Article: A real kick in the asp: how 'Snakes' and other pix corral the wild Web.(New Line Cinema Corp. marketing its new movie 'Snakes on a Plane')

Operating as a mysterious, almost radioactive element, the Internet's enormous power of buzz recently turned a low-profile, lowbudget New Line action film, "Snakes on a Plane," into a cult hit months before its August premiere.

Of course, it can work the other way, too, as Fox found out two years ago, when the prerelease buzz turned sour for the comic adaptation "Elektra."

Studio marketers are still a long way from having complete understanding and control of the viral process that makes a film hit or miss on the Net. But a number of new services and technological tools have emerged to suggest they're getting closer to taming the wild, wild, Web.

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