Wuchak RELEASED IN 1995 and directed by Scott P. Levy, "Piranha" chronicles events when genetically-enhanced piranha are accidently released into a river system in the wilderness north of Los Angeles, which threaten kids & counselors at a Summer Camp and vacationers at a lake resort. A private investigator (Alexandra Paul) and a lonely environmentalist (William Katt) team-up to save the swimmers.This is virtually a scene-by-scene recreation of the 1978 film, taking place in Southern Cal rather than the heart of Texas. While "Piranha" (both versions) 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; and there's more of a sense of adventure and arguably suspense. The tone of the original version of "Piranha" mixed-in amusing elements with the horrific mayhem, but this version shoots for a more austere air.As my title blurb points out, this 1995 version is all-around inferior to the 1978 rendition, even though it's basically the same exact story and both were produced by Roger Corman. Some of the changes, aside from cast and locations, include: A woman (Darleen Carr) is substituted for the scientist (Kevin McCarthy) at the research facility; the stop-motion mini-dinosaur featured in the first act is omitted; there's a new wannabe director character; one of the two babes at the camp dies prematurely; and the filmmakers were more conscious of including racial diversity in the background.The new locations with sparser foliage are also inferior, as are the women. Although voluptuous Lorissa McComas as Barbara in the prologue is just as good as (or better than) Janie Squire in the original, Soleil Moon Frye and Kehli O'Byrne are rather second rate compared to cutie Melody Thomas Scott and curvy Belinda Balaski, although Kehli is certainly a striking woman.I suggest skipping this one and viewing the original instead, unless you're a fan of some of the cast members or want to compare the two versions. The 1978 film is superior on practically every level.THE MOVIE RUNS 89 minutes and was shot, in part, at Castaic Lake just north of Valencia/Santa Clarita, California.GRADE: C-

Leofwine_draca One of the many remakes of horror films under the Roger Corman Presents banner (other titles include HUMANOIDS FROM THE DEEP), this is largely an unnecessary item which, of course, is not as good as the original. But then what is? PIRANHA, like Gus Van Sant's remake of PSYCHO, follows the same script as the first and is virtually a shot-for-shot rehash of the original. Although it is hampered by the television movie format (as to be expected), the film is still a lot of fun as the script is still good all these years later, and if you haven't seen the original film, then you will probably enjoy it a whole lot more.Surprisingly, the acting isn't too bad this time around. I say surprisingly because if you've seen the amount of TV movies like I have (take DEADLY INVASION: THE KILLER BEE NIGHTMARE or MARABUNTA for example) then you come to expect it to be uniformly bad, but William Katt and Alexandra Paul are adequate leads, with Katt being the most fun as the grizzled, hermit-like hero. While lacking big names such as Barbara Steele and Kevin McCarthy, as the original had, the film does include James Karen as the town's governor who has to clear up all the mess afterwards. There are a lot of scenes with people being bitten underwater by the piranha (the special effects are exactly the same as they were twenty years ago) and a memorable moment where a severed arm is pulled out of the murky depths.Lots of blood flows around freely, and, unlike the first film, two bimbo actresses are quite happily to strip off in the name of entertainment. And you can't hate a film which has a dog being devoured by fish that much, can you? With lots of little kids screaming and getting bitten, a jail break, a suicide, and some pyrotechnic explosions, PIRANHA is easy viewing for all the family. Just don't expect too much violence, this is a TV movie after all. It's a remake which, while lacking Dante's natural charm and subtle references to the horror genre (although there is some blatant name dropping, like one character mentioning ATTACK OF THE CRAB MONSTERS in a minor attempt to recreate this), is still fun. A pointless yet pleasantly enjoyable surprise.

Paul Magne Haakonsen Despite being old, this remake of the classic "Piranha" movie is actually not all that shabby. And I would say that it is actually better than the 2010 remake (aside from the effects in the 2010 version).The story doesn't get any easier to follow than it is presented in the movie. The government have been experimenting on piranha fish for insertion into Russia and the East. Yeah, seems plausible enough, right? Haha... Then the project was shut down, but the experiments continued. Now, years later, the piranha are accidentally released out into the nearby river. Wait, it gets better, this new strain of piranha can live in both salt and fresh water, as well as warm and cold water. And the piranha are hungry... There, story summarized."Piranha" actually manages to keep you entertained throughout the entire feature length, and you want to see what happens next.As for the cast in "Piranha", then there were some pretty good names, such as William Katt (playing Paul Grogan) and a very young Mila Kunis (playing Susie Grogan). There are some other familiar faces on the roster as well, and of course an always welcomed face on the screen, James Karen (playing the governor)."Piranha" is worth checking out if you like cheesy horror movies. If for nothing else, then watch it for the hilarious song that plays when the end credits are rolling over the screen; killer mutant piranha...Oh, and notice how the film makers used the same footage of the swimming piranha school over and over again, and sometimes would just zoom in, but still use the same shot. That was wonderful. And also, take notice of the eagle-like cry the piranha emits when they attack, that had me laughing out loud. Priceless entertainment right there.You should check out this 1995 version of "Piranha" if you have watched the original or the 2010 remake. Trust me...

rchrdshelt Although many will disagree with me here, I have to say that I enjoyed this film and actually prefer it to the original. The original is too old for me to appreciate it and even though this movie is made for TV it is still preety good and is well acted and directed. The plot is slightly different in this one but i like it. The script is exactly the same but does have some extra decent one-liners and funny parts, especially with that idiotic director who fancies that girl 20 years younger than him! That had me laughing for ages! William Katt was very good in this movie and is in a lot of other movies i've seen him in. He deserves to be in much better, well-known movies than this one. Also good is the guy who plays Randolph (the bad guy in the movie.) The music is preety good as well. Although it ends a bit weirdly and there isun't much development between the two main characters as there was in the original this is still good entertainment for a Saturday night in. So go check it out!