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Subject: Why Americans Had a Small Appetite for 'Snakes'
Time: 6:31:00 PM EDT
Author: summermovieblog
After all the hoopla and Internet buzz surrounding 'Snakes on a Plane,' the Samuel L. Jackson vehicle made only a modest $15.3 million at the box office this weekend, barely edging out 'Talladega Nights,' which sped to another $14.1 million in its third week of release. While $15.3 million doesn't exactly qualify as crashing and burning, it is much less than New Line had hoped to make. Below are three reasons audiences were less than charmed by 'Snakes' ...
1) Too much hype, too soon -- A cult group of online fanboys began buzzing about this flick when all it had was a title. While this turned 'Snakes' into something of a marketing phenomenon, it may have given the studio the impression that the film would have mass wide appeal when, in fact, it was simply a niche group of fans going berserk. And the fact that the buzz started almost a year ago didn't help, as even the most diehard fans had to be growing a bit weary of the swirl surrounding the movie.
2) The R-rating hurt -- This can seriously harm box office receipts if the film is going up against movies that appeal to a broader audience. 'Snakes' was competing with Will Ferrell's well-received 'Talladega Nights,' the funny and deftly-marketed college romp 'Accepted,' the poignant 'World Trade Center' and the surprise hit 'Step Up' -- all of which are rated PG-13.
3) Yankees vs. Red Sox trumps all -- The Bronx Bombers and the BoSox were in the midst of an epic five-game series this weekend, one that could determine the outcome of the American League East. And while it may sound crazy to say so,I believe a good number of people who would have seen 'Snakes' stayed home to watch our national pastime's greatest rivalry on TV. After all, Americans do love some motherf---in' baseball on the motherf--in' weekend.
POST: Why do you think 'Snakes' made only $15 mil this weekend?
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Tags: Snakes on a Plane, Samuel L. Jackson, Talladega Nights, Will Ferrell, Summer Movies
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Firstly, the name is dumb. Samuel L is supposed to be a cool guy.....Snakes on a Plane sounds like a B movie, with B actors. Next, why are there snakes on a plane? Does that make any sense? The idea seems like something a desperate film student would cook up to pass the last class. I'm slightly curious though, but not enough to pay $9. I'll wait for the DVD....or even TV.
8/26/06 10:21 PM