Yes, nothing quite says summertime like a horde of flesh-eating fish devouring a day camp full of eight-year-olds.
), the Roger Corman-producedPiranhawas, well, definitely one of them.
That it came out of Cormans New World Pictures;
3.
That it was made by a virtually unknown director and an untested screenwriter;
And 4.
That it starred Bradford Dillman.
And as for screenwriter John Sayles, well, this was his first picture so who the hell knew?
Now, before anyone says anything, Dante was way ahead of you.
All that allowed him to play up the humor and sheer ridiculousness of it all.
So anyway yes, they promptly get eaten.
Originally, he even hoped to end the film with a giant version of the creature attacking a pier.
For the rest of the film thats pretty much what happens.
The piranhas encounter Keenan Wynn (in a wonderful improvised scene with his dog) and eat him.
The attacks themselves, in fact (and why else did most people go to see these pictures?
), are pretty savage.
It also works because as a whole the film never takes itself very seriously.
That was the problem with the Corman-produced remake from a few years back.
In fact Spielberg went to a screening ofPiranhaand liked it enough that he made Universal drop the suit.
Sayles, meanwhile, horrified by the whole experience, went off and madeReturn of the Secaucus Seven.
Rating:
4.5 out of 5
