Orca - The Killer Whale |  | Director: Michael Anderson
Actors: Richard Harris, Charlotte Rampling, Will Sampson, Bo Derek, Keenan Wynn
Studio: Paramount
Category: DVD
Buy New: $36.45
as of 9/7/2010 00:13 CDT details
New (8) Used (9) from $23.19
Seller: paulbegovich
Rating:  46 reviews
Sales Rank: 37066
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, Surround Sound, NTSC
Languages: English (Subtitled), English (Original Language)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region: 1
Discs: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1
Running Time: 92 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.6
ISBN: 0792198905
UPC: 097360893540
EAN: 9780792198901
ASIN: B0002I832M
Theatrical Release Date: July 22, 1977
Release Date: September 14, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
When its pregnant mate is killed by shark hunters, a male killer whale stops at nothing to get revenge.
Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure
Rating: PG
Release Date: 14-SEP-2004
Media Type: DVD
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| Customer Reviews:
 NOT a Jaws rip off! January 23, 2010
Siren (Palm Coast, FL)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The first thing I usually see written about this movie is, its a Jaws rip off. Anyone who says that, can't have actually seen this movie or at the very least, understood it.
Jaws was about a group of men hunting down a killer man-eating shark. The shark had no emotional goal other than to keep from getting hunger pains. When he came after the men, he was coming after them to eat them for food, not vengeance. All the vengeance stuff came in the sequels. But for Jaws alone, it was just a bottomless pit with teeth. Jaws was the villain. In the end, Jaws was a FUN movie to watch. You were happy at the end that Brody blew it up. Happy he survived.
Orca on the other hand is about man's greed and the lives it affects. You have a man who decides, its good money to catch a whale and sell it. But he catches a pregnant female. I was only about 8 when I saw this movie. I saw Jaws before it and I liked monster movies, I figured this would be the same. However, watching the mother whale miscarry, her fetal calf hitting the deck with all the blood and the screaming, I know then...this movie was f'ed up. But I watched it through anyways. Found out quickly, the orca wasn't the villain in this picture. He didn't want to eat anyone. He just wanted a life for a life. And so the rest of the movie is spent watching the orca try to get Harris. And in the end, when he does, you aren't cheering like you were in Jaws. Its bittersweet. The killer of his mate and calf is dead, but he's alone still.
So when someone says this is a Jaws rip off...they have about the brain capacity of Jaws himself. This was more a Jaws cash in. It after all did come out on the tail of Jaws, certainly. It was trying to cash in on Jaws' success. But IMO, Orca was a superior story because it made the orca a character, rather than a tool. You understood his pain and hatred. Where as Jaws, just bit a lot.
Also something else should be noted here, that is often underrated about Orca...the music. Haunting, gorgeous. The theme is just amazing.
Was this some award winning blockbuster? No, but it was a beautiful movie that deserves a look.
The Saddest Music Piece Ever January 18, 2010
POD JAWS
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
It's True this is the saddest yet most effective movie i have ever scene (And i Will do A part of the review on the soundtrack)
Plot- Awesome and Clever Plot, When a Fisher named Noland captures and kills a whales mate the partner will try any thing possible to get his revenge (andn yes Charlotte Rampling helps him try to cope with his problem)
Acting- very good acting such as Richard Harris, Charlotte Rampling, and Will Sampson
Gore- not much, a severed leg, and (spolier alert dont read ahead if dont want to know or havent seen) a whales baby comes out (dead) and falls to the ground (but it is very shocking)
Soundtrack- Carol Conners is the greatest, and so is this music, it is so deep and powerful
Bottom Line- 5 out of 5, definatly one of my favorites
 ORCA November 10, 2009
Mrs. L. Tiernan
0 out of 5 found this review helpful
Thanks for your email, but I am yet to receive the product!! When ordering I was told that I would receive it "by Monday" if I purchased within 9 minutes!! It has now been 3 MONTHS. What is going on?
One of the greats September 10, 2009
William E. Oldani Jr. (Charleston, WV)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Now here is one of the ultimate stories of revenge. This film was created in 1977 and especially with that in mind still holds some of the better cinematograpghy as well as editing. The writing for this film is also done on a very professional level. I remember seeing this as a little kid and the orca took on a scarier form than even that of the shark, talking about "Jaws" here. This is a must see for any film lover.
 ok in a fun type of way August 10, 2009
Dain M. Laguna (Charlotte, NC)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Maybe its because i didnt go into expecting cinematic greatness a la jaws, but this movie isn't terrible. the acting is not really that cheesy at all....its more the premise of the film, and the effects behind it. the minatures look like minatures, and for some reason 'orca' likes to jump playfully amidst the trouble he causes in a sort of 'ha ha i got you!' type fashion, which obviously detracts from the drama the filmakers were trying to acheive.
ennio marricone's (spelled wrong probably) score is great, slightly repetative as much of his music is, but fantastic nonetheless.
i rather enjoyed richard harris' performance. though the killer whale expert lady is annoying, as she lectures him the entire movie on the whale and what it can do and what its thinking...only to claim she cant help him and has no idea what the whale is capable of when the time comes to go out and get it.
i would say dont compare it to jaws...but seeing has how there are constant stabs against great white sharks and one is killed in a rather silly (and unlikely) way in the begging, its funny to think the filmakers considered this a viable alternative. still enjoyable though. and good for a laugh or two.
*the miscariage scene is particularly bizzare and frightening, as is the way the mom decides to commit suicide against the boats fins. def pushes the PG envelope in the same vein that the captain quint death scene did in jaws.
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