# Am I the only one who Missed the SOAP train? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 15, 2006, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-missed-the-soap-train/368825 "2006-08-15T14:09:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-missed-the-soap-train/368825/1 "2006-08-15T14:09:36Z")
Ok, perhaps its me. But what is the point in a movie named “Snakes on a Plane” ? I mean, I feel this is Emperors New Clothes. I could care less that a highly unprobable number of snakes somehow got on a plane. How could this plot fill 20 seconds, let alone 2 hours?! ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-missed-the-soap-train/368825/2 "2006-08-15T14:15:07Z")
What do you mean “what’s the point?” It’s about SNAKES! On a PLANE! Sheesh! ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-missed-the-soap-train/368825/3 "2006-08-15T14:16:49Z")
Confused? You won’t be after you’ve seen the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-missed-the-soap-train/368825/4 "2006-08-15T14:28:14Z")
I’m with you. Who cares if it’s Samuel Jackson? It’s SNAKES. On a PLANE. BFD. ---
**Author:** ![teemingONE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b4bc9f/32.png) [@teemingONE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teemingONE)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-missed-the-soap-train/368825/5 "2006-08-15T14:29:00Z")
HAH! He’s confused about _Snakes on a Plane_. Poor guy. Sorry man, but if you don’t know about it, then you aren’t invited. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-missed-the-soap-train/368825/6 "2006-08-15T14:31:00Z")
[QUOTE=teemingONE] HAH! He’s confused about _Snakes on a Plane_. Poor guy. Sorry man, but if you don’t know about it, then you aren’t invited. [/QUOTE] Ok, What am I not invited to? Nothing? ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-missed-the-soap-train/368825/7 "2006-08-15T14:31:58Z")
[QUOTE=Meeko] Ok, What am I not invited to? Nothing? [/QUOTE] Forget them, Meeko! We’ll have our own Non-SOAP party over here. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-missed-the-soap-train/368825/8 "2006-08-15T14:39:25Z")
[QUOTE=Meeko] But what is the point in a movie named “Snakes on a Plane” ? [/QUOTE] Unlike many action movies, it’s not even putting out the pretense of being a serious drama. It’s not exploring the human condition, trying to put a face on a serious issue, or anything like that. It’s a bunch of snakes on a plane, causing havoc. It’s a movie concept, boiled down to the most primal essence, and displayed for you as the title. I’m going to go see the movie, and I feel as though I can guarantee it will deliver what is expected. Snakes, a plane, and Samuel Jackson opening up a can of whoop ass. It doesn’t need to be anything more than that. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-missed-the-soap-train/368825/9 "2006-08-15T14:52:52Z")
[QUOTE=Captain Amazing] Confused? You won’t be after you’ve seen the movie. [/QUOTE] You made me spit out my coffee. Will you marry me? 😃 Sam Jackson himself said it best: “Snakes on a Plane, man. Either you want to see that, or you don’t.” Well, I want to see it. Of course, it’s coming out the week before I actually have to take an eight-hour plane ride, so I might wait until I get back frm vacation. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-missed-the-soap-train/368825/10 "2006-08-15T14:53:51Z")
It’s like a conversation I had with my son a while ago. I said that there are certain movie themes/elements that I am a sucker for - time travel, sports, submarines, prisons, serial killers and snipers. So he said, “I guess you are really waiting for is a movie about the football team formed by the prisoners sentenced to serve on a time travelling prison sub who are being killed one by one by a serial killer sniper?” So I guess there is some guy in Hollywood whose list is planes, snakes, FBI agents and assassins. Only difference is he can green light a movie. ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-missed-the-soap-train/368825/11 "2006-08-15T14:56:19Z")
[QUOTE=don’t ask] “I guess you are really waiting for is a movie about the football team formed by the prisoners sentenced to serve on a time travelling prison sub who are being killed one by one by a serial killer sniper?” [/QUOTE] Whereas I’m waiting for a musical version of _Justice League vs. The Living Dead._ ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-missed-the-soap-train/368825/12 "2006-08-15T15:47:48Z")
“Hmmm. I see \*Snakes on a Plane \* is coming out this weekend. I wonder what it’s about?” Let’s see. It’s about snakes. On a plane. That’s all. How could you be confused about this movie? It’s like that other movie, about a bus that couldn’t slow down? I think it was called _The Bus That Couldn’t Slow Down_? ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-missed-the-soap-train/368825/13 "2006-08-15T15:57:40Z")
It’s called “high concept:” a movie that can be described fully in one sentence. In this case that sentence is also the film’s title. More action movies should do this. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-missed-the-soap-train/368825/14 "2006-08-15T15:58:09Z")
He never said he was confused! He just doesn’t care, and doesn’t see the hype. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-missed-the-soap-train/368825/15 "2006-08-15T16:20:49Z")
It’s a Jungian archetype that pre-supposes our atavistic primal tendencies to self-trigger our basic desire for Gilgameshian overtones and watch Samuel Jackson kick ass. Clearer? ---
**Author:** ![Tracy\_Lord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@Tracy\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tracy_Lord)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-missed-the-soap-train/368825/16 "2006-08-15T16:27:48Z")
The hype is _because_ there’s no confusion. Absolutely none. It’s perfectly crafted. It’s the nirvana of movie titles. It’s the far shore. The subtle. The very difficult to see. The unaging, the stable, the undisintegrating, the unmanifest, the unproliferated, the peaceful, the deathless , the sublime, the auspicious, the secure, the destruction of craving, the wonderful, the amazing, the unailing, the unailing state, the unafflicted, the dispassion, the purity, the freedom, the unadhesive, the island, the shelter, the asylum, the refuge… ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-missed-the-soap-train/368825/17 "2006-08-15T16:29:11Z")
The hell with _Snakes on a Plane_, I wanna see _SOAP Train_. “It’ll clean up at the box office!” ---
**Author:** ![Draelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce73a5/32.png) [@Draelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Draelin)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-missed-the-soap-train/368825/18 "2006-08-15T16:49:26Z")
[quick hijack] Hey **Eve** , heard any buzz on whether [The Black Dahlia](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387877/) will be worth seeing? [/hijack] Anyhow, **Meeko** , as has been said, if you’re not feeling the snake-love, so be it. Chalk it up to another unexplainable pop-culture phenomenon. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-missed-the-soap-train/368825/19 "2006-08-15T17:00:06Z")
[QUOTE=Anaamika] I’m with you. Who cares if it’s Samuel Jackson? It’s SNAKES. On a PLANE. BFD. [/QUOTE] Look, I can watch Samuel Jackson yell and kick ass for hours. They can have a movie called Samuel Jackson Yelling and Kicking Ass and I’d se it. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2006, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-missed-the-soap-train/368825/20 "2006-08-15T17:10:04Z")
What in this thread would prompt the Google ads to try to sell us mushroom-growing kits? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-the-only-one-who-missed-the-soap-train/368825.md?page=2)