By Fred Topel | Image property of New Line Cinema.
Snakes on a Plane
The line “Get these motherf***in’ snakes off this motherf***in’ plane” has become so famous now that comedians are referencing it on their late night comedy sketches. It all started when internet fans demanded that New Line turn Snakes on a Plane into an R-rated film, including badass Samuel L. Jackson saying that line.
Snakes on a Plane with David Ellis
New Line obliged, but then it was up to director David Ellis to make the motherf***in’ snake line organic to the story. “It definitely fits into the script,” said Ellis. “They get into a situation in the movie where the only thing between them and survival is the snakes. And this has been after a lot of loss of lives and all sorts of- - both pilots are dead and all sorts of things are going wrong. The only way that they can achieve their goal by landing the plane is getting rid of the rest of the snakes that are in the cockpit. So that’s when Sam has his famous line and goes into action. Along with Kenan, they become the heroes who bring everybody to safety.”
Going back to reshoot that line wasn’t a huge dramatic stretch for Jackson. He didn’t offer a selection of multiple deliveries. “There’s only so many that make it work,” Jackson said. “I said it before we even went back to do it. I was always of the mind that we should do this movie like we think it should be done and the way the studio thinks it should be done so you’ll have it. Save you some time and money. But they didn’t.”
We joke about motherf***in’ snakes, but let’s not forget about the 500 stars of the film putting in an honest day’s work slithering around the set. Doesn’t it hurt their feelings to call them motherf***in’ snakes? “No,” said snake wrangler Jules Sylvester. “They probably think the same about him too. That motherf***in’ actor.”
Incidentally, it turns out we have the line wrong. Jackson actually says, “I have had it with these motherf***in’ snakes on this motherf***in’ plane” in the film. So why is everyone making jokes about “Get these motherf***in’ snakes off this motherf***in’ plane?”
Snakes on a Plane comes to theatres on August 18th.
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