Mockbuster

The term Mockbuster (shortening of mock -up blockbusters ), Knock Buster (shortening of knock-off blockbuster ) or rip-offs refers to films that represent freeloaders one usually at the same time appearing blockbuster. While a Mockbuster film rather the cheap imitation of the original is in the title and action in the foreground, just trying to be a possible cheap or trashy copy of a knock Buster.

History

Mockbuster have especially in Hollywood a long history. An early example is the 1959 published Vanwick Productions film The Monster of Piedras Blancas, a knock Buster of the successful film Creature from the Amazon with the completely same monster costume designer Jack Kevan. Another example is the 1958 published U.S. blockbuster Attack of the 20 Foot Woman, which was parodied by Village of the Giants (1965). More recent examples include Body of Evidence (1993 ) by Uli Edel as a copy of the blockbuster Basic Instinct (1992 ) by Paul Verhoeven and Transmorphers, inspired by the similar sounding and designed blockbuster Transformers, and come out already before the appearance of the original Mockbuster 2012: Doomsday ( Manufacturer: Faith Films) and Supernova 2012 ( Manufacturer: the Asylum ), inspired by the 2012 movie released in November 2009 by Roland Emmerich.

Producers and directors

While previously isolated directors specializing in this type of cheap copy, for example, Fred Olen Ray (Monster of the Galaxy (1985 ) with respect to ET - The Extra-Terrestrial ), there are now increasingly more well-known studios such as The Asylum, which invariably those freeloaders known blockbusters produce and to employ an entire staff of directors.

Criticism

The manufacturers of such Mockbuster is accused of exploiting the ignorance of a new blockbuster, so take advantage of before or during the show of the original its advertising and general attention to a confusingly similar names and the same format successfully sell a cheap copy. Such cheap copies are to not outwardly recognizable as such and are purchased primarily with the intention to acquire the corresponding blockbuster. Even after watching the Mockbusters this was the sufferers often not obvious.