Chuck Klosterman on a Snake on a Plane

While Esquire magazine may not know the sexiest woman alive, (Jessica Biel?  Really?  At least they got the first name right (and if you think I'm talking about Jessica Simpson, just go away now)) they did make the right call in hiring Chuck Klosterman to write for them.

Here, he analyzes the mere existence of a film like Snakes on a Plane (he doesn't review the movie, mind you - he hasn't even seen it), and he's so on target it's scary.

I have not seen Snakes on a Plane, so I have no idea how good this movie is (or isn't). But I do know this: Its existence represents a weird, semidepressing American condition, and I'm afraid this condition is going to get worse. I suspect Snakes on a Plane might earn a lot of money, which will prompt studios to assume this is the kind of movie audiences want. And I don't think it is. Snakes on a Plane is an unabashed attempt at prefab populism, and (maybe) this gimmick will work once. But it won't keep working, and it will almost certainly make filmmaking worse.

Read it all if you want the full context (and the above paragraph to make more sense).