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In Austin, Texas, tonight, Shannon McCormick will be watching Snakes on a Plane for 24 hours straight, in an effort to "induce in himself the state of being trapped on an airplane full of venomous snakes by watching the most anticipated movie of the 21st Century around the clock for the first day of its release."

McCormick, an actor and co-executive producer of the annual  Out Of Bounds Improv Festival, will begin his marathon tonight at 10pm central at Austin's own Alamo Draft House.

TheFeed caught up with McCormick a few hours before the first of many showings of Snakes on a Plane.

TheFeed: How did you come up with this idea?

Shannon McCormick: I was taken with the whole nature of a movie that announces the sum total of its content in the title. Some people I know in Phoenix were talking about going in a group, and asking my what we were going to do in Austin, and I said that I was the only one I knew who was really into it, but then I idly boasted that I was going to watch the movie ten times in a row on the first day. Like regular smack talk, you know? But after I said it, I couldn't stop thinking, what would that be like?

So I approached Tim League at the Alamo Drafthouse here in Austin, and proposed the idea and he made it work, and then added the charity and audience participation angle.

TheFeed: Do you know of anyone else that's planning on coming?

SM: There are already fourty-one confirmed participants! And that's just for the whole marathon. The Alamo had to stop preselling tickets because they were afraid that they'd have to turn everyone away.

TheFeed: So anyone can come watch with you tonight?

SM: Yep, and if an audience member makes it through all 24 hours of the film, his or her admission is free. If they bail after the first screening, they pony up $1000. For each subsequent screening they make it through, the price is ratcheted down by half. You leave after two shows, you give us $500. You leave after three shows, you give us $250, and so on. It all goes to charity.

TheFeed: Any interesting surprises?

SM: The Alamo is serving "Snakes on a Plate" for dinner. I'm not sure if it's actual snake, or some facsimile thereof, but it should be really tasty.

TheFeed: Are you dreading this at all?

SM: Only insofar as I'm really tired already, but I think going in like that might cause an interesting reaction. I'm going to try and stay awake the whole time, but I've encouraged people to sleep when they can.

All proceeds gained from Snakes on a Day will be donated to Venomousreptiles.org, a non-profit dedicated to raising awareness of our poisonous friends and rehabilitating injured venomous reptiles.

Shannon is also filming a documentary for future release on DVD, which he describes as "something of a cross between Hands on a Hardbody, Koyaanisqatsi (time-lapse photography), and of course, Snakes on a Plane."

Noble? Yes. Strange? Most certainly. We will have an exclusive interview from the theater tomorrow, when Shannon will tell us how the movie is.

Until then, visit his website and live blog at www.snakesonaday.com