Roger Corman Cult Classics - Piranha (Blu-ray)

There! I said it and I'm sure there are others who agree with me. As great as Jaws is, it is a very overrated film while Joe Dante's Piranha is a very underrated film. The poor product description of this film describes Piranha as a shameless rip-off of Jaws. Give me a break! Roger Corman himself has said that Jaws was inspirational in the creation of Piranha but Piranha is his hommage to Jaws. Even Steven Spielberg has stated that Piranha was a good film in its own right. I never understood how this film is considered a B movie and Jaws isn't. Even by '70s standards Bruce the shark looks really fake (but cool) and this alone puts the film into B movie territory. Also add the character of Quint. He almost appears like a cartoon character with his cheesy dialogue and even cheesier expressions. People can say what they want about how bad Piranha is but even the worst scenes in Piranha are easier on the eyes than the suits that Murray Hamilton wears in Jaws.

Don't misunderstand me, though. I like Jaws a lot but I'm sick of the praise that film still gets when a movie like Piranha is left unknown to many and criticized for the wrong reasons. Aside from fish that can eat you there is no comparison between the 2 films. Piranha has a one-up on Jaws also in that it gives you a detailed background as to why the piranha are there. After years of viewing Jaws I still don't really know why the shark is there. It must have been mentioned in one of Richard Dreyfuss's many boring monologues and I probably go for a snack at the same spot every viewing. Needless to say, both films are good, I just like Piranha more. I like the story more, the characters, the music, the sound effects. I think the piranha themselves look better than Bruce and even though they're small they appear far more deadly than a shark. Hunting in packs, piranhas don't stop until they reach the bone. Good luck surviving that.

this actually is not that bad a movie. it's a bit too melodramatic in parts for my taste.and those moments don't fit for me.but mostly it's intentionally cheesy, with tongue firmly planted in cheek.and on that level,it works.the acting actually is not that bad,from both the main character and the supporting players.the extras on the other hand,that,s a different story.i nearly died laughing at some of the death scenes.overall,the movie is fun,and it does get your adrenaline going.i don't think it's a movie that's meant to be taken seriously,and if you approach as a serious piece of work,you will be disappointed.for me,Piranha (1978) is a 3/5

Somewhere in a Texas hillside in an abandoned Army testing facility long after the Vietnam War, a lone scientist named Dr. Hoak (Kevin McCarthy) continues his genetic research on a school of mutant killer piranha. Nobody knows of the whacked out scientist's existence or the mutant piranha until some hikers go missing and a rookie detective named Maggie (Heather Menzies) stumbles across their gear at the abandoned facility. Maggie believes that the hikers went missing there, so she enlists the help of an unlikely hero in the form of local town drunk and recluse Paul Grogan; played by veteran character actor Bradford Dillman to help her search for them.

After Maggie foolishly drains the military containment pool in an effort to find the missing hikers, the two of them quickly discover the facilities deadly secret has escaped and it becomes a race against time to save the unsuspecting residents down river; including a kid's summer camp and the waterfront amusement park of Lost River Lake. Can Maggie and Grogan reach the summer camp and amusement park in time to save everyone? Can they stop the Piranha from reaching the ocean? Is there anything that can kill the Piranha? You'll have to buy your own copy to find out.

In the 1975 underwater classic "Jaws" Roy Scheider shouted "you're going to need a bigger boat" and in 1978's "Piranha" we heard the classic line "Sir, the piranha are eating the guests". Trying to capitalize on the success of Jaws from three years earlier, Roger Corman produced a little B-movie gem called "Piranha" in 1978; it was scripted by John Sayles and directed by Joe Dante. While "Piranha" never quite reached the status of "Jaws" it did provide B-movie fans with enough blood and gore to satisfy them and it quickly became a classic in its own right.

Fans will be very pleased with the new 2010 DVD release of "Piranha" from Shout Factory. The new video transfer used by Shout factory is the best I've ever seen. Not only does this movie look great, it sounds great. This new DVD version from Shout contains numerous special features and I enjoyed all of them. The disc packaging and disc artwork is well done; even the slip cover is reversible. This is another great addition under the "Roger Corman's Cult Classics Collection" from Shout Factory.

Cast:
Bradford Dillman (Paul Grogan)
Heather Menzies ( Maggie McKeown)
Kevin McCarthy (Dr. Robert Hoak)
Dick Miller (Buck Gardner)
Barbara Steele (Dr Mengers)
Belinda Balaski (Betsy)
Melody Thomas Scott (Laura Dickinson)
Paul Bartel (Mr. Dumont)

DVD Special Features:

- New Anamorphic Widescreen Version (1.85:1)
- Audio Commentary With Director Joe Dante and Producer Jon Davison
- Behind-the-Scenes Footage
- The Making of Piranha Featurette:New Interviews From Roger Corman, Joe Dante, Dick Miller, Belinda Balaski
- Bloopers and Outtakes
- Piranha Trailer With Commentary by Producer Jon Davison: Courtesy of Trailers From Hell
- Stills Gallery With Photos and Posters From Around the World
- Behind-the-Scenes Stills Gallery Featuring Photos From Phil Tippetts Personal Collection
- Additional Scenes From the Network Television Version
- Radio and TV Spots
- New World Trailers