Killer Fish (1979)

Pretty much what you’d expect from an Italian/French/Brazilian co-production with piranhas, 16 December 2020

A band of thieves hide a fortune in stolen jewels at the bottom of a lake.  Before the jewels can be retrieved, however, piranha are released into the water, setting the stage for much blood-letting and other carnage. 

I admit that the 6/10 rating I’ve given Killer Fish is probably overstating things for most people, but I always have so much fun watching it that I can’t possibly rate it any lower.  A lot of it is good in that cheesy sort of way, but for whatever reason, I find Killer Fish entertaining.  I think what I like most is the sheer absurdity of it all - especially the final fight for survival.  The escape raft idea is simply jaw-dropping in its level of ridiculousness.  Some really good stuff in the final few scenes! 

Another big plus for me was the direction.  Veteran genre director Antonio Margheriti keeps things moving at a nice pace. In my opinion, this thing could have gotten boring real quick had it not been for Margheriti.

Last, the acting – what a mixed bag.  I really enjoy watching Karen Black, Maris Berenson, and, especially, James Franciscus.  Franciscus seemed to be having as much fun making Killer Fish as I do watching it.  As for Lee Majors, “wooden” doesn’t begin to describe his performance.  And then there’s Margaux Hemingway.  “Disaster” just scratches the surface of what I think about her in this film.  Finally, I’ve seen this film twice now, but just realized, as I was scrolling through the credits on IMDb, that former Houston Oiler quarterback Dan Pastorini is in the film.  I haven’t thought about him in years.

 

6/10