Lost in Translation: Slithis (1978)

 A Film like (Spawn of the) Slithis is bound to have some good Covers.

It seems like Germany (based on the wording) stepped up to the plate here.

This isn't Slithis.  It's...

Run, Pamela Anderson- there's a giant puppet behind you!

That or it is this fella.

Either way, this Title makes it sound like a '50s B-Movie, no?

Impossibly-Cool Cover Art 3-Pack: Without Warning (1980)

 A few weeks back, I watched the Cult Classic Film known simply as 'Without Warning.'

While getting my Screencaps, I found some different Posters for it.

Both are from the same design, but a little bit different.

First up, a Swedish Poster that gets the scale a bit wrong...

So, if you don't know, the Alien Hunter does throw/launch things that look like this.

Said things are also like 6-10 inches in diameter.

This makes them look like Alien Saucers coming to eat you!

(We wouldn't get until Nope)

We also have an American version of the Poster that tweaks the Title ever so lightly...

Same giant mouths.
This is thankfully not the TV Movie of The Langoliers!

As a bonus, here's an alternate Poster that seems to split the difference Title-wise...

What is the Title again?

Who cares?  This is a great Poster.

Rip-Off Cover Art: Beast of War (2025)

 This Australian Shark Film was fun.

I mentioned the connections between this Film and Jaws.

Well, someone selling the Film on DVD/etc. didn't think it was quite enough.

So that's how we got this...

Apologies for the low quality.

That's just the Shark from the Jaws Poster.

Come on, now!

FYI this is not a bootleg or anything (as far as I can tell).

This is the same picture (in slightly better quality) from a DVD release...

Has Copyright law changed without me finding out?

I don't think so...

Rip-Off Cover Art: Feed (2022)

 A recent search of Films on Tubi (as part of the weekly Review Series), gave me some deja vu.

This is the US Poster for the 2022 Film called Feed.

It is a Swedish Horror Film.

Does this look familiar?
You feel it in your gut, don't you?

Well, if you're a big Horror Fan, there's a reason.

I present to you a DIFFERENT Horror/Slasher Film also released in 2022.

Now you see it.

I get it.  US Distributors wanted to remind you of a bigger Film to boost sales.
It happens.

That said, here's the original (honestly better) Poster...

Simple.  Effective.

Not a rip-off.

As you can also see, they took this Poster and just did the Lazy Slasher Film Poster treatment.

Sigh.

Impossibly-Cool Cover Art: The Thaw (2009)

 I doubt I'll make an excuse to talk about this one again anytime soon, so why not highlight 2 Posters I found it?

Why not?!?

This first one is very cool, but also highly misleading! 

Neat.

That said, 'From the Makers of The Evil Dead'

That means the 1981 Film, since the Remake came out later.
So, which 'Makers' worked on this one?  Raimi?  Campbell?

NOBODY!
NOT ONE!

You know that I spent way too long checking this, figuring that it would be a Best Boy or a Gaffer.
NOTHING!

*

The next one is pretty cool too, featuring a similar visual...

I like the bleak contrast with the black and white...and then the reddish body in front.

It reminds me of The Thing, which that font choice might be aping a little bit.

That said, great stuff and not really a sell for THIS Movie.
Good Movie though.

Rip-Off Cover Art: Popeye the Slayer Man (2025)

 I'm not on board with the whole 'Character is Public Domain- Make them a Horror Villain' trend.

That said, I can't ignore it.

As such, I checked out the Trailer and then the Cover Art for the one about Popeye...

Why does this feel familiar?

Am I just reaching here?

Am I a...

I mean...you see it too, right?

*blows pipe*

I'll see myself out.

Rip-Off Cover Art: Fields of the Dead (2014)

 A Film is hopefully better than its Poster.

That's the sizzle, after all.
The Film is the steak.

Hopefully that's true with this Film...

Do I even need to explain what they are ripping off?

Pale skin.
Long, dark hair that covers the face.

Did Sadako make it to America...and get lost in a Corn Maze?!?

This is her in the most recent American Film from 2013.

Of course, there's always another Poster, right?

In this case, there's a different Film Series to be homaged/ripped off.

Here's the other Poster I found on Google...

I feel the sudden urge to call someone an 'Outlander.'

I just remembered that they've made TWO more CotC Films since my Compendium.
Back to work there, I guess.

Case in point, this 2018 Sequel/Remake/whatever...

