Forgotten Sequels: Piranha 2- The Spawning

 Everyone has to start somewhere in any Industry.
In this case, it is James Cameron getting his first gig as a Director on today's Film- Piranha 2: The Spawning, the 1981 Sequel to the Cult Classic.

There are many caveats here, but I'll get to that.

This is a Sequel made in Italy by a man named Ovidio G. Assonitis.  And yes, that is his real last name.
He Produced many Films that only true connoisseurs of foreign nonsense have seen and sometimes love like Beyond the Door, Tentacles and The Iron Warrior.

In this case, he needed an American name on his Sequel (to a Film that he didn't make) and ultimately settled on James Cameron, fresh off working on Roger Corman's Productions.

The Plot involves those damn Piranhas back for more in a Plot that actually mirrors some future Jurassic Park Films.  

Is this Euro Trash with an American Title?  To find out, read on...

My version has a different Subtitle.

A Cold Open (literally) has a Couple diving down to have sex in a shipwreck.  Take note, Kash Patel!
They die.

The nearby Island is full of Tourists and overseen by a single Sheriff/Law Figure- Lance Henriksen.

There's a Jaws-like Mayor figure in the form of the Resort Owner.

He does all of the usual stuff you'd expect.

Our Heroine- who would reunite with Cameron for Titanic- is the Diving Instructor/Tour Guide.

She's this Film's Hooper, but she's also the ex-Wife of Henriksen (this Film's Brody).
As a bonus, their Son is in peril for the climax, giving us a taste of Jaws 2.

While this is officially directed by Cameron, he only claims credit for 2 Scenes.  

In the first one, the guy who kept hitting on 'Hooper' goes with her to check out the body of a victim.

They used a real Morgue btw!

They are chased off by a Local Worker, who sticks around with the corpse uncovered long enough for one of the Piranha to fly out of an open wound!

We later learn from the guy above that they were crossbred with a bunch of other species as some sort of military weapon (or something), but escaped.

Yes, this is oddly similar to Jurassic World in that regard.

One of the Fishermen- Gabby- finds his son killed by one of the Piranhas.

He plans revenge, using the dynamite that he and the son were fishing with when Lance first met them.

That night, all of the warnings are ignored and the beach is opened...but at night.

The Tourists act out a ritual where they march to the Sea...and the Piranhas fly at them, killing many!

Gabby shows up after the survivors are behind a door and plans his revenge...only to be killed instantly.

My...arc...was pointless.

The Son and a girl he likes snuck away earlier, setting up the Jaws 2 bit I mentioned.

In the other bit that Cameron Directed, Lance finds them in his Helicopter and, instead of landing, jumps out and it explodes.

Helicopters famously explode upon contact with water.

They take a boat to get away as 'Hooper' and the guy try to set up bombs made by Gabby to blow up the eggs in the wreck.

The guy is killed by the fish- as Story Law demands- and they save the day via a giant explosion.

The End (until the 1995 Remake).

A pretty forgettable 'Sequel,' save for a few minutes throughout.

This one was supposedly going to try and get Kevin McCarthy to make a Cameo as his Piranha character and die off.  That never happened.

What we're left with is a Film that very, very much feels like an Italian Monster Movie.
It has all of the benchmarks, including much superfluous nudity and sleazy people.

There is also LOTS of stuff ripped off of/inspired by Jaws, which is pretty damn common in Italian Cinema between 1976 and 1996.

The FX work also led to what made the Face Huggers in Cameron's Aliens, so some good came of this.

I'd love to say more about this being a 'hidden gem' or something, but...nah.
It has some moments, at least.

Speaking of moments, now is the right one to bring this back...

Next time, Roger Moore is back in his (arguably) most maligned Bond Film.  Is this Sci-Fi premise too much for the Series?  Stay tuned...

'The Abyss' and Its Copies Compendium

 Having finally covered James Cameron's (does Math) 6th most Famous Film, it is important to remember that it was very influential.

