The other day Noah and I were talking about Lily Allen's recent assholery, which is excellently summed up in song by Dan Bull. As we discussed how ridiculous the copyright laws have become, it occurred to me just how anti-copyright I am. I not only advocate for a broad definition of "fair use," but I actually support the blatant rip-off. I mean, where would we be without hilarious foreign versions of American cultural products? Do you want to live in a world devoid of such joys as the Indian Thriller and the Japanese Spider-Man? Of course you don't. This has inspired me to start the "World's Greatest Rip-off" series here at Champagne Management. Each installment will celebrate a different rip-off. Let's kick off the series with Os Trapalhões na Guerra Dos Planetas (1978), the Brazilian version of Star Wars.

The title translates to "The Tramps in the War of the Planets." The Tramps were a popular Brazilian comedy quartet back in the 1970s and 80s and their version of Star Wars was apparently intended to be a spoof, though there's no way it was meant to be as bizarre as it is and it's not entirely clear what it is that's being spoofed. The entire film is available in installments on youtube, but I don't know why you'd ever want to subject yourself to it. Check out this surreal, sublimely stupid scene in which the Tramps are attacked by what appears to be sentient fruit. And you don't wanna miss the disco scene. What? You don't remember the disco scene from Star Wars? The aliens keep trying to dance with the Tramps' ladies, so the Tramps start a strange fight that involves dancing in fast motion (favorite moment = :54). Do you really need to see any more?

Brazilian Darth Vader will kill you in the primitive way.

Get the full synopsis (complete with pics) here. Os Trapalhões na Guerra Dos Planetas may be a total Star Wars rip-off, but it is definitely its own absurdly awful work of horrible art.

Let me know if you have any recommendations for future rip-off tributes.