Snakes on a Plane
Snakes on a Plane | |
---|---|
Directed by | David R. Ellis |
Screenplay by |
|
Story by |
|
Produced by |
|
Starring | |
Cinematography | Adam Greenberg |
Edited by | Howard E. Smith |
Music by | Trevor Rabin |
Production company | |
Distributed by | New Line Cinema |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 106 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Budget | $33 million[1][2] |
Box office | $62 million[1][2] |
Snakes on a Plane is a 2006 American
The film gained a considerable amount of attention before its release, forming large
Released in the US and UK on August 18, 2006, the film received mixed reviews and was a "box office disappointment". The film grossed US$62 million worldwide before its release on home video on January 2, 2007.
Plot
After witnessing a brutal murder commited by crime lord Eddie Kim on prosecutor Daniel Hayes in Hawaii, Sean Jones is escorted by FBI agents Neville Flynn and John Sanders on a Boeing 747-400 to testify in a trial against Kim in Los Angeles. Kim arranges for a time-release crate full of venomous snakes to be placed in the cargo hold in an attempt to bring down the plane before it reaches Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). To ensure the snakes indiscriminately attack everybody without the need for provocation, he has one of his henchmen disguised as an airport ground employee spray the passengers' leis with a special pheromone which makes the snakes highly aggressive.
The crate opens midway through the flight and the snakes make their way through the cabin, with a viper attacking an electric panel in the process, thus shutting down the power. A cat in the cargo bay, a couple having sex in a bathroom, and a man using another bathroom are the first ones killed. The plane's captain, Sam McKeon, investigates the power outage and fixes an electrical short, but is killed by the
The surviving passengers, who have made their way to the front of the plane, put up blockades of luggage in a desperate attempt to stop the snakes. Rick is attacked and the plane starts to dip downwards, causing a
Based on pictures of the reptiles emailed to him via a passenger's mobile phone, Price believes a Los Angeles snake dealer known for illegally importing exotic and highly dangerous snakes to be responsible. After a shootout, a tactical interrogation occurs wherein the dealer is injured by a snakebite. With Harris withholding the antivenom, the dealer finally reveals that Kim hired him to obtain the snakes and adds how the latter managed to smuggle them on board the plane and make them aggressive. Price injects the injured dealer with the antivenom and commandeers his supply of antivenom for the victims on the plane based on the list given to him. Harris gives orders to have Eddie Kim arrested and tried on multiple counts of murder and attempted murder, with the death penalty as an option.
Harris contacts Flynn, telling him that antivenom will be ready for the passengers when they land. However, Flynn discovers that the cockpit is filled with snakes and Rick is dead. After a brief discussion, Troy, Three Gs' bodyguard, agrees to land the plane based on experience playing a flight simulator. After everyone gets prepared, Flynn shoots out two windows with his pistol, causing the plane to depressurize. The snakes are blown out of the cockpit and the lower floor of the plane. Despite his lack of real-world experience, Troy makes an emergency landing and the plane makes it to the terminal. The passengers exit the plane and antivenom is given to those who need it.
Just as Flynn and Sean are about to disembark, a remaining snake jumps out and bites Sean in the chest. Flynn draws his gun and shoots the snake, and paramedics rush to Sean, who is traumatized, but unharmed, due to a
Cast
- Samuel L. Jackson as Agent Neville Flynn, an FBI agent assigned to protect Sean Jones on his flight to Los Angeles.
- Julianna Margulies as Claire Miller, a flight attendant.
- Nathan Phillips as Sean Jones, a surfer and dirtbike racer who witnesses a brutal murder committed by Eddie Kim.
- ChihuahuaMary-Kate aboard.
- germophobicfamous rapper.
- Kenan Thompson as Troy, Clarence's bodyguard.
- Keith Dallas as Big Leroy, Clarence's bodyguard.
- Sunny Mabrey as Tiffany, a flight attendant who develops a crush on Sean.
- Bruce James as Ken, an eccentric flight attendant.
- Lin Shaye as Grace, the senior flight attendant who acts as the flight's purser.
- Terry Chen as Chen Leong, a professional kickboxer and a passenger.
- Elsa Pataky as Maria, a passenger traveling with her infant daughter Isabella.
- Mark Houghton as Agent John Sanders, Flynn's colleague assigned to protect Sean Jones.
- David Koechner as Richard "Rick", Captain McKeon's co-pilot.
