Movie Poster Look-Alikes: Ripoff, Homage or Coincidence?
What do ‘Milo and Otis’ and ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2’ have in common?
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By Kevin Maher
Do you ever look at a movie poster and experience a sense of Déjà vu? You feel like you’ve seen that image (or some version of that image). And if you do identify where you’ve seen it before, you’re left to wonder whether it’s a conscious rip-off, a respectful homage, or a mere coincidence.
Let’s look at some side-by-side examples of posters that echo a previous one-sheet. And let’s try to figure out if that poster is a rip-off, homage or coincidence.
(Note: The posters are arranged chronologically: with the earlier poster appearing on the right.)
TEMPTATION: CONFESSIONS OF A MARRIAGE COUNSELOR (2013)/ THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975)
Tyler Perry’s romance drama centers on a marriage threatened by adultery. Brice and Judith are the film’s Brad and Janet, they’ve been dating since high school and Brice even wears Brad-style glasses. Their love is put to the test when Judith is tempted by forbidden fruit. (Instead of Tim Curry in lingerie, the seduction comes I the form of Robbie Jones, shirtless in running shorts.) The biting of a lip communicates the sexual undertow of a looming affair, it captures the character’s emotional trepidation (or should I say “antici….pation.”) Also, let’s remember that Tyler Perry made a name for himself by cross-dressing as Madea, so he might see himself as a “Sweet Transvestite”, a la Rocky Horror’s Frank N. Furter. These elements suggest that Temptation’s poster art is a knowing reference to the 1975 midnight movie musical.
VERDICT: HOMAGE
R.O.T.O.R. (1987)/ MAD MAX (1979)
Let me start by answering the question on everyone’s mind: R.O.T.O.R. stands for “Robot Officer Tactical Operation Research Unit.” This futuristic renegade cop might share some of Max Rockatansky’s loose cannon vibe, except that the android malfunctions and becomes the film’s robo-villain. Plotwise R.O.T.O.R. has more in common with The Terminator or Robocop, but as far as marketing goes, it’s definitely following in the footsteps of Max: You’ve got the gun wielding hero, the popped-collar on the leather jacket, the wasteland background, the upturned motorcycle. The only thing missing from R.O.T.O.R. is the actor’s ability to make modern audiences uncomfortable because of his extreme political beliefs.
VERDICT: RIP-OFF
THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE PART 2 (1986) / THE BREAKFAST CLUB (1985)
Director Tobe Hooper has described his chainsaw sequel as an “anti-John Hughes movie”, meaning it’s an assault on the Yuppie greed and values of Reagan’s America. It’s unclear whether that satirical intent was apparent to Cineplex audiences in 1986, but the cheeky inside-joke is there (regardless of whether or not you see Chop-Top as the Anthony Michael Hall of the bunch.) Curiously, Chainsaw 2 isn’t the only horror movie to recreate this poster: the Nightmare on Elm Street series would mimic the iconic group pose though it’s unclear whether they’re mocking The Breakfast Club or Chainsaw 2.
VERDICT: HOMAGE
GREAT WHITE (1981)/ MORTUARY (1983)
GREAT WHITE (also known as THE LAST SHARK) had a limited theatrical run in the United States, because the shark thriller was sued by Universal Studios for plagiarism (the judge agreed, it was ripping-off JAWS). The film only played in America for one week before it was pulled from theaters, so you might not recognize the poster. (Curiously cinephiles from the around world know this JAWS knock-off, it was a hit overseas.) Given the film’s notorious history, it’s ironic that GREAT WHITE is now on the other end of a rip-off. MORTUARY changes the setting and tells a different visual story, but the raised arm and extended fingers are unmistakably styled after the hand in GREAT WHITE. (And maybe it’s stealing from the final scare in CARRIE, too.) The expressive hand communicates a lot of fear and terror. And if you look closely, you’ll spot one significant difference in the hands: GREAT WHITE’s featured hand appears to have lady-like manicured fingernails, keeping with the tradition of shark movie posters, wherein a bikini-clad swimmer is shown alongside a hungry sea monster.
VERDICT: RIP-OFF
RUNNING WITH SCISSORS (2006)/ THE DEVIL WITHIN HER (1975)
The 2006 adaptation of Augusten Burroughs’ comedy-drama memoir was a star-studded affair, with a cast that included big name actors like Annette Benning, Evan Rachel Wood, Gwyneth Paltrow, Alex Baldwin and Joseph Fiennes. But why show any of those beautiful Hollywood faces when you could instead showcase a grotesque bi-ped hand clutching a pair of metal scissors. This on-the-nose interpretation is likely a nod to a mid-70s exorcism movie THE DEVIL WITHIN HER (also known as SHARON’S BABY, THE CHILD, IT LIVES WITHIN HER and I DON’T WANT TO BE BORN.) RUNNING WITH SCISSORS director, Ryan Murphy (American Horror Story), is no stranger to pilfering horror movies past, and like Quentin Tarantino, the allusion to pre-existing b-movies is given a pass because it’s not taken as a shameless rip-off but given the benefit of the doubt, as if the artist is giving the viewer credit to recognize the imitated image. To be fair Murphy brings a modern sensibility to the grotesque scissor-wielding creature: it is given a pair of socks and shoes.
VERDICT: HOMAGE
THE ADVENTURES OF MILO & OTIS (1986)/ CADDYSHACK (1980)
It couldn’t be on purpose. Could it? What would it possibly gain the family friendly animal adventure film to align itself with a raunchy R-rated golf comedy?
Nothing.
And yet, the similarities are all there: The blue sky and white cloud backdrop. The fuzzy little creature at the bottom of the poster. Look closely and you’ll notice that cool cat Milo definitely has an early ’80s Chevy Chase vibe, so much so that you might expect to see the cat playing opposite Goldie Hawn. Or checking into rehab.
Otis the pug shares Bill Murray’s quizzical expression. And there is something very dog-like in Rodney Dangerfield’s characterization of country-club gate-crasher Al Czervik.
The posters have plenty in common, but there doesn’t seem to be any real rhyme or reason why either film would mimic the other.
(Full disclosure: the images above are not from theatrical posters but DVD cover-art. The MILO & OTIS DVD came out in 1999 and the DVD of CADDYSHACK was released one year later.)
VERDICT: COINCIDENCE
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