{"id":693,"date":"2006-08-18T11:40:14","date_gmt":"2006-08-18T11:40:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mcc.sllf.qmul.ac.uk\/?p=693"},"modified":"2012-11-22T11:26:02","modified_gmt":"2012-11-22T11:26:02","slug":"snakes-on-a-plane-2006","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mcc.sllf.qmul.ac.uk\/?p=693","title":{"rendered":"Snakes on a Plane, 2006"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><span lang=\"EN-US\">Plot: <\/span><\/strong><span lang=\"EN-US\">Hawaii, the present. Gangland figure Eddie Kim executes a district attorney who is building a case against him. Tourist Sean Jones witnesses the murder and is swiftly identified by Kim\u2019s mob. FBI agent Flynn rescues Sean, and convinces him to testify against Kim in Los Angeles. Though a heavily guarded private jet is dispatched as a diversion, Flynn arranges to get Sean to LA on a commercial overnight flight. Kim learns of this plan, conceals a collection of poisonous or otherwise lethal snakes in the cargo hold and sprays the garlands to be draped around the passengers\u2019 necks with a pheromone that will drive them into a killing frenzy. Flynn and Sean take over first class, displacing businessman Paul, toy dog-clutching glamour girl Mercedes and the entourage of rapper Three G\u2019s. The snakes get loose and bite and kill many passengers and crew. Paul feeds Mercedes\u2019 dog to an anaconda, which then eats him. As Flynn copes with the situation, he bonds with both Sean, who acts heroically, and flight attendant Claire. On the ground, Flynn\u2019s superior and a snake expert track down Kim\u2019s snake supplier, who is coerced into giving a confession which will result in Kim being indicted for mass murder. Before landing Flynn shoots a hole in the plane, and the snakes are sucked out. With the pilot and co-pilot dead, Three G\u2019s videogame-expert bodyguard Troy successfully lands the plane. The survivors are treated with anti-venom while Sean and Flynn arrange dates with the cute stewardesses; later, they take a surfing holiday together (adapted from Newman 81-82).<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><strong><span lang=\"EN-US\">Film Note<\/span><\/strong><span lang=\"EN-US\"> <\/span>Superficially, <em>Snakes on a Plane<\/em> is a Hollywood \u201cnovelty\u201d product, a typically exploitative crowd-pleaser that does not lend itself to symptomatic readings. The film<em> <\/em>is seemingly uninterested in coherent narrative direction, expressive mise-en-sc\u00e8ne, or in-depth characterization, instead preferring to revel in the incongruence of its initial premise, its solipsistic performances and a knowing acknowledgment of its ridiculous narrative operations. However, analysis of <em>Snakes\u2019<\/em> production, marketing and film style reveals<em> <\/em>the film to be an exemplar of \u201cthe age of postmodern cinema\u201d, a clear indicator of a wider postmodern condition shaping US culture that disavows any extant political content (Boggs and Pollard 175). The film also reveals how Hollywood movies reflect the historical and cultural context in which they are produced almost in spite of their attempts to claim otherwise. In the case of <em>Snakes<\/em> this engagement comes through an unwitting regurgitation of a broad post-9\/11 social anxiety.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><strong>The perils of postmodernism<\/strong> Attempts to define the \u201cpostmodern\u201d are paradoxical: indeed, one of the generally accepted tenets of postmodern theory is a rejection of \u201cgrand narratives\u201d. However, certain characteristics recur in critical writing on the subject. Tom Boggs and Carl Pollard, for example, note that \u201c\u2026in its elaborate celebration of images, glamour, and spectacles, [the cinema] arguably contained strong elements of the postmodern ethos from its very inception at the turn of the century\u201d (171). This \u201cpostmodern ethos\u201d can be summarised as the propensity of a text, in this case a film, \u201c\u2026.to be non or anti-essentialist\u2026 [providing no] fixed meaning\u201d (Hayward 160), to see \u201c\u2026the past as a supermarket source that the artist raids for whatever she or he wants\u201d (Hayward 163), and to acknowledge (or even celebrate) that \u201cwe now live [\u2026] in a world of simulations, of hyper-reality, which has no reality beyond itself\u201d (Hill 98). As I will describe below, these general