 2004-02-07
  As a kid growing up on all the classic monster films on TV, this low-budget Roger Corman creature feature was always one of my favorites. As a teenage video collector in the 90's, I found this to be nearly impossible to find on VHS. Now as an adult in my early 20's, I own not only the video but have recently picked up the DVD and what a trip down memory lane, this "special edition" was for me.

  "Piranha" is Corman's answer to "Jaws", a bad genre film that takes joy in being a bad genre film. When a private investigator goes looking for two missing kids at an old army test, she unwittingly releases a school of mutated killer piranha into the town's river system. With the help of a local mountain man, the two try to warn everyone from the military to a local resort. As is always the case in these films, the military has another agenda and they don't want the truth revealed.

  Over the years, "Piranha" has earned a reputation as a true cult classic. With a great script from John Sayles, an amazing musical score from Pino Donaggio, and tremendous performances from underrated actors like Dick Miller, Keenan Wynn, Paul Bartel, and horror legend Barbara Steele, "Piranha" is the ultimate "nature goes wrong" B-movie.

  My only real complaint about this DVD is that it is presented in a full-frame format (though the opening credits are finally presented in widescreen as the other way cuts the names pretty badly). Well, that and the fact that they didn't include any of the added footage from the original network TV version. Those complaints aside, it is good to hear director Joe Dante (who went on to direct "Gremlins") and producer Jon Davison reminisicing on the filming of this movie. Not to mention, the added value of seeing lots of never-before-seen footage from the making of the film. If you loved this movie growing up or are just a fan of the classic "creature feature" titles, this is a must-have.
  
  

• Camp, Predictable, but fun!
  By on 1999-11-24
  This is NOT a great movie, but of its kind it is most enjoyable. It is several things---a parody of Jaws and its ilk, a shocker in its own right, a comedy, a bloodbath. A highlight for me is the appearance of Paul Bartel, who has delighted me in such opuses as EATING RAOUL and TALES OF THE CITY/MORE TALES OF THE CITY. The special effects, while rather primitive by contemporary standards, DO work. The plot is well crafted. Do NOT expect to see art, but do expect a good entertainment!
  
  
• From Ari Shmary, your crazy Young & Restless Fan.
  By ANHVVIWNHOK7A on 2003-02-18
  A classic B-movie with Nikki Newman in it (Melody Thomas Scott). She looked wonderful as usual wearing her cute cut jean shorts & sweet shoulder-exposed ruffled halter top. 1978 when Nikki was how old? The minute she stepped on the summer camp scene in the beginning, I knew it was her & prayed they wouldn't kill her off. She had many lines & all of them were with her natural-born flare & her cute facial & lips expressions. Blond, young and as sweet as the day Victor Newman met her as a stripper. But she wasn't stripping here, she was an innocent camp supervisor and played it super well. Her first part was small, and I was pleasantly surprised later when she appeared again & again. Screaming with everyone but of course like Nikki, she's so concerned about everyone she barely has time to save herself. If you're a Y& R fan like me & love to see the characters in the show, on other movies when they were younger, then I think you'll love this one. Enjoy it.
  
  
• Something To Sink Your Teeth Into
  By A2NSEHGMUSE2U2 on 2004-09-22
  As far as 80's horror sci-fi, I can't recommend much better. This movie has a pretty predictable, though well paced plot left over from the 50's, updated for the 80's. Scientist creates a species of super piranha, funded by the military, and they escape into a North American river system. The special effects range from okay (the underwater scenes of the school of piranha moving by) to the exquisitely grotesque (close-ups of the piranha feasting on human flesh while victims scream and flail hopelessly). It is at times an edge of the seat thriller. This early film of Joe Dante (The Howling and Gremlins and Gremlins 2) is cut and paced perfectly for the scares and thrill ride it offers. Bradford Dillman makes a strong, believable hero, and Heather Menzies a tough and resourceful leading lady. There are some wonderful appearances by Roger Corman favorites Barbara Steele and Dick Miller, and a standout performance by Kevin McCarthy (Invasion of the Body Snatchers) as the "mad scientist" who has a heart in the end.
  
  The Special Features includes a commentary by director Joe Dante and producer Jon Davison. I was not sure how to take their comments, as at times they seemed humble and appreciative of the experience, and at other times seemed embarrassed by this early B-grade production. And yet, it all seems pretty laid-back and fun, and in the end they both seemd to appreciate what they had accomplished. I found myself laughing outloud at the circumstances they found themselves in while trying to put this complicated production together, both novices in movie-making. In any case, I love the movie, and I'm very glad they made it. If your hesitant to buy the dvd because you think of it as an obvious rip-off of "Jaws", you are absolutely correct; it was. However, the film is also a homage to "Jaws" as is evident right from the first scene, when leading lady Heather Menzies is playing an early primitive computer game called, what else, "Jaws".
  