Specifically, people in the Direct to Video Market wanted some of that sweet, underwater Movie cash.

This is a complete List of the Film and its unplanned ilk...

1) The Abyss: The Film that started it all still holds up to scrutiny multiple Decades later.

It was hell to make, but a joy to watch.

2) DeepStar Six: This one signaled the turn to creature feature.

That said, I had some fun with the unoriginal Plot.

3) Leviathan: The most proper one of these copycats and arguably the best.

A Stan Winston creature and a strong Cast elevates this from okay to pretty good.

4) The Rift: This one also exists.

It features some good names and decent effects, but really doesn't stand out when compared to the rest of these Films.

5) Unknown Origin: No, not that rat one- that's OF Unknown Origin.

This one rips off The Abyss for setting, while doing The Thing and Aliens at the same time.

6) Underwater: A Film that had worse luck than a guy who moved to Hiroshima in 1943.

In spite of escaping Film Limbo right in time for COVID, this Film...is actually really good.
Seriously, go see it.

And no, I didn't ever do a Review of Lords of the Deep.  

If I ever do, I'll add it.

'80s Class: The Abyss (1989)

 Is this the true origin of James Cameron's love of the Ocean?

Probably not, but it is his first Film that is really about it.  This is The Abyss, his 1989 epic.

Regardless of how you may feel about his 'All Avatar' Filmography over the last nearly 20 years, he delivered big in a short amount of time with The Terminator, Aliens and this, going into T2 next.

This tumultuous production tells the tale of a ragtag crew that goes to rescue a nuclear submarine in extreme conditions.  Things only get worse as they are trapped by the edge of...The Abyss!

This Film inspired many copycats- which will get a Compendium soon- and is famous for one big effect.  Yes, I'll cover it.

Is there more to the Film than just one moment and Ed Harris' refusal to talk about the Film ever since?

To find out, read on...

After some crazy undersea activity causes a nuclear submarine to crash at the bottom of the Ocean, experts are called in.

Leave it to Dr. Kelso here to get the best people.

Due to an approaching Hurricane, Ed Harris' team is called in.

They do underwater salvage and are reliable.

Maybe they'll find the Titanic.  Right, James?

The problem- especially in the Special Edition- is that Harris and the Lead Person- Mary Elizabeth Mastriano- were once married and now separated.

Can they get it together in time to recover the nukes?

The other issue is that a bunch of Navy SEALs- led by Michael Biehn- are also on board.

They find the ship, but the SEALs must retrieve the nukes...using the vehicle they also need to help them detach and resurface before the Hurricane hits.

One part works.

His third and final Cameron Film.

The storm hits and the rigging to get them back up is destroyed.

While trying to work to find a way out, members of the group start to see strange, glowing creatures.

Aliens in a James Cameron Film- unexpected!

As noted, I'm reviewing the Special Edition- which is nearly 3 hours long!

The extra footage includes lots of talk about nuclear war, as Russia is blamed for the 'attack' and conflict seems imminent.

Skipping ahead a bit, the Crew works to fix things up and find a way to survive until rescue.

Meanwhile, Biehn goes very much insane and cradles the nuclear warhead like a baby.

Nobody believes Mastriano's story about the glowing aliens until the Film's big moment- a fully CGI water trail takes the shape of human faces and tries to communicate with them!

Biehn stages a mutiny and, when that is failing, he takes one of the mini subs to go nuke The Abyss.

It implodes- awkward!- and the missile falls into the crevice.

The way back nearly kills Mastriano and now she has to send Harris down there to get the object.

It's only 12,000 feet down!

He's low on liquid oxygen, but is then saved by the aliens (who appear to go around in tiny, neon vehicles).

They threaten the surface with massive waves- more so in this Cut- and stop just short of destruction.

Why?  They observed Harris' noble sacrifice and deemed us worthy of another chance.