tenets can be seen clearly in <em>Snakes<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">A major contributing factor to <em>Snakes\u2019 <\/em>postmodern style is its troubled production, including significant post-production changes as well as a period of reshooting. While the 9\/11 terrorist attacks and a takeover of MTV Films by New Line were unavoidable setbacks (forcing prudent narrative adjustments), a change in director due to creative differences meant that the title, rating and content were also altered late in the day. This disorganization is arguably a contributing factor to <em>Snakes\u2019<\/em> incoherent look and feel, exemplified by a narrative littered with disjointed episodes and instantaneous transformations in mood and aesthetics. To take one example, romance and comedy are uncomfortably juxtaposed with tension and horror. At the film\u2019s climax, Mercedes is almost sucked out of the plane, yet Ken comes to her rescue at the last second; the pair then share longing looks suggesting romantic feelings that can\u2019t help but appear incongruous in a setting surrounded by their fellow passengers suffering horrible deaths. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">Director David R. Ellis (who replaced Hong Kong horror-comedy director Ronny Yu in pre-production) stated that the reshoots were conducted to answer fans\u2019 demands for more gore and violence, while other claims suggested \u201c\u2026the re-shoots weren\u2019t prompted by the fans but rather existing footage that already was a hairline into R territory\u201d (Kit). Further confusion regarding the intended tone and mood of the film are evidenced by the change of title from <em>Snakes on a Plane<\/em> to <em>Pacific Air Flight 121<\/em> during production. Ellis claimed that the title alteration was \u201c\u2026pursued to attract actors to the project, and because studio executives thought [that the original title] was too silly and gave too much of the plot away\u2019 (qtd. in Kit). However, in response, star Samuel L. Jackson declared; \u201cWe\u2019re totally changing that back. That\u2019s the only reason I took the job; the title\u201d (qtd. in Beaks 21). Such confusion among the film\u2019s creative personnel is indicative of the commercial over-determination of <em>Snakes<\/em> and this willingness to engage in content re-positioning in order to meet a variety of (sometimes conflicting) market demands may well be the dominant factor shaping postmodern cinema.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">Postmodern cinema is recognized for \u201ceclecticism, the mixing of avant-garde and popular conventions [\u2026] and an ironic play with surface signifiers\u201d (Hill 100). Further, Boggs and Pollard argue, \u201c\u2026<\/span>postmodern film narratives and styles tend to be broken, discontinuous, and pastiche-like, perhaps aesthetically compelling, but rarely consonant with anything but the most ludic or surreal discourse\u201d (172). <span lang=\"EN-US\">The film\u2019s reliance on miscellaneous generic elements (without calling on the wider genres from which they have been taken) arguably exemplifies this tendency to reduce cinema to a repository of different styles. <em>Snakes<\/em> is an amalgamation of recycled motifs taken from the horror, romance, action, comedy and disaster movie genres: a terrorist threat to plane travel recalls <em>Air Force One <\/em>(1997), the creature-inspired comedy recalls <em>Arachnophobia<\/em> (1990). Samuel L. Jackson\u2019s characterization of Flynn references his earlier roles as Shaft in <em>Shaft<\/em> (2000) and Jules in <em>Pulp Fiction<\/em> (1994). Indeed, many of these films are themselves avowedly in a postmodern mold, with the latter two pastiches of 1970s blaxploitation. <\/span>The film also riffs on low-budget \u201ccreature features\u201d such as <em>Anaconda <\/em>(1997) and <em>Lake Placid<\/em> (1999), which themselves draw on conventions dating back to Universal\u2019s \u201cmonster\u201d pictures of the 1930s and 1940s.<span lang=\"EN-US\"> These genre fragments are combined and filtered through a B-movie aesthetic, exemplified by soft-core sex, <\/span>gratuitous gore and poor-quality CGI.