The GREATEST Killer Whale Movie Ever Made? | ORCA - Movie Review (1977)
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- Опубликовано: 23 июл 2024
- Free Willy is probably one of the only wild animal movies people know about whales but Orca, the underrated 1977 Jaws knock-off starring Richard Harris and Charlotte Rampling is the best in my opinion.
#Movies #Retro #Monsters 
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I was just telling Johanna about this in my upcoming Godzilla King of the Monsters commentary. We should do a commentary track for it!
You should do TENTACLES
And PETER BENCHLY'S THE BEAST
Around the 30 second mark, I thought that he was going to say "Not only was it good, but I think that it is better than 'Jaws'."
That would've been when I couldn't suspend my disbelief any longer. I do remember this movie though and it was pretty goddamn funny.
@@Crazycoyote-we7ey And please also Savage Harvest (1981 lion attack movie) please. Thanks in advance!
Was just hoping Hack the Movies would also cover this, I'd be so happy
@@christianc.christian5025 your ridiculous 🙄
The film has a depressing ending where it's implied that after killing the man, the male orca swims under some frozen ice to drown itself having no other reason to go on after finishing his mission of revenge
I thought the same thing!
It actually does die at the end cuz after he killed Nolan all he couldn't think of was the feeling of devastation and lost and wanted to end his life to be reunited with his mate and child in the afterlife
@@petergresh516
That to me, sounds like the scariest thing on earth. Such complexity of thinking.
@@samuraijackoff5354 Honestly, of all the animals they could have done this movie with, Orcas are the only one I can see this being realistic to. They show grief, mourn their losses and are capable of holding grudges. Orca and some other Cetaceans are also known to just kind of give up if they lose those closest to them, too.
Orcas may have the closest intelligence to our own in both form and levels, of all the animal kingdom.
@@Jane-oz7pp Truth. Nailed it. I'd say they R actually smarter than us. Unlike humans, Orcas don't go around killing each other, so definitely smarter.
The irony of the people calling it a ""copycat" of Jaws, when this movie secretly inspired the "creature out for revenge" plot of Jaws: The Revenge.
It was defenitly very unique
Funny thing is that an orca seeking revenge is a lot more realistic, an orca can remember familial ties through vocalizations and have close family pods, whereas shark babies steaight up each each other so why would they give a fuck about getting revenge?
@@walrusArmageddon Never underestimate the wrath of familial creatures. I raise cattle and they never forget if you hurt or sell their calves either.
Hello folks I just got back from an alternant timeline. In it Jaws never came out, and most jaws knock offs didn't either. When this movie came out however it got an 80 million times bigger audience because there wasn't anything to say it was a copycat of. Also, a lot less sharks have died of humans with "Taking a movie seriously syndrome."
I would watch orca 1000 times over then have to watch revenge even once. LOL Least with the whale its like..okay well for one its a porpoise. And there in nature very intelligent. and to what extent till a bit of a mystery. They mate for life. TYhats another fact with Killer whales. So this didn't feel too unbelievable. I mean there is parts like he said, Knowing what gas is that was a little silly. But over all a revenge thing works for this kinda animal. I do think if you attack a Orcas mate in the wild that...well actually the whole clan might come at you. Just more easy for me to buy then a mindless shark that is drive only on eating.
I remember this movie when I was a kid. The ending was depressing and I didn’t even understand that the Orca literally kept swimming to deeper ice so it would DROWN itself, after he accomplished his goal. Had I known that as a kid, would have made this movie more hardcore
What makes this movie more memorable is that Orcas are the most powerful and intelligent predators in the seas, They kill great Whites and even torture fish out of pure fun. wouldn’t put it over one to carry a grudge if someone wronged it. This movie is definitely underrated
It's true. Not to mention on top of being powerful and way smarter, they are pack hunters and stay together. However yes one on one I do think a Orca would win.
I saw that documentary, Blackfish.
One of the experts said " There's never been a reported fatal attack by an Orca in the wild".
Imagine yourself (alone) on a 14ft something that looks like a shark from below?
I don't think you'd be reporting that attack. Or much of anything else...unless land is REAL close by.
I didn't realize that's what the ice signified. Guess I'd had all I could handle about it as a kid. Makes sense but adds an even sadder pall to it.
Bull sperm whales make orcas look like ants.
@@schrodingersgat4344 Orcas just don't attack people. For whatever reason, there would at least be SOME evidence of they did. Washed up shipwreck with orca tooth marks. Washed up bodies with orca tooth marks. But there's no been nothing bc they don't attack humans.
