MovieMantz Rantz: ‘Snakes’ Eve! (August 17, 2006)

by Scott Mantz

‘Twas the night before Friday, and all through the theater, not a creature was stirring, not even…a snake?

That’s right folks, after months of deafening pre-release buzz that’s unlike anything the movie business has ever seen, “Snakes on a Plane” finally slithers its way into theaters tomorrow. Now the big question is, how’s it gonna do?

Actually, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone to go on record with an answer. That’s because everything about the making and the marketing of “SoaP” has been so unique that it defies comparison.

What started as a curious blog on the web has mushroomed into a full-blown pop-cultural phenomenon, with die-hard fans designing tee shirts, singing songs and writing poems with nothing to go on but the not-so-subtle name of the film. And in an ultra-rare situation, the film’s distributor, New Line Cinema, even went so far as to re-shoot scenes based on fan participation from the web.

As a reward to those fans, New Line has opted to screen “SoaP” first for them — and not in advance for critics. After all, let’s face it — do you really think The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times are going to shower a movie called “Snakes on a Plane” with Oscar-worthy praise? (Maybe they will, if they’re on drugs!)

Industry pundits are predicting that “SoaP” will end up being a campy cult classic that’s “so bad, it’s good.” But given how lame the summer season has been — despite huge box office returns, “The Da Vinci Code” was a bore, “Superman Returns” was just okay and “Dead Man’s Chest” was a mess — “Snakes on a Plane” may actually end up being the big, fun summer movie that everyone’s been waiting for.

Normally, I’d be suspicious about a movie that wasn’t screened in advance for critics, but like I said, “Snakes on a Plane” defies comparison. If anything, it just makes me want to see it more. The good news is that I’m seeing it tonight, so stay tuned for the one thing that I’ve been wanting to write for months — my review!