A title like “Snakes on a Plane” harkens back to the black-and-white days of cinema when there were B-titles like “The Brain That Wouldn’t Die,” “Attack of the Giant Leeches” and “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.” I’m not making these movies up; they are real.
Why would anyone want to watch snakes attacking people on an airplane for two hours? It is simple: harmless fun.
“Snakes on a Plane” is the most enjoyment you will have in a movie theater this entire year. It is so absurd, so preposterous and so clichéd you can’t help but smile and cringe at every turn of the silly plot. Just sit back, buy the big tub of popcorn and enjoy the two-hours of snakes, Samuel L. Jackson and gratuitous sex, violence and mature content.
Although set up as a genuine story about a villain attempting to murder a witness with hundreds of poisonous snakes on a plane bound from Hawaii to Los Angeles, the movie never really takes itself seriously. Director David R. Ellis plugs in every stereotype he can come up with, including the feminine male flight attendant, the good cop/bad cop tough as nails FBI agents, the plucky female flight attendant on her last flight before a career change, the Paris Hilton-type princess and the smooth-talking rapper who is hated by those who really know him.
Jackson plays Neville Flynn, one of the FBI agents, who is escorting the witness and has to keep the injured alive, the plane in the air and the witness away from the snakes all while trying to figure out what kind of snakes are on the plane and how they got there in the first place. You shouldn’t be trying to figure these things out yourself because it will just take away from the enjoyment that is right in front of you.
Julianna Margulies, of “ER” fame, is the brave flight attendant that helps Jackson calm the passengers and save the day.
With a quick storyline, lots of action and unintentional comedy – the best kind – “Snakes on a Plane” shouldn’t be missed before it falls into the depths of nameless B-movies, which will likely occur a few months after its release to DVD.
“Snakes on a Plane” has been out for several weeks now and although it didn’t have the opening, or staying power, that most anticipated from this sleeper hit, the dramatic anticipation from fans building up to the release was enough entertainment for America without the need of the movie actually being seen.
Reportedly, the only reason this movie was talked about among Hollywood colleagues was because they were trying to one-up each other after work one day during happy hour with the most awful pitch for a movie. The story goes Producer Craig Berenson, who worked for DreamWorks at the time, gave his pitch for this movie based on a script called “Venom.”
Once given the green light and a title change, Jackson instantly pursued a part in the movie after hearing the title, according to interviews. Jackson said the only reason he worked on the movie was because of the title “Snakes on a Plane.”
Once filming began, computerized word-of-mouth began to spread and a cult following formed before anything but a teaser poster was ever seen from the public. As the hype built, New Line Cinema decided to re-shoot scenes for five days in order to push the movie from a PG-13 to an R rating. Among these additions is the highly anticipated line delivered from Jackson about his feelings toward the snakes on the plane, which was added after haring it on an anticipatory Internet parody of the movie.
Then the advertising department came up with a brilliant idea. Jackson was brought in to record several names and occupational fields for a phone recording. Then a website was set up that allowed a person to fill out some general information and plug in a phone number. The number would be called and a voice mail would be recorded with Jackson leaving the listener a message advertising “Snakes on a Plane.”
The publicity and anticipation that built for this movie created a buzz among moviegoers for weeks, but the film’s release failed to generate the money that was expected.
Forget about rationalizing the ludicrous story. Ignore the countless typecasts. Pay no attention to the computerized snakes. Just relax and remember that it could a whole lot worse. You could be watching “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.”
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Saturday, August 26, 2006
TOC IV - Game Three
Another solid game sent me another place closer to the championship tonight. I received a third place finish, but Linda, the player who was in third place, got second. However, I did gain some ground on Slope and James. I also passed Mike, since he had to drive out of town tonight and was playing to either win it or be out in less than four hours.
I misplayed a big hand against Wayne when I flopped three of a kind. I knew Wayne had a better kicker than me, but I got stubborn and thought I could get him off of it. I should have shut down after I check-raised Nick on the flop and he smooth called after checking it behind me. I know better than that.
Other than that I played pretty solid. I knocked out slope who held 10-10 to my A-7. Tens are not holding up against me in this TOC. I also doubled up through Mike early when I turned a straight with a flush draw. He was trying to win quickly and I used that to get a lot of his chips. However, that backfired a few times when I held some questionable hands that I couldn't play pre-flop because he was acting extremely aggressive and careless.
