- LONDON -- Fahrenheit 451,
as we all should know by now, is the temperature at which paper burns.
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- "Fahrenheit 9/11" is the temperature at which
Ray Bradbury, author of classic sci-fi novel "Fahrenheit 451,"
gets really burned up.
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- Bradbury is telling everyone in earshot that while Michael
Moore may be a Palme d'Or- and Oscar-winning director, he's "a jerk"
nevertheless.
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- Bradbury's problems with Moore don't stem from any disagreements
with the political content of Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11." It's
the title, which Bradbury contends was appropriated by Moore without credit
or, more damningly in his view, without manners.
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- "He's not a very nice person, is he?" Bradbury
asks plaintively. "He steals things without permission, and he never
even called me. My novel is 50 years old and still being taught in schools.
He could have called it 'an homage,' right? But even after I called him
about it six months ago to protest, and was told he would call me back,
he never did."
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- Bradbury made it clear that what he seeks is not legal
recourse but something considered old-fashioned in today's Hollywood: courtesy.
The legendary novelist has no interest in taking Moore to court because
"litigation takes forever."
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- "I sued CBS in 1957 because they plagiarized 'Fahrenheit
451' for 'Playhouse 90.' They approached me for the rights and I turned
them down and they used the book anyway. I finally won, but it took me
three years."
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- So, what does Bradbury want? "I would like to know
his opinion of why he did it."
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- To that end, upon hearing of Bradbury's heated views,
Joanne Doroshow from Michael Moore's office issued the following statement:
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- "We have the greatest respect for Ray Bradbury --
he is one of our nation's great fiction writers. Mr. Bradbury's work has
been an inspiration to all of us involved in this film. When you watch
the film, you will see that title reflects the fact that the movie explores
the very real life events before, around and after 9/11."
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