- Bobby Cannavale as Special Agent Henry "Hank" Harris, Flynn's colleague
- Todd Louiso as Dr. Steven Price, a snake venom expert assigned by the FBI to communicate with Flynn.
- Tom Butler as Captain Samuel "Sam" McKeon, the captain of the plane.
- Kevin McNulty as Emmett Bradley, an air traffic tower controller.
- Samantha McLeod as Kelly, a young woman who boards the plane with her boyfriend.
- Taylor Kitsch as Kyle, a young man who boards the plane with his girlfriend.
- Byron Lawson as Eddie Kim, a crime syndicate leader.
Production
The story is credited to
Originally, the film, under the working title Snakes on a Plane, was going to be directed by Hong Kong action director Ronny Yu.[6] Jackson, who had previously worked with Yu on The 51st State, learned about the announced project in the Hollywood trade newspapers and, after talking to Yu, agreed to sign on without reading the script based on the director, storyline, and the title.[8] Initially New Line did not believe that Jackson had actually signed on to the project and had to call his agent to clarify.[9] Jackson would later defend his choice of starring in the movie by stating "it was the kind of movie I would have gone to see when I was a kid",[9] further clarifying "I feel sorry for all those people that are going through that whole trip of 'Why would Samuel Jackson do something like this?' and 'It's lowbrow.' It's a movie. People go to movies on Saturday to get away from the war in Iraq and taxes and election news and pedophiles online and just go and have some fun and I like doing movies that are fun."[9]
The film's B movie-esque title generated a lot of pre-release interest on the Internet. One journalist wrote that Snakes on a Plane is "perhaps the most internet-hyped film of all time".[10] Much of the initial publicity came from a blog entry made by screenwriter Josh Friedman, who had been offered a chance to work on the script.[11] The casting of Samuel L. Jackson further increased anticipation. At one point, the film was given the title Pacific Air Flight 121, only to have it changed back to the working title at Samuel Jackson's request.[12] In August 2005, Samuel Jackson told an interviewer, "We're totally changing that back. That's the only reason I took the job: I read the title."[13] On March 2, 2006, the studio reverted the title to Snakes on a Plane.[14] New Line hired two additional writers to smooth out the screenplay.[7]
Taking advantage of the Internet buzz for what had been a minor film in their 2006 line-up, New Line Cinema ordered five days of additional shooting in early March 2006 (
More than 450 snakes were used for filming to represent 30 different species of snakes.
Media coverage
An illustrated book from Thunder's Mouth Press, Snakes on a Plane: The Guide to the Internet Ssssssensation by David Waldon, details the Internet phenomenon and was published July 28, 2006. Waldon details various viral videos relating to the film's craze, and interviewed their producers to find out what about the film captured their attention.[22]
Music
On March 16, 2006, New Line Cinema announced a contest on TagWorld and a website promoting the film.[23][24] The contest allowed artists on TagWorld to have their music featured in the film. A flood of SoaP-themed songs were submitted by artists such as Captain Ahab (who ultimately won the contest), Louden Swain, the Former Fat Boys, Nispy, and others. In addition, a music video for the film, "Snakes on a Plane (Bring It)" by Cobra Starship, was released on July 10, 2006, on MTV2's Unleashed. The music video appeared on the film's soundtrack as well as during the film's closing credits.
In October 2005, Nathanial Perry and Chris Rohan recorded an audio trailer spoof, which helped fuel the Internet buzz. Perry and Rohan recorded the "motherfucking snakes" line in the audio trailer which was added to the film during the week of re-shoots. In July 2006, New Line Cinema signed a worldwide licensing agreement with the Cutting Corporation to produce an audiobook of the film.[25]
Television
On August 15, 2006, Samuel L. Jackson guest featured on The Daily Show with
Internet
Snakes on a Plane generated considerable buzz on the Internet after Josh Friedman's blog entry
Many of the early fan-made trailers and later other viral videos and commercials circulated via YouTube, and captured media attention there with such titles as: Cats on a Plane (which was featured in Joel Siegel's review of Snakes on a Plane on
In August 2006, Varitalk launched an advertising campaign in which fans could send a semi-personalized message in Samuel Jackson's voice to telephone numbers of their choosing.[29] Within the first week, over 1.5 million calls were sent to participants.[29]
Previews
In June 2006, New Line commissioned famed UK audio-visual film remixers and chop-up artists Addictive TV to cut and sample Snakes on a Plane to create trailers for the U.S. television networks. The official teaser trailer premiered before X-Men: The Last Stand, and the first official trailer appeared online on June 26, 2006.[28] Another trailer circulated in July 2006, showing several of the snake attacks and a missing pilot and co-pilot. Rotten Tomatoes had video clips of the official trailers, as well as fan-made trailers.[30]
During a July 21, 2006 panel discussion at the
Release
"No movie shall triumph over Snakes on a Plane. Unless I happen to feel like making a movie called More Motherfucking Snakes on More Motherfucking Planes."