Here are the current standings for both tonight and the overall tournament:
Tonight:
1st - Wayne - 0 points
2nd - Linda - 11 points
3rd - Matt - 21 points
4th - Nick - 30 points
5th - Slope - 38 points
6th - Brian - 45 points
7th - Mike II - 51 points
8th - Danny - 56 points
9th - Brooke - 60 points
10th - James - 63 points
Mike Sr. and Hector were both no shows. They should be receiving 12th place finishes and 66 points each, but it isn't finalized yet.
Overall:
1st - Slope - 59 points
2nd - Linda - 73 points
3rd - James - 101 points
4th - Matt - 107 points
5th - Wayne - 110 points
6th - Nick - 120 points
7th - Mike II - 125 points
8th - Brian - 132 points
9th - Brooke - 154 points
10th - Danny - 167 points
11th - Mike I - 177 points
12th - Hector - 194 points
I misplayed a big hand against Wayne when I flopped three of a kind. I knew Wayne had a better kicker than me, but I got stubborn and thought I could get him off of it. I should have shut down after I check-raised Nick on the flop and he smooth called after checking it behind me. I know better than that.
Other than that I played pretty solid. I knocked out slope who held 10-10 to my A-7. Tens are not holding up against me in this TOC. I also doubled up through Mike early when I turned a straight with a flush draw. He was trying to win quickly and I used that to get a lot of his chips. However, that backfired a few times when I held some questionable hands that I couldn't play pre-flop because he was acting extremely aggressive and careless.
Here are the current standings for both tonight and the overall tournament:
Tonight:
1st - Wayne - 0 points
2nd - Linda - 11 points
3rd - Matt - 21 points
4th - Nick - 30 points
5th - Slope - 38 points
6th - Brian - 45 points
7th - Mike II - 51 points
8th - Danny - 56 points
9th - Brooke - 60 points
10th - James - 63 points
Mike Sr. and Hector were both no shows. They should be receiving 12th place finishes and 66 points each, but it isn't finalized yet.
Overall:
1st - Slope - 59 points
2nd - Linda - 73 points
3rd - James - 101 points
4th - Matt - 107 points
5th - Wayne - 110 points
6th - Nick - 120 points
7th - Mike II - 125 points
8th - Brian - 132 points
9th - Brooke - 154 points
10th - Danny - 167 points
11th - Mike I - 177 points
12th - Hector - 194 points
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Sin City Is The Place For Me
I had a lot of fun in Las Vegas this past weekend. Had I only played poker I would be up for the trip, however, I am a gambling fiend and can't resist other games when around them for more than a few hours... or minutes. James did very well at poker. Left with about $350 and came back with more than $1,000.
I went three for four on poker wins. The one session I did lose I still played well but I lost it when a guy (who was killing time before he went to bed and had collected about $600-700 off a $200 buy-in) caught a straight on the river after I had bet pretty hard on every street. As I said, still played well during the session until that point, and then I went nuts and lost the rest of my remaining buy-in. I did make a good lay down with bottom two pair before I lost it though. That made me feel good when he flipped over top two pair on the turn to show I made a good lay down, but it still stung.
The last game I played in was at the hotel we were staying at (Monte Carlo) and I tried to push a guy off a hand pre-flop, but who knew 9-2 suited was such a favorite among Las Vegas poker players. He re-raised it to $30 after I made it $10 to go. I moved all in for about $140. That put him all in, but only by about $25, and he called pretty quick. I only had A-10 offsuit, but it was good on a board of Q-5-2-Q-5. I got lucky there when he caught the two on the flop, but in my defense I made the right play. There are few people who would call all of their money on 9-2 suited.
The poker play in Vegas is soooooooooo much better than WinStar or Shreveport. It is older guys and girls who like to play every street without moving everything they have in pre-flop or on the flop. Caeser's Palace has the nicest card room and the best game I have I ever played in. It was small pot poker the entire time. Greatness.
We saw Phil Gordon at the Venetian poker room, along with Jim Anderson, of the Weston group. Overall the trip was great. Had a very good time and only lost about $170 for the trip after gambling, food and other expenses. Had I not played any other game than poker I would have been up for the trip.
One other exciting thing was that I turned $10 in video blackjack into $110, netting myself a $100 profit (which made up for the $98 I lost at craps 10 minutes before that). I did the same thing the next day with $4, turning it into $104, but that was not for $100 in profits. I only got $4 in profits since I bought in with $100. Still, pretty impressive. I am thinking about giving up poker and turning into a professional video blackjack player.
