Lance Vlcek is back with another video in his The F*cking Black Sheep series, once again defending a film that some may find indefensible. Coinciding with the release of the James Cameron scripted and produced film ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL, Lance's latest video looks back at Cameron's feature directorial debut… PIRANHA II: THE SPAWNING.
Yes, most folks assume it was 1984's THE TERMINATOR, but Cameron cut his teeth on this boobs-and-bloodfest first, making a fun, cheesy sequel to Joe Dante's original. It's proof that we all have to start somewhere and, in retrospect, it's not always a bad thing.
If this maligned 1982 release has passed you by, what you really need to know about PIRANHA II is that it's a film in which the titular fish grow wings. It stars Tricia O'Neil and Lance Henriksen, and has the following synopsis:
It may seem like paradise, but just off shore, a new brand of terror has been unleashed…
While investigating the mysterious death of a diver, scuba instructor Anne Kimbrough makes a horrific discovery: mutated piranhas, with wings that enable them to fly, are responsible for the death. As the body count rises, Anne desperately tries to convince the manager of the resort to call off the annual fish fry on the beach, but he's determined to give his guests the ultimate feeding frenzy.
While PIRANHA II is generally seen as a disappointment compared to its predecessor, Lance holds the first and second PIRANHA movies in equal regard. Find out why he enjoys the sequel so much by watching the video below.
I don't enjoy the sequel as much as the original myself, but I also don't think it's as bad as it gets made out to be. I agree with Lance that PIRANHA II: THE SPAWNING is a movie worth defending. If you'd like to pick up a copy, you can do so on Amazon.