| Every so often a movie will come along
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| | restored.
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| that is destined for greatness -- be it
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| | And therein lies the magic. With nothing
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| through powerful imagery, an engaging
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| | more than a working title and a vague
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| plot or a stellar cast. Occasionally,
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| | plot summary this movie became an
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| though, just occasionally, comes a movie
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| | Internet phenomenon -- generating a slew
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| whose success is based not on cast or
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| | of fan blogs, videos, songs, parodies and
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| plot (whose plot, in fact, is purely
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| | praise before even a single frame of the
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| incidental to its popularity) but on
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| | movie has been seen. In the viral
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| simple viral marketing. Snakes on a Plane
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| | marketing style of The Blair Witch
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| is such a movie.
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| | Project, the success of this low budget
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| For those of you who have yet to come
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| | horror project is based more on myth than
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| across this particular title, Snakes on a
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| | fact: the Internet (and, more
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| Plane is an R-rated action/horror vehicle
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| | specifically, the blogosphere) built
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| starring Samuel L Jackson. The plot, as
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| | hype, anticipation and excitement with
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| we have come to expect from action
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| | greater success than any expensive
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| movies, is basic and untaxing. Jackson's
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| | marketing could possibly achieve.
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| FBI agent is escorting a witness on a
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| | Understandably, New Line Cinema took this
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| flight from Hawaii to California to
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| | surprising good fortune and ran with it,
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| testify in a high-profile court case.
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| | acceding to the demands of an eager
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| Meanwhile, an assassin smuggles a crate
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| | public. They even went so far as to
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| filled with over 500 snakes onto the
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| | reshoot several scenes to raise the movie
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| flight. Terror ensues. Simple.
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| | rating from a PG-13 to an R - including
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| Now, in the greatest traditions of
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| | the addition of a line of dialog fans
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| Hollywood a movie such as Snakes on a
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| | demanded following the release of a fake
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| Plane should probably have vanished with
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| | audio trailer: "I want these
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| little comment somewhere in the middle of
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| | motherf***ing snakes off the
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| the usual pile of mindless late summer
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| | motherf***ing plane!" They essentially
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| action flicks. Perhaps it would have done
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| | remade the movie to cater to the
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| well in the rental market, but it had
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| | enormous, anonymous audience who made it
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| little hope of becoming a blockbuster in
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| | famous.
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| theaters.
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| | With all the hype surrounding Snakes on a
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| However, this particular movie has one
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| | Plane New Line is onto a clear winner.
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| special quality -- a quality that saw it
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| | Since the movie has become, sight unseen,
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| elevated from obscurity and gave it a
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| | a massive cult hit it doesn't matter in
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| vast fan following as much as a year
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| | the slightest whether the movie is
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| before its release. This movie, you see,
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| | actually any good. In fact, it would
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| had a title that simply demanded comment
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| | probably take more at the box office if
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| - a working title so ridiculous that it
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| | it were resoundingly, jaw-droppingly
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| begged parody and satire.
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| | awful. The viral aspects of the Internet
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| And that's just what it was - a working
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| | spreading news of its dreadfulness would
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| title. Studios usually give their
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| | only serve to drive more fans to the
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| productions a basic descriptive title
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| | ticket booths, all ready and more than
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| before the marketers come up with
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| | willing to take part in this full-length
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| something better. ET: The
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| | in-joke.
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| Extraterrestrial, for example, was titled
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| | And that's the point, you see. That's the
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| variously A Boy's Life, ET and Me and
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| | reason Snakes on a Plane has become so
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| Night Skies before assuming the name we
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| | well loved -- we don't expect it to be
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| know and love. The working title of
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| | serious. We don't expect it to be
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| Snakes on a Plane was, in fact, changed
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| | enlightening, intelligent or valuable. We
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| to the more generic Pacific Air Flight
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| | just expect to see snakes. On a plane.
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| 121 before Jackson and droves of Internet
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| | At the end of the day, what else is there
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| fans insisted the original title be
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| | to say?
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