Piranha

Piranha Poster Available DVDs Poster Art Press Kit Fun Facts

Also Known As

• Piranhas (Germany)

Taglines

• Lost River Lake was a thriving resort - until they discovered...
• They're here...Hungry for flesh! Who can stop them?
• There's something in the water at Lost River Lake. Something you can't see...something you can't feel...until it's too late!
• Then... you were shocked by the great white shark - Now... you are at the mercy of 1000 jaws!

Main Details

• Released in 1978
• Color
• Runtime: 94 min
• Aspect Ratio: (1.85:1)
• Rated: R
• Production Co.: New World Pictures
• Distribution Co.: New World Pictures (1978) (USA) (theatrical); United Artists (1978) (France) (theatrical)

Cast and Crew

• Directed by Joe Dante
• Written by Richard Robinson, John Sayles
• Starring: Bradford Dillman, Heather Menzies, Kevin McCarthy, Keenan Wynn, Dick Miller, Barbara Steele, Belinda Balaski, Melody Thomas Scott, Bruce Gordon, Barry Brown, Paul Bartel, Shannon Collins, Shawn Nelson, Richard Deacon, Janie Squire, Roger Richman, Bill Smillie, Guich Koock, Jack Pauleson, Eric Henshaw, Robert Vinson, Virginia Dunnam, Hill Farnsworth, Bruce Paul Barbour, Robyn Ray, Mike Sullivan, Jack Cardwell
• Produced by Roger Corman, Jon Davison, Chako van Leeuwen, Jeff Schechtman
• Original Music by Pino Donaggio
• Cinematography by Jamie Anderson
• Film Editing by Joe Dante, Mark Goldblatt

Film Review

Maggie McGowan (Heather Menzies) investigates the disappearance of a young couple. She meets Paul Grogan (Bradford Dillmann) who likes the booze, and he helps her to find the couple. On a closed down army resort they find traces of the young couple. To be sure they float out into a large pool. A scientist (Kevin McCarthy) shows up and tries to stop them ('coz he knows about the Piranha), but no luck, they get into a fight and he blacks out. The Piranha are loose now. Later on the scientist runs away, takes the car and damages it. Now they can't leave the resort, they have to take a raft. After a while the scientist tells them the whole story. While floating on the river they see a boat with a boy on it, who is screaming for his dad. The scientist jumps in the water and tries to rescue the boy, but no luck the Piranhas are quicker and eat him right away. Meanwhile, Paul's daughter (who is on a summer camp vacation) gets in trouble and they need to save her. Contacting the army also doesn't help so they have to do it on their own.

Pretty cool flick. Saw the film the last time in the 90's. It felt good to see it again after all these years. Theres a fun homage in the beginning to Jaws (1975) where Heather Menzies plays a videogame called Jaws, that was fun. Joe Dante used the Stop Motion technique from Ray Harryhausen for some FX scenes. Cult film siren Barbara Steele is also in it. I saw her the last time in Black Sunday (1960). If you haven't seen Piranha yet then do it now. Recommended.

Reviewed by GBS - 02/10/08

Followed by

• Piranha II: The Spawning (1981)

Featured in

• Killer Fish (1979)