Blogs and Snakes and Samuel L.--Oh My!
Normally I couldn't give a hoot about a movie with such a title, but this one is different. Well, first off, this is from New Line Cinema. Although the film won't be released till Aug. 18, New Line launched an online fan kit last week. What's in it, you ask? Well audio and video clips, AIM icons and wallpaper, stills, logos...the list goes on.
This flick has already caused a slue of interest online from meme-ing, blogging, video parodies, contests, etc. Perhaps it's due to the title and its cult-like feel. A lot of publicity was garnered by the blog entries by screenwriter Josh Friedman that landed him an offer to work on the script.
According to the Internet Movie Database, although the film's creators wrapped principal photography last September, due to "massive fan interest on the Internet," in March New Line Cinema had a five-day reshoot to film new scenes--including such lines suggested by online fans as the Jackson character's line, "I want these motherf@*king snakes off this motherf@*king plane." Voila, PG-13 turned to rated R.
Social networking site TagWorld jumped on the bandwagon by offering a music contest. It ran from March 15 to April 11 of this year. Members were allowed to upload their own songs to compete for a coveted spot on the "Snakes on a Plane" soundtrack. The band Captain Ahab won the contest, garnering the most votes. Their track "Snakes on the Brain" will be in the movie and on the soundtrack. The runners-up, Louden Swain, will have their "Here Come the Snakes" appear as well. The film was featured in Wired as "The best worst film of 2006," despite being given the "award" in January 2006, based only on the title and concept of the movie.
So why all the online buzz? Is it the cult-like title of the movie? Or maybe it's Samuel L. Jackson as the film's headliner? Or maybe this is a swell guerilla/viral/WOM marketing campaign cleverly plotted and strategized only to make us swoon with envy? What do you think? Why has "Snakes on a Plane" charmed the likes of so many online? Post to the ssssssssSPIN Blog.
SEANA MULCAHY
Mulcahy is currently a media director at Sapient Interactive, a position to which she brings more than 18 years of experience in advertising, public relations and marketing communications, with a primary focus on the digital space. Prior to Sapient, Mulcahy founded Brand Truth, a digital media and marketing consultancy.
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