Piranha

This movie rocks! One of the very best B movies of the 70's. OK I did see this movie on TV when I was a small child and yes I was scared for very good reasons. It wasn't safe to swim in the ocean and now rivers weren't safe. What next pools? This horror classic is fun to watch with friends just for laughs. OK you can see the strings on the piranhas, and yes the fins don't move? It is a little unbelievable. Or is it??? Unfortunately this movie is a hard to find which I find very disappointing. I would love to carry this title on DVD and purchase this as a great gag gifts for a few of my friends whom also love classic B movies! I myself highly recommend this movie especially if you enjoy B movies such as Day of the Animals, SSSSSS, and Alligator. I promise you a good time… Just beware of fresh water!

Scientists developed a variety of piranha which can live in fresh and salt water. Then the government project closed down, and they poisoned the water. But the fish survived, and eat Keenan Wynn. It's a dumb-sounding idea for a film, one of the many movies that came out after the success of JAWS. Surprisingly, it's a funny spoof of the movie, from the posters based on the mega-hit's poster, to director Joe Dante having two-legged reptiles running around, to a silly pastiche of the beach scene. Writer John Sayles was so disgusted that he thought about giving up on film, returning to novels Instead, he took his earnings and made RETURN OF THE SECAUCUS SEVEN, and Steven Spielberg thought it was so funny, you talked Universal out of a lawsuit and hired Dante.

Better than expected. Having seen the 2010 version of Piranha (and the 2012 sequel, which was even worse) I really didn't expect much from this, the 1978 original. Turns out it's not bad, and better than I expected. Starts very well - setting the scene, developing the plot and characters. There is a genuine feeling of intrigue and engagement. You keep thinking "How are they going to stop this?". From a point, however, it does degenerate into a B-grade creature feature, with action, body count and gore being the main drivers. It also feels like a bad ripoff of Jaws. However, for the most part it is reasonably enjoyable and worth the watch.

The 1978 Roger Corman produced picture Piranha was about…well, piranha. Killer fish escape a government research lab and kill hapless vacationers, fishermen, and scientists. The film could have been real hokey if not for writer John Sayles and director Joe Dante. The two of them would become very successful in Hollywood with the release of The Howling. The cast is full of familiar faces such as Kevin McCarthy, Paul Bartel, Dante regulars Robert Picardo and Dick Miller, and Barbra Steele. The effects are cheesy but that's part of the fun. I believe that they made the best movie about menacing fish that they could. It has just the right mix of comedy and terror and it's entertaining. The Jaws video game was a nice touch too. "They're eating the guests, sir."