Piranha (1978)

Directed by Joe Dante. Starring Bradford Dillman, Heather Menzies, Dick Miller, Kevin McCarthy, Barbara Steele, Paul Bartel, Belinda Balaski, Melody Thomas Scott, Bruce Gordon, Keenan Wynn, Shannon Collins. [R]

Simultaneous knock-off and send-up of Jaws, certainly one of the better imitators that were all the rage at the time. McCarthy is a perfectly sane scientist (nah, he’s nutty as squirrel poop) who helped breed mutant piranhas for the military to fight the Viet Cong (“Operation Razorteeth”); none-too-bright skiptracer Menzies inadvertently lets them loose into a river, and their vicious school is heading straight for a riverside summer camp and a newly-opened lake resort. Director Dante’s breakthrough feature (second overall); it’s reasonably well-made, but Phil Tippett’s special effects are awfully low-rent (without being cheesy fun) and this blood-bubbler could have used more of the in-jokes and anarchic energy Dante’s known for. Enjoyable supporting turns from sleazoid park owner Miller and overweening weenie Bartel (“Skunked again, Grogan!”). Roger Corman none-too-surprisingly served as an executive producer; screenplay by John Sayles, who also has a bit part. Followed by a sequel, a made-for-TV remake, and a second remake for theaters (that then spawned its own sequel).

65/100