I went three for four on poker wins. The one session I did lose I still played well but I lost it when a guy (who was killing time before he went to bed and had collected about $600-700 off a $200 buy-in) caught a straight on the river after I had bet pretty hard on every street. As I said, still played well during the session until that point, and then I went nuts and lost the rest of my remaining buy-in. I did make a good lay down with bottom two pair before I lost it though. That made me feel good when he flipped over top two pair on the turn to show I made a good lay down, but it still stung.
The last game I played in was at the hotel we were staying at (Monte Carlo) and I tried to push a guy off a hand pre-flop, but who knew 9-2 suited was such a favorite among Las Vegas poker players. He re-raised it to $30 after I made it $10 to go. I moved all in for about $140. That put him all in, but only by about $25, and he called pretty quick. I only had A-10 offsuit, but it was good on a board of Q-5-2-Q-5. I got lucky there when he caught the two on the flop, but in my defense I made the right play. There are few people who would call all of their money on 9-2 suited.
The poker play in Vegas is soooooooooo much better than WinStar or Shreveport. It is older guys and girls who like to play every street without moving everything they have in pre-flop or on the flop. Caeser's Palace has the nicest card room and the best game I have I ever played in. It was small pot poker the entire time. Greatness.
We saw Phil Gordon at the Venetian poker room, along with Jim Anderson, of the Weston group. Overall the trip was great. Had a very good time and only lost about $170 for the trip after gambling, food and other expenses. Had I not played any other game than poker I would have been up for the trip.
One other exciting thing was that I turned $10 in video blackjack into $110, netting myself a $100 profit (which made up for the $98 I lost at craps 10 minutes before that). I did the same thing the next day with $4, turning it into $104, but that was not for $100 in profits. I only got $4 in profits since I bought in with $100. Still, pretty impressive. I am thinking about giving up poker and turning into a professional video blackjack player.
Friday, August 18, 2006
Another Trip To Vegas
I am making my fourth trip since turning 21 to Las Vegas today. Originally it began as a birthday trip with James, Clint and Kristyn, Danny and Brandy, Joanna and my mom going. My brother and Angelina were going to meet us out there. However, some changes were made and now it is just my mom, James and his dad going with me and Bart and Angelina meeting us out there.
We will be returning Monday and I am really glad to be getting this vacation. A day off from work and time in the city I love. What could be better?
I hope to play in at least one tournament while I am out there, even if it is a rinky-dink one like Sam's Town. I will have updates when I get back.
We will be returning Monday and I am really glad to be getting this vacation. A day off from work and time in the city I love. What could be better?
I hope to play in at least one tournament while I am out there, even if it is a rinky-dink one like Sam's Town. I will have updates when I get back.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Advertising And Poker
My frustration today is in the commercialization of the World Series of Poker (WSOP). The WSOP has been going on for decades – three to be more precise – without any recognition or public annoyance. It was gradually growing in popularity with appearances by Amarillo Slim on the Tonight Show and the $10,000 buy-in becoming easier to come by as the years progressed, but it was still a poker tournament controlled by the pros and it meant something to win the Main Event.
Yet, in the new millennium and the emergence of the ideal that “Anyone can win” following Chris Moneymaker’s triumph, amateurs and Internet qualifiers have swarmed the playing field creating a minefield of bad players that is almost impossible to get through unscathed.
The event is becoming comical in its size, which leads to advertisers wanting in on the popularity. It is impossible to avoid new wave ideas such as the “All-in moment brought to you by Degree.” That is just something we will have to get used to. Someday everything will be sponsored. In football, the replay will be sponsored by Budweiser, the play clock will be sponsored by ESPN and even the tackle will be sponsored by something like Timex, takes a licking and keeps on ticking.
Back to poker. This kind of advertising is already there and we can’t avoid it, however, I have noticed a new physical feature making its identity known on the felt. Besides having the casino’s logo plastered on the green fabric for constant exposure during a tournament, other sponsors are getting in on the action.
Certain advertisers are having their logo painted on the felt during tournaments so that every community card will be purposefully placed right below, giving the company endless publicity without ever needing a creative commercial or page design for a magazine.
I don’t remember exactly which tournament I saw this at, but it is a beating. I will equate this to having the outfield wall in a baseball stadium covered in advertising billboards. I know some of you agree that this lowers the park's respectability to a minor league level.
I am a purist when it comes to the game and I always want to see a professional poker player win the Main Event. With that said I also don’t want to see advertising on the table, people jump around like idiots after winning a pot or sunglasses worn inside. These are just opinions but they are my opinions, which makes them more notable.