Everyone is reunited on the surface and now...World Peace?
The End.

A Film that really drags you down to the deep.

This Film really establishes an atmosphere quite well.  
You see the Ocean.  You see the vehicles.  You see the base.

Everything feels real and lived in.
You are down there with them.

At worst, some of the compositing with the aliens isn't super-convincing.  Partly because it is so strongly lit that the seams are just more evident.

A minor, self-inflicted error.

Otherwise, the Film does a great job of building up suspense, making you care about the Characters (even the guy with the white mouse) and seeing how things will play out.

I'm glad I watched the Extended Version, as it is the complete Film and doesn't have 30 minutes chopped out of it.

After nearly 40 years, the Film hold up and is worth a look (or three)...

Next up, let's jump ahead the early 2000s.  I need to wrap up my look back at Underworld and its Prequel.  Stay tuned...

Immediate Response: Avatar- Fire and Ash (2025)

My Dad is a big Avatar fan.

As such, I saw it with him on Christmas afternoon.

Let's see how it turned out...

The Good

* The Film looks amazing!  The CGI is so good that you get photorealistic creatures interacting with their environments in very impressive manner.

* The Film is epic in scale, with lots of Characters, locations and a Plot that grows from the previous Films.

* Oona Chaplin really shines as the new Villain.  She's not exactly nuanced, but she's impossible to look away from.

* A climactic battle feels like the proper finale to the Series.
This is the last Film...right?

The Bad

* The Film is very long.  This is because many Scenes feel drawn out.  This Film had multiple Editors.

* This Film was clearly set up as the final part of a Trilogy, so it has to wrap up LOTS of things that could have been dealt with in the last Film.

* Why is Jermaine Clement doing an American accent in this one?

* Seeing a CGI version of Sigourney Weaver (as a Navi) kissing someone 50 years younger than her- hmmm...no thanks.

All in all, the Film is a big, epic experience that is truly mind-blowing to look at.  I just wish that it could have been more concise.

Have you seen it?  If so, leave a comment.

Rare Flix: Galaxy of Terror

When Roger Corman and James Cameron get together, strange things happen!  The pair only worked together in one way, shape or form on three occassions- all of them a bit different.  Their first work was Battle Beyond the Stars, a low-budget version of Seven Samurai...but in space.  The second time was today's film- Galaxy of Terror.  Cameron had been promoted from just a Special Effects Crew Member to Head of the Department & even filled in a bit as a Second-Unit Director.  The third time was Cameron's first real film that he directed- Piranha 2.  This experience is a bit more infamous, as an angered Producer- not Corman- literally locked Cameron out of the Editing Room, depriving him of 'his cut.'  Fortunately, the guy went on to make a few hit films like The Terminator, The Abyss and Aliens, so all ended well.  Let's jump back to Galaxy, however, since everyone and their mother has seen the three films mentioned before...but not this one.  According to my sources (read: Wikipedia), the film didn't even get a DVD release until 2010, having to make due with just a VHS and Laserdisc one.  I miss you, giant Laserdiscs.  The film is basically a horror film, but in space and it is somewhat inspired by Alien.  A more accurate comparison, however, is 1997's Event Horizon.  Keep any eye out for the random and eclectic cast too.  Get out your worm repellent, because we're about to head into the...

The film begins with a nameless guy running from something in a space ship.  We don't see what happens, but it's 99% likely to be bad.  Just to note- this film was released in 1981 and features the 'Pre-Credits Kill' that is common in modern horror films to this day.  Case in point: pretty much every Saw film or movie from the After Dark Horror Fest.  The death of these people and the loss of their ship upsets...a guy with an everlasting gobstopper for a head.  That's not who I was expecting!  He's called The Master, but he doesn't have a goatee or fight Time Lords...that I know of.  He sends out another ship to find them, leading to most of the Alien comparisons tossed at this movie.  Once things actually start happening, however, you'll stop thinking about Xenomorphs!  During the decent-looking effects that accompany the flight, we get to meet our cast of characters.  Amongst the future and/or past stars, we have Ray Walston- aka everyone's Favorite Martian- as the Cook, Robert Englund as a Crew Member of undefined role, famous writer/director Zalman King as another Crew Member and Sid Haig as...well, Sid Haig.  The creepy part: Haig has the same bald head and beard here in 1981 that had had in 2005!  I guess if you find a look you like, keep it.  They run into some vague turbulence during the landing, causing their ship to be damaged.  It looks like you get to walk!

