Pretty good parody of Steven Spielberg's JAWS from Joe Dante that is quite self aware. Right to the point that in the first scene after the credits have rolled one of the main characters Maggie McKeown played by Heather Menzies-Ulrich is playing a video game of JAWS. It knows exactly what it is and who they are ripping off. Better than perhaps any other film ripping off by the man-eating shark classic and better than any of its sequels. Made through Roger Corman and his company New World Pictures and made a killing at the box office...no pun intended.
McKewon is sent to investigate as two people have gone missing. She is out of her element and needs a guide or someone who knows the area. In steps the surly, booze tipping Paul Grogan (really great and unsung performance by Bradford Dillman). They go off together and come to an old fish hatchery. There is a giant pool there so they decide to drain the pool to search for the missing couple. They find a crazy and wild Dr. Robert Hoak (Kevin McCarthy in as usual a great performance that to me is just an extension of his performance in INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS) who lets them know of piranha that he had been conducting experiments on that have escaped and are now swimming their way to the end of the river which is the ocean.
Nice mixture of humour and horror from screenwriter John Sayles (who also has a cameo) and since it is Joe Dante directing it I think they got the perfect director with the right abilities and sense of humour to make the picture.
Loaded with a very good cast also including Keenan Wynn, Dick Miller, Barbara Steele and Paul Bartel. The music also is great coming from Italian composer Pino Donaggio. Although the main theme is taken from CARRIE if I am not mistaken, which he also worked on. So, not his best work due to that fact, but its Donaggio so you are going to get way better music than most.
Followed by a terrible sequel and 2 remakes. I know one person that really enjoyed this film had to be Steven Spielberg as both he and Dante worked together on THE TWILIGHT ZONE and GREMLINS.
So, if you like humour mixed in with your horror or consider yourself a horror movie buff you have to see this movie as it should be worth your time.