Yet, in the new millennium and the emergence of the ideal that “Anyone can win” following Chris Moneymaker’s triumph, amateurs and Internet qualifiers have swarmed the playing field creating a minefield of bad players that is almost impossible to get through unscathed.
The event is becoming comical in its size, which leads to advertisers wanting in on the popularity. It is impossible to avoid new wave ideas such as the “All-in moment brought to you by Degree.” That is just something we will have to get used to. Someday everything will be sponsored. In football, the replay will be sponsored by Budweiser, the play clock will be sponsored by ESPN and even the tackle will be sponsored by something like Timex, takes a licking and keeps on ticking.
Back to poker. This kind of advertising is already there and we can’t avoid it, however, I have noticed a new physical feature making its identity known on the felt. Besides having the casino’s logo plastered on the green fabric for constant exposure during a tournament, other sponsors are getting in on the action.
Certain advertisers are having their logo painted on the felt during tournaments so that every community card will be purposefully placed right below, giving the company endless publicity without ever needing a creative commercial or page design for a magazine.
I don’t remember exactly which tournament I saw this at, but it is a beating. I will equate this to having the outfield wall in a baseball stadium covered in advertising billboards. I know some of you agree that this lowers the park's respectability to a minor league level.
I am a purist when it comes to the game and I always want to see a professional poker player win the Main Event. With that said I also don’t want to see advertising on the table, people jump around like idiots after winning a pot or sunglasses worn inside. These are just opinions but they are my opinions, which makes them more notable.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
TOC IV - Game Two
I played much better this week. I took my time with each hand and thought out what the best option was before ever acting. Before betting or calling a bet I would calculate what was in the pot to know how much I should bet.
My biggest three mistakes were as follows:
#1: It was five-handed early in the tournament and I had K-9 offsuit one from the button. I raised it up and it folded around to Brooke who was the big blind. She called the raise. The flop came out King high and two spades. She bet $300 when there was about $750 in the pot. I raised it to $1,200. She called. The turn was another spade. She checked and I thought briefly and bet another $1,200. I should have checked here because I felt the spade helped her and slowing down would have been the smart play. The river came with another King and Brooke bet out $2,500. This put $6,000 in the pot. My hand had just increased to three of a kind. I am only beat by a higher kicker, a full house or the flush. Out of frustration, knowing I was beat, I made the call. She had A-3 of spades. Had I checked the turn she would not have bet so much on the river and I could have lost less when I called it down.
#2: I raised with A-10 offsuit and Nick re-raised right behind me. It folded around to me and I went all in. He called with 10-10 and I got lucky with a runner-runner flush that also paired my Ace on the river. It was stupid to move all in pre-flop. Nick had not been playing goofy like he does and I should have known he had a big hand.
#3: The final mistake knocked me out of the tournament in fourth place. I raised with A-2 and Slope called behind me. The flop came Q-J-2. I bet out and he moved all in. Without a moment's hesitation I called. He had a Jack and I didn't improve. I had been patient all night and thought out my plays. This hand I didn't do that and I deserved what I got.
Here are the standings from last night and the overall leader board:
Game Two:
1st - Slope - 0 points
2nd - Linda - 11 points
3rd - Brian - 21 points
4th - Matt - 30 points
5th - James - 38 points
6th - Wayne - 45 points
7th - Danny - 51 points
8th - Brooke - 56 points
9th - Nick - 60 points
10th - Mike II - 63 points
11th - Hector - 65 points
12th - Mike I - 66 points
Overall Standings:
1st - Slope - 21 points
2nd - James - 38 points
3rd - Linda - 62 points
4th - Mike II - 74 points
5th - Matt - 86 points
6th - Brian - 87 points
7th - Nick - 90 points
8th - Brooke - 94 points
9th - Wayne - 110 points
10th - Mike I - 111 points
11th - Danny - 111 points
12th - Hector - 128 points
My biggest three mistakes were as follows:
#1: It was five-handed early in the tournament and I had K-9 offsuit one from the button. I raised it up and it folded around to Brooke who was the big blind. She called the raise. The flop came out King high and two spades. She bet $300 when there was about $750 in the pot. I raised it to $1,200. She called. The turn was another spade. She checked and I thought briefly and bet another $1,200. I should have checked here because I felt the spade helped her and slowing down would have been the smart play. The river came with another King and Brooke bet out $2,500. This put $6,000 in the pot. My hand had just increased to three of a kind. I am only beat by a higher kicker, a full house or the flush. Out of frustration, knowing I was beat, I made the call. She had A-3 of spades. Had I checked the turn she would not have bet so much on the river and I could have lost less when I called it down.
