Piranha (1978 film)

Infobox Film
name = Piranha


image_size =
caption = US theatrical release poster.
director = Joe Dante
producer = Jon Davidson
Chako van Leeuwen
writer = John Sayles
narrator =
starring = Bradford Dillman
Heather Menzies
Kevin McCarthy
Keenan Wynn
Dick Miller
music = Pino Donaggio
cinematography = Jamie Anderson
editing = Joe Dante
Mark Goldblatt
distributor = flagicon|USA New World Pictures
flagicon|FranceUnited Artists
released = flagicon|USA August 3, 1978
flagicon|Sweden October 23, 1978
flagicon|West Germany October 26, 1978
flagicon|France November 15, 1978
flagicon|Philippines December 19, 1978
runtime = 94 min.
country = USA
language = English
budget = $660,000 (estimated)
gross =
preceded_by =
followed_by = ""
website =
amg_id = 1:38218
imdb_id = 0078087

"Piranha" is a 1978 comedy horror film about a swarm of killer piranha. It was directed by Joe Dante and starred Bradford Dillman, Heather Menzies, Kevin McCarthy, Keenan Wynn and Dick Miller. Produced by Roger Corman, "Piranha" is a parody of the 1975 film "Jaws", which had been a major success for distributor Universal Studios and director Steven Spielberg, and inspired a series of similarly themed B movies such as "Grizzly", "Tintorera", "Tentacles", "Orca", "Up from the Depths" and "Great White". "Piranha's" similarity to "Jaws" was as such that Universal attempted to halt the film's distribution. However, Spielberg saw the film in advance and liked it.Fact|date=July 2007 "Piranha" was followed by a sequel, "", in 1981, and two remakes, one in 1995, and another that is forthcoming. The film was shot at Aquarena Springs in San Marcos, Texas. Screenwriter John Sayles used the proceeds to fund his own films.

Plot summary

In what was to become a staple scenario of horror films in the 1980s (the romantic opportunity gone awry), two teenagers exploring at night come upon an apparently abandoned military installation. They decide to take advantage of what appears to be an inviting swimming pool to skinny dip. Little do they know that a terrible secret lurks within that ends up devouring them. As their death cries are literally drowned in the frothing red water, a light goes on that indicates the building is far from empty.

Insurance investigator Maggie McKeown is dispatched to find the two missing teenage hikers near Lost River Lake. She hires surly backwoods drunkard Paul Grogan to serve as her guide. Searching the area, they find an abandoned military facility. The only resident is Dr. Robert Hoak, former head of a top-secret project to breed cold-water piranha for use in the Vietnam War. The project was closed down years ago, but Hoak has continued raising the deadly strain of the flesh-eating fish.

While sneaking around the military camp's main building, Maggie and Paul accidentally release the piranha into a local river, which leads to the lake where a childrens summer camp and a newly opened tourist resort will provide plenty of fish food for the hungry predators. Maggie and Paul race to warn the locals, but their pleas fall on skeptical ears, such as those of resort owner Buck Gardner — until the piranha reach the swimmers. After the attack, Paul and Maggie come up with a plan, to go to the sewage plant on the river, and release it into the river. Paul explains that it will kill anything. Once there, Paul ties a rope around him and dives into the river, as the station is flooded. Inside he releases the sewage into the river, however, he is shortly attacked by the piranhas. Maggie then starts the boat and it speeds off dragging Paul out of the facility and away from the piranha. Once back on land Paul is now being loaded onto a stretcher with Maggie and his daughter by his side. At the end of the movie a news reporter is talking to government scientist about the incident (who previously mentioned to Maggie that she used to work with Dr. Hoak), once asked on whether there's any need to worry the scientist smiles at the audience and replies that there is nothing to worry about. The movie ends with a view of the sea, and the sounds that the piranha made (before they attacked anyone) being heard, implying that some survived being poisoned by the sewage.

Cast

*Bradford Dillman as Paul Grogan
*Heather Menzies as Maggie McKeown
*Kevin McCarthy as Dr. Robert Hoak
*Keenan Wynn as Jack
*Dick Miller as Buck Gardner
*Barbara Steele as Dr. Mengers
*Belinda Balaski as Betsy
*Melody Thomas Scott as Laura Dickinson
*Bruce Gordon as Colonel Waxman
*Barry Brown as a Trooper
*Paul Bartel as Mr. Dumont

Remake

A remake of the 1978 film is to be directed by Alexandre Aja, who will again work with filmmaking partner Grégory Levasseur; the two have worked on other genre films as well, including the 2006 remake "The Hills Have Eyes". Distributor Dimension Films' Bob Weinstein told variety.com, "We will maintain the fun and thrilling aspects of the original film but look forward to upping the ante with a modern-day twist."cite web| title= Aja bites into 'Piranha'| publisher= Variety.com| url= http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117961238.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&query=piranha | accessdate= 2007-09-08] "Piranha" is estimated for theatrical release in the United States in 2009.

Dimension Films had been developing the remake of the 1978 Joe Dante film "Piranha" for over a year. It intended to have Chuck Russell, who previously reworked the 1988 version of "The Blob", direct the film before taking on Alexandre Aja. Aja will rewrite a previous script from Josh Stolberg and Pete Goldfinger. Aja explains, "My goal is not to remake "Piranha", but to create a completely new adventure paying homage to all the creature films [...] I am very proud to follow the path of Joe Dante and James Cameron in the Piranha franchise and look forward to working with Greg Levasseur to write, produce, and direct such a fun and gory thrill ride."cite web| title= PIRANHA, ESCAPE FROM NY remake updates| publisher= "Fangoria.com"| url= http://fangoria.com/news_article.php?id=3892 | accessdate= 2007-09-09]

References

External links

*imdb title|id=0078087|title=Piranha
*imdb title|id=464154|title=Piranha (2008 film)
*rotten-tomatoes|id=1016359-piranha|title=Piranha
* [http://www.cultfilmfreak.com/belindabalaski Interview with Belinda Balaski]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5c_THFrrwE Piranha - Movie Trailer]