Back in the 70's, we had a series of great horror films: a little real life terror with Texas Chainsaw Massacre, a little bit of Hellish terror with The Exorcist and a little underwater terror with the first blockbuster called Jaws. Jaws was so huge that it spawned merchandise, several sequels and actually scarred people out of the water. I'm sure the one's who knew what sharks are really like were just rolling their eyes at the reaction Jaws got and I think that's where Roger Corman(a God amongst Hollywood with the protégés he brought up) got the idea for Piranha. Despite not being a direct spoof of Jaws, you can tell that he was just having fun with the new genre of undersea monsters. Having some goofy lead characters with what is actually one of the most harmless most scary looking fish in the sea, you got Piranha.
Two teenagers exploring at night come upon an apparently abandoned military installation. They take advantage of what appears to be a swimming pool to skinny dip. The teenagers are attacked by an unseen force and disappear under the water. A light activates in the main building and a silhouetted figure investigates the screams, but is too late to help. A determined but somewhat absent-minded insurance investigator, Maggie is dispatched to find the missing teenagers near Lost River Lake. She hires surly backwoods drunkard Paul Grogan to serve as her guide. They come upon the abandoned compound, which functioned as a fish hatchery prior to being militarized. They discover bizarre specimens in jars and indications of an occupant. Maggie locates the drainage switch for the outside pool and decides to empty it to search the bottom. The two find a skeleton in the filtration trap of the empty pool, and learn it was filled with salt water. They realize that the piranhas are heading for the town and they must stop the evil fish.
The film has this often campy and fun feeling to it. Having the silly characters, clichés, gore and nudity is honestly just a lot of fun. This is an over looked horror film I think, it's just a good time. I remember this movie as a kid, my parents were skimming around the channels on Christmas and for some reason this movie was playing. We always joked that it was our new Christmas movie. I think I'll keep that tradition alive, after all, what isn't more about Christmas than killer piranhas? The attack scene at the lake is very gruesome and cool to watch with plenty of prop arms, legs and heads being chewed up with that creepy piranha chomping sound. I have to admit, for a fish that doesn't really attack humans, this made me a little creeped out by piranhas.
Piranha is a good horror/comedy that works and should be given a chance. I'm not sure why it's over looked, but it's a fun movie. I do warn, it's campy and the effects are not that special. The acting isn't anything to brag about either. But this is a horror movie that calls out all the silly clichés. Maybe it was the people who were afraid of Jaws that took this film too much to heart that they were being goofed on with their reactions. Though I think it would be funny if they were actually terrified of this movie and had a new fish to fear. Anyways, Piranha is a fun horror movie and my new Christmas tradition in light of my family.
7/10
Two teenagers exploring at night come upon an apparently abandoned military installation. They take advantage of what appears to be a swimming pool to skinny dip. The teenagers are attacked by an unseen force and disappear under the water. A light activates in the main building and a silhouetted figure investigates the screams, but is too late to help. A determined but somewhat absent-minded insurance investigator, Maggie is dispatched to find the missing teenagers near Lost River Lake. She hires surly backwoods drunkard Paul Grogan to serve as her guide. They come upon the abandoned compound, which functioned as a fish hatchery prior to being militarized. They discover bizarre specimens in jars and indications of an occupant. Maggie locates the drainage switch for the outside pool and decides to empty it to search the bottom. The two find a skeleton in the filtration trap of the empty pool, and learn it was filled with salt water. They realize that the piranhas are heading for the town and they must stop the evil fish.
The film has this often campy and fun feeling to it. Having the silly characters, clichés, gore and nudity is honestly just a lot of fun. This is an over looked horror film I think, it's just a good time. I remember this movie as a kid, my parents were skimming around the channels on Christmas and for some reason this movie was playing. We always joked that it was our new Christmas movie. I think I'll keep that tradition alive, after all, what isn't more about Christmas than killer piranhas? The attack scene at the lake is very gruesome and cool to watch with plenty of prop arms, legs and heads being chewed up with that creepy piranha chomping sound. I have to admit, for a fish that doesn't really attack humans, this made me a little creeped out by piranhas.
Piranha is a good horror/comedy that works and should be given a chance. I'm not sure why it's over looked, but it's a fun movie. I do warn, it's campy and the effects are not that special. The acting isn't anything to brag about either. But this is a horror movie that calls out all the silly clichés. Maybe it was the people who were afraid of Jaws that took this film too much to heart that they were being goofed on with their reactions. Though I think it would be funny if they were actually terrified of this movie and had a new fish to fear. Anyways, Piranha is a fun horror movie and my new Christmas tradition in light of my family.
7/10