  Don't let the full-screen format bother you, as the film was originally filmed in a 4 x 3 format for eventual release to the television audiences.
  
  
• Legendary Rubber Fish Parody-Melodrama, Corman Style!
  By A2NOZB6VZCTOI4 on 2004-10-10
  This is a silly, fun, extravagant rubber fish nibbling on campers type movie produced by the legend himself, Roger Corman (actually he is credited as an executive producer) and directed by Joe Dante. Of course the entire movie is nothing but an underfunded version of "Jaws" for the tropical fish enthusiast, and as such has every major subplot you would expect. My favorite is the attempt to close down the resort where the fish were headed and the chaos that ensues (particularly relishing the line "The piranhas are eating the guests, sir" spoken by a dutiful underling.)
  
  The film stars Bradford Dillman (who?) and cute Heather Menzies who you may have caught in "The Sound of Music" (!) with special and amusing guest appearances by Keenan Wynn, Paul Bartel, and Barbara Steele. The acting isn't bad given the level of the script, but I do find the whole scenario in which Dillman and Menzies are thrown together (was it fate?) a bit ridiculous, and I find the resolution of their relationship at the end of the film unfulfilling: it's like the director ran out of film and just tacked "The End" on the last frame.
  
  The plot is fairly entertaining in the silly, eye-rolling way of Corman films: crazy scientist with mutant fish (evil Army programs and toxic waste plays a part, of course), a very contrived release of said fish into a stream which cohabitates with a major Arkansas summer camp and resort. Lots of rubber fish take up the rest of the movie, creating pandemonium wherever they go. (I wonder if this was the future home of the "Whitewater" development.)
  
  Interestingly for a DVD like this, it has a lot of extras. It has the original trailer, cast biographies, preview attractions, and a "Making of Piranha" feature, in which the fish look even sillier than in the film itself, and finally a short of bloopers.
  
  Sure it's a rip-off of "Jaws", sure it's stupid, sure the fish look ludicrous, but that's where the fun starts: it's a Corman picture, after all. Sit back and enjoy. Not the cream of the B-movie crop, but mindlessly enjoyable, nonetheless. I recommend it to B-movie fans with a score of four stars.
  
  
  
• Don't pull the plug on this one!
  By A35WVFSULRE1G9 on 2005-06-27
  Piranha is a well directed, fast paced, tongue in cheek, homage to Jaws. A young Joe Dante shows his directing talents, and Rob Bottin, (fx-effects-then only 17), shows his early talents too. Rob later went on to The Howling, The Thing, etc. a genius. Dante, directed The Howling, and Gremlins, both films have so many hidden tributes to other films I can't count them all. Now back to this film, based on the unprecedented success of Jaws, sooner or later ripoffs come. But this isn't a ripoff, characters differ hugely, unlike Grizzly(read my review), and humor is splattered throughout, where Jaws was in the whole, intensely serious. The effects are pretty darn convincing, you learn to actually relate with the characters, and hey, it's a Corman film, king of the B movies, and his best, hands down. This is a cult classic, remade identical for T.V. with William Katt, which sucked. Not a heck of a-lot of scares, but very fast paced and keeps ya glued to the screen. Looks great on DvD, the visuals are very bright and clear.....and that piranha sound is enough to leave you a little on edge. Enjoy the film, don't expect Pacino performances or awards, but instead, what a group of young, talented, dedicated, people set out to do, a fun film.
  
  
• Sweet
  By A3OM407XLF1D5M on 2000-07-03
  It was, in a word, sweet. One of the greats as cheesy horror flicks go.
  
  
• "THE PIRANHAS, THEY'RE EATING THE GUESTS, SIR..."
  By on 2002-02-01
  I LOVE THIS MOVIE. IT MANAGES TO HAVE A FEW SCARY MOMENTS WHILE LOADING UP THE CHEESE. THERE ARE SO MANY FUNNY LINES IN THIS MOVIE, AND WE CAN'T FORGET THE MAN WHO HOLDS HIS BREATH UNDERWATER FOR WHAT HAS TO BE 5 MINUTES. I SMILE JUST THINKING ABOUT IT. THIS IS ONE OF CORMAN'S BEST EFFORTS AND A MUST FOR FANS OF CHEESY HORROR. NOW, IF ONLY WE COULD GET THE MST BOTS TO DO A VOICE OVER.....
  