When I was a teenager I read about this movie on one of those sites that reviewed "bad" movies, and as I read about it and saw screenshots, I thought "wait... how is this bad?" I was intrigued to say the least, so I kept an eye for it on TV and when they finally aired it and I saw it, I was not disappointed. I agree that not only is Orca criminally underrated, but it's one of the better animal attack movies out there, and is even a downright depressing and haunting film. Yeah it's clearly inspired by Jaws, but it also happens to do the "Jaws ripoff" shtick better than just about everybody else and does something a bit different with it. And that score... Ennio Morricone was a master of his craft.
I've always loved the finale too. For some reason, the far up North Atlantic and icebergs are just so eerie and haunting to me, like you've reached the end of the earth, and Orca uses it to great effect.
... also it's funny to look up Orca and get so many recommendations for the Free Willy movies. Orca is to Free Willy what Cujo is to Beethoven, lmao
I think it was purposely supposed to be underrated in a way to not cause a panic of people going out and killing orcas, like after jaws. Maybe not by the creators. But by the critics. Just my guess though lol.
I felt it more inspired by Moby Dick than Jaws as unlike Jaws it had a deeper meaning to the animal and human interaction and it wasn’t just killing to kill but then again most wouldn’t know about the Moby Dick novel at all
@@Rhaenarys that makes sense. It shows how fragile and sensitive the masses are when shown something
The practical effects on the Orca are really impressive!
I may be mistaken but I think the animatronic orca (the one that moved, not the rubber "corpse" of the female) was made by the same guys who later made the sharks for Deep Blue Sea?
They were apparently so good that prior to the films’ release animal rights groups would mistake trucks transporting the animatronic orcas for the real deal.
They must have felt real stupid when it wasn’t real.
Saw this as a kid and it was honestly haunting, especially the miscarriage scene. My child mind made that scene so much worse than it actually is rewatching it as an adult. A very good film that doesn't deserve to be remembered as just another rip off.
Yeah, the miscarriage scene was something I probably didn't need to see at probably 11 years old
@@non-applicable3548 agreed
Dudes same HAHHAA this shit fucked my young mind up way too much
Yeah, I'm another member of this unfortunate club. Saw this part specifically when I was probably no more than 8, because my teenage cousins were horror movie buffs and were watching it when my family came to visit. It's probably not anywhere near as horrific as my younger mind distorted it into being, but I'm honestly not willing to go back and watch the film to see if this is true!
this movie put fear in me!
I saw this back in 1977 and fell in love with it. Multiple screenings cemented my love for it.
It’s such a sad and tragic film and possibly Harris best performance ever imho. 10/10 from me.
Me too.
Same. I saw both when young and Jaws always bored me. I never why my friends found it scary. At least the close ups in this movie looked real.
Always thought to be alone with my appreciation for this engrossing tale. People with heart instantly regonize that the critics in unison misjudged it. Heavily inspired by Jaws. Thematically strong enough to stand on its own merits imo.
Orca is VASTLY underrated. People don't like it because it puts a glaring spotlight on some of the horrors that go on in the fishing industry, like harvesting shark fins for shark fin soup.
Whereas Jaws has this serious, but fairly light adventurous tone, Orca is mean, nasty, and humorless, absolutely chillingly depicted in the first scene where Harris/Nolan kills the Orca's mate and, just to drive home the point, the miscarriage occurs. It's a sequence that has stayed with me ever since I first saw it and lives in a dark place in my brain where Jaws could never penetrate.
And the cast is arguably just as good as what was assembled for Jaws. The effects are fantastic and Morricone's score is perfectly matched along with Carol Connors' achingly sad theme song.
I sometimes get the urge to put on Orca, but then I remember that it's a hard watch. And I mean a HARD watch. Once the miscarriage happens, you know Nolan and probably a good chunk of his crew are doomed, as it's an impossible-to-reconcile sin against the creature. Bo Derek's leg amputation scene is also shocking in its violence. Will Sampson does his best to try to get Nolan to abandon his suicidal offering to the orca, but even he can't avoid the inevitable and assists Nolan in the pursuit - a decision that fatefully costs him his own life. And Charlotte Rampling is cut from major thespian cloth and adds even more gravitas to a film already neck-deep in it.
And Harris portrays the perfect dead man walking. Forgetting the effects, the music, and everything else, the film should be seen for his performance alone. It would almost be Oscar-worthy if the film had occupied the right genre.
I would NOT let young'ins go anywhere near Orca. How it managed to pull off a PG rating I'll never know, as I would've given it a solid R, even to this day.
Absolutely underrated. I think I first watched it when I was about, maybe twelve, and that miscarriage scene left me scarred for life. A Jaws ripoff, sure, but by far one of the best.
Awesome video, as usual!