A-maize-ing, right?

I'll see myself out.

Inspired Cover Art: Thanksgiving (2023)

 Who loves leftovers?!?

While getting my Screenshots for Thanksgiving, I found some alternative Posters for the Films.

If these are fan art, feel free to tag this and I'll mention the creator.

There's this one that is inspired by a lucky day...

Let's keep my previous month's loose theme going as well.

This one is based on a certain Film out of Texas...

Just for a highlight, it is neat to see the tweaks they did here.

It isn't just a copy-paste.

Good work, whoever made them.

Rip-Off Cover Art: Risen (2021)

 A Film can sometimes be quite unique.

Other Films cannot be.
Or, at the very least, not marketed as unique.

Take this 2021 Film for example...

Are you getting deja vu?

I know that I am.

For instance, those outfits.

It is Arrival.

Similar backgrounds (not one to one, but close) with a large object sticking out of the ground against the sky with an orange glow.

There's a catch, of course.

This appears to be the ORIGINAL Cover Art used...

That's a bit different.

Did you Distributor get a bit cheeky there?
They did, didn't they?

Misleading Cover Art: Wes Craven's Summer of Fear (1978)

 A week or so back, I covered a Film about the Summer, a Witch and a formerly-Exorcised Star.

While getting images on Google, I came across this more recent Cover made for those Multi-Horror Film Sets and off-brand DVD releases...

Look- you need to sell these things.

This wasn't a huge hit.

Hell, this was only a TV Movie.

Even so, this...doesn't related to anything at all.

There's probably a Film that this is appropriate for.  Use it for that, folks.

Marvel-ously Misleading Cover Art: The Green Woman (2022)

 Marvel's venture into 'TV' Shows has had a mixed result with its broad fan base.

That said, it still got enough attention to inspire people to make misleading Art to promote their Films.

In this case, let's look at 2022's The Green Woman...

...do I even have to say anything here?

It's not Satire (like maybe that Ghost Rider one was).
It's not an Homage (the material isn't old enough for that).

Honestly, is this legal?
Does Disney just not see this a threat enough to care?

In case you're wondering, the original Promotional Art released for this is just a *bit* different ...

As you can see, they didn't *accidentally* make a Film with a green Character that looked like She-Hulk.

Whoever distributes this (and sold Streaming rights to Tubi) sure knew what they were doing.

'How Did You Not Get Sued?!?' Cover Art: Headless Horseman (2022)

 Oh, The Asylum- you must have good Lawyers.

In 2022, they went with something very familiar bit of Box/Promo Art.

Can you spot this one without hints?

A neat Poster, to be fair.

Why is he going at this weird angle though?

Oh well- it's a nice update of a famous Story and...oh right, the Title of this Post.

So, are you ready?

What
Inspired
This
One?

Yes, it is pretty blatant.
No 'ifs' 'ands' or 'buts' about it here.

Is this Satire?

I doubt it.

On the plus side, it's an excuse to watch the ridiculous and fun GR:SoV again.
Thanks, The Asylum!

Lost in Translation?: Tightrope (1984)

 It's been too long since I've featured Japan here.

To be clear, anytime I go more than a day without featuring Japan here is too long.

This is their Poster for 1984's Tightrope with Clint Eastwood...

Not as silly as other ones, but it still has their visual flair.

The perspective of the hand in cuffs in front of the city- nice.

Obviously different hand with added in here- great.

If you knew nothing about the Film- as this was pre-Internet-, you'd be curious to see this one for sure!

I will admit that I did some light tweaking of the image I found.

Here's the original...

Mostly color touch-ups, but I did add the clearer silhouette of the mystery man/killer.  Not bad, right?

Awfully-Familiar Cover Art: Witchtrap (1989)

A Google Search is a wonderful thing.
There- that will help my Site with 'the algorithm.'

While getting my Screen Caps from Not Bing, I got a few different Posters/Box Art Pieces for this Film.

The one I didn't use is this one...

Am I the only one getting a feeling of Deja Vu here?

A blue cloud with an evil face in it.

A normal-looking house.

A Poster with both framed dead in the center AND with a visible Moon?

What am I reminded of?

Oh, right...

To
Be
Fair...

There are minor tweaks here...although they are mostly just them taking details out (like the sidewalk and trees).

Fright Night put out this Poster in 1985.
Witchtrap put out their Poster in 1989.

I'm not saying anything...but I am saying something. 