—Samuel L. Jackson, joking that the film would win the
Snakes on a Plane debuted on August 18, 2006. The film opened in 3,555 theaters and had some late-night screenings on August 17. In a move meant to exploit the attention from the film, a straight-to-DVD
Critical response
New Line Cinema did not screen the film for critics.
Peter Travers of Rolling Stone gave the film one and a half stars out of four, saying that "after all the Internet hype about those motherfuckin' snakes on that motherfuckin' plane, the flick itself is a murky stew of shock effects repeated so often that the suspense quickly droops along with your eyelids."[41] David Denby of The New Yorker claimed that the film "... may mark a new participatory style in marketing, but it still gulls an allegedly knowing audience with the pseudo-morality of yesteryear."[42]
Film critic and
Box office
Due to the Internet hype surrounding the film, industry analysts estimated that the film's opening box office would be between US$20-30 million.[5] Snakes on a Plane did not meet its estimates and grossed $15.25 million over its opening weekend, a disappointment for New Line Cinema.[4] In its second weekend, the film fell to sixth place with $6.4 million, a more than fifty percent drop from its opening weekend revenue.[46][47][48] By the end of its theatrical run, the film grossed $62,022,014 worldwide.[49]
Robert K. Shaye, the founder of New Line, stated that he was "disappointed" that Snakes on a Plane was a "dud" despite "higher expectations".[50] The press declared that Snakes on a Plane was a "box office disappointment",[4][5] with The New York Times reporting that after all the "hype online, Snakes on a Plane is letdown at box office"[4] and Entertainment Weekly reporting that the film was an "internet-only phenomenon".[5] Box office analysts have subsequently referred to substantial internet discourse failing to materialize into box office as "the Snakes on a Plane effect".[51][52]
Home media
Snakes on a Plane released on
TV version
The film received further attention when fans noticed the U.S. TV edit of the film
Adaptations
Soundtrack
Snakes on a Plane: The Album | |
---|---|
New Line Records | |
Producer | Jason Linn |
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [60] |
RapReviews | [61] |
The soundtrack for the film was released on August 15, 2006. The
- "Snakes on a Plane (Bring It)" by Cobra Starship, William Beckett, Maja Ivarsson, Travie McCoy
- "The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage" (Tommie Sunshine Brooklyn Fire Remix) by Panic! at the Disco
- "Black Mamba" (Teddybears Remix) by The Academy Is...
- "Cee-Lo Green
- "Can't Take It" (The Baldwin Brothers "El Camino Prom Wagon" Remix) by The All-American Rejects
- "Queen of Apology" (Patrick Stump Remix) by The Sounds
- "Of All the Gin Joints in All the World" (Tommie Sunshine's Brooklyn Fire Retouch) by Fall Out Boy
- "New Friend Request" (Hi-Tek Remix) by Gym Class Heroes
- "Around the Horn" (Louis XIV Remix) by The Bronx
- "Remember to Feel Real" (Machine Shop Remix) by Armor for Sleep
- "Wine Red" (Tommie Sunshine's Brooklyn Fire Retouch) by The Hush Sound
- "Bruised" (Remix) by Jack's Mannequin
- "Final Snakes" by Shranky Drank
- "Wake Up" (Acoustic) by Coheed and Cambria
- "Lovely Day" by Donavon Frankenreiter
- "Hey Now Now" by Michael Franti & Spearhead
- "Snakes on a Plane - The Theme" (Score) by Trevor Rabin
See also
- List of killer snake films
References
- ^ a b "Snakes on a Plane (2006) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Archived from the original on 2021-11-05. Retrieved 2021-11-05.
- ^ a b "Snakes on a Plane (2006)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Archived from the original on October 25, 2021.
