Sony Pictures Pulls "The Interview"

[Kpyna]

Just looking for some lighthearted opinion-based debate on this.

For the uninitiated, Sony planned to release a movie called "The Interview". There's been a few ads for it on TV, and it's been in development for a while. Basically the premise of the movie is Seth Rogan and James Franco are journalists, and they score an interview with Kim Jong Un. They are then tasked by the CIA to try to assassinate the dictator, and "hilarity" ensues in the process. Trailers exist on the internet if you want to look them up, but there's some strong language and lewd jokes in them.

So, a terrorist group from North Korea is understandably not that happy about this movie, and they've been doing attacks on Sony for weeks, threatening to leak their info and hacking them. They just recently issued a warning to Sony and all theatres that show the movie that if it is shown, they'll do a 9/11 style attack on the theatres that play it. So, that's pretty scary, and so most theatres are refusing to show it because if this group did attack theatres on Christmas Day, the release of The Interview, that would be pretty terrifying.

A lot of people have been yelling at Sony for buckling to terrorism, which I personally understand. It kind of feels like an attack of the dignity and pride of America for theatres to refuse to show this film because a foreign group told us not to. However, I think that theatres and Sony had the right idea to pull this movie. I think that on the chance that something big did happen when this movie is shown, there's the possibility America would freak out and it could potentially prompt another war in the East, as we already are pretty tense with North Korea at the moment, given all of the international stuff that's been going on between us for a while. I'm thinking this could potentially develop more over time too, especially since Sony and major theatres seem to be entertaining the possibility of a later showing, after Christmas.

I mean, everyone's pretty scared, but we did a similar thing, except to Hitler, in Charlie Chaplin's "The Great Dictator". I think it would have been better off if they took a page from the book of that movie and made it an obvious allegory, but eh. I hate to compare the two, because the quality difference is really stark. However, I'm still a pretty big Seth Rogan and James Franco fan, so I hope this movie will see a DVD release and be able to be seen by the public eye at some point.

So, opinions North Korea's most recent act of terror?

[winterbane]

The creation of the movie is pretty irresponsible to begin with - a comedy portraying the assassination of a current head of state is just not in good taste, even if it is North Korea. Also, as stated in the IRC - if a bootleg copy of this film makes it to North Korea somehow, and someone watches it and gets tortured and killed for it, that's something Sony Pictures has to live with.

Alternatively, who is to say it was a legitimate threat? For all we know it was freelance hackers, and in that case we might see some real terrorism generated as a result - as one news articles comments said "quick, someone pretend to be N. Korea and get the TMNT sequels scrapped!"

I don't know, I don't see a winning situation coming out of this. Creating the movie was just a bad move.

[Kpyna]

Alternatively, who is to say it was a legitimate threat? For all we know it was freelance hackers, and in that case we might see some real terrorism generated as a result - as one news articles comments said "quick, someone pretend to be N. Korea and get the TMNT sequels scrapped!"

While nobody has owned up to it yet, I have to say that I believe the group itself is legit, and I'm of the opinion they may be working at least loosely with the NK government. After all, most terrorist groups love to lay claim to how they've shaken the nations to make a name for themselves, and no group name has come forward, as far as I'm aware. I believe they've just been called "Sony Hackers". I would understand rogue hackers if this was about money, but it just seems to be about defaming Sony and threatening the American public, which I can only see the nation of NK doing, or a respective radical nationalist group.

Also, didn't that terrorist group leak the clip of Kim Jung Un getting killed in the movie? Doesn't make much sense to me.

[sylar]

i fully believe it on the grounds that you can never take these sorts of things lightly, im hella paranoid about this sort of thing

but i agree it was pretty disgusting and irresponsible to make this sort of movie to begin with, im honestly not surprised at all with whos behind it. people might try to call it education, but i just think its another obnoxious publicity stunt type deal. i dont know why, especially knowing the tension surrounding the general idea of north koreas government, they thought itd be a good idea.

