bowmanblue It's been a week since I watched the 1978 horror film 'Piranha' and, as I sit down to type, I'm struggling to remember what it was about. Yes, there are killer fish. And they ate people – that much I'm sure. However, besides those two most basic of plot points, I can't seem to think of much else. But I did like it – while I watched it anyway. In fact, I think it was the second time I've seen it, but then it might have got a bit blurred with the more recent remake. Anyway, from the little that is still with me…A swarm of – slightly mutated – killer piranhas gets accidentally released from a Government testing lab and go on the rampage down a stream (luckily they're limited to inflicting carnage on people who have strayed into the water – if you're interested, the sequel takes care of the question, 'What if piranhas WEREN'T limited to JUST the water!). And, what follows pretty much checks off every horror cliché in existence.Character have sex... and then die – check. Evil military – check. Dastardly British villain – check. Beautiful heroine who never succumbs to nudity – check. Official who won't believe what's really happening and puts money before public safety – check. And so on. Then there's the gore. You may be expecting a film about swarms of killer fish to be loaded with the red stuff. Well, it is. The water turns red on many an occasion. However, that doesn't really mean you see anything. Maybe due to budget limitations, 'red water' serves as a way of showing hideous death without ever really showing much of what's really happening.So, all in all, 'Piranha' is pretty underwhelming. And yet I felt quite satisfied while watching it. If you're looking for a cheap 'Jaws' knock-off and don't mind seventies low-budget horror which is there simply to fill an hour and a half in your life, well, here it is. Enjoy. And then forget. In fact, I think I've now completely forgotten which movie I was talking about to begin with! At least the fish don't have wings... you'll have to check out the sequel for that little nugget of gold.

Johan Louwet Maybe it's because I saw this one when I was young and I didn't bother with Jaws. I probably saw Jaws way too late because I really didn't care much for it but I really am glad it was the inspiration for this movie. What is scarier than one man-eating big fish, well a lot of flesh-eating little fish who can cause a lot more mayhem among people who like to have fun time in the water. Yes these fish are some really ugly pieces of nature being able to survive in cold and salt water which a normal piranha cannot live in. I actually liked the whole back story for why the fish were grown and turned into a mutated species by scientists. Fish as weapons in wars it could sure be effective as the victims did experience. I liked the combination of Heather Menzies as detective Maggie McKeown and Bradford Dillman as Paul Grogan who are eventually the ones saving the day. Kudos also to Shannon Collins as Paul's daughter Suzie. She played the role of fearful but eventually brave kid really well.

Uriah43 When two young adults go missing "Maggie McKeown" (Heather Menzies-Urich) is hired to travel to Texas and find them. Not familiar to the rugged outdoors she comes across a cabin in the woods to inquire whether a man named "Paul Grogan" (Bradford Dillman) can help her. They soon hike up to a top secret Army station which appears to be deserted and find some gear which belonged to their missing couple. Concerned that they may have drown in a large pool Maggie decides to drain it. When she does she unknowingly releases genetically modified piranha into a nearby river on the same day as a couple of popular events which are scheduled for numerous people. To make matters even worse, once Maggie and Paul realize the danger they are frustrated at every turn by the government which underestimates the potential death these piranhas can inflict upon those using the river for recreation. Now, rather than disclosing the rest of the movie and risk spoiling it for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this was a fun movie which combined some nice humor with some pretty good horror. While it certainly didn't have the budget to duplicate the effect of a movie like "Jaws" it still managed to entertain and because of that I rate it as slightly above average.

Wuchak 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-