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Hot Topic: How’s This For In-Flight Entertainment - Snakes On A Plane?

No, this is not a Hot Topic about terrorists. It is however, about a pop culture phenomenon that started a bit differently than its final manifestation. Most certainly it was movie originally designed to reach the teen in all of us, but we are sure the hype-types at the studio did not see a product with $15 million gross on a weekend opening. Months before it premiered on August 18, 2006, spin for the B Grade, “high concept thriller/horror” film spun up in the blogsphere. Shooting finished last September but as popularity increased by Internet word-of-mouth-marketing, the studio set up another five days of shooting to get new scenes to move the MPAA rating from PG-13 to R, obviously to appeal more to the frenetic Internet demographic.

The plot is moderately predictable and goes something like this: FBI Agent (Jackson) is escorting a gangster who witnessed the murder of a prosecutor from Hawaii to Los Angeles aboard a B747, in whose cargo hold lies some hundreds of poisonous snakes housed in a time-release container. The rest of the asp-kicking adventure will remain up to you to see. We will tell you that the leis handed out to the departing passengers (I thought they only gave them away when you arrived) were secretly sprayed with pheromones that make the reptiles unusually nasty. This movie places new value on traveling First Class for sure, but we think you will find new uses for your Smartphone and pray for in-flight telephony. Our favorite line in the film, in true Jackson-esque form, goes something like this; “Enough is enough. I’ve had it with these mutha bleep’in snakes on this mutha bleep’in plane.” Who among us has not said that a time or two? To quote Sam Jackson, who rebuffed the studio for trying to use the working title “Pacific Flight 21” as the official name (and obviously demonstrated his marketing moxie at the same time), “It’s not “Gone With The Wind”, said Jackson, “It’s snakes-on-a-plane…” Yes it is, Sam, yes it is.

We don’t ordinarily suggest that our readers go to movies we plug. After all, we don’t get paid for this coverage. You might want to “Google” “snakes on a plane” because this is a textbook case of viral marketing and the studio has really capitalized on a craze. More interesting than the movie itself is what the fan base has done to help the show develop and spool up. Blogs, t-shirts, home made trailers... all from people who had not even seen the movie! Business schools will be studying this textbook case for some time to come. Based on the early returns, we know there has to be a sequel and in an attempt to aid the studio in their attempts to top “Snakes”, we offer the following movie title options free to New Line Cinema: “Spiders On A Sub”, “Ferrets On A Ferris Wheel”, “Eels On An Elevator”, “Tarantulas On A Train”, and of course, “Bugs On A Bus.” One thing is for sure; it will take one heck of a cutting edge airline to show this one in-flight!
 

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ASiQ to Offer Boeing Connexion Replacement
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Boeing to Discontinue Connexion by Boeing Service
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Rockwell Collins introduces Tailwind 300 satellite television
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LOT Polish Airlines flies the first ARCHOS-based portable implementation from IMS in upgraded business class
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AirCell Introduces Revolutionary AirCell Axxess EZ System for MagnaStar Operators
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Boeing, Monarch Airlines Announce Order for 787 Dreamliner
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Improving the inflight movie
Alberta Daily Herald Tribute
 

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59th Annual NBAA Meeting & Convention
10/17/2006 - 10/19/2006
 

IFExpress is sponsored in part by: