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Piranha

  • 1978
  • R
  • 1h 34m
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
23K
YOUR RATING
Piranha (1978)
Trailer for Piranha
Play trailer0:17
2 Videos
99+ Photos
ComedyHorrorSci-Fi

When flesh-eating piranhas are accidentally released into a summer resort's rivers, the guests become their next meal.When flesh-eating piranhas are accidentally released into a summer resort's rivers, the guests become their next meal.When flesh-eating piranhas are accidentally released into a summer resort's rivers, the guests become their next meal.

  • Director
    • Joe Dante
  • Writers
    • Richard Robinson
    • John Sayles
  • Stars
    • Bradford Dillman
    • Heather Menzies-Urich
    • Kevin McCarthy
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    5.9/10
    23K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Joe Dante
    • Writers
      • Richard Robinson
      • John Sayles
    • Stars
      • Bradford Dillman
      • Heather Menzies-Urich
      • Kevin McCarthy
    • 178User reviews
    • 123Critic reviews
    • 71Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 1 nomination

    Videos2

    Piranha: Roger Corman's Cult Classics
    Trailer 0:17
    Watch Piranha: Roger Corman's Cult Classics
    Sneak Previews Season 1 Episode 1
    Video 28:33
    Watch Sneak Previews Season 1 Episode 1

    Photos135

    Heather Menzies-Urich in Piranha (1978)
    Piranha (1978)
    Piranha (1978)
    Kevin McCarthy and Jack Pauleson in Piranha (1978)
    Belinda Balaski in Piranha (1978)
    Piranha (1978)
    Piranha (1978)
    Piranha (1978)
    Piranha (1978)
    Piranha (1978)
    Piranha (1978)
    Piranha (1978)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Bradford Dillman
    Bradford Dillman
    • Paul Grogan
    Heather Menzies-Urich
    Heather Menzies-Urich
    • Maggie McKeown
    • (as Heather Menzies)
    Kevin McCarthy
    Kevin McCarthy
    • Dr. Robert Hoak
    Keenan Wynn
    Keenan Wynn
    • Jack
    Dick Miller
    Dick Miller
    • Buck Gardner
    Barbara Steele
    Barbara Steele
    • Dr. Mengers
    Belinda Balaski
    Belinda Balaski
    • Betsy
    Melody Thomas Scott
    Melody Thomas Scott
    • Laura Dickinson
    • (as Melody Thomas)
    Bruce Gordon
    Bruce Gordon
    • Colonel Waxman
    Barry Brown
    Barry Brown
    • Trooper
    Paul Bartel
    Paul Bartel
    • Mr. Dumont
    Shannon Collins
    • Suzie Grogan
    Shawn Nelson
    • Whitney
    Richard Deacon
    Richard Deacon
    • Earl Lyon
    Janie Squire
    • Barbara Randolph
    Roger Richman
    • David
    Bill Smillie
    Bill Smillie
    • Jailer
    Guich Koock
    • TV Pitchman
    • Director
      • Joe Dante
    • Writers
      • Richard Robinson
      • John Sayles
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Piranha

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Steven Spielberg described this film as "the best of the Jaws (1975) rip-offs." He and Joe Dante later collaborated on Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983). Richard Dreyfus, who played Hooper in Jaws, later had a cameo in the opening scene of the 2010 Pirahna remake.
    • Goofs
      The water skier is doing his runs on the river. He is wearing a orange life jacket, but when he falls into the water the jacket is yellow.
    • Quotes

      Whitney: The piranhas...

      Buck Gardner: What about the goddamn piranhas?

      Whitney: They're eating the guests, sir.

    • Crazy credits
      The FBI warning at the end of the credits ends with the phrase "So There." Producer Jon Davison used the same joke for the FBI warning in his later picture "Airplane."
    • Connections
      Edited into Raw Force (1982)
    • Soundtracks
      Great Green Gobs of Greasy Grimy Gopher Guts
      (uncredited)

      Traditional camp song

    User reviews178

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    This movie bites....in a good way.
    In the wake of "Jaws" came countless man vs. nature flicks with everything from bees to grizzly bears to frogs coming out to get man back for his crimes against the ecology (and don't forget "Night of the Lepus" in which huge bunny rabbits munched on hapless victims!) This film is considered one of the best imitators, primarily because of its tongue-in-cheek approach and it's deliberately campy writing and casting. Menzies is a hotshot missing persons expert who goes in search of two young hikers who have disappeared. She enlists the aid of hermit-like Dillman who lives near an abandoned government testing facility where the hikers were last suspected to have been. When they come upon a murky tank and believe the bodies could be at the bottom, Menzies releases the contents, unwittingly unleashing a school of vicious, genetically-altered piranha onto an unsuspecting river full of camp kids and park revelers. From there, it's a race against the clock to get to Dillman's young daughter who is about to enter a camp relay race in the water downstream. The film is deliberately peppered with actors who've made their mark in either horror or suspense films and it makes no pretenses about its lack of originality (though it does manage to come up with some despite itself!) Dillman (sporting an atrocious come-and-go Southern accent) and Menzies have a surprisingly decent rapport with each other with a few amusing scenes tossed in amongst all the panic. McCarthy pops up as a terrified scientist who knows his plans have gone awry. Wynn has a cameo as a gruff, but likable neighbor of Dillman's. Steele plays an ominous scientist in cahoots with Army colonel Gordon to keep the whole situation under wraps. Bartel is the persnickety camp counselor and Miller is the smarmy amusement park owner, both of whom disbelieve that there's any danger. Despite it's minuscule budget and rather homemade effects, the film does generate a bit of eye-opening gore and more than a little discomfort as these tiny fish nibble away at anything in the water. If "Jaws" caused people to avoid the ocean, this film could make people think twice about cloudy rivers and lakes! The murkiness of the water only adds to the horror of it all as the bikini-clad tourists and innertube-wielding kids can't begin to see what's coming. It's just a sting, then a nibble, then blood everywhere! Some of the effects are tacky and amusing, but there's a certain level of true fear as well. If one likes this genre to begin with, it will probably be a pleasure to watch. Others may be less enthralled.
    helpful•33
    6
    • Poseidon-3
    • Nov 15, 2004

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • August 3, 1978 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Piranhas
    • Filming locations
      • San Marcos, Texas, USA
    • Production company
      • New World Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • $600,000 (estimated)
    • Gross worldwide
      • $321
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 34 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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