  
• Pretty good
  By AEFRJ6ZBKGZV2 on 2003-04-25
  Piranha,a 1970's classic about chemical's getting into the river and making the piranha's much worse than they normally are.Some chick and an old dude try to save people from the man eating Piranha's.Pretty good movie,if you are into this stuff.
  
  
• silly but enjoyable movie that brings back memories for me
  By A6AK04O45NUOR on 2004-03-23
  I used to love this movie when I was little. One of the things that fascinated me most about it was that it was filmed in San Marcos, Texas, at a riverside resort called Aquarena Springs. My grandmother and I used to vacation there every spring and summer for years. It was a lot of fun. If you went on the glass-bottom boatride, the guide would tell the story of how and where the piranha attacks were filmed. He would also point out how in the same exact river, the underwater scenes for THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON were filmed, and also how Johnny Weismuller, the screen's first Tarzan, swam to the bottom of the deepest spring (years before the resort itself was built). Ralph the Swimming Pig, who makes an appearance in this movie, was still around when I would go (although I doubt it was the original pig as seen in the movie). We would even see the submarine show, which is also featured in the movie. I had a lot of great times at Aquarena Springs, and since the place has now been closed down and its hotel converted into an office building, this movie is my only means of revisiting that place that gave me so many good memories over the years. It's upsetting that the place can no longer be enjoyed by real people, and that it's now just a place where the suits do more of their money-mongering. A real shame. Oh well. Silly but enjoyable movie, great memories for me. R.I.P. Aquarena Springs.
  
  
• Better than the other fish movie...
  By A1RJXO99BU5ZU5 on 2005-03-22
  Maybe it's the iconoclast in me, but I think this effort by Joe Dante is BETTER than Jaws. There is a sense of fun here that I always enjoy about Dante's work. The very presence of Barbara Steele is enough to make this a slam-dunk. There is wonderfully clever cheapness throughout this romp and the disc looks lovely.
  My only caveat is the SHABBY booklet included with the disc. It's full of typos. Whoever did the layout on this thing was asleep at the switch!
  Great disc though.
  
  
• JAWS JUNIOR...
  By AIMR915K4YCN on 2005-03-27
  A detective (Heather "Ssssss" Menzies) teams up with a crusty alcoholic (Bradford "Bug" Dillman) in order to locate a missing pair of hikers. Little do they know, the couple has already been shredded and consumed by a school of genetically-altered super-piranha after taking a dip in a fenced-off pool! You see, it wasn't just any old swimming hole! It seems that yet another nefarious government agency has been trifling with nature, producing the usual results. During their search, our heroes stumble upon the secret facility, only to release the chomping horde of death into the nearby river! A scientist (Kevin "Invasion Of The Body Snatchers" McCarthy) joins the duo after telling them what they've just done. Off they go on a Huck Finn log-raft to save mankind. PIRANHA is a lot of fun to watch, especially if you like old horror movies w/ extra cheese. Keenan Wynn gets his legs shaved a bit too close, and Barbara Steele (She Beast, Nightmare Castle) is a scientist! You even get Dick Miller (Bucket Of Blood) as a greedy amusement park owner, and Paul Bartel (director of Death Race 2000) as the world's most annoying camp counselor! The underwater people-munching scenes are pretty snappy too! Would make an excellent double feature with HUMANOIDS FROM THE DEEP...
  
  
• As awful as this movie is, I love the hell out of it.
  By A2EDZH51XHFA9B on 2005-04-05
  Piranha (Joe Dante, 1978)
  
  Okay, so here are three names for you.
  
  Roger Corman, legendary producer of bad low-budget horror movies.
  
  John Sayles, America's best-loved unknown scriptwriter.
  
  Joe Dante, director of some of the best-loved films of the 1980s.
  
  What do these three people have in common? Piranha.
  
  Corman was, of course, already a household name in 1978, having already produced well over a hundred films by that time (he has since tripled that number), including Death Race 2000 (starring a then up-and-coming young actor named Sylvester Stallone), Caged Heat (which sparked the women-in-prison exploitation genre), and Dementia 13 (for which he conscripted a young director named Francis Ford Coppola, giving him his first directorial credit). Sayles was selling his first screenplay, and Dante was directing his third film. Both were still a few years away from gaining the stardom they found in the eighties (Sayles went on to something akin to stardom after rewriting this script for Alligator, and Dante achieved megastar status when he teamed up with Sayles and Corman-- this time, as an actor-- again for The Howling).
  