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">This amalgamation of different film styles and deliberate \u201cshlocky\u201d special effects evokes Frederic Jameson\u2019s proclamation that \u201cimages (or signs) are simply used to satisfy consumers\u2019 voracious appetite for a world transformed into sheer images of itself and for pseudo events and \u2018spectacles\u2019\u201d (18). Jameson argues that postmodern film represents a new, depthless culture of \u201cthe image or the simulacrum\u201d, something that can certainly be said of <em>Snakes<\/em>. For example, when <span lang=\"EN-US\">an (unnamed) man is bitten in a toilet cubicle, the snake\u2019s appearance oscillates from a rubber re-creation, to computer effects, to a blurred POV from the snakes\u2019 perspective and then finally to a shot of a real snake slithering under the passenger seats. This <em>bricolage<\/em> of different styles points to an emphasis on spectacle rather than any coherent aesthetic, and makes no attempt to depict a unified diegetic reality.<\/span><span class=\"MsoCommentReference\"><span style=\"font-size: 9pt;\"><!--[if !supportAnnotations]--><a id=\"_anchor_1\" class=\"msocomanchor\" onmouseover=\"msoCommentShow('_anchor_1','_com_1')\" onmouseout=\"msoCommentHide('_com_1')\" name=\"_msoanchor_1\" href=\"#_msocom_1\"><\/a><!--[endif]--><span style=\"display: none;\"> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Parallels might be drawn between <em><span lang=\"EN-US\">Snakes\u2019 <\/span><\/em><span lang=\"EN-US\">combination of disparate aesthetic styles that produce a commodity with no clear purpose and the fragmentation of US party politics. Here, individual figureheads attach party politics to specific debates such as abortion and gay rights, and thereby reject an overarching theme or common party direction. Instead of a coherent political programme, they instead deliver policy in media soundbites.<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\"> <\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\">Political groups and leaders contest a narrow middle ground: policies are arguably subject not to an ideological drive but rather to presenting a voter-friendly media image. These different positions rarely add up, much like the narrative in <em>Snakes<\/em>, and both can be seen as examples of the depthless culture of the image Jameson identifies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><strong><span lang=\"EN-US\">Exploiting 9\/11<\/span><\/strong><span lang=\"EN-US\"> <\/span>According to John Hill, Hollywood blockbusters \u201cinnoculat[e themselves] against being read too straight\u201d (101). <em>Independence Day<\/em> (1996), for example, invests \u201cits conservative militarism with a measure of tongue-in-cheek knowingness\u201d (Hill 101). In <em>Snakes<\/em>, although the general tone is playful and postmodern, characters are also continuously instructed to stick together, possibly indicating a political message. A businessman, a high-society \u201cprincess\u201d and a celebrity rapper are all relegated to the economy-class compartment, forcing them into the same situation and environment as the general populace. Here, hierarchies of race and class, as well as boundaries between the sexes, are broken and the characters are united by fear, cooperating in Hollywood\u2019s formulaic and familiar survivalist narrative paradigm of \u201dus\u201d versus \u201cthem\u201d. This united front arguably mirrors the jingoistic patriotism that appeared in political speeches and media headlines in the US in the aftermath of the 9\/11 terrorist attacks, as well as in television programmes such as <em>24 <\/em>(2001- ongoing). Here, US popular culture focused on stories of selfless heroism and solidarity, while simultaneously fostering support for a commitment to war.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Mike Chopra-Gant describes how in the news \u201creal events are [in some <a>cases] constructed [\u2026] using the templates of fictional narrative cinema\u201d (100). This is perhaps a result of the fact that Time Warner, owner of New Line Cinema, also owns CNN: one media conglomerate is responsible for both televised news as well as escapist entertainment. This blurs the distinction between fact and fiction and was exacerbated by the fact that, \u201cseveral weeks after the attacks, the Bush administration called on Hollywood directly to help \u2018communicate\u2019\u2013or rather, market\u2013the new war on terror to the American people\u201d (Faludi 6). Bush declared that, \u201cthis is a day when all Americans from every walk of life unite in our resolve for justice and peace\u201d and that \u201cAmerica and our friends and allies join with all those who want peace and security in the world, and we stand together to win the war against terrorism\u201d (Bush). It is little wonder that some have since described <\/a><span class=\"MsoCommentReference\"><span style=\"font-size: 9pt;\"><!