Read more about Orca at: Wikipedia Official Site: Paramount Orca is a 1977 horror film directed by Michael Anderson and produced by Dino De Laurentiis, starring Richard Harris, Charlotte Rampling, and Will Sampson. The film was poorly received by critics and audiences alike due in part to its similarities to the film Jaws released two years prior. Upon release the film received only minor theatrical success, but in recent years the film has achieved a cult following among fans of the eco-horror sub genre. Richard Harris enjoyed his experiences during filming, and took offence at any comparison between Orca and Jaws. The movie revolves around the exploits of Captain Nolan (Harris), an Irishman living in Canada, who catches marine animals in order to pay off the mortgage of his boat called the Bumpo, and return to Ireland. Nolan's crew is looking for a great white shark for a local aquarium, but a scientist named Ken (Carradine) is being targeted by the shark. A killer whale comes and kills the shark, subsequently saving Ken. This switches Nolan's target to the killer whale and while he is on the journey with his crew, he tries to capture what he believes to be a male whale, but mistakenly harpoons a pregnant female. She tries to commit suicide on the propellers, but Nolan and his crew get the orca on board, where it subsequently miscarries. The crew hoses the dead fetus overboard as the male watches on. Later that night, seeking revenge for the death of his mate, the male orca tries to sink the ship. One of Nolan's crew members, Novak (Wynn), cuts the dead female off the ship, but the male leaps and drags him into the sea. The following day, the orca pushes his mate onto shore. Alan Swain (Walker) berates Nolan on his actions after finding the dead whale on shore. Nolan denies responsibility, but Swain and the villagers eventually find out his involvement. The villagers insist that he stay and kill the whale, as its presence is causing the fish vital to the village's economy to migrate. Dr. Rachel Bedford (Rampling), colleague of Ken and whale expert, shows him how similar whales are to humans and tells Nolan that, "If he [the orca] is like a human, what he wants isn't necessarily what he should get." Nolan confesses to Rachel that he empathises with the whale, as his own wife and unborn child had previously been killed in a car crash caused by a drunk driver. Nolan promises to Rachel not to fight the whale, but the whale attacks his sea-front house, containing an injured crew member of Nolan's, Annie (Derek) within it. The house starts slipping into sea, and despite receiving help from Nolan and crew member Paul (Hooten), the whale bites Annie's leg off. Nolan decides to fight the orca, much to the delight of the villagers, although with Novak dead and Annie maimed for life, he and Paul are now the only crew members left. Dr. Bedford and Ken go with him, as well as a native American man, Jacob Umilak (Sampson), who joins them to share his knowledge. |
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Orca