# Rip Off, fake movies on Netflix and other places **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 25, 2012, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-off-fake-movies-on-netflix-and-other-places/626297 "2012-06-25T21:34:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-off-fake-movies-on-netflix-and-other-places/626297/21 "2012-06-26T01:28:47Z")
You can’t be fooled by these if you’re paying the slightest bit of attention. The name is usually different (to avoid trademark issues) and the covers don’t look anything like the images you see in all the advertising for the real thing. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-off-fake-movies-on-netflix-and-other-places/626297/22 "2012-06-26T01:35:49Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > Tom Cruise is in plenty of decent films, _including_ War of the Worlds. I never said anything about the \*quality \*of Cruise films :). ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-off-fake-movies-on-netflix-and-other-places/626297/23 "2012-06-26T01:46:02Z")
> [@Unintentionally\_Blank](#): > > There’s a HUGE difference between Battle: L.A. and Battle of L.A. > > Just so you know. 28 Days and 28 Days Later…nothing to do with each other. ---
**Author:** ![Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunzio_Tavulari)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-off-fake-movies-on-netflix-and-other-places/626297/24 "2012-06-26T01:58:41Z")
Jurassic Pork. Totally different plot, and without those annoying, needy children. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-off-fake-movies-on-netflix-and-other-places/626297/25 "2012-06-26T02:00:20Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > 28 Days and 28 Days Later…nothing to do with each other. On the book front, I know plenty of people who in Junior High felt duped by either My Side of the Mountain or Other Side of the Mountain, depending on what sort of story you were into. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-off-fake-movies-on-netflix-and-other-places/626297/26 "2012-06-26T02:03:32Z")
I thought Disney trademarked all their films as “Disney’s \”. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-off-fake-movies-on-netflix-and-other-places/626297/27 "2012-06-26T02:06:00Z")
> [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](#): > > Jurassic Pork. Totally different plot, and without those annoying, needy children. Beats the alternative. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-off-fake-movies-on-netflix-and-other-places/626297/28 "2012-06-26T02:26:25Z")
Here’s a happy little thread on Asylum. > **[Waitaminit, it's a Mockbuster! Curse you, Asylum, you fooled me again!](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=637759)** > > I was at the gym, enjoying the dual pleasures of exercise and entertainment in the cardio-theater, a place where I often get to see (parts of) movies that I might not otherwise have sufficient motivation to seek out. They were showing Green Lantern... ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-off-fake-movies-on-netflix-and-other-places/626297/29 "2012-06-26T03:24:11Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-off-fake-movies-on-netflix-and-other-places/626297/30 "2012-06-26T11:50:10Z")
> [@typoink](#): > > I don’t think they’re doing anything particularly evil, but it’s clearly a crappy business plan based entirely on accidentally deceiving millions of people. I’d be less bothered if these movies had ANY artistic merit of their own, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Well, its not a second Holocaust or anything, but I’d say basing your business model completely on tricking people into buying something they don’t want is, in fact, at least a little bit evil. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-off-fake-movies-on-netflix-and-other-places/626297/31 "2012-06-26T12:01:36Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > The Netflix description usually starts off with something like 'Not to be confused with the recent big-budget release ''Schindler’s List", “Shindler’s Listing” stars Carrot Top as Oskar Schindler in this low budget feature directed by C. Thomas Howell". So be sure to read those descriptions. Oh and just to add Schindler’s Fist is probably not the movie you are supposed to watch for your World History class. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-off-fake-movies-on-netflix-and-other-places/626297/32 "2012-06-26T12:43:46Z")
I used to refer to these as ‘fooling grandma is our business plan’ movies. They’d put stacks of these movies near the checkout counter at the local CVS/Walgreens/Whatever and grandma would see them and think “ooh! Alladin, my grandson said he liked that movie!” and gets a copy not realizing she just got little Billy a pile of poorly animated crap. These days I wonder what their business plan is? Get as many hits on Netflix as possible to sell ads? ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-off-fake-movies-on-netflix-and-other-places/626297/33 "2012-06-26T13:23:54Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > I kind of respect the chutzpah of these efforts. There’s a kind of endearing, Barnum hucksterism to it. I know, I can’t be mad at them - it’s sort of adorable. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-off-fake-movies-on-netflix-and-other-places/626297/34 "2012-06-26T13:36:56Z")
