SoaP doesn’t meet up to internet hype
After months of hype-building for the Samuel L. Jackson vehicle, Snakes on a Plane, the film opened with much fan-fare this past weekend. Weekend box office figures have been tallied, and the results are out. The film apparently did not fare as well as the film distributor hoped, taking in only $15.2 for the past weekend.
That being said, the marketing campaign that led up to the movie premiere was still an interesting exercise in using the internet to promote a film. From personalized mobile phone messages and emails, to a plethora of SoaP Parodies on You Tube, to customized templates on MySpace, the online excitement leading up to the film’s release was dizzying. And while the film didn’t provide much more of a plot than a bunch of poisonous snakes hanging out a plane, the audience participation at the screenings has been striking, and even an audience participation script is being distributed throughout the online world. So the film may not be a blockbuster hit, and it may not be up for an Oscar this year, but it still may have the chance to turn into a cult classic, a la Rocky Horror Picture Show.