- ^ Synopsis by Mark Deming (2006-08-18). "Snakes on a Plane (2006) - David R. Ellis | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related". AllMovie. Archived from the original on 2022-04-18. Retrieved 2018-04-27.
- ^ a b c d e Waxman, Sharon (August 21, 2006). "After Hype Online, "Snakes on a Plane" Is Letdown at Box Office". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 17, 2011. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e Rich, Joshua (August 20, 2006). "Oh Sssssnap! (Snakes doesn't have much bite)". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 22, 2006. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
- ^ a b c d e Jensen, Jeff (August 4, 2006). "Kicking Asp". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 19, 2008. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
- ^ a b Hayes, John (August 16, 2006). "'Snakes on a Plane' scares up a following based on Hollywood's frightful track record". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on February 5, 2008. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
- ^ Tyrangiel, Josh (April 24, 2006). "Snakes on Samuel L. Jackson". Time. Archived from the original on June 15, 2006. Retrieved May 10, 2009.
- ^ a b c Topel, Fred (2006-08-16). "Interview: Samuel L. Jackson". Cinemablend. Archived from the original on 2016-10-02. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
- ^ Brown, Mark (August 18, 2006). "Snakes on a Plane leaves critics flying blind". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on February 5, 2008. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
- ^ a b Friedman, Josh (August 17, 2005). "I find your lack of faith disturbing: Snakes on a Motherfucking Plane". Archived from the original on June 28, 2009. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
- ^ Wloszczyna, Susan (April 18, 2006). "'Snakes on a Plane' sssssssays it all". USA Today. Archived from the original on April 22, 2009. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
- Internet Movie Database. April 12, 2006. Archivedfrom the original on January 13, 2016. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
- ^ a b Homer, Chris (August 17, 2006). "'Snakes' inspires laughs, not fear". RedandBlack.com. Archived from the original on May 18, 2009. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
- ^ Borys, Kit (March 24, 2006). "Fan frenzy for 'Snakes' is on a different plane". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 31, 2006. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
- ^ Honeycutt, Kirk (August 21, 2006). "Snakes on a Plane". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 12, 2007. Retrieved September 21, 2008.
- ^ Loder, Kurt (August 18, 2006). "Snakes on a Plane: Wild Fang". MTV Movies. Archived from the original on May 5, 2008. Retrieved September 21, 2008.
- ^ Pearlman, Cindy (August 13, 2006). "Kicking Asp: Jackson is fed up with snakes". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on January 11, 2009. Retrieved September 21, 2008.
- ^ Carle, Chris (2006-07-22). "Comic-Con 2006: Snakes on a Plane Panel". Archived from the original on 2008-12-07. Retrieved September 21, 2008.
- ^ a b Lovgren, Stefan. ""Snakes on a Plane": Behind the Scenes With the Movie's Snake Wrangler". National Geographic. Archived from the original on August 12, 2006. Retrieved September 21, 2008.
- ^ Case, Russ (2011-12-01). "Snakes On A Plane". Reptiles Magazine. Archived from the original on February 3, 2023. Retrieved 2023-06-10.
- ISBN 1-56025-971-X.
- ^ "TagWorld and New Line Cinema Team for Snakes on a Plane Soundtrack Contest". March 16, 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 17, 2011. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
- ^ "TagWorld :: snakesonaplane's - Home". Archived from the original on March 25, 2006. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
- ^ "Snakes on a Plane in GraphicAudio". Graphic Audio. Archived from the original on May 17, 2007. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
- ^ "Snakes on a Plane, X-Games". TV.com. Archived from the original on February 4, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
- ^ "(Blanks) on a (Blank): A Filmmaking Challenge Inspired by "Snakes on a Plane". Archived from the original on 2008-05-06. Retrieved October 19, 2009.
- ^ a b c Robischon, Noah (August 22, 2006). ""Snakes On A Plane" comes to life on the Internet". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on February 8, 2013. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
- ^ a b Leo, Alexandra (August 15, 2006). "If Samuel L. Jackson Called, Would You See His Movie?". Archived from the original on March 2, 2010. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
- ^ a b "Snakes on a Plane". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. 18 August 2006. Archived from the original on 2 February 2022. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
- ^ Matheson, Whitney (July 22, 2006). "Can't stop the 'Snakes'". USA Today. Archived from the original on August 28, 2006. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
- ^ Leydon, Joe (August 18, 2006). "Snakes on a Train". Variety. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
- Seattle Post Intelligencer. Retrieved May 11, 2009.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Snakes on a Plane". Metacritic. CBS. Archived from the original on April 19, 2009. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ Gonsalves, Rob (August 18, 2006). "Snakes on a Plane". EFilm Critic. Archived from the original on January 12, 2009. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
- ^ Seymour, Gene. "Snakes on a Plane". Newsday. Archived from the original on February 5, 2008. Retrieved October 19, 2009.
