History Film / KillerFish

* TheCaper: We only see a bit of the actual diamond heist at the very beginning of the movie. Most of the movie's events deal with the fallout of the caper as the thieves attempt to backstab one another and get eaten by fish as a result.

* PiranhaProblem: The premise of the movie. Diller put them in the dam before dumping the diamonds in, in case his accomplices tried to backstab him. (Which they do.)

* YourDaysAreNumbered: Paul Diller had a heart attack sometime before the movie starts and knows he's probably going to die soon. It's why he doesn't work for the mining company anymore, why he decided to steal the reserve diamonds from their vault, and is most likely how he got Kate Neville to work for him - she intends to make his last days happy ones, then inherit his share of the diamonds after he dies. (At least he accuses her of this, and she doesn't deny it.) [[spoiler:{{Subverted|Trope}} as he reveals at the end he faked the heart attack and has never had any cardiac problems whatsoever.]]

[[caption-width-right:250:''Killer Fish'' poster]]

Meanwhile, a photo shoot is going on elsewhere in the jungle, with model Gabrielle (Creator/MargauxHemingway), director Ann (Creator/MarisaBerinson), photographer Ollie, pilot Tom, and boat captain Max. They come into contact with the thieves when a sudden storm bursts the dam, releasing the piranhas into the larger lower lake and putting them all in danger when the boat they're taking shelter in runs aground just offshore.

* {{Bowdlerise}}: When the film was released in UK cinemas it received a lot of heavy cuts, especially to [[spoiler:Ollie]]'s death scene, so that it could get an "A" rating. (Essentially the same as "PG".) The UK did get an uncut release in 1986, courtesy of Channel 5. ([[Creator/{{Channel 5}} Not this one]]. It was one of many UsefulNotes/HomeVideoDistributors founded in TheEighties. Creator/{{Channel 5}} the broadcaster launched in 1997.

Directed by Antonio Margheriti and released in 1979, ''Killer Fish'' was an Italian [[Creator/FarrahFawcett Fawcett]]-[[Creator/LeeMajors Majors]] co-production, and one of a number of knock-off movies released in the wake of ''Film/{{Jaws}}''. It was riffed on [[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S12E05KillerFish an episode]] of ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000''.

* {{Bowdlerise}}: When the film was released in UK cinemas it received a lot of heavy cuts, especially to [[spoiler:Ollie]]'s death scene, so that it could get an "A" rating. (Essentially the same as "PG".) The UK did get an uncut release in 1986, courtesy ofChannel 5}}. ([[Creator/{{Channel 5}} Not this one]]. It was one of many UsefulNotes/HomeVideoDistributors founded in TheEighties. Creator/{{Channel 5}} the broadcaster launched in 1997.

* {{Bowdlerise}}: When the film was released in UK cinemas it received a lot of heavy cuts, especially to [[spoiler:Ollie]]'s death scene, so that it could get an "A" rating. (Essentially the same as "PG".) The UK did get an uncut release in 1986, courtesy of Creator/{{Channel 5}}.

%% I'm in the process of working on this. Don't worry, I'll get it all indexed, cross-wicked, etc. in time. In the meantime, feel free to help.

Meanwhile, a photo shoot is going on elsewhere in the jungle, with model Gabrielle (Margaux Hemingway), director Ann (Marisa Berinson), photographer Ollie, pilot Tom, and boat captain Max. They come into contact with the thieves when a sudden storm bursts the dam, releasing the piranhas into the larger lower lake and putting them all in danger when the boat they're taking shelter in runs aground just offshore.

* RecycledSoundtrack: the song playing with the poolside scene is the AlternativeForeignThemeSong for ''[[Franchise/TheSaint Return of the Saint]]'' (which like ''Killer Fish'' was produced by ITC).

* AtrociousAlias: [[spoiler:Warren seems to think his cover name is one of these. In a bit cut from the [[Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 MST]] version, he mentions that he would have preferred to go by Edgar or Clyde, because it "has more class."]]

[[caption-width-right:250:Killer Fish]]

Somewhere in Brazil, retired mine owner Paul Diller plots to steal millions of dollars in precious gemstones from his former company. With the jewels stolen, he and his accomplices - Bob Lasky (Creator/LeeMajors), Kate Neville (Creator/KarenBlack), Hans, Warren, and Lloyd - hide them in a lockbox at the bottom of a lake until the heat dies down. [[NoHonorAmongThieves Naturally, the thieves try to betray one another]] for the jewels, only to discover that they're guarded by the eponymous killer fish, a school of piranha put in the dam by Paul Diller to protect against just such a thing.

