Piranha
Dir: Joe Dante
1978
***
Steven Spielberg called Piranha "The best of the Jaws ripoffs". In many respects he's right (although no one should include the film Orca in this category). Ripoff isn't quite accurate though, spoof is a more suitable description. It's not a great film, in fact it's pretty awful but it is full of the charm you'd expect from producer Roger Corman. Joe Dante is a pretty good sub-standard version of Steven Spielberg too, so even though this isn't Jaws, it's the same familiar formula that people like. Comparing the films is like comparing a Great White Shark and a little Piranha, one has a far greater bite than the other. It's cheesy and 'so bad it's good' and it has the legendary Dick Miller in it, so it's okay in my book.