Kimble Rendall
Encyclopedia
Kimble Rendall is an Australia
n director
, musician and writer mostly known for his Second unit
direction of Matrix Reloaded (2003), Matrix Revolutions (2003), I, Robot
(2004), Casanova (2005) and Ghost Rider
(2007). As a musician Rendall was guitarist, vocalist and co-founder of punk rock
ers XL Capris
and of rock
band the Hoodoo Gurus
.
(ABC) as a film editor. My Survival as an Aboriginal (1978) was a documentary written and directed by Essie Coffey
on her life in the township of Brewarrina
produced and edited by Rendall.
when he met Tim Gooding and Johanna Pigott
, and with their mutual interest in music they formed punk rock band XL Capris
in 1978 (Rendall was called 'Dag Rattler'). Rendall played lead guitar and sang vocals with Gooding (guitars, vocals) and Pigott (bass guitar, vocals, keyboards). Early practice sessions were held in the front room of a Birchgrove
house where Gooding (and later Rendall) lived. They were joined by Julie Anderson (drums) and achieved minor notoriety for their first single "My City of Sydney" (1979), Rendall co-wrote (with Gooding) their second single "Skylab (Son of Telstar)" but he left XL Capris after their next single "World War Three" (October, 1980). Pigott and Gooding created Sweet and Sour
(1984) for ABC-TV
which followed the first year of a fictional band, The Takeaways, and was based on their experiences with XL Capris.
and Roddy Radalj
, led to the formation of the Hoodoo Gurus
(with drummer James Baker
) in January 1981. Rendall also managed the band whilst they developed the material for their first album Stoneage Romeos
. The band supported Gary Glitter
on his national tour. Rendall had a meeting with Joe Strummer
at The Sebel Townhouse when The Clash
were looking for a Sydney support act. Strummer sat at the pool bar between swims, in his swimming costume and dripping wet. The band dropped the "Le" to become Hoodoo Gurus and later, after Rendall's departure, had a #3 Australian hit with "What's My Scene?
" (1987). Hoodoo Gurus iconic status on the Australian rock scene was acknowledged when they were inducted into the 2007 ARIA Hall of Fame
.
with clips for:
XL Capris, Sardine v
, Scribble, Peter Blakeley
, Mental as Anything
, UB 40, Hoodoo Gurus, The Angels
(e.g. "Between the Eyes"), Cold Chisel
(e.g. "Flame Trees
"), Dragon
, Rockmelons
, Hunters and Collectors, and Boom Crash Opera
. He was voted Australia's top music video director in a poll conducted by Rolling Stone magazine.
(1995) featuring Kylie Minogue
and Richard Roxburgh
and the teen slasher flick
, Cut (2000) which starred Molly Ringwald
and Minogue. Cut went to number two at the box office in France and was the second most popular Australian film there behind Strictly Ballroom
. It also went to number two in Asia. Rendall became the second unit director for The Matrix Reloaded
, Matrix Revolutions and the associated video game Enter the Matrix
(all in 2003). He was also second unit director for Casanova (2004) Ghost Rider
(2007)., Underworld: Revenge of the Lycans (2008) and most recently Knowing
(2008). Rendall is represented for TV commercial work by Arithmetic, a Sydney based production and creative services company. You can view his work on their website www.arithmetic.com.au
, born to Polish immigrants, and was a TV presenter and journalist on SBS
in the 1980s (and then TEN
and Seven Network
). She presented Rock Around the World on SBS from 1982. Australian band Painters and Dockers
released a single "Basia" (1984) in her honour. Bonkowski has authored two books including Jesse's World (2005) on her adopted children.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, musician and writer mostly known for his Second unit
Second unit
In film, the second unit is a team that shoots subsidiary footage for a motion picture. Its work is distinct from that of the first unit, which shoots all scenes involving principal actors...
direction of Matrix Reloaded (2003), Matrix Revolutions (2003), I, Robot
I, Robot (film)
I, Robot is a 2004 science-fiction action film directed by Alex Proyas. The screenplay was written by Jeff Vintar, Akiva Goldsman and Hillary Seitz, and is very loosely based on Isaac Asimov's short-story collection of the same name. Will Smith stars in the lead role of the film as Detective Del...
(2004), Casanova (2005) and Ghost Rider
Ghost Rider (film)
Ghost Rider is a 2007 superhero film written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson. Based on the character of the same name which appeared in Marvel Comics, the film stars Nicolas Cage as Johnny Blaze, a stunt motorcyclist who sells his soul to the Devil and transforms into thevigilante Ghost...
