Can Snakeskin Wallets That Say Bad M.F. Be Far Behind?

By Scott Smith in Arts & Entertainment on Apr 11, 2006 4:47PM

Is it just us, or are all the people who are looking forward to Snakes On A Plane, the once-and-perhaps-future sleeper hit of the summer, setting themselves up for disappointment?

If you’re a regular reader of this site, you’re probably all over SOAP as you pride yourself on being up on the latest pop culture happenings. But for your boss, who’s currently going through the history on your browser so she can find a reason to fire you, a brief summary:

The film started out as a schlocky genre flick with only two things going for it: the title and Samuel L. Jackson in the role of an FBI agent protecting a mob informant who ends up on a plane full of, well, snakes that are intent on killing him (insofar as a snake can have “intent” to do anything). When word leaked that the New Line was possibly changing the title, the Internet buzz began. The inevitable blog was created along with a fan-authored trailer, and the title became a catchphrase for all those who were looking for a new way to say “shit happens.” The film even went into reshoots so that producers could add more boobs and gore as well as the line that's destined for inclusion in a future AFI Top 100 Movie Quotes special: “I want these muthafuckin’ snakes off this muthafuckin’ plane.”

But our collective Chicagoist heart sunk when we read about those reshoots. Is this a case of too many cooks spoiling an already tasty soup? Or will SOAP collapse under the weight of its own hype? According to an article in this week’s Entertainment Weekly, New Line is backing off its own marketing and won’t be releasing a trailer until May 12th when Poseidon hits screens (though you can get a sneak peek at SOAP footage here).

For those who can’t wait until August for a healthy dose of gore, the Chicago Horror Festival returns this month and runs from April 28th through the 30th at the 3 Penny Cinema. Thirty-five films will be shown during the fest and Ari Leahman (the first Jason in Friday the 13th) and local legend Ron Fitzgerald will both be making appearances. All for a rock-bottom price of only $6 per evening.

Image: Noahstone.blogspot.com