Prepare ship for ludicrous speed!
The media reported this weekend that Ray Bradbury is upset that Michael Moore’s “Fahrenheit 9/11” is too close in title to his classic “Fahrenheit 451”.
The 83 year old author was apparently rubbed the wrong way when Moore didn’t ask permission to use a similar title. Bradbury told the press, “That’s not his novel, that’s not his title, so he shouldn’t have done it.” With all due respect to Mr. Bradbury, that’s pretty much the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. When exactly did Moore claim the novel as his own? As an author, Bradbury should know better than anyone that titles are not protected by copyright law.
I hope George Lucas got permission from Gene Roddenberry before stealing the word “Star” for his own space franchise. What arrogance to assume that it would be okay to change the second word, but keep the first. I went expecting to see Mr. Spock, and got a wookie instead. (Editors Note: I’m only 27, so “went” is a bit of a fudge. Sue me.)
The real irony (as others have noted) is that several of Bradbury’s own titles are references to other works. “Something Wicked This Way Comes” is from Macbeth, and “I Sing the Body Electric” is a Walt Whitman line from “Leaves of Grass”.
Bradbury recently commented to a Swedish newspaper that the film will be a disaster and that nobody will go to see it. Now, that’s a story. Is Bradbury upset about the title, or the movie?