Me too. The only time I watched was when they aired it on TV during the 80s. Remember liking it enough that decided to buy it. And, to this day, I can´t watch that scene.
I was about the same age and saw it during its first run. The image that stuck with me most was the orca swimming away with the cast, a part of the leg still in it.
Yep, I remembered the miscarriage with unease for decades.
I remember seeing this movie in the theater when it came out and MAN...it scarred me for life, too. That miscarriage scene is brutal and the scenes of the closeup of the orca's eye as it's screaming in rage scared the heck out of me. I was 8 or 9...if my parents had done their due diligence, maybe they would have reconsidered taking me to see it?
lol......I saw it in a theater when I was 5. When the peanut fell out of the Momma whale........jeez........
This movie was one of the first movies that made me relate to the “villain” When I saw it against n la decade later the ending reminded me off “Frankenstein”. Truly an underrated movie. Great pick for a video.
How these are not REAL KW's are beyond me. Special effects on a movie like this weren't this good back then.
Not dissing the effects, but some of the shots ARE real whales.
@@n.j.hanson4267 yes two orcas acted in this movie. They were Yaka and Nepo
This movie makes Jaws look like a Disney film in comparison, to be honest, given how much more brutally graphic it is. There's just something about the death of a mammal that hits harder than the death of a fish, coupled with the orca's thirst for vengeance, which makes it very human, and is pretty realistic given everything that's been documented about killer whale behavior. Madness could very well be something they experience for whatever reason.
Look what they do in captivity grind their teeth down to nothing and try to kill themselves by running into the walls of the enclosures but they are too small to get up any speed to accomplish it. No, they have to die of infection after swimming in poop water for 20 to 50 years. and I don't know if any offspring of any breeding program ever lived. So, they get to watch their children die or be born dead. I think Tokitae in Miami had 5 pregnancies.
Watch Black Fish, they definitely can experience mental illness.
I thought the movie was great. It’s unbelievably refreshing to see a killer animal movie that goes in a more dark and depressing turn. Most of the time these types of films generally end up feeling like they were maid solely for the entertainment of seeing animals kill people in brutal ways, much like slasher movies. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, there’s certainly enjoyment to be had with them, but it’s nice to see a movie like this that’s being carried with it’s story and themes rather than just it’s kill count. Heck may have been the reason people didn’t like it back in the day. Audiences expected to see a campy fun blockbuster that this genre is known for and were disappointed by how different it was to their expectations. But that’s just speculation on my part. Any way great review as always and can’t wait to see what movies you will introduce to us next.
Agreed it was very unique
With his revenge complete n his rage gone he had nothing left but devastation n loss then drowned himself underneath the ice. So sad. That soundtracks unbeatable!
@@actuary33 tearjerker
To this day, I remember the scene which the sailors capture the "baby Orca".
And due the big Orca harassment, they used a hose to "wash out" the small animal out the boat deck. I was a kid, that scene gave me creeps. Excelent movie!
Definitely underrated. Outstanding plot, acting and fx. That sad and haunting Ennio Morricone theme is masterful.
100 percent right
That theme still brings me to tears to this day.
Me too it was sooo beautiful
not that much tbh. i mean, it just an orca. ofc, its a extremely successful predator, but not enough for the human mind. not only they purposely made guns ineffective in the movie, but also forgot how poison, oil, toxic waste, electricity is very effective against animals in water. there was many ways to get rid of the animal, but not only that, but also choosing wisely not to approach water, or do it but in a safer way.
Honestly I think it's insanely underrated to the point where I couldn't really call it a rip off. It does showcase the intelligence of orcas. Whales and porpoises have been known to hold grudges. They music at times was heartbreaking making those dark moment hit harder. This movie is actually a classic.
I remember this movie! The scene where the mother and the baby whale die terrified me as a kid. I still have that visual burned in my memory. I remember rooting for the whale the entire time for what this man did to him. It is sort of like the whale version of John Wick!
Or The Crow.
Extremely underappreciated movie that, while definitely taking advantage of the killer animal craze following Jaws, really tried to do something different. Like Moby Dick but with a more depressing twist. It’s not perfect, it ends perhaps too depressingly for my taste, but it definitely deserves more credit than it got when it came out. Definitely one of the better aged movies of its type.
When man allows greed to overcome him, everyone loses.
Moby Dick is pretty damn tragic as well .. 🤣
It’s honestly it’s own thing
The real life events that inspired money dick was about a whale out for blood after watching it's pod get killed.
I gotta admit, I do find this movie kinda charming in its sincerity. Richard Harris was one of the greatest actors to ever live (certainly the greatest Irish actor). Not a great movie, but definitely deserving of more respect than it got.