[Pam-the-Lamb]

 It's just an hilariously obnoxious move to make on behalf of what I - maybe foolishly - assume to be an American film developer. It really doesn't help that this would have received a "green light" before the money was pumped into it.

It was probably an attempt to mock North Korea and generally reassure the public that North Korea was just being a naughty kid having a tantrum in the sandbox. Maybe this whole hacker situation will give everyone a reality check, to be honest.

If NK hackers got into Sony and found leaks of the film maybe they've actually seen the full film anyway so maybe the threats were legitimate and were already being planned.

It's just mocking the NK government, thinking that they're defeated, and being bitten in the ass. With Russia being provoked and Middle Eastern countries being harassed, I really don't think America wants to rekindle that flame with North Korea.

I doubt this film will cause conflict in North Korea though. If cinemas are attacked by terrorists, they'll just send some drones to drop bombs on their civilian areas.

[winterbane]

I don't honestly believe North Korea has the resources to pull anything like this off - it is far more feasible that China is behind it, as a much larger country with a vested interest in the west not looking too closely at what happens in the east. Regardless, I have my doubts that this film will ever see a real release now, at least one intentionally done by Sony.

[the bread dragon]

just a movie ol kimmy needs to chill then all will be well

[lets all go out for some frosty chocolate milkshakes]

//points to movie poster for Team America with bemused expression//

[Utack and Swampy]

Not much that I can add that people haven't already said above. I was pretty shocked to discover this was actually in the works... To put another spin on it, what would result if the situation was reversed, and a North Korean film company made a movie about two guys murdering Barack Obama? I get the feeling it would hardly be considered a 'comedy' at that point.

[Richard and Blaziken]

In complete agreement with Utack, and we actually talked about this about a week ago before all this went down, with both of us in shock that this was even going to be a thing. Not surprised by this at all.

[Kerou 犠牲]

What a shame, I was actually looking forward to this film when I first heard about it. Considering the reaction from North Korea I completely understand and agree with it being pulled; you can't risk people's lives with it.

[SaRo|Rapidash]

"A 9/11 style attack on every theatre that plays it"

There must be what, 1000 cinemas in America? How the hell would they even get 1000 planes to bomb each cinema into american airspace? Like I know they can't risk the possibility of them having the means, even for one cinema, but eh.

As for the people threatening terrorism, they need to get a hold in themselves. Its a film - why does it matter? Don't like it, ban it in your country, but still, I for one wouldn't care if they made a film which was similar but with The Queen. Its fiction - it doesn't hurt anyone.

[lets all go out for some frosty chocolate milkshakes]

ngl i dunno why they bothered takin a threat from n korea seriously tbh remember the last threat they tried to make one

"we have nuclear! //absolutely ancient soviet missle sputters 30 yards into the air before exploding and shrapnel flyin everywhere all hittin a weather vane and making it spin round// //china looks sternly @ them and says "dont annoy our western trade partners/rare-earth metal customers like that PLEASE"//

[Spriter]

I doubt this film will cause conflict in North Korea though. If cinemas are attacked by terrorists, they'll just send some drones to drop bombs on their civilian areas.

*whistles as another war kicks off*
To be honest, if there were a film about a similar thing with Obama / the queen then people would be all 'oh that's just plain wrong and bad'. It's a bad idea for a film, regardless of it being North Korea. I am repeating what was said earlier, though.

[Kpyna]

There must be what, 1000 cinemas in America? How the hell would they even get 1000 planes to bomb each cinema into american airspace? Like I know they can't risk the possibility of them having the means, even for one cinema, but eh.

Nah, there's like 6,000 cinemas in America. But, that doesn't mean they couldn't get someone in over the borders (or someone that already lives here) to attack one big theatre in NYC. A terror attack in a huge theatre that seats thousands could be terrifying.

Just came here to say my prediction is (most likely) correct. North Korea was probably behind all of this. I'm interested in how this will effect our relationship with North Korea, being that it has come to light that the government infiltrated a huge business at the expense of at least thousands of Americans' private information.

Oh, Seth Rogan, what have you done?