Dear Ray Bradbury,

Let me get this right - you own the word "Fahrenheit" when used in a title? So if I wrote a bio on Gabriel Fahrenheit, you could sue me for putting his name in the title? Did you go after Candace Groth-Fleming for writing "Professor Fergus Fahrenheit and his Wonderful Weather Machine?" What did you do to Andrew Harman for "Fahrenheit 666?" Did you demand all copies of his books get burned because they dared to use your special world in his title?

Seeing how your title is merely a scientific fact, you have no real claim to it. You were not nearly as creative as Joseph Heller when he coined "Catch-22." So if I wrote a book about freezing called "Zero Celsius," I could corner the metric world's temperature titles?

I can't believe that you are upset that Michael Moore used the word Fahrenheit in his movie's title. I want to ask one question: Are you a fascist? I bet a fascist would love to be able to control the use of a word in titles. Joseph Stalin would give you a kiss on the cheek after reading about your desire to force another writer to change his title because of a single word. I bet Hitler would give thumbs up to your move. I know that Karl Rove is getting a major laugh out of what you're doing.

Do you also have claims on anything that uses the words "Martian" or "Chronicles" in the title? Shouldn't you stop Seinfeld from coming out on DVD since it was known as the Seinfeld Chronicles for the first season? You should get a cease and desist order slapped on NASA for trying to put a man on Mars. You should shut down the Weather Channel for suing Fahrenheit all the time without your permission.

It's a shame that Moore didn't make sure that using your precious word wouldn't upset you.
Did you check with firemen to see if it was OK to portray them as book burners mindlessly following government orders? Did you tell the media on Sept 11 that firemen are still capable of burning books? You gave us the image as firefighters as fascists who want to keep the world from being educated. Do you feel any responsibility to the firefighters that died at the World Trade Center since readers of your book will obviously think they were capable of torching the New York Public Library.

I do hope you are not really a fascist. I do hope that you will not allow your legacy to be turned into a character on a Jerry Springer Show..

If you don't like the film; you may express your dislike. If you don't like Michael Moore; please say so. But when you attempt to control a simple word in a title, a word that every weatherman in this country repeats on a daily basis, I find it hard to have any respect for you. At this moment, you are your fireman willing to torch a book.

Sincerely,
Joseph Corey

Please understand the issue before you spout off and make accusations.

Were you referring to Bradbury's comments:

On Moore's victory at Cannes Bradbury said:

"Who cares? Nobody will see his movie. It is almost dead already. Never mind, nobody cares."
Moore's film won the Palme d'Or award at the Cannes Film Festival last month and is scheduled to hit theaters on June 25.
Of the Cannes award, Bradbury told the paper: "I have won prizes in different places and they are mostly meaningless. The people there hate us, which is why they gave him the d'Or. It's a meaningless prize."

quote:

Originally posted by Mr. Dark:
Please understand the issue before you spout off and make accusations.

I understood the quotes from Ray Bradbury - formerly someone I respected and enjoyed as a writer. And for a man who goes on about the imagination, he comes off as a fascist.

He is no better than the Firemen of his work of fiction.

If every writer/filmmaker could control "word play" involving their titles, the porn industry would be destroyed.

And now Ray is coming off so bitter about this film project. I guess he doesn't have to worry about his sons being shipped off to Iraq and returned with missing limbs or in a bodybag.

Well, it's not like Ray Bradbury has used all original titles himself. And before you say, "yeah, but they were in the public domain" or "the people who wrote those lines are dead," let me say that my point isn't about right vs. wrong.

Writers reference other writers' work all the time. It's part of the context in which any writer lives and creates. We do nothing in a vacuum and whether we mean to or not, our work always rests to some extent on the works of those who came before.

So Bradbury references Shakespeare and Whitman,etc., and other writers reference Bradbury. It means he's part of the literary consciousness. If he wanted to control how he influences his audience, he should never have published anything. A work sinks, swims, or flies (poetic reference) when the author releases it to print. It takes a life of its own.

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out. It will likely be a small stain on his reputation, like Cole Porter suing Mad Magazine. "Cole Porter does not own iambic pentameter" was the famous line from the Supreme Court decision favoring EC, who of course also adapted Ray's stories. But Cole is mostly remember as a writer of good songs and Ray will mostly be remembered for the books he wrote in his prime.

teetop:

Tell us about yourself.