I saw Orca on its original release. I remember going with my family along with my Cousin, Aunt & Uncle. We had to try three different theaters before finding one not sold out and about to start in time to see the beginning. An usher at the second theater told us people were sitting on the floor in the aisles. He showed us to decide if we wanted to do the same. That's the 70s for you.
Over the years I have could to think of Orca as Death Wish from point of view of the whale. It's not exactly that. But it presents the far whale sympathic then most animal attack films.
A real blast from the past.. I remember watching this when I was a kid. It was more traumatising than jaws due to the 'humanity' of the orca. Interesting that both orca and jaws starred two respected, alchocholic Irish actors in the 'ahab' role, Robert Shaw and Richard Harris. I'm going to watch it again, thanks for the memories.. And yes, if this had come out any other time prior to jaws, I think it would've been appreciated more. 👍🏼
Well, Robert Shaw was an Englishman. Nothing Irish about him other than he moved there later in life for tax reasons.
There are some kind of silly elements in it, but I love Orca. The fact that the ending is so atypical of the genre is one of my favorite things about it. I think one of the things that hurts the movie in public opinion is that most people don't like to think of killer whales as something that could be frightening, despite the name and the fact orcas are just a huge middle finger to almost everything else in the ocean. If a great white is killed by an orca, all the other great whites within hundreds of miles will say, "F that noise", leave the area and won't come back for months.
Yeah killed by an Orca or a pod of 50 or so Orcas? I think it’s the numbers that really scares off great whites, which hunt alone.
I felt it was more fear of the public rushing out because of fear to kill them off like after jaws.
@@Rhaenarys I mean the movie unlike jaws paints a very sympathetic view on the orca.
@@justsomelizardwithatophat.367 I agree. But I've come to realize majority of people don't see things like I do, so awesome to meet someone who does! 😊
I remember watching this on tv as a kid some years ago. The premise of this movie was very very good. The Orca had motivation for wanting vengeance. If you know anything about Orcas its that they are extremely intelligent. So much so that they group up to make waves to knock seals off of ice debris that’s broken away from large chunks of ice. There’s never been a actual attack like in sea world in the wild (correct me if I’m wrong) They’ve even been known to help in some cases. Nonetheless imagine a Orca being literally out for blood for you in open waters. Pretty scary to think about movie is definitely underrated for sure!
Your correct. In the wild is very very rare for them to attack a human. In captivity it is common. Not a animal that should be in captivity.
They have attacked boats recently
@@MasterSkywalker86
Its an animal that should be taken better care of in captivity
This is why marine biologists need to be in more of these zoos
@@leahcimwerdna5209 yeah
@@supermanfan3113 its an animal that doesn’t deserve to be held captive for out entertainment. They’re meant to be free.
I remember my mother taking my brother and I to the movies to see Orca when I was a kid. I always liked Orca and personally I don't really even compare it to jaws Orca is a fantastic movie , very deep emotionally and this movie still holds up to the special effects of today. I'm shocked that it only has a 9% on rotten tomatoes . Really good movie , a must see if you like Jaws
I remember seeing this back in the 80s and leaving everlasting images in my mind. Whenever a movie would arise about a killer marine animal, this movie will always come to mind. In my opinion, that’s what a true great film is supposed to accomplished.
Man, Spielberg's catalog of monster movies is an amazing accomplishment. His influence can't even be approximated.
I saw this movie years ago when I was in middle school because I was heavily into the Free Willy movies and I can honestly say I'm glad you didn't add an image of the premature calf and the screams from the female orca, that was horrifying.
I remember watching this movie more than 15 years ago and being shock of how dark and moving it was. It's definetly and extremely underrated movie.
freaking loved this movie. as a kid, I never noticed the Jaws comparisons because the actual story is so deeply emotional and personal. I've always rooted for the orca after growing up on Animal Planet (when they actually had shows about animals) and of course Steve Irwin. People have always screwed animals over so badly and this movie showed that so succinctly, it was great to see the orca get back at 'em. the ending was so (fittingly with the theme of revenge) depressing
I remember this from my childhood. I actually understood that Nolan was responsible for causing the orca's rampage. Would love to see it again knowing Charlotte Rampling is in it too.
One thing I´ll say: I really like the movie. So much so that I own it on BD. Yes, the similarities with JAWS are obvious they end there as the characters and story are totally different.
Another thing regarding Rotten Tomatoes... It´s was proven to us not so long ago that it doesn´t work. So I wouldn´t take it as a reliable source anyways.
First saw Orca when I was a kid. Made an impact on me. Still love the film and for me, it's a classic. A dark and sad movie.
Killer whale nerd here, I want to talk about the two real-life orcas who played the male/female pair in the film, Nepo and Yaka.
