Piranha

Rating:
Summary: bzuzzuuxuzuuuzuzuuzzuzuxuzzzzuzzzzzuzzzzzz...
Review: the best part of this movie is the ominous buzzing sound made by the pirahnas when they attack! yummy.

Rating:
Summary: Legendary Rubber Fish Parody-Melodrama, Corman Style!
Review: 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.


Rating:
Summary: "The piranhas....they're eating the guests, sir..."
Review: We all know that producer Roger Corman made "Piranha" to exploit the success of "Jaws"--just look at the poster art for Spielberg's sake. But what was intended to be a low-budget knock-off became a classic B-movie because John Sayles produced a clever script and Corman assigned Joe Dante to direct. Dante would later go on to direct "The Howling" and "Gremlins," as well as "Rock and Roll High School" and "Amazon Women on the Moon" (the man does not forget his roots). Ultimately, "Piranha" is every bit as much of a spoof as it is a ripoff, which raises it to the highest level of B-Movie grandeur. The story, such as it is in such things, has flesh-eating piranhas being released into the river of the Lost River Lake resort. Bradford Dillman, Heather Menzies, and Keenan Wynn are the most recognizable faces trying to avoid being eaten by the wee beasties, although you horror film buffs will also recognize not only Kevin "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" McCarthy but Barbara Steele, Queen of the Italian Horror Films. The DVD extras clearly reflect a grand affection for this film with commentary from Dante and producer Jon Davison, deleted footage, theatrical trailer, a "making-of" featurette for this 1978 film, material from the film's press kit, and more. When you have a classic B-Movie with A+ extras on the DVD, you have to give it five stars. Ironically, "Piranha II: The Spawning," the 1981 sequel, was the first film directed by James Cameron, who also went on to some notable successes in his later films.

Rating:
Summary: "The piranhas....they're eating the guests, sir..."
Review: We all know that producer Roger Corman made "Piranha" to exploit the success of "Jaws"--just look at the poster art for Spielberg's sake. But what was intended to be a low-budget knock-off became a classic B-movie because John Sayles produced a clever script and Corman assigned Joe Dante to direct. Dante would later go on to direct "The Howling" and "Gremlins," as well as "Rock and Roll High School" and "Amazon Women on the Moon" (the man does not forget his roots). Ultimately, "Piranha" is every bit as much of a spoof as it is a ripoff, which raises it to the highest level of B-Movie grandeur. The story, such as it is in such things, has flesh-eating piranhas being released into the river of the Lost River Lake resort. Bradford Dillman, Heather Menzies, and Keenan Wynn are the most recognizable faces trying to avoid being eaten by the wee beasties, although you horror film buffs will also recognize not only Kevin "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" McCarthy but Barbara Steele, Queen of the Italian Horror Films. The DVD extras clearly reflect a grand affection for this film with commentary from Dante and producer Jon Davison, deleted footage, theatrical trailer, a "making-of" featurette for this 1978 film, material from the film's press kit, and more. When you have a classic B-Movie with A+ extras on the DVD, you have to give it five stars. Ironically, "Piranha II: The Spawning," the 1981 sequel, was the first film directed by James Cameron, who also went on to some notable successes in his later films.

Rating:
Summary: piranHAHA
Review: what is this, jurassic park? what's with those little dinosaur things??

Rating:
Summary: Surprisingly outstanding!
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Jaws Rip Off
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Okay, SOME of the Piranha scenes looked okay, I guess
Review: 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!