With theater chains defecting en masse, Sony Pictures Entertainment has pulled the planned Christmas release of “The Interview.”
http://variety.com/2014/film/news/s...se-for-the-interview-on-christmas-1201382032/
With theater chains defecting en masse, Sony Pictures Entertainment has pulled the planned Christmas release of “The Interview.”
Seemed like kind of a stupid plot anyway.
Dave
+1 Completely agree.What makes this story newsworthy isn't the fact that it may or may not be a bad movie. I don't care anything about that.
However, the intrigue is how the hackers were able to bring a major corporation to it's knees and eventually those same hackers were also able to impact a major picture release through blackmail. The other angle is how the North Koreans are the prime suspects in the case (the N. Korean dictator is depicted unfavorably in the movie.) You have to wonder if this is the start of more of this behavior in the future, especially when a particular group or cause is depicted in a similar manner.
+1 Completely agree.
This is kind of scary. The fact that a small, radical group could have this kind of influence -- that's what makes this development interesting.
What if a group of skinheads were able to prevent the release of Shindler's List? Or a group of pro-gun owners were to prevent the release of Bowling for Dollars? Will movie companies now be less likely to take on a controversial topic?
Kurt
I corrected that 2 minutes after I posted. Not sure how my fingers typed that.Bowling for Dollars? I remember that as a TV show when I was growing up in Canada. Did you mean Bowling for Columbine?
+1 Completely agree.
This is kind of scary. The fact that a small, radical group could have this kind of influence -- that's what makes this development interesting.
What if a group of skinheads were able to prevent the release of Shindler's List? Or a group of pro-gun owners were to prevent the release of Bowling for Columbine? Will movie companies now be less likely to take on a controversial topic?
Kurt
What makes this story newsworthy isn't the fact that it may or may not be a bad movie. I don't care anything about that.
However, the intrigue is how the hackers were able to bring a major corporation to it's knees and eventually those same hackers were also able to impact a major picture release through blackmail. The other angle is how the North Koreans are the prime suspects in the case (the N. Korean dictator is depicted unfavorably in the movie.) You have to wonder if this is the start of more of this behavior in the future, especially when a particular group or cause is depicted in a similar manner.
I think the movie was in bad taste.
Seth Rogan's movies are crude, rude, and offensive.:annoyed:
I still find it odd that such a movie was made. Can anyone think of any other movies where the main plot was to assassinate a living head of state? Sure there are a lot of movies based on history where previous heads of state are targeted, but a current one? Manuel Noriega was a target in a video game which resulted in a lawsuit. Even given the head of state being targeted in The Interview, I think the movie was in bad taste.
I don't think whether or not people would like the movie or think that it is in good taste is the issue at all. I didn't care for the material that Larry Flynt produced, but to censor Hustler magazine was wrong. While not a legal censorship, this new situation opens the door to any group effectively censoring a movie they happen not to like. Do we really want to go down that path?
Kurt
I still find it odd that such a movie was made. Can anyone think of any other movies where the main plot was to assassinate a living head of state? Sure there are a lot of movies based on history where previous heads of state are targeted, but a current one? Manuel Noriega was a target in a video game which resulted in a lawsuit. Even given the head of state being targeted in The Interview, I think the movie was in bad taste.
There was movie not too long ago about the fictional assassination of George W. Bush. Not attempted. The movie was a faux documentary that actually depicted the president being fatally shot by a sniper after an address at a Chicago Hotel.I still find it odd that such a movie was made. Can anyone think of any other movies where the main plot was to assassinate a living head of state? Sure there are a lot of movies based on history where previous heads of state are targeted, but a current one? Manuel Noriega was a target in a video game which resulted in a lawsuit. Even given the head of state being targeted in The Interview, I think the movie was in bad taste.
This is scary but keep in mind, this is not a small, radical group doing this! This was done by a section of the North Korean Government!
[Comments deleted ...]
Since I don't want this to get into a political discussion I will refrain from pursuing this further. Just my thoughts.
Totally agree. My grown kids and I were discussing this yesterday, before the cancellation. I said essentially the same thing, why was it ok to make a movie about assassinating a living person? Just opening the door for trouble, and sending out bad messages. Now, if the movie was based on an Asian country with a leader under a different name, that is more palatable, and people could make the connection.
I assume the movie is a comedy, and they fail in their mission. But how could any of it be funny?
It might actually be a hilarious movie, we don't know. It was in poor taste to make the movie about a living head of state, but it could still be really really funny if you suspend that piece of it, which shouldn't be hard to do since we as Americans have no affection or appreciation toward North Korea.
This is scary but keep in mind, this is not a small, radical group doing this! This was done by a section of the North Korean Government!
I don't think whether or not people would like the movie or think that it is in good taste is the issue at all. I didn't care for the material that Larry Flynt produced, but to censor Hustler magazine was wrong. While not a legal censorship, this new situation opens the door to any group effectively censoring a movie they happen not to like. Do we really want to go down that path?
Kurt
It is probably a good thing I am not President. If I was and if we knew with absolute certainty that the North Korean Government was behind this, I would bomb the Hell out of one of their military bases.
George
I vote no. But I don't know what the answer is because if this situation repeats with other movies I'll be one of the people who will stay away from theaters when threats are lodged. Say what you want, that I'll be enabling the bad guys or giving in to the terrorists or whatever, but it would frighten me enough to not go.
I would fully understand your fear and whatever decision you would make based on a threat like that. It just makes me sad, I guess, that we have gotten to this point where anonymous threats can have such a huge impact.
Kurt