With Hearst showing off its Flashy new Esquire.com, we inevitably had to make a quick pop in to check out Cathie Black's new online man digs. Also inevitably: Stumbling upon some grown up take on pop culture, vis a vis ex-Spinster Chuck Klosterman's "The 'Snakes on a Plane' Problem,'" wherein he writes:
I have not seen Snakes on a Plane, so I have no idea how good this movie is (or isn't). But I do know this: Its existence represents a weird, semidepressing American condition, and I'm afraid this condition is going to get worse. I suspect Snakes on a Plane might earn a lot of money, which will prompt studios to assume this is the kind of movie audiences want. And I don't think it is. Snakes on a Plane is an unabashed attempt at prefab populism, and (maybe) this gimmick will work once. But it won't keep working, and it will almost certainly make filmmaking worse.
Snakes on a Plane is like the Wikipedia version of a movie. A year ago, New Line Cinema planned to change the title to the ultraforgettable Pacific Air Flight 121, but everyone who cared (including its star, Samuel L. Jackson) freaked out.
Alright, that's a fair argument: If Snakes succeeds at the box office, we could be looking at twelve months filled with mainstream camp — or worse, the sequel: Spiders On A Vespa. And that would, as Klosterman argues, "make filmmaking worse." But you know what makes film reviewing worse? Pundits who believe into the fabricated hype about Samuel L. Jackson flipping out over a possible movie title change. You've failed us, Chuck.
The "Snakes on a Plane" Problem [Chuck Klosterman, Esquire]
• Britney Spears' apartment, like its soon-to-be former owner, is quickly depreciating in value. [Page Six]
• When you're only getting six figures for brokering the launch of Beyonce's clothing line, you know Mama Knowles is screwing you somewhere. [NYDN]
• Coldplay doesn't want to be preachy about their political beliefs, they just want to make sure you hear the words "fair trade" over 1,000 times each concert they play. [Jam!]
• With Fall Out Boy doing the soundtrack, it's apparent the camp factor of Snakes on a Plane is able to increase. [NME]
• Prison inmates are the perfect composers for children sign-a-longs. [SJMN]