You come across in postings like the young son who finds fault with his father, no matter how much the father loved him. The son has big ideas, and he's out to prove himself.

You are making some strong suggestions. Postings from behind a silent profile? How come?

Well, I read a lot of Bradbury's books when I was young and a couple things in the last few years in magazines and actually met him ten years ago at a library benefit in Columbus, OH. HE signed my boxed edition of the Haunt of Fear, in fact. I saw this website on Librarian's Index to the Internet and thought I'd check out what the boards said, because I find this issue disturbing. I just think he's dead wrong here. A couple posts back said it right, his work is part of the literary dialectic, just like Whitman and Shakespeare. I'm frankly embarrased for him.

Actually, let me make a distinction. If he wants to say he doesn't approve of the movie and the title, that's his perogative. When he bleats about wanting 'his' title back is when he starts to look like a fool.

teetop:

If you can, email me. I'd like to talk to you about this offline...

b.kordell@comcast.net

Fahrenheit 9/11 brought in $21.8 million in 868 theaters to win the weekend box office race. What are the odds that when the remake of Fahrenheit gets made, it'll average $25,115 per screen?

And what are the odds that when Ray's movie comes out, they'll be relating his film to Moore's in order to get butts in the seats?

Ray is twice as bitter now. And in the end, he merely helped get free ink for Moore's film while getting egg on his face for coming off like a member of Karl Rove's speed dial buddies.

Corey3rd,

Those are indeed impressive numbers. Not quite what was predicted - I think $24 million was actually estimated, but why quibble? I didn't post this anywhere but I'd silently agreed with Bradbury in that I didn't think anyone would see this movie. Clearly I was wrong. However, I will amend my silent, and now public, prediction, and say few, if any, of these viewers weren't already Moore supporters in the first place. From what I've read of the reactions from viewers, most seem to have had their opinions confirmed by the movie rather than changed. So much for bringing truth to the masses.

It's important to keep in mind, too, that although these numbers are impressive, they are impressive only for documentaties. True, Moore holds the prior record for Bowling for Columbine but that, too, pales when compared to a true blockbluster movie. If we apply those numbers to a true feature film, such as what the remake of F-451 will be, those numbers would be considered a failure for an opening weekend for a summer movie.

As for predicting the chances of the producers using F-9/11 as a tie-in to their F-451, well, see my first paragraph about making predictions. The re-make of F-451 isn't due for some time and by then F-9/11 will be a dim memory. Already many of the "facts" in the movie are being rebutted and it appears Moore may have pulled a "Bowling for Columbine" with this movie as well. Also, the situation in Iraq will likely be greatly improved and the election will have been decided. No, a lifetime will pass before the remake comes out. (Besides, Moore did do one thing right with this movie: he tried to tie it to a literary classic. Regardless of what happens with F-9/11, there's little liklihood it will be considered a classic by the time F-451 comes out. F-451 is 50 years old and still speaks to us. I wonder what F-9/11 will look like in 50 years.)

Finally, you claim Brabdury is twice as bitter as before. What are your sources on that claim?

Best,

Pete

I probably would have gone to see raybert's
latest movie but after reading his insufferable
remarks re 9/11 I realize seeing a moral degenerate's movie would be a waste of good money

You got that slightly wrong. A moral degenerate seeing a fine movie is a waste of good money!

"Let me get this right - you own the word "Fahrenheit" when used in a title?"

Corey, it is not that Moore used Fahrenheit in the title of his "documentary." The manner in which he used it is what upsets Mr. Bradbury. Moore blatantly ripped Mr. Bradbury's title, off not only in the main title, but in the subtitle which is "The temperature where freedom burns" effectively proving that this is in fact a title meant to imply that Moore's message in "Fahrenheit 911" is the same or similar to Bradbury's message in the book "Fahrenheit 451" which could not be further from the truth. Moore's film merely exercises free speach, while Mr. Bradbury's book exemplifies the ill-effects of censorship.

[This message has been edited by John Galt (edited 07-24-2004).]