San Francisco Frontiers - Crazy flights: Kiss frontman produces plane disaster movie

Starring Oscar-winner Sir Ben Kingsley ("Gandhi") and Aaron Eckhart ("Batman: The Dark Knight"), the disaster flick premieres in the US on Thursday and was produced by "Kiss" singer Gene Simmons.

The film blends action with horror -- two genres well known to its director.

Finnish filmmaker Renny Harlin, who has previously helmed hits like "Die Hard 2," "Cliffhanger," and "A Nightmare on Elm Street 4," said "Deep Water" is actually a human drama.

"If you took away the plane crash and you took away the sharks...it's all about those people put in an extraordinary situation and seeing who they really are," he told AFP.

The survival thriller marks another aquatic plunge for the 67-year-old director, who was also behind "Deep Blue Sea" (1999), starring Samuel L. Jackson.

This time, his characters plunge into a new nightmare when the plane taking them from Los Angeles to Shanghai makes an emergency landing in the middle of the ocean, leaving them at the mercy of a school of hungry mako sharks.

The director, who has worked with screen tough guys like Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone said flying, however commonplace, remains "unnatural" and can be terrifying for many people.

"When you put characters in a situation that feels dangerous to begin with, and then you take them through something extreme, which is a plane crash...ending up in the water and being surrounded by sharks, then obviously, you have a situation that is scary," he said.

"It's one of those things where you really put yourself into that situation, and imagine what you would do."

The director's involvement attracted Gene Simmons, the make-up wearing bassist and vocalist of "Kiss," to produce the film.

Simmons said he feels constantly drawn to the creative process that makes the magic of cinema possible.

But the film brought back some less-than-scary memories for the musician, a frequent traveler who toured the world with the "I Was Made For Lovin' You" outfit.

The musician recounted how on one overnight flight to Tokyo, he had got up from his seat to use the facilities, but seemingly forgot to lock the door.

An off-duty flight attendant "had to go too, but she maybe accidentally opened my restroom," the veteran rocker said.

"She decided there was room for two," he added with a grin.

J.Scott--SFF