--[if !supportAnnotations]--><a id=\"_anchor_2\" class=\"msocomanchor\" onmouseover=\"msoCommentShow('_anchor_2','_com_2')\" onmouseout=\"msoCommentHide('_com_2')\" name=\"_msoanchor_2\" href=\"#_msocom_2\"><\/a><!--[endif]--><span style=\"display: none;\"> <\/span><\/span><\/span>the events of 9\/11 as \u201cjust like a film\u201d (Chopra-Gant 100).<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">The American public\u2019s response to the 9\/11 terrorist attacks was contradictory. <\/span>E. Ann Kaplan suggests that she herself was endemic of this, \u201c\u2026experience[ing] the multiple, spontaneous activities from multiple perspectives, genders, races and religions or non-religions. Things were not shaped for a specific effect, nor apparently controlled by one entity\u201d (13). Kaplan argues that the reaction of Americans to the events conveyed a postmodernist multiplicity, prompting confused and contradictory emotions. Kaplan states that \u201c[t]he gap where the Twin Towers had stood in the weeks that followed became a space full of horror but also of heroism\u201d (12). Further complicating a reading of the American mindset, Susan Faludi uses phrases such as \u201ccocooning\u201d and \u201cstill sleepwalking\u201d in her descriptions of the America public, who she claims were protected from reality by the media following the attack (2-4). On the other hand, 9\/11 has been often cited as a day when the populace was awakened from a dream state; their comfortable hyper-reality was threatened by an attack that physically shook the ground they stood on, and fomented an interest in contemporary politics and world events rarely evident in the 1990s. <em>Snakes<\/em> therefore emerged into a climate of contradictory attitudes, the mentality of the American public caught in flux.<span lang=\"EN-US\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><em>Snakes <\/em>was initially conceived in 1999 so its genesis lies in the period preceding 9\/11. However, somewhat inevitably, <em>Snakes<\/em> was influenced by, and attempted to exploit, a climate of fear that developed in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks. Initially studio executives were reluctant to engage with 9\/11. This led to the postponement of <em>Snakes<\/em>\u2019 production in the same way that <em>Flightplan <\/em>(2005), another film showing in-flight terrorism, was delayed. These films re-emerged a number of years later as part of a cycle that sought to exploit the now more distant, though still keenly remembered, anxiety felt in the aftermath of 9\/11. Films featuring claustrophobic in-flight terror such as <em>Snakes,<\/em> <em>Flightplan <\/em>and <em>Redeye <\/em>(2005) were arguably designed to exploit audiences\u2019 desire to return to the event. As the producer of <em>Flightplan, <\/em>Robert DiNozzi, puts it, by 2005 \u201c\u2026post-9\/11 is a different animal. We take advantage of the level of tension and paranoia that is out there now\u201d (qtd. in Kit). Other films released in 2006 such as <em>United 93 <\/em>and <em>World Trade Centre<\/em> offered more direct (and sentimental) accounts indicating Hollywood\u2019s  attempt to cater to a variety of public moods post 9\/11.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><strong><span lang=\"EN-US\"> <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><strong><span lang=\"EN-US\">Fans as authors<\/span><\/strong><span lang=\"EN-US\"> Possibly <em>Snakes\u2019 <\/em>only claim<\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\"> to a unique space in film history is the pre-release hysteria it generated in the online community. Unlike <em>The Blair Witch Project <\/em>(1999)<em> <\/em>and <em>Cloverfield <\/em>(2008), films that generated internet sensations through their highly calculated online promotions, the reaction to <em>Snakes <\/em>was spontaneous, organic and ultimately opened up extensive possibilities for film production and marketing. Simply the announcement of the film\u2019s title prompted a surge of interest on the internet, as \u201c\u2026over 2 million people visited the film\u2019s official website before any paid promotion was instigated by New Line\u201d (Klady, Mitchell and Mitchell 5). Members of the public formed discussion groups, produced T-shirts, comics, photo-groups and formed internet \u2018tribes\u2019 to celebrate the possibilities of the film based on the title alone. Excitement was intensified with the casting of Samuel L. Jackson (who went public with his own enthusiasm for the project). <em>Snakes<\/em> became an internet phenomenon without incurring major marketing costs, a phenomenon which New Line took note of.