Kimble Rendall wasn’t initially involved with “Bait 3D,” but the crew behind the film couldn’t have picked a more perfect person to direct the shark-in-supermarket horror.
Rendall, who has made a name for himself in the action and horror genres, had a lot to take on when it came to directing “Bait 3D.”
“It had everything..water, dogs, children, tsunamis, earthquakes,” he said. “In the studio, we built a big swimming pool set…and we put the supermarket into it….It was a really challenging film to do, but that’s what made it fun in a way.”
Shark attack films have now become their own sub-genre in the horror/action world. What has attracted so many to shark films stems from the allure of the sharks themselves, according to Rendall.
“[It’s] the fear of the unknown,” he said. “I think [people] sort of fascinated by it, they’ve been around for so long and they’ve survived longer than us. There’s something mysterious about them…and so primarily, for a horror film, they’re scary. I think [people] are just fascinated by them.” Bringing in his native Australia, he said, “For Australians, like every time you go outside the breakers, you are thinking ‘Are there sharks out here?’ It’s quite embedded in our psyche.”
So far, the film has gotten a warm reception. “We had a premiere at Venice. It was a midnight screening and…Venice is one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world. I got freaked out, really, [thinking]’I don’t know what’s going to happen,'” he said. “…It ended up being a packed house and the audience loved it, giving it a standing ovation…I just thought it was great.”
At the time of the interview, Rendall was getting ready for the Los Angeles premiere of the film, hoping for the same outcome. When you see it, Rendall has some advice for you. “Just go in there and have a bit of fun for 90 minutes. Just forget about everything else.”
“Bait 3D” comes to DVD and Blu-ray September 18.
