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This summer I’m sure you can’t wait for the newest installment of Pirates of the Caribbean or the highly hyped Snakes on a Plane, but why wait for those to hit theaters when you could see Pirates of Treasure Island or Snakes on a Train? Pardon my bad Dr. Seuss impression.

Did I lose you? I hope not. When I was looking for some films to rent at my local rental store I ran into a few movies with titles that were eerily similar to films that would be appearing in theaters soon. The production company’s name is The Asylum. It would seem that the company’s strategy is to produce a cheap copy of a guaranteed blockbuster, name it something similar to said film, release it on DVD around the same time as the theatrical release and rake in some home video revenue. Is it cheesy? Yes. Is it shrewd? Yes. Is it smart? Definitely. Not saying that The Asylum preys on stupid consumers, but when you aren’t paying attention When a Killer Calls sounds a lot like the theatrically released film, When a Stranger Calls.

It was amusing to hear people walk by and say “honey let’s get The Da Vinci Treasure…I thought this was still in theaters!” While I remain amused by this stroke of marketing genius, I will try and get my hands on some copies of these films so I can let you know how Snakes on a Train measures up. Make sure to take a click below to see some IMDB info on The Asylum release, and interesting cover art.

A Comparison of Titles
Theatrical Release | The Asylum Release
The Exorcism of Emily Rose (12/20) | Exorcism: The Possession of Gail Bowers (1/31)
War of the Worlds (6/29) | H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds (6/28)
King Kong (12/14) | King of the Lost World (12/13)
The Omen (6/6) | 666: The Child (6/6)
When a Stranger Calls (2/3) | When a Killer Calls (2/28)
The Da Vinci Code (5/19) | The Da Vinci Treasure (5/23)
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (7/7) | Pirates of Treasure Island (6/27)
Snakes on a Plane (8/18) | Snakes on a Train (8/15)
The Hills Have Eyes (3/10) | Hillside Cannibals (3/28)