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">Ignoring the inevitable copyright infringements of fan-produced material, New Line approved re-shooting certain scenes to incorporate the suggestions of fans. As such, the audience\u2013who are often perceived as passive viewers\u2013became active participants in the film\u2019s production process. As Chris Hewitt notes, \u201c\u2026it\u2019s a movie that\u2019s not only been supported by fan interest but shaped by it\u2026[it] took fan interaction to a whole new level\u201d (93). George Waud, Vice-President of Development at New Line, indicates that though the studio were happy to engage with this fan interest, they were unsure what approach to take: \u201c\u2026Our feeling was always confused, we shouldn\u2019t f**k with this [\u2026] so we had nothing to do with it. We just let it happen\u201d (qtd. in Hewitt 93). However, despite Waud\u2019s rhetoric about <em>Snakes <\/em>representing a new democratic approach to filmmaking, New Line actively sought to exploit the situation: they embraced merchandise made by fans but also produced their own commodities, such as T-shirts, calendars, pendants and posters, all of which were sold via the official website and Amazon.com (partially owned by Time Warner). New Line also actively encouraged fan participation by adding links and tools for website creation and development on their official page. They collaborated with social network \u2018Tagworld\u2019 for an online music competition, and set up a downloadable customised phone call by Samuel L. Jackson. Evidence of a contradiction between New Line\u2019s apparent ease with fans\u2019 shaping and promoting the film, and their desire to maximize profit was demonstrated by the declaration that there would be no press screenings. New Line claimed it was so fans would get to see the film first. However, others have alleged that the decision was taken out of fear that potentially negative reviews arising from such screenings would harm the film\u2019s chances and damage the positive pre-release buzz generated by the internet interest.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">The term \u2018world wide web\u2019 was invented in 1989, and the 1990s and early 2000s has been an era defined by the rise of the internet and an online generation. The internet arguably epitomises postmodernism, and cyberspace has been read as a cipher for philosopher Jean Baudrillard\u2019s notion of hyper-reality. Here, our \u201cnew social reproductive order [is] based upon communication and the circulation of signs\u201d (qtd. in Hill 98). Web-based communications are a symptom of an increasing detachment from reality.<strong> <\/strong>Ideas are connected with an abstract string of URLs, existing in a digital universe where identities are often uncertain: bloggers remain faceless, their social, racial and sexual identities frequently deemed irrelevant. Computer game environments such as <em>World of Warcraft<\/em> and <em>Second Life<\/em> allow the creation of virtual avatars who lead a life separate from their users. Hall describes the postmodern subject as having, \u201c\u2026no fixed, essential or permanent identity\u2026 assuming different identities at different times\u201d (qtd. in Hill 97). <a>Richard<\/a><\/span><span class=\"MsoCommentReference\"><span style=\"font-size: 9pt;\"><!--[if !supportAnnotations]--><a id=\"_anchor_4\" class=\"msocomanchor\" onmouseover=\"msoCommentShow('_anchor_4','_com_4')\" onmouseout=\"msoCommentHide('_com_4')\" name=\"_msoanchor_4\" href=\"#_msocom_4\"><\/a><!