Definitely Copyright-Infringing Cover Art: Monster Island (2021)

 China is known for a great many things.

King Kong is not one of them.

In spite of them, the big guy seems to be starring in this 2021 Film...

…I mean, what do I even need to say here?

To be clear, the copyright on Kong is a bit confusing, as the rights are split in some odd way.  Neither owner of said rights is China or someone from there AFAIK.

It's not like nobody else has done their own fake Kong, but this...is pretty blatant, no?

Hell, Kong has been fighting snakes for Decades, going back to the original Film.  He kept it up in the '70s...

Now I'm 99.999% sure that in the Film he's not called Kong.

Still...I mean...damn.

Impossibly-Cool Cover Art: Legendary (2013)

 I guess the expression 'Truth in Advertising' does not translate in other languages.

Legendary- in case you missed Tubi Thursday- is a Film about rival Hunters trying to track down a cryptid (a creature thought to be fictional).

One wants to preserve it.
One wants to mount it on a wall.

What does the (I'm guessing here) Japanese Poster promise us...

That's...amazing.
It's not even remotely-like the Film, but its amazing.

It's like a giant Sea Snake or...Godzilla (?!?) or something.

As a reminder, this is the creature...

So, yes, a giant lizard is scary- to a point.

It is not, however, the same as this mythical- even in the Film- creature that appears to be taking down a Helicopter and not even noticing it.

Great Poster.

Now make a Film that goes with it, people!

Lost in Translation?: Boltneck (aka Teenage Monster)

 Gutentag!

Germany is good for many things and one of them is Film Posters/Box Art.

What did they do with this possibly-copyright-infringing Film?
Let's find out...

So...you just flipped the image?  Weird.

According to Google, their Title is now 'Frankenstein Lives.'
I mean...yeah, he's the Scientist, so that's kind of how the whole process begins.

As I've heard in the past, the Frankenstein Story was always big there- obvious German roots in the Story and all- so this re-titling is no surprise.

I also like how they put 'Deadpool' under Reynolds' name, but did nothing for Shelly Duvall or Judge Reinhold.

They know where the money is...and it's not with Troop Beverly Hills fans.

Copyright-Infringing Cover Art?: Boltneck (aka Teen Monster) {2000}

 Universal is not a company you want to mess around with!

In 2000, we got a Direct-to-Video Film which attempted to do a 'modern update' on Frankenstein.

How they did it sure seemed familiar in a very important way...

So let's do the Checklist for all of you Lawyers out there...

Green Skin
Head Sewing
Bolts in the Neck

Yep, none of that is from the Book and ALL of that is from the Universal Frankenstein Films.

Also the Title- yeesh.

Is there a better Title to use?

Yes.  It's generic as hell.
Also Ryan Reynolds was 24 when he played the part.

Seriously though, did they get sued over this?

They had to, right?  
Right?!?

Rip-Off Cover Art?: The Sand (2014)

 After just covering the 'Killer Sand Film,' I was, of course, reminded of a Film with a somewhat similar premise.

Well, I've already covered that Film and its variant Covers.

How similar are the Posters/Covers though?

Let's see...

In that one, it's one bikini girl being pulled in, while 2 more look on.

What does Blood Beach have?

It has one bikini girl with lots of people in the background, seemingly a mile away.

Similar?  Yes.
Copycat?  No.
Homage?  Maybe, but it also might be accidental.

As a bonus, here's a more gory version of the Poster made for, I'm guessing, less squeamish viewers (aka gore hounds).

I'm not judging, of course.

Ouch.

Too bad that Movie couldn't pull off any effect that dramatic.

Lost in Translation: Yeti- The Giant of the 20th Century (1977)

 A confusing trip across the World.

Yeti- The Giant of the 20th Century was a King Kong-wannabe that was released alongside the Dino De Laurentiis Remake.

Naturally, this knock-off came from Italy.

So what happens when a DIFFERENT Foreign Country makes their own Poster for a knock-off of a Remake of a Classic Film?

You get...this.

It sure is...something.

The Yeti sure is big...I think.
That or she's tiny.
With nothing to show scale, how do I know?!?

What makes this one extra special is that this is just basically a re-drawing of the Italian Poster (well, one of them).

It sure reminds you of the one time that lady 'fixed' the old painting by trying to redraw it.

This isn't Fine Art, but it sure is...something.

I didn't bother trying to fix this, since...I mean, what do I do?!?