> [@Push\_You\_Down](#): > > I’m sorry people are stupid? > I’m not sure what other explanation there is for people being fooled by this. “Hey that movie ‘Brave’ just came out in the theater…but this Redbox thingy has a movie called ‘Kiara the Brave.’ Must be the same thing!” Right? I was totally confused by this thread. I was like, “Why can’t people read the description or the credits?” Who is being taken in by this? I can see maybe once hurriedly picking up the wrong thing, but if this happens to you on separate occasions, then, I dunno, you don’t get to complain. > [@runner pat](#): > > How about [War of the Worlds(2005)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0407304/) and [War of the Worlds(2005)](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0449040/)? Yeah, one stars the guy from E.T. and the other is the movie I was looking for. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-off-fake-movies-on-netflix-and-other-places/626297/35 "2012-06-26T13:46:57Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > No, but you can trademark it. And stopping this sort of bullshit is exactly why trademark law exists. No, you can’t necessarily get trademark rights in just the title of a work. And, please forget the phrase “trademark it,” because it’s misleading. As for the phenomenon described by the OP, it’s called “mockbusters,” and I brought it up myself in this thread: [Waitaminit, it’s a Mockbuster! Curse you, Asylum, you fooled me again!](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=637759) ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-off-fake-movies-on-netflix-and-other-places/626297/36 "2012-06-26T14:15:15Z")
[Here](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079894/) is a kiddie-matinee grade movie inexplicably titled “H.G. Well’s The Shape of Things to Come”, despite having absolutely nothing to do with the orginal movie by that title or anything Wells ever wrote. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-off-fake-movies-on-netflix-and-other-places/626297/37 "2012-06-26T14:18:28Z")
> [@Mr.Miskatonic](#): > > I used to refer to these as ‘fooling grandma is our business plan’ movies. They’d put stacks of these movies near the checkout counter at the local CVS/Walgreens/Whatever and grandma would see them and think “ooh! Alladin, my grandson said he liked that movie!” and gets a copy not realizing she just got little Billy a pile of poorly animated crap. The ones based off Hollywood action blockbusters always made me think “Let’s fool Grandma into thinking this is Transformers”. The poorly animated $2 Disney knock-offs based on public domain properties sold at Walmart and Big Lots always made me sadly think “We can’t afford real Pocahontas but maybe our five year old can’t tell the difference anyway”. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-off-fake-movies-on-netflix-and-other-places/626297/38 "2012-06-26T14:19:32Z")
You wanna see real craptacularity, look up “Ratatoing” on YouTube. Other Pixar ripoffs include **What’s Up: Balloon To The Rescue** , **Little Cars** 1 and 2, and **An Ant’s Life**. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-off-fake-movies-on-netflix-and-other-places/626297/39 "2012-06-26T15:17:01Z")
I am quite surprised at the posts in this thread assuming that people who rent the knockoffs are stupid or something. Not everyone is 100% well informed about movie titles, dates, studios and all that. If fact, very few people are. And cover art? You’ve got to be kidding me. I know a lot about movies and I can’t tell the cover art of the various _Battle LA/Transformers_, etc. knockoffs/real thing apart. One thing to keep in mind is that there a _lot_ of people out there who assume that no one is trying to rip them off. If Redbox is carrying a _Puss in Boots_ movie, it has to be the one they heard about. My mother is one of these people. She is also not stupid in the least. It’s just a world view she has. ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2012, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-off-fake-movies-on-netflix-and-other-places/626297/40 "2012-06-26T15:47:17Z")
I suppose it’s less stupid and more unwise to buy/rent a film without knowing enough about it to be able to avoid being tricked, as well as being wise enough to recognize there is a chance things might not be what they seem. There are plenty of non-rip-off films that have the same or similar titles, anyway. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-off-fake-movies-on-netflix-and-other-places/626297.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-off-fake-movies-on-netflix-and-other-places/626297.md?page=3)