There was a Bible controversy.
There were stories based on such controversial issues.
There was a much-celebrated litigation over the alleged “lack of originality” in stories based on such controversial issues.
Like many others I religiously followed the developments of the litigation involving Da Vinci Code (DVC) and the Holy Blood and Holy Grail (HBHG). And like everyone else I swallowed the decision with great delight. Even though Judge Peter Smith gave a predictable decision based on the evidence and how the case developed, the truth is that it was a defining moment as far as the Copyright world was concerned. Well it did uphold the cause of originality now, didn’t it!?!
Nonetheless, I seemed to have acquired a wholly renewed sense of passion about the Holy Grail. So much so that recently, when I noticed a Python (Monty) collector’s edition on the Holy Grail, I picked it right off the rack, without even giving it a second thought. This is probably when I should’ve suspected that my passion for this subject was entering dangerous territory! (Now, I may add a little piece of information at this point. In the past, I had enjoyed the solitary Python (Monty) movie I saw, and so it was only fair for me to have high expectations from this too.)
The movie started with the title “Dentist on the job”. My first reaction was to reach out for the cover and see if I had actually picked up the correct movie. However, as my husband wisely said “Relax, it’s a Python (Monty) movie, really!” So I nodded realizing the implication and patiently watched the textual apologies for having the wrong reel presented and waited more patiently for the never-ending credits to the Moose!!!!! Bizzare? Well it only got …better or worse- well you’ll just have to decide after watching the movie. It might not have been the best representation of what people expect from the title of “The quest for the Holy Grail”, but for someone who appreciates such humor and remembers to bear in mind that it is a Python (Monty) movie, it is nothing short of a laugh riot.
However, since technically this isn’t about the movie, let me get back to what it’s really about.
After witnessing a long battle over the concept of originality, in the DVC-HBHG case, it was only too refreshing to be subjected to this absurdity. Even though I couldn’t find the mysteries I expected would unravel, and at many points I was frustrated and tempted to fast forward, the fact remains that it left me feeling like it was something different. Okay, maybe absolutely different in the sense of being inane. Maybe it did not address or pick up on issues that I expected it to pick up on. Maybe I wanted to switch the movie off and go back to sleep (like my husband did three minutes into the movie!).
The point was that as a miniscule entity of the audience I thought it was different. One of the tests of originality is the test of association. And I could not associate it with anything!!! Even if it meant associating it with something unintelligent. So in light of the litigation of DVC-HBHG, wherein so much hullabaloo was created over the lack of originality, I could not refrain from comparing them all simply on the pretext of the similarity of the topic. And the one thing that struck my mind and I found so ironically hilarious - as bizzare, inane and ridiculous as the movie was, I can without doubt or the need of any ardorous litigation give it credit for being -
There were stories based on such controversial issues.
There was a much-celebrated litigation over the alleged “lack of originality” in stories based on such controversial issues.
And then…… there was Python (Monty).
Like many others I religiously followed the developments of the litigation involving Da Vinci Code (DVC) and the Holy Blood and Holy Grail (HBHG). And like everyone else I swallowed the decision with great delight. Even though Judge Peter Smith gave a predictable decision based on the evidence and how the case developed, the truth is that it was a defining moment as far as the Copyright world was concerned. Well it did uphold the cause of originality now, didn’t it!?!
Nonetheless, I seemed to have acquired a wholly renewed sense of passion about the Holy Grail. So much so that recently, when I noticed a Python (Monty) collector’s edition on the Holy Grail, I picked it right off the rack, without even giving it a second thought. This is probably when I should’ve suspected that my passion for this subject was entering dangerous territory! (Now, I may add a little piece of information at this point. In the past, I had enjoyed the solitary Python (Monty) movie I saw, and so it was only fair for me to have high expectations from this too.)
The movie started with the title “Dentist on the job”. My first reaction was to reach out for the cover and see if I had actually picked up the correct movie. However, as my husband wisely said “Relax, it’s a Python (Monty) movie, really!” So I nodded realizing the implication and patiently watched the textual apologies for having the wrong reel presented and waited more patiently for the never-ending credits to the Moose!!!!! Bizzare? Well it only got …better or worse- well you’ll just have to decide after watching the movie. It might not have been the best representation of what people expect from the title of “The quest for the Holy Grail”, but for someone who appreciates such humor and remembers to bear in mind that it is a Python (Monty) movie, it is nothing short of a laugh riot.
However, since technically this isn’t about the movie, let me get back to what it’s really about.
After witnessing a long battle over the concept of originality, in the DVC-HBHG case, it was only too refreshing to be subjected to this absurdity. Even though I couldn’t find the mysteries I expected would unravel, and at many points I was frustrated and tempted to fast forward, the fact remains that it left me feeling like it was something different. Okay, maybe absolutely different in the sense of being inane. Maybe it did not address or pick up on issues that I expected it to pick up on. Maybe I wanted to switch the movie off and go back to sleep (like my husband did three minutes into the movie!).
The point was that as a miniscule entity of the audience I thought it was different. One of the tests of originality is the test of association. And I could not associate it with anything!!! Even if it meant associating it with something unintelligent. So in light of the litigation of DVC-HBHG, wherein so much hullabaloo was created over the lack of originality, I could not refrain from comparing them all simply on the pretext of the similarity of the topic. And the one thing that struck my mind and I found so ironically hilarious - as bizzare, inane and ridiculous as the movie was, I can without doubt or the need of any ardorous litigation give it credit for being -
absolutely and undoubtedly and wholly original!!!!
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