On the other hand, what protection do the creators of the Amanda show have? The idea that video store employees make their own movies isn’t merely incidental to Gondry’s movie–it’s the whole concept of the movie. It’s a very specific concept, and someone else had it, or something very close to it, first. The idea that Gondry’s take is more thoughtful, which it almost certainly is, doesn’t address the issue of whether it’s fair to use the idea, whether you were aware that someone else had done it or not. (The Blair Witch Project–another concept-driven movie–borrowed its premise from another, apparently inferior, movie, and faced a similar minor comntroversy.)

And, obviously, this is a a grey area. No idea is completely original. (Monty Python, for example, had a sketch about a bookstore that sold knock-off versions of famous books (like David Coppperfield, with three p’s.)) But I also don’t think it’s fair to entirely dismiss the idea of intellectual property either. The Amanda show had an idea, and very publicly put it out there, and then somone made a movie using a very similar idea. I don’t know who’s right, but it IS a fair question to address. Obviously, similar themes and ideas recur all the time in books and movies, yet at the same time, it’s important to be respectful of, and give a wide berth to, other people’s ideas. Again, it’s a tricky issue, but the creators of the Amanda Show, certainly have reason to be a little concerned.

As an aside, a lot of people are criticizing the Amanda Show, which I had never seen, or even heard of, except for this clip, but the scene in question seems like a pretty decent idea for a sketch for a children’s show. It’s not high-art, but it’s not a bad concept, and it’s kind of silly.

Anyway, i seriously doubt that the Amanda Show was the first with this idea, i’d be willing to bet a hundred bucks on that, and i dont even have that much money

I seriously doubt you’ve seen anything of Gondry’s if you feel this way.

Watch the film and tell me then that it’s a rip off.

From the mouth of Gondry:
“I had this concept for years, this kid who would remake these movies. It sort of fuses this idea I’ve had for years, believing that people could create their own entertainment and they would enjoy it better, because they are in it. And the film would not have to be technically achieved, because it’s like watching a home movie. You don’t watch it for the technique, you watch because it’s reminiscing on good moments you spent with your friends. It reflects you. It belongs to you. So I was thinking people could, instead of spending their money to go and see a blockbuster, make their own movies. Collect the money and make a new one every week. I thought it would be nice to create a world that makes this construct possible.”

I highly doubt Amanda or any of her writers had this concept in mind… their’s is about a foreign family making remakes just to cheat people out of their money. Jack Black and Mos Def do it to save the store and later for the love and renown they’ve received from it.

http://www.avclub.com/content/interview/michel_gondry

Instead of being an original movie, it’s a stolen and lame idea.

No. but are you trying to say that Nickelodeon’s “Blockblister” skit is better than Be Kind Rewind? I certainly hope not. I can’t believe there’s even a debate about this.