(2007). As a musician Rendall was guitarist, vocalist and co-founder of punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
ers XL Capris
XL Capris
XL Capris were an Australian indie-punk band formed in Sydney in 1978 by Julie Anderson, Tim Gooding, Johanna Pigott and Kimble Rendall.Their best known single was a punk version of Tommy Leonetti's "My City of Sydney"...
and of rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band the Hoodoo Gurus
Hoodoo Gurus
Hoodoo Gurus are an Australian rock band, formed in Sydney in 1981, by the mainstay Dave Faulkner and later joined by Richard Grossman , Mark Kingsmill , and Brad Shepherd...
.
Early works
Rendall used an 8mm camera to write and direct short films while still at school, he completed a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Mass Media and then trained at Australian Broadcasting CommissionAustralian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
(ABC) as a film editor. My Survival as an Aboriginal (1978) was a documentary written and directed by Essie Coffey
Essie Coffey
Essie Coffey , OAM , was born at Essiena Goodgabah in southern Queensland. She was a Muruwari woman and the co-founder of the Western Aboriginal Legal Service and served on a number of government bodies and Aboriginal community organisations....
on her life in the township of Brewarrina
Brewarrina, New South Wales
Brewarrina is a small town in North West New South Wales, Australia on the banks of the Barwon River in Brewarrina Shire. It is 98 km east of Bourke and west of Walgett on the Kamilaroi Highway, and 808 km from Sydney. Brewarrina has had its population decrease from 1,197 persons in...
produced and edited by Rendall.
XL Capris
Rendall was taking acting lessons at the Nimrod TheatreNimrod Theatre Company
The Nimrod Theatre Company, in Nimrod Street, Kings Cross, Sydney, Australia, was founded by in 1970 by John Bell, Richard Wherrett and Ken Horler, and gained a reputation for producing more "good new Australian drama" from 1970 to 1985 than any other Australian theatre company...
when he met Tim Gooding and Johanna Pigott
Johanna Pigott
Johanna Paton Pigott is an Australian musician, singer/songwriter and screenwriter. Her best known hit songs are Dragon's "Rain" which peaked at #2 on the Australia singles charts in 1983 and John Farnham's "Age of Reason". "Rain" was co-written with partner Dragon's Todd Hunter and his brother...
, and with their mutual interest in music they formed punk rock band XL Capris
XL Capris
XL Capris were an Australian indie-punk band formed in Sydney in 1978 by Julie Anderson, Tim Gooding, Johanna Pigott and Kimble Rendall.Their best known single was a punk version of Tommy Leonetti's "My City of Sydney"...
in 1978 (Rendall was called 'Dag Rattler'). Rendall played lead guitar and sang vocals with Gooding (guitars, vocals) and Pigott (bass guitar, vocals, keyboards). Early practice sessions were held in the front room of a Birchgrove
Birchgrove, New South Wales
Birchgrove is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Birchgrove is located 5 kilometres west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Leichhardt....
house where Gooding (and later Rendall) lived. They were joined by Julie Anderson (drums) and achieved minor notoriety for their first single "My City of Sydney" (1979), Rendall co-wrote (with Gooding) their second single "Skylab (Son of Telstar)" but he left XL Capris after their next single "World War Three" (October, 1980). Pigott and Gooding created Sweet and Sour
Sweet and Sour (TV series)
Sweet and Sour is an Australian television series which screened on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 1984. It was created by Tim Gooding and Johanna Pigott and was produced internally for the ABC by Jan Chapman...
(1984) for ABC-TV
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
which followed the first year of a fictional band, The Takeaways, and was based on their experiences with XL Capris.
Hoodoo Gurus
A chance meeting on New Year's Eve with fellow guitarists Dave FaulknerDave Faulkner (musician)
Dave Faulkner is an Australian rock musician who also performed as Dave Flick. Faulkner is a singer-songwriter, guitarist and keyboardist; he has performed with several bands, but is best known as a member of Hoodoo Gurus...
and Roddy Radalj
Roddy Radalj
Roddy Radalj is a rock musician and singer-songwriter who grew up in Perth, Western Australia...
, led to the formation of the Hoodoo Gurus
Hoodoo Gurus
Hoodoo Gurus are an Australian rock band, formed in Sydney in 1981, by the mainstay Dave Faulkner and later joined by Richard Grossman , Mark Kingsmill , and Brad Shepherd...
(with drummer James Baker
James Baker (musician)
James Baker is a rock musician from Perth, Western Australia. He has drummed with, and was instrumental in the founding of several influential Australian bands including The Scientists, Le Hoodoo Gurus, Beasts of Bourbon, and The Dubrovniks.-Early days:Baker has named Ronnie Bond of The Troggs as...
