Coming Soon - Snakes on a Plane

In a summer filled with superheroes, superstars and pirates, it is surprising that the movie I am most looking forward to is a B-movie that is releasing at the fag end of summer and is headlined by Samuel Jackson! That movie is Snakes on a Plane and it lands in theaters tomorrow. How can I not look forward to a movie whose tag line is “Sit back, relax and enjoy the fright”!

Snakes on a Plane is a film whose hype has been fueled by its fans rather than the studio behind the film or the film’s actors. It marks a new trend in that many parts of it have been developed based on its fans’ wishes and requests. For instance, the film was initially rated PG-13 but was ‘upgraded’ to R (by including swear words for Jackson, a mile-high sex scene and more violence) because of requests by fans. Even a title change was vetoed after an uproar from the film’s fans. And the fans for their part have been busy, coming up scripts, trailers and posters for the film.

But for me, interest in the film is because of its subject matter – snakes. Snakes have long held a morbid fascination for me. I am scared of them and hate their slimy, smooth looks. Just the sight of one slithering on the ground, with its forked tongue moving in and out of its mouth, is enough to make me queasy. At the same time, I can’t help looking away when I see them. It’s no wonder then that I’ve been among the first in line for movies featuring snakes, like Anaconda. I’ve even watched obscure, made-for-TV movies (anyone heard of a film called Rattled? It was shown on USA and was about rattlesnakes showing up in houses after a blast in an abandoned mine) if they featured those reptiles.

Airplanes have been the setting for many fun films (Air Force One, Executive Decision, Turbulence, etc.) and Snakes on a Plane throws snakes into the mix. So I hope it’s gonna be a fun ride…