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Piranha (1978)
Runtime: 1 hr 32 mins
Synopsis: "Operation Razorteeth," a government project involving the breeding of mutant piranhas, gets way out of hand when the fish raid a lake at a summer camp for kids in this Roger Corman-produced, Joe Dante-directed classic. Heather Menzies stars as Maggie McKeown, an insurance investigator... "Operation Razorteeth," a government project involving the breeding of mutant piranhas, gets way out of hand when the fish raid a lake at a summer camp for kids in this Roger Corman-produced, Joe Dante-directed classic. Heather Menzies stars as Maggie McKeown, an insurance investigator out to trace a missing teenage couple who have disappeared in the woods. With the help of a drunken recluse, Paul Grogan (Bradford Dillman), they come across a supposedly deserted army base inhabited by Dr. Robert Hoak (Kevin McCarthy) who has been breeding the deadly fish in secret. In their hunt for the missing couple McKeown and Grogan drain the army pool, unleashing millions of mutant piranhas into the lake of a nearby children's summer camp and a newly opened tourist resort. Smart exploitation with a ludicrous and clever script co-written by John Sayles, this drive-in answer to JAWS is full of film references and plenty of B-movie thrills (gore and nudity). PIRANHA is the kind of movie they don't make anymore--and better yet--it holds up well. [More]
Genre: Horror/Suspense
Starring: Bradford Dillman, Heather Menzies, Kevin McCarthy, Keenan Wynn, Dick Miller
DVD Info
Release:
Dec 10, 2001
Additional Release Material:
- Never-Before-Seen Behind the Scenes Footage, Bloopers, and Outtakes
- Original Theatrical Trailer
Reviews
Effective and enjoyable on all counts, with plenty of campy laughs and in-jokes.
Of all the late '70s-early '80s Jaws knockoffs, none balanced tongue-in-cheek humor with out-and-out gore as deftly as Joe Dante's Piranha.
A great piece of B moviemaking. An absolute blast that's wickedly funny while still generating nail-biting suspense.
Já em seu filme de estréia, Dante exibia um senso de humor atípico – que, infelizmente, não envelheceu bem neste caso.
A fast-paced and nifty little thriller with some nice black-humored touches thrown in.
With more laughs than frights, it's tough not to have at least a little fun in all of its natural badness.
News
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