- ^ "SNAKES ON A PLANE (2006) B-". CinemaScore. Archived from the original on 2018-12-20.
- ^ Cordova, Randy (August 19, 2006). "Snakes on a Plane". The Arizona Republic. Archived from the original on August 17, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
- ^ LaSalle, Mick (August 18, 2006). "Get ready for a wild ride with 'Snakes on a Plane'". San Francisco Chronicle. Archived from the original on February 12, 2009. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
- Boston Globe. Archivedfrom the original on February 12, 2009. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
- ^ Travers, Peter (August 18, 2006). "Snakes on a Plane". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
- ^ Denby, David (August 18, 2006). "Disasters". The New Yorker. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
- ^ Medved, Michael (August 22, 2006). "Bomb on a plane". Townhall.com. Archived from the original on November 9, 2014. Retrieved August 23, 2013.
- ^ Medved, Michael (August 22, 2006). "Why "Snakes on a Plane" crashed". Townhall. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved August 24, 2011.
- ^ Medved, Michael (August 18, 2006). "Snakes on a Plane". Townhall.com. Archived from the original on November 9, 2014. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
- ^ Ngo, Binh (August 27, 2006). "Box Office Wrapup: "Invincible" Scores #1 Opening". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on February 5, 2008. Retrieved October 19, 2009.
- ^ "Snakes on a Plane (2006)". Box Office Mojo. August 27, 2006. Archived from the original on April 18, 2009. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
- ^ Rich, Joshua (August 28, 2006). "Box Office Report: Touchdown!". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
- ^ "Snakes on a Plane (2006)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on August 24, 2010. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
- ^ Waxman, Sharon (February 19, 2007). "For New Line, an Identity Crisis". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 15, 2012. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
- ^ "Weekend predictions: Cocaine Bear and Jesus Revolution battle for second place". The Numbers. Archived from the original on 2023-02-25. Retrieved 2023-02-25.. "The risk with a movie like this is that buzz around its trailer won’t translate into people actually going to a movie theater to watch the whole thing—the Snakes on a Plane effect, as it’s known."
- ^ Brady, Erin (2022-06-04). "Morbius Adds Just 85,000 Morbucks To Its Total Gross In First Day Of Re-Release". /Film. Archived from the original on 2023-02-25. Retrieved 2023-02-25.. "It's something we can probably refer to as the Snakes on a Plane effect, wherein a movie's meme potential does not guarantee that it will turn a profit."
- ^ McCutcheon, David. "Snakes on a Delayed Flight". IGN. Archived from the original on December 17, 2010. Retrieved July 22, 2009.
- ^ Dr. Winston O'Boogie (April 25, 2009). "Video: Snakes on a Plane (The TV Edit)". Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved June 4, 2011.
- ^ "LOL: Snakes on a Plane - The Television Edit – /Film". Slashfilm.com. 2009-04-20. Archived from the original on 2018-04-28. Retrieved 2018-04-27.
- ^ "MovieTome: Movie Reviews - DVD Releases - Movie Trailers". Archived from the original on 2009-04-22. Retrieved 2018-04-27.
- ^ Chavez, Donna (December 3, 2007). "PW talks with Christa Faust: smoking in the boys' room". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
- ISBN 1-84416-381-4.
- ^ Weiland, Johan (June 14, 2006). "Wildstorm/Chuck Dixon do "Snakes On A Plane" Comic". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on June 17, 2011. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
- Allmusic. Archivedfrom the original on August 17, 2023. Retrieved July 22, 2009.
- ^ Juon, Steve. "Snakes on a Plane: The Album". RapReviews. Archived from the original on January 30, 2010. Retrieved April 7, 2010.
- ^ "Hot Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Retrieved May 11, 2009.[permanent dead link]
External links
- Official website (archived version)
- Snakes on a Plane at IMDb
- Snakes on a Plane at AllMovie
- Snakes on a Plane at Box Office Mojo