--[endif]--><span style=\"display: none;\"> <\/span><\/span><\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\"> Maltby defines Hollywood\u2019s commercial aesthetic as determined by a similar principle, an opportunist congregation of different elements that are determined by \u201cmultiple logics\u201d and \u201ccompeting and conflicting impulses\u201d (51). The two are undoubtedly similar, but were ultimately incompatible in this instance. Therefore, New Line\u2019s dependence on the forced augmentation of these two unpredictable entities is arguably a core reason for <em>Snakes<\/em>\u2019 failure at the box office. Despite the internet furor, <em>Snakes<\/em> took only $15.2m on its first weekend, and its theatrical run ended less than a month after release. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">Lacking a unified aesthetic and narrative coherence, <em>Snakes <\/em>became a victim of Hollywood\u2019s own contradictory postmodern commercial aesthetic. The film\u2019s postmodern and amorphous relationship with its contemporary audience and events, as well as the oscillation between moods and point of views, resulted in a convoluted commodity and a confusing experience. <\/span>Strangely however, <em>Snakes\u2019 <\/em>demise has not marked the end of Hollywood\u2019s indulgence in \u201cfan-friendly\u201d (arguably) unadulterated trash. Films in the <em>Snakes<\/em> mould are continuing to be made, fuelled by the success of 3D, including <em>Piranha 3D <\/em>(2010), <em>Shark Nights 3D <\/em>(2011) and the upcoming <em>Piranha 3DD<\/em> (2012). <a>Whether this cycle will ultimately prove successful may rest on Hollywood coming fully to terms with the unpredictability of the internet.<\/a><span class=\"MsoCommentReference\"><span style=\"font-size: 9pt;\"><!--[if !supportAnnotations]--><a id=\"_anchor_5\" class=\"msocomanchor\" onmouseover=\"msoCommentShow('_anchor_5','_com_5')\" onmouseout=\"msoCommentHide('_com_5')\" name=\"_msoanchor_5\" href=\"#_msocom_5\"><\/a><!--[endif]--><span style=\"display: none;\"> <\/span><\/span><\/span><span lang=\"EN-US\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 16pt;\"><strong><span lang=\"EN-US\"> <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 16pt;\"><strong><span lang=\"EN-US\">References <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">\u201cCollider Exclusive: \u2018Snakes\u2019 Back on the Plane\u201d. <em>Collider.com<\/em>. Aug 14<span style=\"position: relative; top: -5pt;\"> <\/span>2005. Web. 20<span style=\"position: relative; top: -5pt;\"> <\/span>Dec, 2008.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">Boggs, Tom and Pollard, Carl. \u201cPostmodern Cinema and Hollywood Culture in an Age of Corporate Colonization\u201d. <em>Democracy and Nature<\/em>. 7.1 (2001): 159-181. Print.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">Bush, George. \u201cStatement by the President in His Address to the Nation\u201d. <em>The White House<\/em>.com. Sep. 11<span style=\"position: relative; top: -5pt;\"> <\/span>2001. Web. 28<span style=\"position: relative; top: -5pt;\"> <\/span>Dec. 2008.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">Chopra-Gant, Mike. <em>Cinema and History<\/em>. Columbia: Columbia University Press, 2008. Print.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">Faludi, Susan. <em>The Terror Dream: What 9\/11 Revealed About America<\/em>. London: Atlantic Books, 2007. Print.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">Fiske, John. \u201cThe Cultural Economy of Fandom.\u201d <em>The Adoring Audience: Fan Culture and Popular Media<\/em>, ed. by Lisa A. Lewis. London: Routledge, 1992. 30-49. Print.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">Hayward, Susan. <em>Key Concepts in Cinema Studies<\/em>. London: Routledge, 1996. Print.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">Hewitt, Chris, \u201cThe New James Bond? There\u2019s No Snakes In That!\u201d <em>Empire<\/em>. 207 (2006): 92-96. Print.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">Hill, John. \u201cFilm and Postmodernism.\u201d <em>Oxford Guide to Film Studies<\/em>, ed. by John Hill and Pamela Church Gibson. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998. 96-106. Print.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">Jameson, Fredric. <em>Postmodernism, or, The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism<\/em>. London &amp; New York: Verso, 1991. Print.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">Kaplan, E. Ann. <em>Trauma Culture: The Politics of Terror and Loss in Media and Literature<\/em>. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 2005. Print.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">Kit, Borys, \u201cFan frenzy for snakes is on a different plane\u201d. <em>Hollywood Reporter.com<\/em>. 