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