Piranha

MOVIE DESCRIPTION:

New Concorde's DVD of Piranha is a true labor of love guaranteed to please the fans of this cult favorite. The video transfer is full-screen (the way the film was shot), but benefits from a dazzling remastering job that results in a picture full of sharp detail and vivid color. It is a major improvement over the murky, faded previous video editions of this film. The audio sticks to the film original mono soundtrack; a stereo remix would have been nice, but the mono audio is clear and nicely mixed. This solid transfer would be enough for most fans, but the Piranha DVD also offers a jaw-dropping amount of extras, including a trailer, outtakes, home movie footage from the film's shoot, and a booklet that reproduces the film's original pressbook. However, the best bonus features is an informative and witty commentary by director Joe Dante and producer Jon Davison. The two offer tons of interesting tidbits about the production, including how the film was almost canceled after its first day's shooting and a funny tale about the frantic last-minute search to find a body double for the lead actress. Special note should be also made of the film's clever animated menus, which feature piranhas that "chomp" on the viewer's selection when a choice is made. All in all, New Concorde's DVD of Piranha offers a generous package of gruesome goodies that makes it a must for fans. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide

DVD FEATURES:

• Region: 1
• Number of Discs: 1
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1 (Pre-1954 Standard)
• Features:
  • Cast and crew
  • Biography
  • Movie trailer
  • Commentary
  • Featurette
  • Bloopers
  • Coming attractions

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

• Cast:

  
       Bradford Dillman - Paul Grogan
       Heather Menzies - Maggie McKeown
       Kevin McCarthy - Dr. Robert Joak
       Keenan Wynn - Jack
       Dick Miller - Buck Gardner

• Director:

  Joe Dante

• Producer:

  Roger Corman, Jon Davison, Jeff Schechtman, Chako van Leuwen

• Screen Story:

  Richard Robinson

• Screenwriter:

  John Sayles

• Cinematographer:

  Jamie Anderson

• Composer (Music Score):

  Pino Donaggio

• Editor:

  Joe Dante, Mark Goldblatt

• Production Designer:

  William Sandell

• Art Director:

  Bill Mellin, Kerry Mellin

REVIEWS:

• This Roger Corman-produced cult favorite towers over its competition in the arena of Jaws imitators because it manages to deliver the goods that horror fans expect in effective style while also subtly spoofing the genre. The film benefits from a smart John Sayles script that is populated with appealing, believably quirky characters and overflows with quotable dialogue (the single best line arrives when an assistant tells his resort-owning boss "The piranhas are eating the guests, sir"). Director Joe Dante keeps the action moving at a rapid pace and knocks out a string of impressive set pieces in the process, including a nerve-jangling scene where a group of campers are attacked by the piranha and a suspenseful finale where the hero tries to open an underwater tank of poisonous waste to kill the piranhas before they get to him. Dante also works in plenty of subtle visual humor (for example, a beachgoer reading a copy of Moby Dick) and gets strong performances from his cast, including Bradford Dillman's stoic turn as reluctant hero Grogan and horror film icon Barbara Steele's icy performance as a quietly menacing scientist. All in all, Piranha is an intelligent blend of scares and wit that shows the genre-bending skills Joe Dante would soon develop to perfection on hits like The Howling and Gremlins. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide
• This {$Roger Corman}-produced cult favorite towers over its competition in the arena of {#Jaws} imitators because it manages to deliver the goods that {\horror} fans expect in effective style while also subtly spoofing the genre. The film benefits from a smart {$John Sayles} script that is populated with appealing, believably quirky characters and overflows with quotable dialogue (the single best line arrives when an assistant tells his resort-owning boss "The piranhas are eating the guests, sir"). Director {$Joe Dante} keeps the action moving at a rapid pace and knocks out a string of impressive set pieces in the process, including a nerve-jangling scene where a group of campers are attacked by the piranha and a suspenseful finale where the hero tries to open an underwater tank of poisonous waste to kill the piranhas before they get to him. {$Dante} also works in plenty of subtle visual humor (for example, a beachgoer reading a copy of {-Moby Dick}) and gets strong performances from his cast, including {$Bradford Dillman}'s stoic turn as reluctant hero {%Grogan} and {\horror} film icon {$Barbara Steele}'s icy performance as a quietly menacing scientist. All in all, {#Piranha} is an intelligent blend of scares and wit that shows the genre-bending skills {$Joe Dante} would soon develop to perfection on hits like {#The Howling} and {#Gremlins}. ~ Donald Guarisco, All Movie Guide

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