MovieChat Forums > Haute tension (2005) Discussion > Does the director even give credit to KO...

Does the director even give credit to KOONTZ?

posted 13 years ago by CogburnSwale
8 replies | jump to latest

I didn't notice Koontz's name anywhere, not even in the end credits. Am I blind or something? Or is Aja a giant *beep*?

[–] DOPE-cinema 13 years ago

No, he didn't give Koontz any credit. I remember reading about the similarities but thought it was BS. Until I bought the book and did it for a book report. The book and movie are extremely similar. I think Alexandre and Gregory should've added in the beginning credits "Based on Dean Koontz' Intensity" at the very least. It wouldn't have hurt anybody. But regardless, I still love this movie and I find it to be better than the Made-for-TV movie adaption of the book.

I'm Eli Goldsworthy and I approve this message.

[–] CogburnSwale 13 years ago

I'd go nuts if I was Koontz. This is not fair, stealing someone's work like that.

As you say, at LEAST say: "Based on Dean Koontz's Intensity".

[–] BertramWilberforceWooster 10 years ago

From his website:

In the past, Dean has been aggressive about plagiarism and has succeeded in every action he has taken against every plagiarist. In this case, a win appeared inevitable, but he decided to ignore the offense because he found the film so puerile, so disgusting, and so intellectually bankrupt that he didn’t want the association with it that would inevitably come if he pursued an action against the filmmaker. Maybe the lesson is that if you’re going to steal from Dean’s work, you better make your version as disgusting and misanthropic, as full of loathing for humanity, as you can; then you might get away with it!

And here's a quote for you all:

At Sundance, I called Aja on the alarming similarities between Koontz book and his movie. He hemmed, hawed, blushed and allowed that he had read Koontz's book and that the beginning was "quite similar ... but it's a tribute to all slasher films."

http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20050603/COLUMNIST49/506030658

--
If I cannot smoke cigars in heaven, I shall not go!

[–] engagedtoprecious 13 years ago

No. This has been an ongoing debate for a while. I remember reading Koontz's book after seeing this and going from "OK, so they're a little similar. It could be a coincidence" to "OK there is no way they did not rip this off." Anyone who has actually read the book and still insists that Aja didn't rip it off is living in denial. I'm just shocked no lawsuit ever derived from it.

[–] MadMakaveli777 13 years ago

They may have settled something out of court. Stranger things have happened.

[–] BoardBoss 13 years ago

That's how most things go.

Really not that strange.

[–] janus3 13 years ago

i read the book and found the only similarity is that the killer takes the girl (who's already dead mind you) and they make a stop at a cornerstore. nothing else is really the same. in the book, chyna (the female lead) is trying to rescue an imprisoned child and that's what the focus of the book is. if anything it could be "inspired" by koontz's work.

[–] smspencer69 13 years ago

Maybe Koontz recieved royalties but did not want his name on the credits, especially after the ending was totally changed. I used to be a big fan of his books but I think I've yet to see a decent screen adaption.