The pair were born in the wild, to a pod of killer whales off the coast of Canada called the A5 pod. On December 11th, 1969, when Nepo, the male, was about 2 and Yaka, the female, about 1, their pod was rounded up. They, along with 4 other young whales, were taken for captivity. (only one of these, Corky 2, living at SeaWorld San Diego, is still alive at 57 years old).
Nepo and Yaka were sold to Marine World in California a few weeks after their capture. They lived with another whale named Kianu, who did feature in a few scant shots of the film, but was later shipped to Japan after she got too aggressive with Yaka.
Nepo and Yaka lived together until July 10th, 1980, when Nepo passed away. Yaka fell into what all who knew her described as a depression. In the first few weeks after Nepo's death, she barely ate, mostly ignored her trainers, and would refuse to perform, or, on the rare occasion she did, she put no energy into it. Instead of leaping high out of the water, she barely broke the surface.
Yaka lived alone until early 1981, when the park brought in another female orca, a 1 year old named Vigga. Vigga was captured from Iceland, so spoke a completely different 'language' and had a completely different culture from Yaka but, despite that, Yaka immediately became attached, playing a surrogate mother role for the first few years. It's thought that, despite the language barrier, Yaka was just grateful to have a friend again.
In July of 1997, Yaka fell ill with a respiratory infection. She battled for three months before, on October 29th, 1997, she finally succumbed, and was reunited with Nepo.
Vigga lived a little longer and, much like Yaka had 17 years before, fell into a depression at the death of her tankmate. The park tried to find a companion for her, but failed, and on August 14th, 2000, Vigga died from a combination of Heart Failure, abscesses in the Brain and Lungs, and Pneumonia.
Their stories are tragic, and marked by human greed. Male orcas tend to live 40-50 years, but have been recorded reaching 70, and females live to 60-70, but can live into their late 90's or even their 100's.
Nepo was 12, Yaka was 29 and Vigga was 20.
They were taken from the wild to support a booming industry that continues to this day, built off the backs of corpses and unimaginable suffering.
Orca and Tentacles are two of my favorite films from this era.
lol. I saw both in a double feature in '77. Orca was, and still is, a favorite. Tentacles, not so much.
I actually bought the original novel written by Arthur Herzog to see how it compares, and I have to say, the movie does tell a more poignant tale for both man and whale. Also, the orca special effects props were not skimped on and that helps immensely. The orca puppets don't feel like hand puppets on screen and the huge head prop does look a bit more convincing than ol' Bruce. (I still love Bruce's jowls though ^_^)
"Jaws" came out when I was 5. "Orca" came out when I was 7. I didn't get to see either until I was around 10.
I love them both.
Both can be seen as metaphor as much as narrative, but "Orca" even moreso.
The thing I remember the most about this film when watching/thinking about it is that haunting main score.
Cool, ORCA, the killer whale! Love it! A shark hunter and a marine biologist have a showdown with a vengeful killer whale after the hunter killed his mate and unborn calf
This played at my dad's movie theatre when I was ten years old. As a huge JAWS fan, I looked forward to this picture. It was indeed dark and totally not fun. The effects were good in that the orca (a mix of live and animatronic) was convincing, but not necessarily thrilling, looking a bit like theme park-level whale stunts mixed into separate actor footage. (If I am honest, the animatronic orca looks about as sophisticated as THE LAST SHARK, but with plenty of live orca footage to help out.) Audience reaction was not good. Business was middling at best, and audiences were not impressed. I remember even as a 10-year old thinking: "Why?" Obviously, the movie existed to cash in on JAWS. But I was perplexed by a story that solicited sympathy from the audience for the "terrifying force of nature" while making the people we, the audience, normally relates to look like assholes. Even the presence of Bo Derek, the film's brief glimpse of eye candy, had to be ruined. Ultimately, it is not simply a "bad" film, as it is that there is simply not one single happy moment in it. (And no, great white sharks do NOT have vocal cords and cannot scream in pain.)
I had this movie on dvd as a kid and I honestly loved it. To me it was more of a sad movie than a horror movie. The soundtrack alone makes it sad whereas the Jaws soundtrackgave me nightmares.
The boat in Jaws was named Orca, so let's start there.
I agree, I thought this was a fantastic movie when I saw it, the baby orca scene haunted me for years, and actually other then a creature from the sea killing people I don't see any other similarities with Jaws.
Yes I remember seeing this when it came out and freaking out when the baby falls out of the mother in the beginning. I also remember Bo Derek getting her leg bitten off. I do think this was a pretty good movie compared to many of the other Jaws clones. It seemed pretty believable. Great review.
I got ask, would the whale done more than bite off the leg *if* the director wanted to up the ante, like have the whale swallow her alive? That might’ve made the movie even scarier, maybe how it should’ve been.
