Bait (2012)
Of all the 40+ movies I watched during last year’s Halloween marathon, one film (not counting re-watches of classics) stands out as my favorite, which is saying something as there were some really good ones (amidst the ho-hum). That film was Bait. Why was it so great? What made it a Dark Lord Rob fave, singled out for rewatches and rhapsodies such as this? Four words sum it up: Sharks in a Supermarket.
Every shark movie should take place in a supermarket.
Of course, in most cases that would actually be a summary description of a really bad shark movie, not a minor classic. It’s all about delivery, and Bait delivers.
Shark is on a seafood diet; he sees food…
Part of the fun is that Bait is really a disaster movie, with sharks thrown in for added spice. After a tsunami (not a sharknado) hits a seaside community, a motley group of mostly interesting/likable characters are trapped in a slowly sinking supermaket (or in its underground garage), cowering atop the aisles while an inconveniently deposited Great White circles (there’s one in the garage also).
Snacks in cars and me without a can opener, says shark.
The disaster is spectacular, the characters do smart things instead of dumb things (and still get eaten), the sharks are legitimately scary; the film is a winner (unlike Shark Night, Two-Headed Shark Attack, Sharktopus, etc., etc.)
Maintenance for clean up in aisle twelve
