“Piranha,” directed by Joe Dante and released in 1978, tells the story of genetically modified piranha being accidentally unleashed into a river system in central Texas, putting summer camp kids & counselors and lake resort visitors at risk. Heather Menzies portrays a determined skip tracer who joins forces with Bradford Dillman’s character, a man living off-the-grid, to protect those swimming. Kevin McCarthy and Barbara Steele appear as the military scientists responsible for the piranha experiments. Although “Piranha” draws inspiration from "Jaws" (1975), it distinguishes itself enough to avoid being simply derivative: The setting is a river system inland rather than an ocean; the threat comes from multiple small, aggressive fish instead of a massive Great White Shark; the beach scenes depict smaller, more secluded areas compared to expansive ocean beaches; and while "Jaws 2" also featured attractive young women, this film places a greater emphasis on them. The overall feel incorporates elements of adventure and suspense alongside the gruesome violence, often with touches of humor. As mentioned, several actresses stand out, including Belinda Balaski (from “The Howling”) and Melody Thomas Scott (from "The Young and the Restless"), both in significant roles. Janie Squire also has a memorable appearance early on. There are other strong female characters throughout the film as well. It’s noteworthy that the 2010 reimagining, “Piranha 3D,” leaned heavily into explicit content, but surprisingly, the women here are more appealing and the movie is generally more enjoyable. The film moves along briskly at 93 minutes and was filmed near San Marcos, Texas, northeast of San Antonio. John Sayles and Richard Robinson wrote the screenplay. GRADE: A-

Source on TMDB