Couldn't thank you more for doing this video. Actually surprised you are a fan of Orca, and very glad since this is the first time I know you have this channel besides the JP franchise one. Orca is the very first memory I have of watching a live action movie in my early childhood. My poor parents should have believed it was an adventure movie and Keiko was all popular in Mexico, my country. I remember hiding behind the sofa during the miscarriage scene, only knowing something horrible was going on. The haunting story, scenes and music stayed in my mind all the way growing up, like a lost tape or something, since it wasn't available to watch anywhere where I live (to this day, Orca is mostly unknown in Mexico). It was only as an adult that I was able to buy it and watch it again after 2 decades, and boy, it was as haunting and at the same time beautiful as I remembered. Agreed it should be more popular, because even if it was conceived as DeLaurentis response for Jaws, Orca ended up being a very different monster. The only thing that may scare away regular viewers is maybe the lack of action scenes or the clumsiness of some of them (understandable given the year it was made). It is still as it is, a wonderful movie. I've fantasized of a remake that expands on the characters story as a psychological thriller or a cautionary tale. The fact that Nolan becomes the very thing that stole away his family is a very deep and tragic idea, and always makes me think the impact our mistakes or wishes may have in everything that surrounds us if we don't pay attention.
Congratulations man, great video. I don't know if you knew it but DeLaurentis toyed with a sequel, and even with an idea of Orca vs King Kong before eventually scrapping it, as crazy as it sounds.
👌
I absolutely LOVE this channel! So great to hear such positivity in a world of darkness, and highlighting some of the great overlooked movies of yesteryear, too. I was around ten or twelve when I sat down and watched this with my dad, who was a massive Richard Harris fan - I was left utterly devastated at the film's climax, which has stuck with me to this day, some 30-odd years later. Thank you SO much for this video, and for all of your videos, and keep up the great work! xx
You know what watching the house getting knocked down reminded me that I did see this movie as a child. That unlock a core memory dude. I was like four and I was scared that a whale was going to knock over my house and I was going to get eaten.
i watched this movie on HBO as a young kid, loved it so much.
I grew up watching this movie as a kid. I've always loved the score and I loved the story. The supposed villain is actually not the villain which is the Orca. And as I watch it again and again as I get older I appreciate it even more. It's definitely a gem that movie lovers should check out because I feel like it's a unique one-of-a-kind film. Definitely made very well
Immensely underrated. One of the few grown up movies I understood as a kid. Loved the music in it as well. Has a haunting yet soothing vibe to it. The eyes make the difference. Orcas are more human compared to sharks.
Saw this movie as a kid and it totally freaked me out and i felt bad for both RIchard Harris and the Orca. But I was for sure even at a young age understood why that Orca wanted revenge....I also when I watched this movie with a few friends a few years ago before we started I was like "Who wants to watch Dumbledore screw a fishing town over."
Orca is one of my favorites!! Saw this in theaters when it first came out and still love it to this day
I own this movie on DVD and I find it to be one of the best revenge films of all time. Very underrated indeed.
Such a good movie. I watched this so many times when I was younger. Wouldn’t mind if they remade this movie with practical effects like the original. It was so scary because I always thought orcas were so gentle. It was like finding out the truth about how brutal they are was scary. This movie gave me nightmares. Also, the cold and ice made me feel like they were in more jeopardy.
I LOVED this movie as a kid. I had forgotten about this until now. THANK YOU!!!
I'm glad you covered this movie and I do believe it's heavily underrated. Orcas have always been my favorite animals and I enjoy watching this film regardless of it being a Jaws ripoff.
I agree that this is criminally underrated. There are some bits that don't work, but there are lots of good action scenes and Richard Harris gives a great performance!
im glad your reviewing this, this movie is criminally underrated and beautiful, it deserves to be seen more.
I saw this on Netflix a long time ago and it was really moving and heart breaking.
I truly love this channel it has very entertaining content and shows me movies I would never know of
the sound track is so amazing. this movie still makes me cry.
I had the regrettable pleasure of seeing this movie in I believe 2011 when I was 5 years old. The whole scene with the fetus and dying mother orca absolutely horrified and traumatized me. Great movie 10/10 would watch again.
0:50 first of all, JESUS THATS DEPRESSING
Second, I've seen this movie several times and I agree with you. This movie is compared to jaws pretty unfairly. I used to hate orca a lot for that reason, but its grown on me and I really like it now
I saw this movie as a kid, and it ripped my guts out like nothing before.I think this is Harris's greatest performance.
Thanks for the review! I've always thought this was a better movie than Jaws. The shark in Jaws was just a vindictive animal, where Orca was out for justice.