) in January 1981. Rendall also managed the band whilst they developed the material for their first album Stoneage Romeos
Stoneage Romeos
Stoneage Romeos was iconic Australian rock group Hoodoo Gurus' first album and saw them receive record sales to complement their already strong reputation for live performances. The album name is from a Three Stooges short film...
. The band supported Gary Glitter
Gary Glitter
Gary Glitter is an English former glam rock singer-songwriter and musician.Glitter first came to prominence in the glam rock era of the early 1970s...
on his national tour. Rendall had a meeting with Joe Strummer
Joe Strummer
John Graham Mellor , best remembered by his stage name Joe Strummer, was the co-founder, lyricist, rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist of the British punk rock band The Clash. His musical experience included his membership in The 101ers, Latino Rockabilly War, The Mescaleros and The Pogues, in...
at The Sebel Townhouse when The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
were looking for a Sydney support act. Strummer sat at the pool bar between swims, in his swimming costume and dripping wet. The band dropped the "Le" to become Hoodoo Gurus and later, after Rendall's departure, had a #3 Australian hit with "What's My Scene?
What's My Scene?
"What's My Scene" is an Australian Top 3 single performed by iconic rock group Hoodoo Gurus and was written by their singer-songwriter Dave Faulkner. It was included on Gurus' third album Blow Your Cool! released by Elektra Records. The B-side, "Heart of Darkness" was also written by Faulkner...
" (1987). Hoodoo Gurus iconic status on the Australian rock scene was acknowledged when they were inducted into the 2007 ARIA Hall of Fame
ARIA Hall of Fame
Since 1988 the Australian Recording Industry Association has inducted artists into its ARIA Hall of Fame. While most have been recognised at the annual ARIA Music Awards, in 2005 ARIA sought to create a separate standalone "ARIA Icons: Hall of Fame" event as only one or two acts could be inducted...
.
Music video director
Rendall returned to film as a Music video directorMusic video director
A music video director is driven by a given music track. These are called music videos and are then used as promotional tools for popular music singles...
with clips for:
XL Capris, Sardine v
Sardine v
Sardine v was an Australian post-punk band, formed by Ian Rilen , and Stephanie Rilen ....
, Scribble, Peter Blakeley
Peter Blakeley
Peter Blakeley is an Australian White Soul/Adult Contemporary singer and songwriter.Blakeley was a lead singer for The Rockmelons in the mid-1980s. He launched a solo career in 1987 and had a massive hit single in Australia in 1990 with "Crying in the Chapel", which was not a remake of the 1950s...
, Mental as Anything
Mental As Anything
Mental As Anything are an Australian New Wave–rock music band formed at an art school in Sydney in 1976. Their most popular line-up was Martin Plaza on vocals and guitar; Reg Mombassa on lead guitar and vocals; his brother Peter "Yoga Dog" O'Doherty on bass guitar and vocals; Wayne "Bird"...
, UB 40, Hoodoo Gurus, The Angels
The Angels (Australian band)
The Angels are a hard rock band that formed in Adelaide, Australia in 1970. The band later relocated from Adelaide to Sydney and enjoyed huge local success until well into the 1990s. For the purposes of international release, their records were released under the names Angel City and later The...
(e.g. "Between the Eyes"), Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel
Cold Chisel is a rock band that originated in Adelaide, Australia. It is one of the most acclaimed Australian rock bands of all time, with a string of hits throughout the 1970s and 1980s and huge sales that continue to this day, although its success and acclaim was almost completely restricted to...
(e.g. "Flame Trees
Flame Trees
"Flame Trees" is a song by Australian pub rock band Cold Chisel from their 1984 album Twentieth Century. It is one of their best known songs, and was written by drummer Steve Prestwich and organist Don Walker...
"), Dragon
Dragon (band)
Dragon is a popular New Zealand rock band, they were formed in Auckland, New Zealand in January 1972 and relocated to Sydney, Australia in May 1975. They were previously led by singer Marc Hunter and are currently led by his brother bass player Todd Hunter...
, Rockmelons
Rockmelons
Rockmelons, often referred to as the Rockies, are an Australian Pop/Dance/R&B group formed in 1983 in Sydney. They are based around Bryon Jones, his brother Jonathon Jones and Raymond Medhurst. They had two Top Five hit singles in the early 1990s with "Ain't No Sunshine" and "That Word ", both sung...
