They live amongst us. They can be found trolling web sites and video stores for new or previously unheard-of films that will either win their unconditional love or unending scorn. And they have been gaining in power and influence over the last decade. They are the “geeks,” pop culture fanatics who have gained a surprising amount of influence through an untold number of web sites and magazines.

Hollywood has cashed in on this crowd by raiding the popular -- and even the more obscure -- comic books, TV shows, and video games to consistent financial returns. While adaptations have proven to be profitable, original material aimed at this audience has produced disappointing box office results, begging the question, why are the geeks not supporting projects specifically made for them?

Snakes on a Plane was possibly the most-hyped film of 2006 on the Internet. In a nod to the geek demands for a more extreme film, New Line Cinema went back for re-shoots to add more gore and pushed the film to its R-rating, allowing star Samuel L. Jackson to utter a line suggested on a geek message board, “I have had it with these mother****** snakes on this mother****** plane!”

Despite these added touches and a great marketing campaign that built a tremendous amount of online buzz, the film had a so-so opening and fizzled its way to a dismal domestic haul of $34 million.

What went wrong? Why did the geeks abandon the film to its sudden, tragic death? One reason is that the film just didn’t live up to the hype. Instead of being a legitimate thriller or embracing the campiness of the concept, the film tried to be both things and settled for being mediocre. Once the ho-hum reviews and poor word of mouth reached the average moviegoer, it was doomed to a quick hook from theaters.

Poor execution shot down Snakes on a Plane.

What excuse is there for the failure of Grindhouse to catch on with the geek audience?

This was the project that seemed to have it all: two movies for the price of one, big name directors in Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez; great casts consisting of A-list stars and cult movie favorites, and the additional fun of fake, satirical trailers inserted between the two features. Everyone agreed: it was a sure thing.

But audiences, including geeks, stayed away in droves. Poor reviews can’t be blamed for this failure; the finished product was widely praised.

Was it the campy attitude that kept viewers away? Maybe the digital degradation of the film to make it look old and damaged? The 3+ hours running time that limited the number of showings in a day? Or was it a tragedy of viral marketing?

Once again, the film was heavily hyped on the Internet, specifically targeting the geek audience that had been so supportive of the filmmakers in the past. Did this emphasis on a specific audience detract from making mainstream viewers in Middle America aware of the film?

What is the answer? Is there an answer? On Thursday we will supply the thoughts of Grindhouse insider Producer Harvey Weinstein and take a closer look at the impact of Geekdom in the movies.