Snakes on a Train

Snakes on a Train
DVD release cover
Directed by	Peter Mervis (as The Mallachi Brothers)
Written by	Eric Forsberg
Produced by	David Michael Latt David Rimawi
Starring	Julia Ruiz Giovanni Bejarano Al Galvex
Cinematography	Mark Atkins
Edited by	Peter Mervis
Music by	Mel Lewis
Distributed by	The Asylum
Release date	August 15, 2006 (2006-08-15)
Running time	91 minutes
Language	English
Budget	$1,000,000

Snakes on a Train is an action/horror Z movie released direct to DVD by The Asylum on August 15, 2006.

Continuing The Asylum's notoriety of capitalizing on major films with low-budget films with similar titles and plots (hence the term "mockbuster"), many aspects of the film are inspired by the film Snakes on a Plane which was scheduled for theatrical release three days later on August 18, 2006. However, this film contains slightly more violence and gore than its counterpart and also includes some supernatural elements. It is also much more slowly paced than Snakes on a Plane.

Plot

Although taking the same basic idea from Snakes on a Plane (lots of deadly snakes loose on a claustrophobic, high speed means of transport), the background story of how the snakes end up on the train is completely different.

In the movie, writer Eric Forsberg created a woman who has been put under a Mayan curse which causes snake eggs to hatch inside her belly and eat their way out. In order to recover the "lost pieces" of herself (the snakes), she must travel to Los Angeles where a powerful Mayan shaman can lift the curse. She takes the snakes along with her in small jars. While on the train, bandits attack her, allowing the snakes to escape and endanger the rest of the passengers.

Eventually, and inexplicably, she herself transforms into a gigantic snake and swallows the moving train whole.

Six passengers managed to escape unharmed and one of them performs magic to make her vanish. However one girl is shown to have been unknowingly bitten, suggesting the curse will remain.

Cast

• Alby Castro as Brujo
• Julia Ruiz as Alma
• Amelia Jackson Gray as Crystal
• Shannon Gayle as Summer
• Giovanni Bejarano as Miguel
• Lola Forsberg as Lani
• Isaac Wade as Martin
• Madeleine Falk as Nancy
• Derek Osedach as Mitch
• Stephen A.F. Day as Conductor
• Al Galvex as Julio
• Jay Costelo as Juan
• Christophe Weeks as Gok Wan

Production

According to co-producer David Rimawi, The Asylum initially had no intention of making the film, but they proceeded when an earlier film project fell through. While looking for international distributors at Cannes, a group of Japanese investors saw the film's poster and asked if there really was a giant snake eating a train (which was originally not part of the film). In response, Rimawi had his crew in Los Angeles add the aforementioned scene to the film to make the Japanese audiences happy.

Reception

When reviewed by Variety magazine, it was described "neither undiscriminating action fans nor connoisseurs of high camp will find much bite in this latest direct-to-video product from The Asylum."

J.C. Maçek III of WorldsGreatestCritic.com wrote, "Yeah, big surprise, Snakes on a Train, a shameless cash in on an admitted B-Movie, is TERRIBLE.

Scott Foy, reviewing the film for Dread Central wrote "How the hell do you produce a rip-off this dispirited?"

Inaccuracies

While the box promises "100 Trapped Passengers - 3,000 Venomous Vipers", in reality there are only about a dozen passengers and a small handful of snakes shown in the film, while the official trailer of the film misspells the word "venomous" and stating 1,000 snakes. There is also a wholly unconnected, unexplained, and unresolved subplot regarding two female passengers smuggling drugs, an ex-Texas Narcotics Division officer on their tail, and a mysterious "middle eastern" man stalking all three.

The interior of the train resembles the inside of old 1940's streamliners, very timeworn and resembling early Amtrak trains. The train's exterior is inconsistent due to the use of stock footage: the train appears to change multiple times, ranging from a full Bombardier bilevels to an Amfleet set to a Superliner. At no time do the exteriors match the set interiors (which remain consistent throughout).

Trailers

The official trailer was made available for download on The Asylum's official site. It has been televised on G4's Attack of the Show.

Trivia

• Julia Ruiz later participated in the twelfth season of The Amazing Race with her sister, Marianna, where they finished 9th.

See also

• List of killer snake films

External links

• Official site
• Snakes on a Train at IMDb
• Snakes on a Train at AllMovie
• Snakes on a Train at Rotten Tomatoes