  Do you really need a plot synopsis? Maggie McKeown (Heather Minzies, best known for The Sound of Music) is a skip tracer sent to look for a couple of teenagers who've disappeared. While looking for them, she hooks up with Paul Grogan (Bradford Dillman, just off The Swarm), and the two of them discover an abandoned government base where Dr. Hoak (Kevin McCarthy, still going strong at almost ninety years old; he most recently appeared in Looney Tunes: Back in Action) has been genetically mutating a school of piranha, whom Maggie accidentally lets out into the nearby river. Complications, as they say, ensue.
  
  To sit here and call Piranha great cinema would utterly destroy what little cred, if any, I've managed to gain during my reviewing career. It's an awful movie, with the trademark Corman special effects (the swarming piranha are depicted by what look like cardboard cutouts), terrible acting, and a plot that's held together with spit, chewing gum, and every monster movie cliché known to mankind. Absolutely horrid. That said, you can't help but love it. Much of the film's cult quality comes from watching veteran actors turn in horrid performances (there's even a urn by the legendary Barbara Steele as a government scientist struggling to cover the story up). Sayles' script is often hysterical, as many of his early scripts were, and Date's direction is the essence of frenetic. This is bad cinema the way bad cinema is supposed to be. It's Jaws on a really bad acid trip. See it and marvel at how engaging truly stupid cinema can be. *** ½
  
  
• More great silly fun from Roger Corman.
  By A15PVKTO6JXT26 on 2005-05-20
  Corman's movies always seem to have an element of humour to them and piranha is no exception. You could really sit down with a few friends over some beers and have a good laugh at this. Although, the fact that children get nibbled on is somewhat foul play in my opinion. Any head to head caparison with the Jaws movies is unnecessary. For one thing, this movie does not take itself anywhere near as seriously as Jaws. The production values are much lower and the budget was obviously far more constrained. However the acting is spirited and key actor Branford Dillman is a poor man's Burt Reynolds on steroids - escaping from small town cops and turning on a "dukes of hazard" style driving display. This is all good fun and looking at many of today's movies there should be more of it. The movie has plenty of shots of half eaten people and bodyparts flashing past the lens, but nothing substantial enough to be considered high on gore. The suspense has been all but removed with the passage of time and you tend to look forward to the next attack as a highlight of the movie anyway. Nudity consists of a pair of breasts in the opening scene so nothing to get too excited about on that front either. Overall, I say that this is one of Corman's tamer more mainstream efforts.
  
  
• Fun "Jaws" Rip-Off B Movie
  By A3O536E2YOKK4Y on 2005-06-06
  I give "Piranha" 5 Stars not because it's a great movie (like "Jaws") but because of its high entertainment value -- it's just a FUN ride! The Amazon reviewer right below me, "Dr Martini," gives a very accurate review of "Piranha," so I won't reiterate; but let me add a couple of informational tidbits:
  
  The film was recorded along a river near San Marcos in the heart of Texas (Northeast of San Antonio).
  
  The film is highlighted by numerous peripheral cuties with the alluring Belinda Balaski (from "The Howling") and Melody Thomas Scott (from "The Young and the Restless") featured in fairly prominent roles.
  
  "Piranha" is widely (and inexplicably) available at a very low price and is well worth it. Enjoy!
  
  
• Piranha (1978)
  By A1NSUJJCG73IRF on 2006-01-09
  Director: Joe Dante
  Cast: Bradford Dillman, Heather Menzies, Kevin McCarthy, Keenan Wynn, Dick Miller, Barbara Steele, Belinda Balaski, Melody Thomas Scott, Bruce Gordon.
  Running Time: 94 minutes
  Rated R for violence, gore, language, and nudity.
  
  Piranha" is a very engaging and often gross film, filled with tongue-in-cheek humor and very rich on cult aspects. Joe Dante's directing is sublime and John Sayles' screenplay ("Alligator", "The Howling") terrifically blends black parody with genuine chills and exciting action. The story is well set in a remote Texas area where the mad scientist Robert Hoak (good supportive role by Kevin McCarthy) is still working on a new secret weapon to use in the Vietnam War, even though it's already over. 'Operation Razorteeth' revolves on artificially bred piranhas that are able to survive in cold saltwater and they reproduce at a dazzling speed. When the perky investigator Maggie (Heather Menzies) and the estranged drunk Paul (Bradford Dillman) accidentally allow these finned flesh-eaters to escape in the local river, it's up to themselves again to save the nearby tourist attractions from the ravenous little monsters. That's certainly not an easy thing to achieve, considering the fact there are many corrupt politicians, businessmen and army commanders who attempt to cover the whole thing up.
  