23 Ma. 2006. Web. 20<span style=\"position: relative; top: -5pt;\"> <\/span>Dec. 2008.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">Klady, Leonard, Robert Mitchell and Wendy Mitchell, \u201cSnakes on the Brain.\u201d <em>Screen International<\/em> 1558 (August 2006). 4-5. Print<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\">Maltby, Richard. <em>Hollywood Cinema<\/em>. London: Blackwell, 2003. Print.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">Newman, Kim. \u201cReview: <em>Snakes on a Plane<\/em>\u201d. <em>Sight and Sound<\/em>. 16.11 (2006): 81-82. Print.<\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span lang=\"EN-US\"> <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-bottom: 16pt;\"><strong>Written by Julian Ross (2009)<\/strong><strong><span lang=\"EN-US\">; edited by Ben Skelton (2011), Queen Mary, University of London.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This article may be used free of charge. Selling without prior written consent prohibited. Please obtain permission before redistributing. In all cases this notice must remain intact.<\/p>\n<p>Copyright \u00a9 2012 Julian Ross\/Mapping Contemporary Cinema<\/p>\n<div><!--[if !supportAnnotations]-->&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div><!--[if !supportAnnotations]-->&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"_com_1\" class=\"msocomtxt\" onmouseover=\"msoCommentShow('_anchor_1','_com_1')\" onmouseout=\"msoCommentHide('_com_1')\"><!--[endif]--><span><!--[if !supportAnnotations]--><!--[endif]--><\/span><span class=\"MsoCommentReference\"><span style=\"font-size: 9pt;\"><span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Production Companies: New Line Cinema, Mutual Film Company Production, Meridian Zweite Productions, GmbH &#038; Co KG.<\/p>\n<p>Distribution: Entertainment Film Distributors Ltd.<\/p>\n<p>Producers: Gary Levinson, Don Granger, Craig Berenson <\/p>\n<p>Screenplay: John Heffernan, Sebastian Gutierrez<\/p>\n<p>Director: David R. Ellis<\/p>\n<p>Cinematography: Adam Greenberg<\/p>\n<p>Editor: Howard E. Smith<\/p>\n<p>Music: Trevor Rabin<\/p>\n<p>Cast: Samuel L. Jackson (Neville Flynn), Julianna Margulies (Claire Miller), Nathan Phillips (Sean Jones), Bobby Cannavale (Hank Harris), Flex Alexander (Three G\u2019s), Todd Louiso (Dr. Stephen Price), Kenan Thompson (Troy), Rachel Blanchard (Mercedes), Lin Shaye (Grace), David Koechner (Rick), Keith Dallas (Big Leroy), Bruce James (Ken), Terry Chen (Chen Leon), Gerard Plunkett (Paul).<br \/>\nRunning Time: 105 mins. <\/p>\n<p>Rating: R for language, a scene of sexuality and drug use, and intense sequences of terror and violence<\/p>\n<p>Box office gross: domestic $34m\/worldwide $62m<\/p>\n<p>Tagline: Sit back. Relax. Enjoy the fright.<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/mcc.sllf.qmul.ac.uk\/?p=693\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":705,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[37,20,112,57,11],"class_list":["post-693","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-film-note","tag-37","tag-20","tag-exploitation-film","tag-postmodernism","tag-us"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mcc.sllf.qmul.ac.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/693","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mcc.sllf.qmul.ac.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mcc.sllf.qmul.ac.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcc.sllf.qmul.ac.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcc.sllf.qmul.ac.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=693"}],"version-history":[{"count":31,"href":"https:\/\/mcc.sllf.qmul.ac.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/693\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1061,"href":"https:\/\/mcc.sllf.qmul.ac.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/693\/revisions\/1061"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcc.sllf.qmul.ac.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/705"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mcc.sllf.qmul.ac.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=693"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcc.sllf.qmul.ac.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=693"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mcc.sllf.qmul.ac.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=693"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}