In this unedited interview for Austin's KVUE-TV, Roy Faires sits down with director Joe Dante and producer Michael Finnell to talk about their latest film, Innerspace (1987). The film stars Dennis Quaid, Martin Short, and Meg Ryan. Dante first discusses his experience filming Piranha (1978) at Aquarena Springs in San Marcos. He also describes his approach as a director and the benefit of his background in editing. Finnell, meanwhile, talks about working with Amblin Entertainment and its co-founder Steven Spielberg, who served as an executive producer of the film. Faires worked as a special project director and entertainment critic/reporter at KVUE-TV, Austin's ABC affiliate, from 1976-1989.

Opening in 1951, Aquarena Springs was a resort and amusement park located on Spring Lake in San Marcos. Attractions included glass-bottom boat tours, a sky ride, and a submarine theater. (For the latter, the audience partially descended into the water to see a performance by the “Aquamaids,” young women wearing mermaid tails who stayed underwater by sipping from air hoses.) Arguably the most popular attraction was Ralph the Swimming Pig, who began each show by taking a “swine dive” into the lake to drink from a milk bottle held by a trainer. At its peak, Aquarena Springs attracted 250,000 visitors annually, remaining a popular tourist destination from the 1960s through the 1980s.

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