Snakes on a Plane Film Preview
I’m pleased to report that it looks like the twists in “Snakes on a Plane” will be minimal at best. What you see in the title is what you get. And that’s just fine with me.
For those who have been living under some sort of rock for the last six months, “Snakes on a Plane” is a markedly low-concept thriller starring Samuel L. Jackson set to be released August 18, 2006. The plot centers around Jackson (an FBI agent here) and another agent escorting a former mafia man from Hawaii to California to testify in another case. Unfortunately for everyone aboard, an assassin smuggles a box of 500 snakes on board in hopes of killing the witness before the plane touches down. It’s simplicity at its finest (and most ridiculous/fun).
The film, originally a small picture in New Line Cinema’s lineup for this year, gained popularity after Internet buzz created a rabid fan base that began creating parodies and additional speculation about the nature of the film.
These bloggers and other “SoaP” fans became such a speculative force that New Line actually commissioned five additional days of re-shoots to add dialogue and other ideas inspired by the fans. One of the added lines of dialogue allegedly inspired by a fan is spoken by Jackson, and features several utterances of his perennial 12-letter swear that rhymes with “mother-trucker.” The result of the re-shoots was a change in the film’s rating, which is now a firm “R”, a move that seems to suit the fans just fine.
An interesting thing about the influence of the dedicated “SoaP” is the wave of free publicity they’ve gained what was to be a minor film. “The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report” (among others) now regularly make references to the film, and the buzz surrounding the movie has even garnered a lot of unexpected attention on outlets like National Public Radio. Such exposure has grown an even larger fan base who – despite being disconnected from the Internet chatter – are ready to see the film based solely on the merits of its ridiculous premise.
Which brings us to the present. Now only days from the premier, Snakes on a Plane fans are eagerly waiting with anti-venom in hand for the film to hit theaters. Due in large part to the fanfare drummed up by bloggers and media outlets pouncing on the silliness, lines will be long for the film that asks viewers to “Sit back. Relax. And enjoy the fright.”
Whether or not the film is going to be “good” by academic standards is absolutely irrelevant at this point. And you know, that’s okay. I expect nothing more from the film than some schlock, a scare or two, and a screen full of Samuel L. Jackson shooting things and cursing like a sailor. And I’ll be one of the first in line at the midnight show, waiting to get my boarding pass to get on this flight of fun.
