Piranha

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.

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.

RELEASED IN 1978 and directed by Joe Dante, "Piranha" chronicles events when genetically-enhanced piranha are accidently released into a river system in central Texas, which threaten kids & counselors at a Summer Camp and vacationers at a lake resort. A spirited skip tracer (Heather Menzies) and a backwoods drunkard (Bradford Dillman) team-up to save the swimmers. Kevin McCarthy and Barbara Steele play military scientists who experimented with the escaped piranha.

While "Piranha" is sort of a "Jaws" (1975) knockoff, it's different enough to not be a rip-off: The story takes place in a river system deep in the mainland and not the ocean; the 'monster' consists of teams of little vicious fish rather than a huge Great White Shark; the beach sequences involve quaint campground-like beaches rather than major ocean beaches; unlike "Jaws," there's a focus on alluring young women, although "Jaws 2" (1978) delivered the goods in this area as well; there's more of a sense of adventure and even suspense; and the tone mixes-in amusing elements with the horrific mayhem.

As inferred, the picture is highlighted by several quality females with curvy Belinda Balaski (from "The Howling") and cutie Melody Thomas Scott (from The Young and the Restless) featured in prominent roles. Moreover, voluptuous Janie Squire has some worthy screen time in the prologue. There are superb women in the periphery as well. Interestingly, the 2010 quasi-remake, "Piranha 3D," took the sleaze route with loads of nudity, but the women are ironically hotter here, not to mention the film's all-around more entertaining.

THE MOVIE IS LEAN and filler-free at 93 minutes and was shot along a river near San Marcos in the heart of Texas, Northeast of San Antonio. WRITERS: John Sayles and Richard Robinson.

GRADE: A-

This was a peculiar rip-off to classic ¨Jaws¨ by Steven Spielberg; Piranha (1978) got much success as well, directed by Joe Dante and stars Bradford Dillman ,Kevin McCarthy, Keenan Wynn, Dick Miller, Barbara Steele . Concerning an insurance investigator called Maggie (Heather Menzies) and her local guide, Paul (Bradford Dillman), search the Lost River Lake area to find two missing teenagers. When stumbling upon an abandoned army camp run by mad doctor Robert Hoak (Kevin McCarthy) who has been developing a mutant strain of fish, they then release by accident in the river some flesh-eating piranhas that were bred to use in the Vietnam war. The piranhas are heading straight to a nearby summer resort's lake and its guests just in time for spring break. As the piranhas attack and local police and our protagonists must work together to stop them. Piranhas make their way downstream to various swimming holes and resorts and in their own way wreaking havoc. There's Something in the Water. Don't Scream...Just Swim!. One perfect killer !. This summer, how fast can you swim? A hideous death lurked unseen in the river..!. They came downriver in their thousands. Their teeth could strip a living man to the bone in seconds. They're Here...And They're Hungry. Lost River Lake was a thriving resort - until they discovered...They're here...Hungry for flesh! Who can stop them?. Something you can't see...something you can't feel...until it's too late!. Then... you were shocked by the great white shark - Now... you are at the mercy of 1000 jaws!

Spoofy terror movie features the now-obligatory Dante film in-jokes in the background. It's a passable film with a creepy creation of tension, thrills, underwater terror, exploitation and lots of blood and gore , but being paced in tongue-in-cheek, B-style. The plot is well-known: an accident frees thousands of vicious piranhas from an abandoned military facility, causing bloody events with lots of gory scenes. The man-eating piranhas are released after a sudden accident and set free into a summer resort; they are delivering the goods as the guests become their next meal. John Sayles' witty script plays the action for laughs rather than chills, stealing wholesale from the plot of 'Jaws', while filmmaker Dante piles on the cinematic in-jokes and cheap FX. In fact , the piranha attacks images deliver emotion and tension united to a thrilling score by Pino Donaggio who heightens the suspense. And a breathtaking final attack on the 'Lost River Lake' causing loathing and extremely bloody massacre that took time to shot ; however, no cuts were demanded by the MPAA in spite of extreme bloodletting and gruesome frames. There are lots of scary and horrifying set pieces with plenty of gore, blood, amputation, removal of limbs that were professionally made by special makeup effects supervisors. Appearing here and there various familar faces giving sympathetic acting, such as: Keenan Wynn, Dick Miller, Barbara Steele, Belinda Balaski, Melody Thomas, Barry Brown, Paul Bartel and Richard Deacon.

Followed by ¨Piranha II: the spawning¨ (1982) by James Cameron with Tricia O'Neal, Lance Henriksen, Steve Marachuk; an early Cameron exercice in gore tech that's a step down from original. Many years later, ¨Piranha 3D¨ (2010) by Alexandre Aja with Steven R. McQueen , Jerry O'Connell , Jessica Szohr , Kelly Brook , Riley Steele; producers and director pay tribute to Jaws (1975) and Piranha (1978) with various cinematic remarks , including a poster in the style of Jaws (1975) film franchise, with the monster at the bottom of the sea , and the potential victim on the surface high above sea. And ¨Piranha 3DD¨ (2012) by John Gulager with Danielle Panbaker , Matt Bush, Ving Rhames, Christopher Lloyd , Gary Busey , Clu Gulager and special mention for David Hassellhoff.

The ultimate underwater horror movie. Well at first Piranha does seem to live up to other horror films but it does have various goofy and campy moments. The beginning is quite fine whilst the film does show a bit of nudity. However, during the middle of the film viewers will be on the edge of their seats, wanting to find out how these small killer fish might cause relentless horror and unspeakable doom. Given its popularity and its mediocre writing I'd rather be not wanting to watch its sequels rather than only watching this movie. In the end, while the movie may be an edge of your seat roller coaster ride, it may also have its ups and its downs.