  "Piranha" is yet another fine example to demonstrate that the 70's were the most outrageous years for horror cinema. The witty script generally steals wholesale from Spielberg's "Jaws", but it's unscrupulous enough to add social mockery and even clean images of innocent children getting slaughtered. Throw in some extra sleaze, camp, absurd characters and stylish music and you've got yourself one of the very rare true American exploitation movies. Like it's pretty much the trademark of director Joe Dante ("The Howling", "Gremlins"), he stuffs his film with cinematic in-jokes and endless references towards other genre classics. The nasty little fishes devour their human victims in gruesome ways and what's left over isn't exactly pretty to look at. Bradford Dillman and Heather Menzies do well as the leads, but its supporting cast in particular that is worth naming. The "Roger Corman" regulars Dick Miller, Kevin McCarthy and Paul Bartel shine as the hypocrite and greedy Texans, but the casting choice that is the most appealing is Barbara Steele as the female scientist Dr. Menders. The pace of the film is good, and while the script shows some holes, the plot usually lasts out. It gets a bit hectic towards the end and Dante would have been better served with less carnage and more tension to give the movie a better finale. The effects are pretty much non-existent, as the movie just uses cuts of fish swimming and a bit of fake blood for most of it's shocks. Still, this is a very fun movie and one that people who enjoy a good time will enjoy.
  
  
• I'l have a little bite of this and a little bite of that...
  By A2USGZHHRQ6X5F on 2006-04-07
  This film has various things going on in it. At times it is quite funny and tongue-in-cheek. But it does have it's ominous moments. One that stands out the most is when the summer camp kids are being nibbled on and watch their nice counselor get taken down by the relentless fish. The music during that scene is intense. But it doesn't stay too serious for very long. Not when we still have a large supply of annoying tourists to take care of down the river.
  Here's the thing with a film like this: If you don't like your humour dark, you're not going to like it. But if you appreciate a good helping of cheese in your film diet, this film should fill you up. Happy Eating!!!
  
  
• Jaws it isn't, but it's definitely worth a watch
  By A3EOVXI1VZIHUQ on 2007-01-10
  Somehow this B horror movie manages to be entirely ridiculous, and yet still entertain. Piranha walks the thin line between intentionally campy and seriously trying to scare. And it does so better than most horror films. I think the grainy films of the 70's just work better for horror. When everything's crisp you actually have to have good acting, good script, and good effects.
  
  This film has a mediocre amount of all three of those. The piranha (genetically altered by the government, MUTANT piranha, I mean) are never really seen clearly, so their realism isn't that big a deal. The plot revolves around some campers that go missing and a woman sent to find them. She somehow immediately decides they must have disappeared at the old abandoned military facility and breaks through the locked gate to get in. Then she decides to drain their pool to see if the bodies are there, unknowingly releasing mutant piranhas into a quiet Texas river.
  
  What ensues is one of the sillier horror/action(?) escapades ever on the screen. The two heros travel down the river on a makeshift raft to warn everyone of the piranhas and make sure that the dam doesn't get opened, releasing the piranha on to a children's summer camp.
  
  Of course, the piranha know when anyone is in the river at any point throughout and will be there to nibble them apart in a matter of seconds. Anyway, the film never bores and the gore is pretty believable. It's also got the gratuitous breast flashing expected in early horror movies, and the open ending.
  
  The best part of the DVD is the blooper reel. If I had my way, every movie would have a blooper reel. This one is especially good, because they're from the 70's. How many blooper reels are 30 years old?
  
  
• Jaws Rip Off
  By A1L7DRKWHWRE2B on 2002-11-01
  Yeh I know we've all established that for godsake you don't need to see it to know that just look at the damn cover. I don't see why it's an 18 over here it's not that gory I've seen far worse. However for a [low] budget rip-off it was funny and somehow made success the special effects are [bad] but for that year I suppose they'll do but I've seen toys more lifelike.
  
  
• Jaws Rip Off
  By A1L7DRKWHWRE2B on 2002-10-31
  Yeh I know we've all established that for godsake you don't need to see it to know that just look at the damn cover. I don't see why it's an 18 over here it's not that gory I've seen far worse. However for a cheap budget rip-off it was funny and somehow made success the special effects are crap but for that year I suppose they'll do but I've seen toys more lifelike.
  
  
• bzuzzuuxuzuuuzuzuuzzuzuxuzzzzuzzzzzuzzzzzz...
  By AHZCS8AX50HH4 on 2003-07-24
  the best part of this movie is the ominous buzzing sound made by the pirahnas when they attack! yummy.
  
  

• Piranha 2: The Spawning
• Alligator
• Happy Birthday to Me
• The Burning
• Piranha