... Snakes on a Plane Options

[*kryogenix*]

http://www.blackfilm.com/20050819/features...sonaplane.shtml

This is a movie, starring Samuel L. Jackson. He is a pilot of an airplane, with snakes on it.

Doesn't sound very exciting.



But it made me laugh.

[lanbexx]

eh... well acid bath slayer, some research is in order for you. Snakes on a Plane was chosen as the title BY fans who were following the movie. the idea is to not give it some "hidden" or "mystical" name, but just state what the movie is about in the title. its a movie, about snakes, on a plane. nough said. they could have called it "venom" or some hollywood name, but the fans voted that they didnt want that. also, fans contributed towards the making of the film directly. they offered plot ideas, helped shaped the film, and i think there was a submission competition for the title song.

lack of innovation? hardly. its a experimental concept that is new for hollywood. may end up bad, but at least its something better than formula made movies such as POTC2 and others.

[NoSex]

eh... well acid bath slayer, some research is in order for you. Snakes on a Plane was chosen as the title BY fans who were following the movie. the idea is to not give it some "hidden" or "mystical" name, but just state what the movie is about in the title. its a movie, about snakes, on a plane. nough said. they could have called it "venom" or some hollywood name, but the fans voted that they didnt want that. also, fans contributed towards the making of the film directly. they offered plot ideas, helped shaped the film, and i think there was a submission competition for the title song.

lack of innovation? hardly. its a experimental concept that is new for hollywood. may end up bad, but at least its something better than formula made movies such as POTC2 and others.

Uhhhm. Let's get some things straight. First of all, the title of the screenplay and original idea of the production name, was, to begin with, Snakes on a Plane. It was not choosen by the fans as such. But, because of the impression a title like this gives off, the studio wanted to change it. Which they did. However, Mr. Jackson came on board specifically because of the title. He was an immediate fan. He also showed that the buzz and hype generated by this title was far reaching. Note the already imense following. Because of this, the studio did a few things.

The studio and investors involved did some reshoots, despite the fact that principle shooting had already taken place. These were done in order to raise the film to the expectations of its already cult following. The film moved from a PG-13 rating (a rating desired to raise box office numbers) to an R rating, so as to calm the nerves of the people already dumb enough to want to see the film. For all its hype, a PG-13 rating would actually hurt the production at the box office, rather than help it. Its fan-base wants it to be R, and expect it to be R. Thus, the studio conforms in order to make money.

The reshoots include more swearing, a healthy amount of nudity, and more than enough gore. Without these, the film fails to have a fan base. It's a commercial choice, nothing else. Ontop of the reshoots, the still commercial choice to revert the name back to Snakes on a Plane, as opposed to the PG-13 geared Pacific Air Flight 121. It's about a market and a demographic, and they have done a fine job in finding these.

Now, there really isn't anything fundementally different about the production of Snakes on a Plane in comparison to most hollywood "formula" made movies. In fact, Snakes on a Plane may be more formulaic than many. The real difference is in the promotional sense. The actual creation of the film is no different, however their promoters have been innovative. Although innovative, it certaintly is still trash.

They used fan based competitions to spread the word. Not only do they not have to pay for a score, or spend much time on one, but they create even more buzz for the film. The more rediculous the better. And, observing the history of the film, it was very much a serious flick at one point, and may still be to a degree.

It would be as if you were to deliver a joke seriously (believing the joke to be humorous), but were met with the assumption that the joke was never intended to be funny. Instead, people belive that, that you would tell it in the first place is hilarious, for it is so far from clever, and so clearly bad. Instead of facing embarrassment, you put on a facade. Yes, clearly you knew that the joke was poor in the first place.

A demographic always plays a large role in a commercial film, this isn't exactly new. When a film is being made commercially, people are interested in making money. When they want to make money, they always consider the fan base. Always. It isn't exactly a new concept.

However, Snakes on a Plane has made it a step further. They have pretended to now be in on the joke. A joke that was never good in the first place. And, they now realize the commercial possibilities of a wide theatrical release. It's a commerical ploy.

I remember a few years ago, Sprite or 7-up (I can not, for the best of me, remember which) put on an add with a famous basketball player. The add was a joke on advertisements itself. It flashed prices and cheesy slogans all over the screen in a shameless manner. The spokesperson intended to be overly excited about the product. It was a hit with audiences. They thought it was hilarious. But, the sorry truth of the matter was that the addvertisement was still just that, an addvertisement. In a psychological twist, it was trying even more desperately to appeal to consumers. I'm telling you this because it reminds me so much of the promotional campaign for Snakes on a Plane.

It's just another hollywood film, but with a piss poor plot. A god awful, disgusting disgrace for a plot. And, I could imagine that a thousand better concepts were passed up by that same New Line Cinema executive who decided to streamline Snakes on a Plane. And, that's what makes me sick. The idea that this, of all things, was chosen to be made. Of course it's a commercial enterprise. What can I expect? But, seriously, Snakes on a Plane?!

Sure, I could be wrong, which is a possibility. Maybe it is an honest commerical enterprise, if that even makes sense. Maybe it was never ever meant or shot to be serious, although it does indeed appear to have once been. Maybe this is something great for hollywood and audiences alike. But... I just don't see it.