The crew's journey eventually leads them to a mountain that they must climb.  The transparent nature of this set is giving me Call of Cthulu flashbacks!  Things turn bleak when one of the men is killed while hanging over a hole in the rock.  The culprit- a bat/dinosaur thingy.  The crew explore the area for a bit, padding out the run-time nicely.  Eventually, more of them get offed.  Sadly, this includes Haig, who has an hallucination of crystal glaive-looking things breaking off and going up his arm.  He cuts off the offending appendage, but gets killed by a bunch of worms on the ground.  In a surprisingly-good effect, one of the worms turns gigantic by way of trick photography.  You're doing Bert I. Gordon proud, James!  Things aren't any better on the ship either, as people there are starting to feel the twinge of something weird.  The lady in charge of the mission gets that feeling, causing her to start firing the ship's cannons into the air at an 'invisible' monster.  She finally freaks out and runs outside without a suit on, which is not a pleasant death.  Englund is a bit confused by the cook (Walston) taking all of this in stride.  He's even more confused when the guy knocks him out for no good reason.  Of course, the controversial moment is coming up next...

Worm rape.  That just happened.  Basically, one of the women in the crew has a fear of sex, so a giant worm attacks her, melts off her clothes and rapes her.  Anyways, the rest of the group move on from seeing the aftermath of this shocking event and moves further into the mountain, which is now a labyrinth of random, sharp angles.  One of the guys is killed by a flying alien monster, which gives us the thing on the DVD cover...even if it is in the wrong context.  The group is whittled down to only a few people, but that won't last long either.  Englund faces down the mirror image of himself and actually manages to do well.  He still dies though, don't worry.  The only female cast member left dies when she's grabbed into a tunnel and has her torso squeezed tendrils until she pops.  Our hero finally makes to the center and confronts the man behind it all- Ray Walston.  He's actually The Master, who did this all to...yeah, I couldn't really figure out why.  Our hero fights the zombie versions of his friends, all of the monsters (way to re-use the models!) and ultimately kills The Master...only to become him.  I'm sure what to say other than...The End.

This Galaxy ain't creepy enough for the two of us!  The plot of this movie is...well, odd.  The basic premise is right out of Alien, but that's where most of the comparisons end.  In fact, the comparisons between this and what would later become Aliens are actually more interesting.  Shooting aliens while surrounded by pipes and/or rocks.  Check.  A mix of horror and action in space.  Check.  A tiny alien that latches onto you and kills you with its teeth.  Big check!  The problem here is that it's hard to explain what exactly happened in the grand scheme of things.  The Master sent people to rescue people that he already sent to die...I think.  The Obelisk apparently causes your worst fears to come to life and kill you- that I'm sure of.  What if your worst fear is an abstract concept coming to life and killing you?  What would happen to you?  Nothing?  The film is not terrible by any means, but it really doesn't do a whole lot to make itself memorable.  Obviously, I'm not talking about the 'worm rape' scene.  This was so controversial that the Director nearly quit when Cameron suggested that they add it.  The film couldn't get released until the scene was Edited down and it still didn't get released in some countries after that!  Was it worth it?  I certainly remember the film and remember that scene.  I guess you won then, you giant-headed bastard!

Next up, I cover a film whose title alone makes me giggle.  Thankfully, this film is Japanese, so it only has a 60% chance of disappointing me.  Stay tuned...