Saw this movie back in the theater when it came out. I was in love with the movie and even purchased an Orca shirt. I was super young of course but it still made an impact. To this day I cannot hear "We Are One" without tearing up and finding that lump hard to swallow.
This definately sounds like an underrated movie, just the practical effects alone makes it stand out
This has been one of my favorite movies since I was a kid, orcas are my favorite animal and I loved the idea this movie had when I first saw it
I always liked Orca, weird that it has such a low score. Truly proves too simplistic thinking sometimes. I liked how with Orca it wasn't just a mindless killer and that humanity had actually wronged him. All the deeper morality etc. And the special effects and music are very good especially for the time. The miscarriage scene is one I will never forget. Could be that that is too gruesome for some to take.
This movie was so good for something trying to be like Jaws. Glad to see somebody else talking about Orca!
In some ways this is a better story than JAWS2 since we see why the whale had a reason for its rampage, it was justified, plus Orcas are far more intelligent than a simple great white shark...which makes this a bit more realistic...in JAWS2 the shark just comes along and starts shit all over again for the sake of having a story
Orca. Titular animal kills a Great White almost like a 'take that' to Jaws.
Jaws 2. Titular animal kills an Orca almost as if in response.
This film stuck in my mind ever since I saw it as a kid. The sound the Orca makes is very chilling, you can feel the pain and anger the animal is experiencing.
It can also be viewed now as a warning to humans about the emotional intelligence the animal possesses, not to be underestimated.
Can’t help but to think about Tilikum, the life he had to deal with being taken from his pod at the age of 2 and the trauma caused. Orcas are magnificent animals, not to be meddled with ✌️
Saw this movie when I was a child, some time after the Free Willy trilogy. It's stuck to me well into my early 30s.
Me too and after Beethoven, I found out about Cujo as a kid!
@@JTPMalavet Oh man, that movie sure had me do a double take on St. Bernards, hahah.
You should check out dragonworld from 1994. While some of the effects are dated they did make a full size animatronic of the dragons head and neck as well as puppets for the infant dragon. The acting is well done for a kids movie and you can tell there’s a lot of heart put into it. There’s also a behind the scenes making of dragonworld that shows how much work went into the film.
Grew up watching it!
For an entry in your unknown/forgotten monsters series, how about the gargoyle from Tales from the Darkside’s _Lover’s Vow_ ?
Great video!
I absolutely loved that movie and still do! The sadness and darkness of it is really haunting ! Amazing movie with really good acting !
I’ve seen it, pretty great movie! You hit the nail on the head regarding the story and acting. Hidden gem of this genre!
I've got to say, I'm really digging this whole creature features theme that you've been doing lately. Real quick, I'm not sure if you've heard of the filmmaker Larry Fesseden, but he directed two horror movies about the Wendigo creature. They are called Wendigo and The Last Winter. I thoroughly enjoyed both films and I highly recommend them if they flew under your radar. I think both films are easy to find. Wendigo is free to stream on Tubi and The Last Winter is on DVD. Both films are also available on the Larry Fesseden collection Blu ray release from Scream Factory. Wish you luck with making more awesome videos like this one!
I love this movie, grew up watching it from a young age and I definitely wish there was a sequel to it but nvm it's good where it is.
I saw this when I was a kid and loved it. Thanks for taking me back!
I was 7 years old when I first saw this movie and for me, it wasn't traumatic but depressing.
As I get older, it has become one of my favorite movies and I love the music score.
I also have developed a love and respect for the Orca. Part of me, felt sorry for Richard Harris's character.
I didn't know of his troubles within his marriage but I believe that they helped him make his character development.
Thank you for talking about this gem from my childhood.
Respectfully,
Paige
I haven't seen that movie, and I heard of this movie when I watched a nature documentary as a kid. However, since this is similar to Jaws, I'm not gonna watch it as I know Orcas had rarely killed humans, but never hunt them despite being apex predators of the world's oceans.
You should give it a try. You´d be surprised. The characters aren´t what you think and the male orca just doesn´t go on killing just because. At it´s core is not just revenge for the orca but to settle a score. And even the protagonist that was responsible for killing the female doesn´t even want to kill him as it was a mistake then and he doesn´t want to end his life because he feels guilty enough.
As DragonCurve said: it´s way better than people think it is.
@@justicierodelaliga I think I’ll give it a try.
Rarely? Is there even one documented fatality from wild orcas? Also, sharks really don't want to kill us either; they just have more brutish methods of investigating things they don't recognize.
