Monday, June 21, 2004

Fallen Idol

Dang, Ray Bradbury was one of my favorite writers as a kid. I read The Martian Chronicles and Dandelion Wine both at least twice. I read Fahrenheit 451, too, and loved it. So I can't help thinking that, considering the subject matter of that novel, it's kinda ironic that Bradbury would be so angered at Michael Moore's allusion to it.

It's not like Moore's making any money off the familiarity of the book's title. Additionally, Bradbury hasn't even seen the movie, and in one interview he said something about his not being able to get away with calling a book Gone with the Wind. Well, duh. But Moore's not calling his movie Fahrenheit 451, he's calling it Fahrenheit 9/11.

It's not a rip-off; it's clearly an homage. Futhermore, like it or not, many (most?) of the people watching Moore's documentary may be far more familiar those last four syllables--nine eleven--that with the title of Bradbury's book anyway.

So, I'm disappointed with my idol. Still, I hope my kids read all of Bradbury's books, too.

P.S. As another fan points out, Shakespeare should demand that Bradbury rename Something Wicked This Way Comes, yet another great entry from Bradbury's oeuvre.

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