The filmography of Roger Corman is littered with low-budget knockoffs of big-budget hits, including this one. 1978's Piranha (with Corman and Jeff Schechtman as executive producers) was designed as just another rip-off of Jaws, but in the hands of director Joe Dante (making his solo debut) and freshman screenwriter John Sayles, this shamelessly exploitative tale of mutant fish released in a Texas river becomes an energetic and inventive tongue-in-cheek thriller, the best of the B-movie copycats. The flesh-eating creatures provide the requisite blood and gore at a kid's summer camp and a waterfront amusement park, while satirical swipes at military arrogance and crass commercialism add to the fun, along with bursts of black humor (“Sir, the piranhas.” “What about the goddamn piranhas?!” “They're eating the guests.”). Piranha boasts plenty of movie in-jokes and minor-star appearances (Kevin McCarthy, Keenan Wynn, Dick Miller, and Barbara Steele all have meaty roles, while Sayles grabs a cameo as a dopey MP). DVD/Blu-ray extras for this newly remastered release include audio commentary by Dante and producer Jon Davison, a new retrospective featurette (with Corman, Dante, and members of the cast and special effects crew), behind-the-scenes home movie footage shot by Davison, outtakes, and stills galleries. Given the high profile release of the recent 3-D remake, this should be considered a strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)
Piranha
Shout! Factory, 92 min., R, Blu-ray: $26.98 September 27, 2010
Piranha
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: