The Internet Giveth and It Taketh Away

By our guest blogger, Matt Popkin

When it was announced that Samuel L. Jackson would be cast in a thriller called “Snakes on a Plane,” the blogosphere erupted in a frenzy previously unheard of in movie history. In fact, when the movie’s title was temporarily changed to the more respectable yet much more boring, “Pacific Air Flight 121,” Internet pressure forced New Line to change it back. Even the famous catchphrase, “I have had it with these _______ snakes on this _______ plane!” came from a blog’s imagining of what typically foul-mouthed Jackson could possibly do with his role. This line became so popular that New Line ordered extra days of shooting after they had wrapped production just to put it in the movie.

So, perhaps becoming an Internet meme should be taken as a form of flattery. Still, I wonder if Sean Connery--when he sees a site looping him saying, “You’re the man now, dawg,” over and over for all eternity--smiles to himself. (Click here to see it.) I think he probably gets pissed, especially since while many people know that line, very few know the movie it comes from (“Finding Forrester,” which is a must-see).

Recently, a line from the trailer of "Extraordinary Measures" was given the same treatment as YTMND (that’s Internet shorthand for Connery’s famous line). Helped along by sports writer Bill Simmons, the phrase, “I already work around the clock!” became such a phenomenon online that a new trailer without the offending line was quickly released and slid into all remaining ad-time on TV. (Click here to see the line in question.)

However, by far my favorite Internet meme was Christian Bale’s blow-up at a lighting guy while filming “Terminator: Salvation.” The incident, which made Bale look like a jerk of the highest degree, became so popular on the Internet that people even began putting it to music. I stumbled across this techno remix about a year ago and have been rocking out to it ever since. I hope you’ll put it on, grab a movie, and go hunting for some hilarious lines. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find the next one that will captivate the Web. (WARNING: HAS EXPLICIT LANGUAGE. Click here to listen to the techno song.)