As far as movie-going goes, I sometimes gravitate to the silly, mindless fun flicks. When I saw the title of Snakes on a Plane, I knew I was going to the theaters to see it, as it just screamed extraordinary helpings of cheesy cinema. I am happy to say I was not disappointed and while I had a great time, I think people sometimes forget that Snakes on a Plane was a big deal, before, during, and long after its run in brick-and-mortar theaters.
Before Snakes on a Plane even hit theaters, it was already something of a phenomenon. Here is a film that was turned down by almost every studio before it was optioned by New Line Cinema. As soon as the title was leaked, interest began to build and New Line took notice, helping to cultivate a successful online marketing campaign years before that became the norm. By the time the film came out, the hype was real and New Line had a surprising hit on their hands.
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Let’s face it, the movie is ridiculous. An FBI agent (Samuel L. Jackson) has to escort a key witness via plane from Hawaii to Los Angeles to testify against a mob boss. Onboard the plane is literally hundreds of lethal snakes, which become even more dangerous after they are made extra aggressive by some weird pheromone. This was an idea by the mob boss to bring down the plane… talk about thinking outside the box. Once in the air, the snakes get loose and the chaos, action, and hilarity are nonstop.
The CGI snakes were laughably bad, the acting wooden and corny, but Jackson had fun with it, uttering the now-famous expletive-filled line that is still echoed today. What also made that line famous was the unbelievably horrific/hilarious edit that was done when it hit network TV. The line became, “I have had it with these monkey-fighting snakes on this Monday to Friday plane!” Seriously, you can’t make this stuff up. Capitalizing on Jackson’s love for profanity, the filmmakers jumped all over it, and now even today, hearing Jackson utter that line brings a goofy smile to my face.
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Soon the film was everywhere and the phenomenon was born. Talk shows, merchandise, the famous line was a catchphrase that still endures, and it helped propel Snakes on a Plane to heights of attention most films of this kind would never get. People talked about it for months, hell, my friends and I laughed and laughed over it, seeing it a second time before it left the theaters on its magical run.
This kind of phenomenon, with the early hype and long-lasting cheesy impact, doesn’t happen very often. The other film that pops to mind is The Blair Witch Project, which built a huge hype machine a year before it came out, sparking chatter and conversation for a very long time. While Snakes on a Plane is not that kind of film, it certainly deserves to be appreciated for all the things it accomplished, even before it was released. You don’t need to think too hard about it, just grab some popcorn, settle in, and have a good time. Really, isn’t that what going to the movies is all about?
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