Snakes on a Train
| Snakes on a Train | |
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DVD release cover
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| Directed by | Peter Mervis (as The Mallachi Brothers) |
| Produced by |
David Michael Latt David Rimawi |
| Written by | Eric Forsberg |
| Starring | Julia Ruiz Giovanni Bejarano Al Galvex |
| Music by | Mel Lewis |
| Cinematography | Mark Atkins |
| Edited by | Peter Mervis |
| Distributed by | The Asylum |
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Release date
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Running time
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91 minutes |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1,000,000 |
Snakes on a Train is a 2006 direct-to-video action horror film released by The Asylum as a mockbuster on August 15, 2006. 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.
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, a woman 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, endangering the rest of the passengers.
Eventually, and inexplicably, she herself transforms into a gigantic snake and swallows the moving train whole.
Six passengers manage to escape unharmed, and one of them performs a magic ritual which causes her to vanish. However, one girl is shown to have been unknowingly bitten, suggesting that the curse will remain.
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.
The film has received mostly negative reviews. 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." Scott Foy, reviewing the film for Dread Central, asked "how the hell do you produce a rip-off this dispirited?"
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