Snakes on a Plane!

Films Recently Watched:

Snakes on a Plane (2006) dir. by David R. Ellis

Well, we had a very busy weekend so I didn't get to catch this until a late show Monday night. I just got back and I'm proud to say that it was every bit as bad as I had hoped it would be! The only thing that would have made it better would have been to go to a packed house showing on opening night with an appreciative crowd (like Ward did).

To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of the horror genre or much associated with it. For some reason, though, when I heard about this movie, something just 'clicked' -- as it apparently did for many in the internet community who adored this film long before they ever saw it. Regardless, this movie truly has everything one could want in a horror/thriller. Sex, drugs, violence, gore, relentless scary monsters in all shapes and sizes killing extras in every imaginable (and unimaginable) way, cheesy dialogue, cheesy actors making ridiculously poor decisions, and more jump-scenes than you can shake a snake at! Heading it all up is one of the coolest guys in Hollywood, Samuel L. Jackson. Naturally, he gets the lion's share of the coolest lines and coolest action sequences in the film.

It's snakes -- on a plane. What more could you possibly need to know? Don't take it too seriously, the movie itself, certainly doesn't -- many forked tongues are firmly planted in scaly cheeks here, folks. I can't, with any sense of responsibility, recommend this movie to anyone. Chances are, if you ever intended to see it, you probably already have.

Others:

The Family Stone (2005) dir. by Thomas Bezucha
Watched this a second time with Christy. She liked it too!

Young Mr. Lincoln (1939) dir. by John Ford
I have a feeling that not many people who are putting up their 'Snakes on a Plane' review are also putting up anything about this movie.

Henry Fonda is excellent here as the titular character. A few hints here and there are all you see during the course of the film of what Mr. Lincoln will eventually become. It's interesting -- as much as you hear about Abraham Lincoln in everyday discussion, it's almost always about the events of his Presidency. Rarely do we get a glimpse of his life prior to that. Here, we get to see it wonderfully portrayed. Abraham Lincoln is an upstart attorney from a small town. His first clients are accused of murder. The story is every bit as well-told and suspenseful as any modern-day courtroom drama.

John Ford also shows his skill with a camera. As always with Ford, careful attention is paid to framing and foregrounds and backgrounds. It's quite beautiful in black and white.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) dir. by Gore Verbinski
Christy and I managed to fit this in over the weekend. We had both seen and enjoyed the first film and Christy's a bit of a Johnny Depp fan, so we decided to check this out. Overall, it was OK. Going in, I didn't know that this movie was nothing more than a set up for the third film, so I think that much of my disappointment rests there. The sequel seemed to me to be much more graphic than the first film, so Christy didn't care much for that. It is OK for what it is. If you haven't seen it in theaters, but are interested, my suggestion would be to wait until closer to when the third film is expected out and then rent this one to watch it right before seeing the new one.