‘Piranha’ a fun throwback to 1970s horror flicks [Daily News, Bowling Green, Ky.]

Aug. 26--As the summer winds down and studios start to unload their leftovers (I'm looking right at you, "The Switch"), it gets harder and harder to find quality films.

While "Piranha 3D" probably doesn't exactly fit in the quality film category, it certainly is entertaining -- a bloody throwback that takes pride in its grindhouse roots. This is a nod to 1970s cheesy drive-in horror films, what "The Expendables" was to 1980s action movies. And like "The Expendables," "Piranha 3D" proves to be a lot of fun.

A remake of a 1970s horror film that tried to cash in on the "Jaws" phenomenon, "Piranha" takes place in a small Arizona community that has become a staple for college students on spring break. When a sudden underwater tremor sets free thousands of man-eating piranhas, the town's sheriff (Elisabeth Shue) and a geologist (Adam Scott) set out to warn the unsuspecting partiers.

When the sheriff discovers that her three kids are also in danger, she sets out to save them before it's too late.

Director Alexandre Aja has crafted a wild little horror flick that pays homage to the pre-"Friday the 13th" and "Halloween" horror films and the result is a movie that firmly hits the mark.

Shue is one of many recognizable faces in a cast that seems to understand this film has one simple objective -- deliver plenty of blood and gore and mix it with nudity and sex. Jerry O' Connell has the best moments as a "Girls Gone Wild"-like director working on his latest project. His ultimate demise is one of the high points in the film -- both for gross-out gore and humor.

The cast also includes Ving Rhames, Christopher Lloyd and cameos from Richard Dreyfuss (an obvious wink to "Jaws") and Eli Roth, who pops up in the film's best sequence, an extended sequence of bloody mayhem at a wet T-shirt contest.

"Piranha 3D" is definitely not for everyone. I'm pretty sure the blood, gore and ridiculous amount of nudity will turn off a lot of moviegoers. Still, for fans of horror films -- and people looking for a good laugh -- you can do a lot worse. This may not be a great film, but it will definitely satisfy its target audience.

DVD dandy of the week

This week's dandy is the fascinating trilogy, "Red Riding" (A), three feature films from three different directors that are loosely based on the Yorkshire Ripper case in England that stretched from the mid-1970s to early '80s.

Each film centers around a particular year of the case, with a different director bringing his own unique perspective to the project.

The first film, "1974," directed by Julian Jarrold, follows the story of a young reporter named Eddie (Andrew Garfield) trying to find information on a series of unsolved murders involving young girls. When he becomes romantically involved with a missing girl's mother (Rebecca Hall), Eddie uncovers evidence of police corruption, shedding a new light on the investigation.

The second film, "1980," directed by James Marsh, focuses on the police corruption from within the department with a police officer brought in to assess the investigation of the Ripper murders.

The final film, "1983," directed by Anand Tucker, brings together the corruption revealed in the first two films, unearthing a plot that spreads throughout the local government.

This is a powerful trilogy that deals with dark secrets in small towns and how easily corruptible these seemingly quaint communities can be. Each director tackles this theme from a different perspective, creating a unique piece of work that stands by itself but is also part of a bigger picture.

Parts one and three are solid, but part two is the highlight -- it's a taut little thriller from Marsh (the man behind the documentary "Man on Wire") that may be the best film about police corruption since "L.A. Confidential."

That film alone is enough to make this trilogy worth seeing, but the other two films are nearly as good -- making "Red Riding" one of the best films to date in 2010.

"Red Riding" is unrated, but features language, violence and some sexual situations. It will be available Tuesday on DVD.

-- To get sportswriter/movie reviewer Micheal Compton's up-to-the minute thoughts on all things movies, visit his blog at mcompton.wordpress.com or his Twitter page at twitter.com/mcompton428. You can also e-mail him at [email protected].

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