#2: I raised with A-10 offsuit and Nick re-raised right behind me. It folded around to me and I went all in. He called with 10-10 and I got lucky with a runner-runner flush that also paired my Ace on the river. It was stupid to move all in pre-flop. Nick had not been playing goofy like he does and I should have known he had a big hand.
#3: The final mistake knocked me out of the tournament in fourth place. I raised with A-2 and Slope called behind me. The flop came Q-J-2. I bet out and he moved all in. Without a moment's hesitation I called. He had a Jack and I didn't improve. I had been patient all night and thought out my plays. This hand I didn't do that and I deserved what I got.
Here are the standings from last night and the overall leader board:
Game Two:
1st - Slope - 0 points
2nd - Linda - 11 points
3rd - Brian - 21 points
4th - Matt - 30 points
5th - James - 38 points
6th - Wayne - 45 points
7th - Danny - 51 points
8th - Brooke - 56 points
9th - Nick - 60 points
10th - Mike II - 63 points
11th - Hector - 65 points
12th - Mike I - 66 points
Overall Standings:
1st - Slope - 21 points
2nd - James - 38 points
3rd - Linda - 62 points
4th - Mike II - 74 points
5th - Matt - 86 points
6th - Brian - 87 points
7th - Nick - 90 points
8th - Brooke - 94 points
9th - Wayne - 110 points
10th - Mike I - 111 points
11th - Danny - 111 points
12th - Hector - 128 points
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
I'm 26 Today!
I am celebrating my 26th birthday today. Not a lot is going on. I will go to Danny and Brandy's house and watch a movie. It is our Wednesday night ritual. I have gotten a ton of phone calls from friends and family, but no presents. We will see if anyone gets me anything.
Monday, August 07, 2006
A New Discovery
I have found a computer here at work that has the capability of bringing up Blogger, which means I can now update during the week. Nothing new has happened. I came in second in a six-man tournament we had on Saturday, giving me a $15 profit for the night. It went well with my $100 I made in 15 minutes that day as well. Internet poker has been very good to me lately. I don't know why. I am not playing any differently than I ever have. Just good luck I guess.
My birthday is on Wednesday. I will be turning 26. Officially reaching my late 20s. A little scary, but not too bad. I am still one of the younger ones of our group. Danny is the youngest though.
My editor is going to be out of town for a week starting Wednesday. Things will be hectic around the office with her gone, but relaxed at the same time.
Still not much to talk about. Guess I will update later.
My birthday is on Wednesday. I will be turning 26. Officially reaching my late 20s. A little scary, but not too bad. I am still one of the younger ones of our group. Danny is the youngest though.
My editor is going to be out of town for a week starting Wednesday. Things will be hectic around the office with her gone, but relaxed at the same time.
Still not much to talk about. Guess I will update later.
Saturday, August 05, 2006
TOC IV - Game One
Here are the results from last night. I was lucky to end up where I did since I was short stacked about 20 minutes into the tournament.
1st - James - 0 points
2nd - Mike II - 11 points
3rd - Slope - 21 points
4th - Nick - 30 points
5th - Brooke - 38 points
6th - Mike II - 45 points
7th - Linda - 51 points
8th - Matt - 56 points
9th - Danny - 60 points
10th - Hector - 63 points
11th - Wayne - 65 points
12th - Brian - 66 points
1st - James - 0 points
2nd - Mike II - 11 points
3rd - Slope - 21 points
4th - Nick - 30 points
5th - Brooke - 38 points
6th - Mike II - 45 points
7th - Linda - 51 points
8th - Matt - 56 points
9th - Danny - 60 points
10th - Hector - 63 points
11th - Wayne - 65 points
12th - Brian - 66 points
Friday, August 04, 2006
Time For A New Beginning
I have made a momentous decision (with a little push from a friend). The old blog is being revitalized just in time to talk about the Tournament of Champions, otherwise known as TOC IV.
The TOC is a creation from the minds of a few Arlingtonites that wanted to create a tournament series that would find the best player in the group. I won the last TOC and would like to go for back-to-back wins.
I will be throwing up the standings as we go along, but I can only update from a computer that isn't at work (they are Macs and can't handle the simple task of blogging). Keep in touch and I will post later.
The TOC is a creation from the minds of a few Arlingtonites that wanted to create a tournament series that would find the best player in the group. I won the last TOC and would like to go for back-to-back wins.
I will be throwing up the standings as we go along, but I can only update from a computer that isn't at work (they are Macs and can't handle the simple task of blogging). Keep in touch and I will post later.
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