# "Snakes on a Plane" was not the first **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 1, 2006, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snakes-on-a-plane-was-not-the-first/350863 "2006-04-01T18:08:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snakes-on-a-plane-was-not-the-first/350863/1 "2006-04-01T18:08:01Z")
Yes, it’s all over the Internet, but **Snakes on a Plane** is hardly the first movie whose title told you all you needed to know about the concept. Others include: \*\*Shakespeare in Love Aliens Robinson Crusoe on Mars Santa Claus Conquers the Martians \*\* What other films had titles that neatly encapsulated the entire concept? ---
**Author:** ![Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spatial_Rift_47)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snakes-on-a-plane-was-not-the-first/350863/2 "2006-04-01T18:22:54Z")
**Star Trek** ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snakes-on-a-plane-was-not-the-first/350863/3 "2006-04-01T18:23:43Z")
**Dude, Where’s My Car?** ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snakes-on-a-plane-was-not-the-first/350863/4 "2006-04-01T18:26:13Z")
[homer] “I think it was called _The Bus That Couldn’t Slow Down_…” [/homer] ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snakes-on-a-plane-was-not-the-first/350863/5 "2006-04-01T18:38:05Z")
**Earthquake** **Towering Inferno** **Twister** ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snakes-on-a-plane-was-not-the-first/350863/6 "2006-04-01T19:02:17Z")
My Dinner With Andre The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snakes-on-a-plane-was-not-the-first/350863/7 "2006-04-01T19:13:57Z")
John Wayne Bobbit Uncut ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snakes-on-a-plane-was-not-the-first/350863/8 "2006-04-01T19:16:40Z")
_Attaaaaack … … of the Killer Tomatoes!_ ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snakes-on-a-plane-was-not-the-first/350863/9 "2006-04-01T19:24:17Z")
ET Saving Private Ryan Gandhi Toy Story ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snakes-on-a-plane-was-not-the-first/350863/10 "2006-04-01T19:27:06Z")
One I mentioned in the previous thread: _King Kong vs. Godzilla_ Most Godzilla movies would qualify: _Godzilla_ _Godzilla vs. Biollante_ _Godzilla vs. Destroyer_ _Godzilla vs. Hedorah_ _Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah_ _Godzilla vs. Megaguirus_ _Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla_ _Godzilla vs. Monster Zero_ _Godzilla vs. Mothra_ _Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla_ ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snakes-on-a-plane-was-not-the-first/350863/11 "2006-04-01T19:33:13Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > ET Disagree – _ET_ could just as well been the title for a horror movie (_a la “Alien”_), or for a drama along the plot lines of _Contact_. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snakes-on-a-plane-was-not-the-first/350863/12 "2006-04-01T20:00:06Z")
Yeah, I think the OP is referring to titles that do scream the plot of the movie. I think this is best example: _ **The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies** _ (1963) [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002JP2V6/002-0342004-4661634?v=glance&n=130](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002JP2V6/002-0342004-4661634?v=glance&n=130) ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snakes-on-a-plane-was-not-the-first/350863/13 "2006-04-01T20:06:29Z")
When Worlds Collide ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snakes-on-a-plane-was-not-the-first/350863/14 "2006-04-01T20:09:41Z")
_Prick Up Your Ears_ ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snakes-on-a-plane-was-not-the-first/350863/15 "2006-04-01T20:19:05Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > _Prick Up Your Ears_ Um, not so much. Unless there’s a movie with that title that’s not a Joe Orton biopic. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snakes-on-a-plane-was-not-the-first/350863/16 "2006-04-01T20:30:21Z")
No, **Prick Up Your Ears** really doesn’t describe the movie. **Attack of the Killer Tomatoes** does. Just reading the title, you know it’s about killer tomatoes attacking – the plot of the film. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snakes-on-a-plane-was-not-the-first/350863/17 "2006-04-01T20:39:01Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > No, **Prick Up Your Ears** really doesn’t describe the movie. Say it out loud. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snakes-on-a-plane-was-not-the-first/350863/18 "2006-04-01T20:43:49Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > Say it out loud. um, aloud. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snakes-on-a-plane-was-not-the-first/350863/19 "2006-04-01T20:48:34Z")
Does a prick go up anyone’s ears in the movie “Prick Up Your Ears”? No. The content of the movie is not described by the title, whether the title is said out loud or not. It’s a clever title, certainly, and was a clever title back when Kenneth Halliwell thought it up. But it’s not descriptive of the movie in such manner as matches what the OP is looking for. “Snakes on a Plane” is about snakes on a plane. “Prick Up Your Ears” is not about pricks, ears, or their proximity to one another. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2006, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snakes-on-a-plane-was-not-the-first/350863/20 "2006-04-01T21:02:38Z")
Exactly. I’m asking for something more like **Movie, Movie** , which is two movies in one, or **Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle** which is about Harold and Kumar going to White Castle, or even Samuel Beckett’s **Film** , which is one. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snakes-on-a-plane-was-not-the-first/350863.md?page=2)