, Hunters and Collectors, and Boom Crash Opera
Boom Crash Opera
Boom Crash Opera are a pop-rock band formed in Melbourne, Australia in 1985. Initially based around the songwriting partnership of Richard Pleasance and Peter Farnan Boom Crash Opera also includes Dale Ryder , Peter 'Maz' Maslen , Greg O'Connor and Ian Tilley Boom Crash Opera are a pop-rock band...
. He was voted Australia's top music video director in a poll conducted by Rolling Stone magazine.
Second unit director
In 1994, Rendall set up Flat Rock Pictures to direct TV commercials and, later, film projects. He has won all the major awards in advertising including a Cannes Lion. He directed a short film Hayride to HellHayride to Hell
Hayride to Hell is a 1995 Australian short subject directed and written by Kimble Rendall. It tells the story of salesman George Weygate, who comes across a girl begging for his help. Only shown in late night art houses, the film has never been widely released...
(1995) featuring Kylie Minogue
Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue, OBE - often known simply as Kylie - is an Australian singer, recording artist, songwriter, and actress. After beginning her career as a child actress on Australian television, she achieved recognition through her role in the television soap opera Neighbours, before commencing...
and Richard Roxburgh
Richard Roxburgh
Richard Roxburgh is an Australian actor who has starred in many Australian films and has appeared in supporting roles in a number of Hollywood productions, usually as villains.-Early life:...
and the teen slasher flick
Slasher film
A slasher film is a type of horror film typically involving a psychopathic killer stalking and killing a sequence of victims in a graphically violent manner, often with a cutting tool such as a knife or axe...
, Cut (2000) which starred Molly Ringwald
Molly Ringwald
Molly Kathleen Ringwald is an American actress, singer and dancer. Having appeared in the John Hughes movies Sixteen Candles , The Breakfast Club , and Pretty in Pink , Ringwald has been frequently named the greatest teen star of all time...
and Minogue. Cut went to number two at the box office in France and was the second most popular Australian film there behind Strictly Ballroom
Strictly Ballroom
Strictly Ballroom is a 1992 Australian romantic comedy film directed and co-written by Baz Luhrmann and produced by M&A Productions. The film is the first installment in The Red Curtain Trilogy, Luhrmann's trilogy of theatre-motif-related films; the follow-ups were Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!...
. It also went to number two in Asia. Rendall became the second unit director for The Matrix Reloaded
The Matrix Reloaded
The Matrix Reloaded is a 2003 American science fiction film and the second installment in The Matrix trilogy, written and directed by the Wachowskis. It premiered on May 7, 2003, in Westwood, Los Angeles, California, and went on general release by Warner Bros. in North American theaters on May 15,...
, Matrix Revolutions and the associated video game Enter the Matrix
Enter the Matrix
Enter the Matrix is the first video game based on The Matrix series of films. It was developed by Shiny Entertainment and published by Atari and WB Interactive for the PlayStation 2, Xbox and Nintendo GameCube game systems, and for the PC. It was published in Japan by Bandai...
(all in 2003). He was also second unit director for Casanova (2004) Ghost Rider
Ghost Rider (film)
Ghost Rider is a 2007 superhero film written and directed by Mark Steven Johnson. Based on the character of the same name which appeared in Marvel Comics, the film stars Nicolas Cage as Johnny Blaze, a stunt motorcyclist who sells his soul to the Devil and transforms into thevigilante Ghost...
(2007)., Underworld: Revenge of the Lycans (2008) and most recently Knowing
Knowing
Knowing may refer to:* Knowledge* "Knowing", a song by OutKast from their 2003 album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below* Knowing , a 2009 science fiction film directed by Alex Proyas and starring Nicolas Cage and Rose Byrne...
(2008). Rendall is represented for TV commercial work by Arithmetic, a Sydney based production and creative services company. You can view his work on their website www.arithmetic.com.au
Personal life
Rendall married Basia Bonkowski on 17 December 1984 and they have two children. Bonkowski is from AdelaideAdelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, born to Polish immigrants, and was a TV presenter and journalist on SBS
Special Broadcasting Service
The Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
in the 1980s (and then TEN
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
and Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
). She presented Rock Around the World on SBS from 1982. Australian band Painters and Dockers
Painters and Dockers
Painters and Dockers are a rock band formed in Melbourne, Australia in 1982. Their best performed album, Kiss My Art, peaked in the top 30 of the Australian Recording Industry Association albums charts in 1988. The album included two top 50 singles, "Nude School" and "Die Yuppie Die"...
released a single "Basia" (1984) in her honour. Bonkowski has authored two books including Jesse's World (2005) on her adopted children.