Press Release Shout Factory Press Release: Piranha Collector's Edition (1978) (4k UHD) (1 Viewer)

[Ronald Epstein]

Synopsis​

While searching for missing teenagers, novice skip tracer Maggie McKeown (Heather Menzies) and one of the locals, town boozer Paul Grogan (Bradford Dillman), stumble upon a top-secret Army laboratory doing genetic research on piranha for the purpose of biological warfare. When they are accidentally released from the compound, the deadly school of eating machines head downstream and eat everything and anything in their path.
Piranha features a stellar group of talent in front of as well as behind the camera. The top-notch cast of cult stars includes Kevin McCarthy (Invasion Of The Body Snatchers), Barbara Steele (Black Sunday), Belinda Balaski (The Howling), Dick Miller (A Bucket Of Blood), Paul Bartel (Eating Raoul), and Richard Deacon (The Dick Van Dyke Show).

Bonus Features​

DISC ONE (4K UHD):

• NEW 2022 Restoration Of The 4K Scan Of The Original Camera Negative
• Audio Commentary With Executive Producer Roger Corman
• Audio Commentary With Director Joe Dante And Producer Jon Davison

DISC TWO (BLU-RAY):

• NEW 2022 Restoration Of The 4K Scan Of The Original Camera Negative
• Audio Commentary With Roger Corman
• Audio Commentary With Joe Dante And Jon Davison
• "The Making Of Piranha – Interviews With Roger Corman, Joe Dante And Actors Dick Miller, Belinda Balaski And More ...
• Behind-The-Scenes Footage
• Bloopers And Outtakes
• Still Galleries
• Behind-The-Scenes Photo Gallery Featuring Photos From Creature Designer/Animator Phil Tippett's Archives
• Additional Scenes From The TV Version
• Theatrical Trailers
• TV Spot
• Radio Spots

November 1, 2022

 

[Ronald Epstein]

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[Bryan^H]

I'm not too wild about the HDR on this one. It is very, very dark. Even manipulating the video settings I wasn't able to arrive at a look I thought fitting for the film. I'll check the standard Blu-Ray later and see if that is any better!

 

[JoeStemme]

Joe Dante's cheeky JAWS knock-off (even Spielberg was impressed) is cheezy Roger Corman B-Movie fun. Scripted by a young John Sayles (his debut) has the benefit of not taking itself too seriously.
For a drive-in flick, it has a decent cast including Bradford Dillman, Heather Menzies, Kevin McCarthy, Barbara Steele, Keenan Wynn and, of course, Corman/Dante regular Dick Miller. The behind the scenes crew has Rob Bottin on makeup, future composer Joel Goldsmith mixing the sound, and Phil Tippett who did some stop-motion work. Pino Donaggio provides the score.
P.S. Not only did these little cannibal fish give Dante and Sayles early starts to their careers, a certain James Cameron got his first Directing credit with the sequel: PIRANHA II: THE SPAWNING.