Piranhaconda
Piranhaconda is an American science fiction B-movie, premiered on June 16, 2012, on the Syfy Channel.[1] It is directed by Jim Wynorski, produced by Roger Corman, and stars Michael Madsen, Rib Hillis, Rachel Hunter, and Terri Ivens.[2]
Piranhaconda | |
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DVD cover | |
Directed by | Jim Wynorski |
Produced by | Roger Corman |
Written by | Mike MacLean |
Starring | Michael Madsen Rib Hillis Rachel Hunter |
Release date |
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Running time | 85 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Plot
On a Hawaiian island, Professor Lovegrove, and a group of scientists are researching eggs that belong to two piranha/anaconda hybrids. However, one of the snakes kills all of the scientists except for Lovegrove, who escapes into the jungle. Meanwhile, a film crew on the island is in the middle of filming a slasher movie. Several crew wander off, and are killed by the snakes before director Milo, lead actress Kimmy Weston, scriptwriter Rose, her stuntman boyfriend Jack, and pyro tech expert Gunner are captured by a group of criminals led by Pike, and his girlfriend Talia, and held for ransom in an abandoned mill, along with Lovegrove, whom the criminals had discovered wandering the jungle earlier. Jack, and Gunner manage to escape, and systematically take out a few of the criminals before placing Gunner's explosives around the mill as a diversion to rescue the hostages. During the escape, Milo steals a gun, and stays behind as a distraction so the others can escape.
The group reaches a car, and one of the snakes soon arrives, and kills Talia. Gunner detonates the explosives, only to be killed by a stray bullet moments later. Jack, Rose, Lovegrove, and Kimmy drive off, and are chased by Pike, who shoots a bazooka at the car, although Jack swerves off the road, causing the rocket to hit, and kill one of the snakes instead. The group soon runs out of gas, and resolves to reach a marina nearby. Meanwhile, Milo escapes the mill, and encounters a girl whose fiancée was previously killed by the snake; both are then killed shortly afterward. At the marina, the group finds a working boat, but Jack plans to kill the remaining snake by luring it into the explosive-filled car. However, the criminals soon arrive, although the snake does too, killing all of the criminals, including Pike. Kimmy runs inside the car to get the detonator for the explosives, although the snake kills her before she can activate it. An injured Jack has Rose, and Lovegrove escape on the boat while he stays behind to distract the snake. On the boat, Rose discovers that Lovegrove is in possession of an egg belonging to the snake, which is why it is chasing them. As the snake pursues them underwater, Rose pushes Lovegrove off the boat, and he is eaten. She reaches land, and reunites with Jack, who attaches an explosive to the egg container before they lure the snake over to a waterfall, throwing the container into its mouth before the explosive detonates, and killing it. Jack, and Rose jump into a waterfall to avoid the explosion, and share a kiss in the water, although a third snake promptly kills them.
Cast
- Michael Madsen as Prof. Lovegrove
- Rib Hillis as Jack
- Michael Swan as Pike
- Rachel Hunter as Talia
- Terri Ivens as Rose
- Shandi Finnessey as Kimmy Weston
- Chris De Christopher as Milo
- Kurt Yaeger as Gunner
- Christina DeRosa as Rachel
- Syd Wilder as Vicky
Production
The film was written by Mike MacLean, who had written Dinocroc vs. Supergator and a number of scripts for Roger Corman. Corman hired him to write the film.[3]
MacLean said "I learned from Roger that a cable movie is a different animal than a theatrical release. First and foremost, cable movies must be faster-paced. With a theatrical release, the audience has driven to the mall, bought a ticket, and fought the crowds for a seat. They've made an investment in the viewing experience, so they're not walking out on the film if it's pacing is a bit leisurely. A cable movie audience has the remote within reach... So you have to keep things moving, which means showing the creature soon and often."[3]
MacLean added that "these films must have an element of comedic irony... the effects still can't compete with the big studio blockbusters. So they're has to be a comedic undercurrent to the story. Audiences are more likely to accept a less-than-realistic effect if they know they're laughing with the filmmakers."[3]
Piranhaconda was filmed in Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi,[4] and financed with an estimated $1,000,000.[5]
Reception
The film received generally negative reviews.[6]
See also
- List of natural horror films#Snakes
- List of Sci Fi Pictures original films
- In Nessie & Me, the character Jack O'Grady mentions the Dinocroc/Supergator and the Piranhaconda when he encounters Nessie at the beginning of the movie. However, those three films are not related to the first one.
References
- "Syfy Channel - Piranhaconda". syfy.com Retrieved June 17, 2012
- Bene, Jason (August 2015). "Roger Corman King of the Creature Feature". Delirium. No. 8. pp. 8–13.
- "Interview: Piranhaconda Writer Mike MacLean". Coming Soon. May 13, 2012.
- "Piranhaconda - film location". IMDb
- "Piranhaconda - budget". IMDb
- Singer, Matt (June 20, 2012). "'Piranhaconda' Director Lashes Out at Critic". Indie Wire.
External links
Wikiquote has quotations related to: Piranhaconda |
- Piranhaconda on IMDb
- Piranhaconda at the TCM Movie Database
- Review at Dread Central