Meanwhile, a photo shoot is going on elsewhere in the jungle, with model Gabrielle, director Ann, photographer Ollie, pilot Tom, and boat captain Max. They come into contact with the thieves when a sudden storm bursts the dam, releasing the piranhas into the larger lower lake and putting them all in danger when the boat they're taking shelter in runs aground just offshore.

''Killer Fish'' was an Italian [[Creator/FarrahFawcett Fawcett]]-[[Creator/LeeMajors Majors]] co-production, and one of a number of knock-off movies released in the wake of Film/{{Jaws}}. It was riffed on [[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S12E05KillerFish an episode]] of ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000''.

* BiTheWay: Ollie is bisexual, according to a comment given by Gabrielle in the uncut version of the movie.
-->'''Gabrielle:''' ''(after calling Ollie "one of the best" and being asked what that means)'' I was referring to his talent as a photographer, but I know some girls in New York who swear he's one of the best at everything.\\
'''Lasky:''' Yeah, well, maybe I read him wrong.\\
'''Gabrielle:''' No. No, you didn't. You only read half of him. You probably have some sort of old-fashioned block against that kind of thing.\\
'''Lasky:''' Historically, bisexuality is a lot older than any of my blocks.

'''Gabrielle:''' No. No, you didn't. You only read half of him. You probably have some kind of old-fashioned block against that kind of thing.\\

-->'''Gabrielle:''' ''(after calling Ollie "one of the best") I was referring to his talent as a photographer, but I know some girls in New York who swear he's one of the best at everything.\\

* AtrociousAlias: Warren seems to think his [[spoiler:cover]] name is one of these. In a bit cut from the [[Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000 MST]] version, he mentions that he would have preferred to go by Edgar or Clyde, because it "has more class."

* AtrociousAlias: Warren seems to think his [[spoiler:cover]] name is one of these. In a bit cut from the [[Seris/MysteryScienceTheater3000 MST]] version, he mentions that he would have preferred to go by Edgar or Clyde, because it "has more class."

** Special mention should be given to his commentary when he finds Lasky and Gabrielle playing in the finale. "Leaving blots at this stage of the game can be a risky proposition, unless one knows how to turn them to one's own advantage." In backgammon, a blot is a single checker alone on its space, making it vulnerable to being hit. At this point, being on the yacht with the others with the stolen jewels which he recovered without telling them, he's at risk, but is convinced he can still turn it to his advantage.

* {{Bowdlerise}}: When the film was released in UK cinemas it received a lot of heavy cuts, especially to [[spoiler:Ollie]]'s death scene, so that it could get an "A" rating. (Essentially the same as "PG".) The Creator/{{Channel 5}} version of the film was uncut, however.

* ArtisticLicenseCars: A lot of the emergency vehicles shown are the wrong models. Specifically, they used American models instead of the Brazilian models. For example, a police car shown in one scene is a Plymouth Fury III, which was commonly used by American police departments at the time. The Brazilian federal police, however, used the Chevrolet Opala.

* DoubleAgent: Basically everyone. [[spoiler:When the brothers Lloyd and Warren try to steal the diamonds for themselves, they briefly mention that they've been operating under fake names (when Lloyd is attacked by the killer fish, his brother repeatedly calls him "Tony") and hint that they were planted by the mob in order to take advantage of Diller's plan. It's later revealed that Ann, Tom, and Gabrielle were in league with Lasky. Kate was probably intending to take Diller's share after his failing heart finished him off. (At least she doesn't deny it when he accuses her of this.) And, of course, Diller was playing everyone from the start.]]

* WalkingShirtlessScene: Hans spends most of his screen time without a shirt on. Later on he puts on a wetsuit to go diving... and leaves the front unzipped. Just about the only time he doesn't bare his chest is during the heist at the beginning, which sees him in the same black turtlenecks as everyone else.

* DoubleAgent: Basically everyone. [[spoiler:When the brothers Lloyd and Warren try to steal the diamonds for themselves, they briefly mention that they've been operating under fake names (when Lloyd is attacked by the killer fish, his brother repeatedly calls him "Tony") and hint that they were planted by the mob in order to take advantage of Diller's plan. It's later revealed that Ann, Tom, and Gabrielle were in league with Lasky. And, of course, Diller was playing everyone from the start.]]

* YourDaysAreNumbered: Paul Diller supposedly had a heart attack sometime before the movie starts and knows he's probably going to die soon. It's why he doesn't work for the mining company anymore, why he decided to steal the reserve diamonds from their vault, and is most likely how he got Kate Neville to work for him - she intends to make his last days happy ones, then inherit his share of the diamonds after he dies. (At least he accuses her of this, and she doesn't deny it.) [[spoiler:{{Subverted|Trope}} as he reveals at the end he faked the heart attack and has never had any cardiac problems whatsoever.]]