Same Title, Different Song

David Cronenberg directed a film called Crash about people who get off on vehicular accidents. Paul Haggis, eight years later, directed a film with the same title, about racism (or a racist film about racism, if you ask a cynical white person), in 2004.

Certainly, Haggis wasn't trying to fool viewers, in The Asylum tradition, into thinking that his film was related to Cronenberg's critically acclaimed-yet-little-seen movie, but he at least must have known that a film with the same title existed. And he didn't give a shit.

Neither did Jay-Z and Kanye West, I imagine, give a second thought when they pilfered the title "Welcome to the Jungle" from Guns N' Roses.

I care, though. Tonight, after typing "good vibrations" on YouTube's (shitty, advertising-driven) search, the first page of results were a pagan mix of the Beach Boys's classic song and Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch's early 90's hit.

So, a song fight. In one corner, Brian Wilson and company; in the other, Mark Wahlberg and his bunches funky.

The stake? Song title ownership. Forever.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eSN8Cwit_s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCeD_6Y3GQc