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The Interview not to be shown in theaters

 
 
 
Underseer said:
Sony decided to cancel the release of The Interview (a comedy that makes fun of the current dictator of North Korea) due in large part to a hacking attack and major terrorist threats from North Korea.

Mostly, it wasn't the Japanese corporation that made this decision, but cowardly American corporations who are supposedly from a culture that values free speech above all else. If it were just Sony that turned chicken shit, I would be mad, but American companies? Seriously? Have we so abandoned our ideals that it has come to this? While the hacking incident was indeed serious, I don't think anyone really believes North Korea has the means to carry out their terrorist threat.

And you know what? Even if they did have the means, aren't we supposed to be the shining example that stands up for our values even in the face of serious consequences? What the [bad word] happened to us as a nation?
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I doubt Sony is thinking about patriotism or defending the constitution. And I don't think anyone takes seriously an actual physical threat from North Korea.

But there were hundreds of thousands of documents stolen, including private and secure information on 140,000 (non-famous) Sony employees. Then you factor in the complete lack of support they've received from other US corporations and the public in general - US News Outlets releasing the stolen information to the public; major theater chains not showing the movie (well ahead of Sony's decision not to release it) - I don't think Sony could have 'won' here regardless. No matter what decision they make, they would have been ridiculed.

Pretty good opinion piece on the whole ordeal here:
http://grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/sony-hack-amy-pascal-the-interview-seth-rogan/
(this was before it was confirmed that North Koreans were the hackers).

Under the circumstances, I think they probably took the least damaging route to their employees, brand, and profitability. Now, what's more patriotic that profits? :p



aa
 
Maybe we to make it a federal law that it is a crime to succumb to terrorist threats.
 
In terms of the plausibility of a violent threat, it seems relevant that Sony Pics is a subsidiary of Sony Corp, headquartered in Tokyo. How much did they impact the decision, and is a threat in Tokyo more plausible?

The decision had more to do with hacking and leaks (but less about their 140,000 employees and more about damaging email and memo exchanges among a handful of CEOs and higher-ups), but the Japanese Sony Corp may have had a say in the pulling of the film.
 
I'm no actuary but I'm sure the odds of being harmed on the drive to the theater are much higher than being harmed by a terrorist.
 
Kim Jong-Un's death scene can be viewed here. Nice touch that his clothes and hair caught fire before the fireball reached him.
 
Dear Sony Hackers: now that u run Hollywood, I'd also like less romantic comedies, fewer Michael Bay movies and no more Transformers.
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) December 17, 2014

Also, Sony Hackers - I really liked Tyler Perry in "Gone Girl" so hold off on doing anything yet with Madea.
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) December 17, 2014
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lol
 
ronburgundy said:
In terms of the plausibility of a violent threat, it seems relevant that Sony Pics is a subsidiary of Sony Corp, headquartered in Tokyo. How much did they impact the decision, and is a threat in Tokyo more plausible?

The decision had more to do with hacking and leaks (but less about their 140,000 employees and more about damaging email and memo exchanges among a handful of CEOs and higher-ups), but the Japanese Sony Corp may have had a say in the pulling of the film.
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Exactly--they're worried that they'll suffer more economic damage from NK hacking than they'll make from the movie.
 
It amusing to read the comments sections in stories about this. Predictably, they are blaming Obama and "Hollywood liberals". Along with most liberals in general, it is likely the 99% of the people actually responsible for Hollywood's liberal content (writers, directors, and actors) are opposed to Sony caving. This isn't a "Hollywood" decision, it is a corporate CEO decision and is in line with corporate values of cover-your-ass and protect your profits, not with liberal values portrayed in film and tv..
 
So Sony now has a property that has been deemed so controversial it had to be pulled not just from certain theaters but ALL THEATERS.

This is a movie, at least by the lights of the few people who saw it, with a lot of funny moments, but is not necessarily a funny movie. A movie that probably would have made a profit in its initial release and would have done decent in rentals

This movie has already achieved cult status and it HASN'T BEEN RELEASED. People who would have never gone to see this movie NOW ARE SCREAMING to see this movie.

this is best marketing ploy ever for an OK movie to become GOLDEN.
 
AthenaAwakened said:
This movie has already achieved cult status and it HASN'T BEEN RELEASED. People who would have never gone to see this movie NOW ARE SCREAMING to see this movie.

this is best marketing ploy ever for an OK movie to become GOLDEN.
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It was the warning from the hackers to stay away from theaters that were showing it that made me want to go to the theater. You can't give Sony marketing credit for that.
 
Artemus said:
AthenaAwakened said:
This movie has already achieved cult status and it HASN'T BEEN RELEASED. People who would have never gone to see this movie NOW ARE SCREAMING to see this movie.

this is best marketing ploy ever for an OK movie to become GOLDEN.
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It was the warning from the hackers to stay away from theaters that were showing it that made me want to go to the theater. You can't give Sony marketing credit for that.
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Marketing is 20% planning and 80% taking advantage of opportunity.

Just watch ;)
 
AthenaAwakened said:
Artemus said:
It was the warning from the hackers to stay away from theaters that were showing it that made me want to go to the theater. You can't give Sony marketing credit for that.
Click to expand...

Marketing is 20% planning and 80% taking advantage of opportunity.

Just watch ;)
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It isn't clear that pulling the film will draw much more than the desire to defy the threat would have. It also runs the risk that by the time the film is released, American's short attention spans will have moved on, or millions will have already seen the film from illegal downloads. The higher ups that made the decision could have more to personally lose if that gamble backfired, than they would to gain if it boosted sales.

I suspect that pulling the film was more about trying to stop the bleeding from the leaking of racist, sexist, and otherwise embarrassing emails between corporate higher ups. They will now try to find any way to take advantage of the situation they are now in, but I am skeptical that pulling the film was done primarily to create hype, which was already astronomical before they pulled it.
 
I'll bet our elite counter-haXXorz, full of the spirit of freedom and democracy, have already made pirated copies of the film available online.

Just like every other film that comes out. Or in this case doesn't.
 
dismal said:
I'll bet our elite counter-haXXorz, full of the spirit of freedom and democracy, have already made pirated copies of the film available online.

Just like every other film that comes out. Or in this case doesn't.
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Just looked on The Pirate Bay and it's there, a DVD rip. Been there for five months according to the site.
 
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