Theaters drop 'The Interview'

[Jtetlak]

I am disappointed, and frankly a little shocked, that terrorist threats appear to have succeeded in censoring artist expression. I understand the need to consider public safety, but I think upping security is a more appropriate response than to simply give in to the demands of an extremist group. This sort or response will simply encourage more of the same.

https://www.yahoo.com/movies/the-interview-pulled-amc-regal-cinemark-105457697412.html

[Charles Hunter]

I think the Sun-Ray is still planning on showing it.

[Jtetlak]

Yes, it may be the only theater around showing it. Here's a link for tickets: http://www.sunraycinema.com/events/the-interview/

[Ajax]

Looks like Sony has decided to pull the plug on releasing the film on Christmas Day.  The last movie I saw with Franco and Rogen sucked (This Is The End) so I'll be okay. 

Maybe people are reading too much into the threats.  They said "We will clearly show it to you at the very time and places "The Interview" be shown, including the premiere, how bitter fate those who seek fun in terror should be doomed to. Soon all the world will see what an awful movie Sony Pictures Entertainment has made."  So maybe they just meant that the people going to the movie are going to suffer because it's such a crappy movie.  I mean, they did hack into Sony's servers so they've already seen it, so maybe that's all they're saying. 

I guess from now on we'll only get to watch the movies that L'il Kim lets us watch.   

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

My post from FB:

While I get all of the "Why are we giving in to terrorist demands." rhetoric, we all need to keep a bit of perspective.

Would any studio even green-light a movie depicting the plotted assassination of our own sitting president, no matter how comical / tongue-in-cheek? I'm thinking not.

So you may not agree with the manner in which they're (suspectedly N. Korea) shutting down the film, but you might try thinking about how the film made it so far into production to begin with.

[Jumpinjack]

What if the movie were released on the internet through Youtube or Hulu or such? The media play-up of the hacker demands has given this stupid movie a kind of cache and it could achieve short term international viewing. Sony would lose revenue but aren't they losing it now?

[Radio Man]

This is indeed disappointing. But telling, as well. What the hell? I thought Hollywood was all about "free speech"? I myself would probably never deign to see this film, but nonetheless, it was scheduled for release. Thus, the release should go forward. And now, based on vague threats from an unknown group, this is all up in the air. If Sony and other film groups are truly behind their rhetoric about being able to release films about whatever subject they choose, they should press forward. Otherwise, they should lose all respect and be questioned forevermore as to whether their subject matter is "approved" by whatever group may get offended by the content of the film. This...is a dangerous precedent.

[Jtetlak]

A lot of celebs are coming out against the Sony decision for setting a bad precedent: http://www.mediaite.com/online/celebs-stand-by-rogen-and-franco-on-twitter-after-the-interview-pulled/

And a movie set to start filming in March with Steve Carell called Pyongyang has now been scrapped as well: https://www.yahoo.com/movies/steve-carells-north-korea-movie-pyongyang-105463837307.html

[pierre]

Disappointed to see this happen. And I agree it sets a bad precedent.

As cliche as it sounds, the hackers won this one.

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

I still don't see how a movie about the assassination of the current leader of a country even made it past the financing stage....

Did no one ever go, "This is funny as hell, but maybe we're going a bit far on this one."

I know, let's push the Farrelly Bros. to do a cheeky satire about a down on his luck, ex-KKK Grand Wizard who gets a meeting with Barack Obama and has some of his old rabble come out and figure out how to sneak a noose and burning cross into the White House....

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

Thanks for that.

[FSBA]

Because we've never had a movie make fun of or show the death of a North Korean dictator, right?

In case you've never seen Team America, some NSFW language.

https://www.youtube.com/v/5TEvacFETvM

[Jtetlak]

Here's more info on the DOAP film, including reactions that are quite different from those of the Interview: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/12/17/forget-sonys-the-interview-this-award-winning-movie-imagined-the-assassination-of-george-w-bush/

[Downtown Osprey]

[Non-RedNeck Westsider]

The last two posts, Independence Day and White House Down, don't really fit.  They both use completely fictional characters.

And don't get me wrong, I have no problem with the movie.  It's not like I was planning on seeing it in the theater anyhow, but that's not really any different than most Seth Rogen / Jonah Hill / Adam Sandler type movies. 

I'm just not as shocked with the backlash from N. Korea as some seem to be.  Sure, we live in a nation that you could almost define by our acceptance of freedoms of speech, so even though I was unaware of DOAP, it's not surprising that it came out.

On the flip-side, we're not dealing with a nation of tolerance, hell... or even saneness it seems when comparing to other issues, which is why the reaction that we're getting from them (indirectly ) isn't surprising.