Some orcas have attacked humans before especially in captivity
Obviously, it's not intended to represent reality but to illustrate what it might be like if animals had a sense of injustice and revenge like we do
I begged my mom to take me to see this at the theater when it came out!(I think I was about eight or nine at the time)
I wasn't disappointed. Even read the book a couple of years later.
Beware of "Nick Fin"!
Brilliant film, absolutely loved it. Memories of going down to the video shop once a week (every Sunday) with my dad from when I was around 6 years old. Rented it out every time for around 8-12 months without fail.
Everyone here talking about the movie's dark and haunting ending and so far, no one has brought up the anticlimactic ending that was in the novelization version.
Haven't read the novelization personally, but C.B. Smith from *_Taking A Page_* appeared on the *_Movie Dumpster's_* podcast of _Orca_ and says the book "ended" with the Whale revealing itself to be psychic after telling the main character to "merge with him" and out of nowhere just decides to swim away, leaving the remaining humans to be saved by the helicopter.
The way C.B. Smith describes that in the podcast is literally one of the funniest fucking things I've heard in my life.
This movie is super underrated. Watched it when I wss like 7 or 8 and found it to be much scarier than jaws tbh. Probably because im from a family of commercial fisherman and growing up on the water sharks werent scary to me and I knew the movies made them way more aggressive and stuff however I knew fuck all about killer whales and never seen one outside shamu, other than the fact they are super smart and kill sharks so this movie for me was much more believable I guess.
But sharks kill and eat people. Its fact.
Orcas don't. Not wild orcas.
Truly phenomenal film. Scarred me as a youth oh my god. Great practical effects and just so depressing. This is the Max Payne of fish movies
I remember seeing orca when I be home on Saturday afternoons when I was a kid, this is one of those movies I would randomly find on after channel surfing when once creater double feature went off, that's when you would find these types of movies this one or grizzly or the Doug McClure movies with with the rubber dinosaurs, but yes orca is highly underrated the storyline is what drew me in, once I saw that off spring fall on that deck & saw the look in the males eye's I had to keep watching, this was not gonna end well that whale raised some hell, I would definitely recommend this movie 💯
When it came to that scene with the other whales, I thought it sort of meant that the whales understood what the Orca was going to do, but wanted no part in it, knowing what it'd eventually lead to. Basically them seeing the long dark road of revenge ahead, and telling the orca that if it intends to seek it, he's going to have to go it alone, not wanting to see the monster he'd become
One of my most favorite movies, thought I didn't really care for the book!... I found it the whales grief more relatable n realistic than the rouge shark on a rampage in Jaws.... Thanks so much for the vid! Regardless of opinion, I'm happy the movie is still relevant and being discussed!
The shark in Jaws isn't supposed to be relatable. It's the characters and township that are relatable in Jaws.
And how is Orca more realistic? No orca has ever gone around hunting humans. Shark attacks are a fact.
You cite an orca out for revenge on a specific human and going all over the place as more realistic than a rogue shark? I beg to differ on that.
I loved that movie when I was a kid I remember feeling so bad for the whale. Great movie!!!
This and Alligator were two of my favorite post jaws animal horror movies
Saw this movie as a kid in the 80s on TV one night...I liked it. I'm 42 now, I still like it!
You have convinced me to watch this! Can’t be worse than jaws 2 😂
Jaws 2 is way better than this.
Jaws 2 is still the best Jaws sequel way better than 3 and 4 its just not a masterpiece like the first. as a kid i think i actually liked 2 better than the first just because it showed the shark a lot more lol
Damn, this sounds like a heartbreaking and terrifying ecological monster movie .. Movies that create vegans and vegetarians or make them cry .. Beautiful actors, effects and shooting, too
I remember seeing this as a child..never forgot it..I may have revisited once several years ago.. definitely some scenes that just stuck with me growing up..
Thanks for making this, I didn't think anyone remembered Orca. Very glad to be wrong.
Love this movie so much! I saw it as a kid as well it's both truly scary and haunting. It seems sort of like a cross between jaws and moby dick. Also the music score in this is amazing, I recently just bought the Blu-ray and soundtrack.
I rented this movie out on VHS early 80's, expecting it to be as you said, a horror movie. I watched it and was quite bored by this movie, as it was not what I expected.
I have watched it several times since and this movie, never fails to make me cry. You see the movie from both points of view. The score song 'We are One', turns on automatic flooding tears.
A very early educational movie and one that is well worth a watch. Definitely underrated!
Thank you so much for reviewing this rare gem.
I was obsessed with this movie. I’d say the beginning of the movie was a dig at Jaws when the Orca kills the Shark.
I was born in 74 so I was pretty much raised watching animal attack movies and loved them all. As for Orca I felt pretty bad for the whale. A whales gotta do what a whales gotta do. A++++ Thumbs Up! : )